Students enter the world of public high school, experiencing a change in their social lives and grades

Just picture it: a classroom with 18 kids, a lunch line stocked with catered food, and hallways filled with students who know your name, your academic and sports achievements, and most likely what you did last weekend. In a school of nearly 3,000 students, such a thing seems foreign.

The majority of Chantilly students have spent their entire lives in a public school system, accustomed to education on the large, Fairfax County scale. But for those students who have transferred from private schools, most can see a clear difference from such a drastic transition.

Senior Lauren Jancuska spent her freshman year at Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax, where the academics were notably more difficult and the social scene lacked variety. “Academically, it was really hard,” Jancuska said. “I had a 3.2 there and a 3.6 here. I left because I didn’t really like it, and getting into college with a lower GPA is obviously much harder.”

Sophomore Shannon Strittmatter also switched to Chantilly from Paul VI after her freshman year because of the shorter distance and since her older brother is also a student here. She agreed that public school is the better choice.

“I definitely like public school because there is more freedom, and there aren’t as many classes to choose from at PVI,” Strittmatter said. “The classes are easier but I like them. The teachers were more strict at PVI.”

With the huge difference in population between the two school systems, sports are also an important consideration. Junior Jamie Danehower participates in varsity baseball and basketball, and spent first through eighth grade at Trinity Christian School before coming to Chantilly for high school.

“There’s definitely a huge difference in public school with sports because everyone here cares a lot more,” Danehower said.  “It’s a bigger deal.”

All three students preferred public school over private school. However, possible downsides to making the switch are complicated schedule changes and making adjustments.

“I knew a few people, so it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be,” Jancuska said. “I can definitely say I like people from Chantilly more. I’m glad I came here.”

Subschool 3 guidance counselor, Maurean Truncale has dealt with many transfers, and said the transition is not always easy.

“It really is difficult,” Truncale said. “I admire the resilience it takes to make such a huge change as a teenager.”