Which fictional school does Rory attend before Yale?

Rory attends Chilton Preparatory School before Yale University. Chilton is an elite fictional preparatory school in Connecticut that Rory enters at the beginning of the series after previously attending Stars Hollow High School.

Lorelai seeks financial help from her parents, Emily and Richard, to pay Chilton’s tuition. Their agreement creates the weekly Friday-night dinners that become one of the show’s central recurring settings. At Chilton, Rory encounters demanding academics, competitive classmates, and headmaster Charleston.

Chilton is fictional, but the series presents it as a selective college-preparatory institution. Rory graduates as valedictorian and later chooses Yale, making the school an important stage in her educational journey rather than her final college destination.