The first day of school brings about mixed emotions for students. For some, it’s just getting back into the swing of things and a chance to see friends. For others, it brings a whole new start. While all freshmen are experiencing high school for the first time, others have just transferred into CHS from a private middle school. With first semester coming to an end, freshman Anjali Natarajan reflects on her year thus far. Natarajan went to Sycamore school up until high school.

“My brother had gone to Carmel for high school and he really loved it here. It made sense (to choose to attend Carmel High School),” Natarajan said.

The overall atmosphere of CHS is very different compared to private schools because of the differences between class sizes.

“My old school only had 30 kids in my grade,” Natarajan said.

“Private schools are much smaller so for them it’s more of an adjustment, but most immediately find something to get involved with”, said freshman counselor Leslie Bown.

According to the Institute of Education Sciences, recent research suggests that participation in extracurricular activities may increase students’ sense of engagement or attachment to their school.

Freshman Maddy Ludwig has found her connection by joining the Coquettes dance team. According to Ludwig, who used to go to Our Lady Mount Carmel, being involved in activities makes the big school much smaller and it’s easier to connect with other students.

“I wanted something different and I wanted to meet new people, there’s so many more activities and freedom here,” Ludwig said.  

Natarajan joined multiple clubs and sports to make new connections at school.

“I play tennis and the Carmel tennis team here is just amazing so I’ve always wanted to be a part of the team,” Natarajan said.

Academically, both Ludwig and Natarajan feel they were prepared to take on the rigorous high school course load. A larger school can offer a more diverse education than smaller ones because of the number of students.

“We go higher in math than most other high schools and offer more AP classes,” Brown said.

CHS offers 35 AP classes, a multitude of special programs and depth in many academic areas that allow students to pursue their interests.

“I love my classes and I’ve been able to make a lot of friends through tennis and everyone here has been so nice,” Natarajan said.  

Both Natarajan and Ludwig said they are happy that they made the choice to attend CHS.