Monday through Friday, freshman Nikhil Chakravarthy gets up, goes to his classes and then heads over to the school’s pool at 4:30 p.m. Two hours and 6,000 yards later, he gets out of the water and goes home, ready to do it all again the next day.
Chakravarthy learned to swim when he was two. He joined a club when he was seven, and has swam competitively ever since. He dreams of trying out for the Junior Olympic National team.
He appreciates Saratoga High for the wide selection of activities and increased freedom compared to middle school. In addition to joining the school’s swim team, he will consider doing speech and debate and water polo.

What is your impression of Saratoga High school, and is it different from your expectations?
“It’s better than middle school but it’s more work. I [couldn’t] really have that many expectations because I heard so many different rumors.”

What is your favorite part of high school?
“The block schedule is cool because you get a lot of time in class and usually the teachers at the end of it just say, ‘Okay, you can do your homework for 20 minutes.’”

What is your least favorite part?
“I guess the homework is pretty bad. But the other thing is that it’s really crowded.”

Who is your favorite teacher?
Mr. Rector, due to sense of humor and personality; also, he “knows the right amount of homework to give—not too much and not too little”

If you could be one animal, what would it be?
A koala bear “because they’re huggable”