Her USCF rating is 1988, putting her in the 99th percentile of American junior players.
According to the USCF's rating system, she is currently an "Expert" or "Candidate Master."
Raised in New York City, Rochelle Ballantyne learned to play chess through the Chess-in-the-Schools (CIS) program at PS 139 in Brooklyn.
Throughout her high school years at Brooklyn Tech, Rochelle was part of the Chess-in-the-Schools College Bound Program and she received special coaching from grandmaster instructors and academic tutoring and mentoring.
During her freshman year (9th grade) at Brooklyn Tech, she won the 2012 All-Girls National Chess Championships, and was consequently awarded a full college scholarship to the University of Texas at Dallas;[3] her story was featured in Brooklyn Castle.