Rory attends Chilton before enrolling at Yale University. Chilton is a fictional elite preparatory school in Connecticut, and Rory transfers there from Stars Hollow High at the beginning of the series.
The school creates a major change in Rory’s life. She meets academic rival Paris Geller, works on the student newspaper, and develops a friendship with Tristan Dugray. Chilton’s demanding environment also introduces Rory to teachers and classmates from a more competitive social world.
Lorelai cannot afford Chilton’s tuition on her own, so she asks Emily and Richard Gilmore for financial help. They agree to provide the money in exchange for weekly Friday-night dinners, establishing the central family arrangement of the early seasons.
Chilton is often identified with Connecticut’s elite boarding-school culture, although the fictional school is presented as a day school.