Yale University Top Questions

Class sizes range. Science classes are big (range from 100-200 students per class). Mid-sized classes (200 level history classes) usually have about 40-80 students. Seminars have no more than 20 students. Everyone knows their profs but class participation is much more likely to take place in a seminar. Yale academic requirement are slightly more stringent than the other Ivys (esp. Harvard which requires four less classes to graduate and has higher grade inflation). Yale education is very un-pragmatic. don't expect a journalism department or business department.

The academics here are amazing. High school was the most boring place in the world to me, we learned about jus the least interesting things in the slowest, most rote way possible. I worked really, really hard to get good grades so I could go somewhere like Yale, but I never cared about learning for its own sake. Now I’m here and I really don’t care what I’m going to do with any of this. I’m sure I’ll have to start figuring that out soon enough but for now I’m just taking classes that sound interesting and so far that’s been working out amazingly. My professors give fascinating lectures and lead really interesting conversations. Most of them know my name/have formed some kind of relationship with me. And there are definitely some kids here who are only learning to get ahead in life, and some who aren’t even bothering to do that, but most people here are here because they love learning, and that just completely rocks.

Know my name? Yup. Favourite class? ENGL 114, with Alfred Guy. Least favourite: Chinese L1/Introduction to Cog Sci. Students study all the time, are you kidding? Students don't shut up in class. Intellectual conversations? The common Yalie code-switches from brilliant to mindless to brilliant again in the blink of an eye. Competitive? Like their lives depended on it. Although it depends. I try to avoid those types. Unique class? History of Sexuality. My major: UNDECIDED. Professors? Sometimes. Distributional requirements are like parents. You hate them, but actually they make you into a man/woman. Education? I-BANKING or GRAD SCHOOL, take your pic.

I think that the class sizes here are pretty good. I was surprised, though, because I expected them to be smaller than my classes in high school, but they aren't. I think that there is a wide range, as there would be at any school, of how often students study. I know some people that don't do any work, while others never go out. The nice thing about Yale is that I have not run into anyone who is really competitive. Everyone shares notes and helps each other out whenever possible. I think that Yale's academic requirements are becoming a little too strict. I definitely think that a Yale education is more about learning for the sake of learning. However, the skills that you pick up along the way are extremely useful for any type of work you will encounter after graduation.

Competition is there but it isn't direct or obnoxious as it was in my high school. The education is not vocational but that is, I believe, better. Professor are easy to contact. Many classes I have taken are very small so Profs know you name.

Yale's attention to undergraduate academics is unparalleled. As a freshman I have had a Yale Law professor as my instructor for Intro to Ancient Philosophy, and a sophomore I have had a Fields Medal winner as my instructor for Complex Analysis. The caliber and distinction of Yale's faculty is sufficiently great to justify the cost of tuition.

Classes are wonderful here. Obviously, we're all into learning and smart people, so classes are very engaging and everyone works hard. I know all of my professors, and for many of my classes they will invite the class to dinner at their house or lunch in a dining hall. They make a real effort to get to know you. Also, other students are always happy to have a real intellectual conversation outside of class, and people are really well-read and knowledgeable about the outside world. The work is hard here, but you can challenge yourself as much or as little (to a point) as you want. Some students study all the time, but most of us have a real life and we only study as much as is necessary. I would say 3 hours or so a day is normal, but it may be a little on the low side. Most majors here are not geared towards getting a job because, let's face it, a Yale grad with a history degree is just as good as any student. That being said, classes here are on really cool topics. I have taken "Social Entrepreneurship", "Immunology," "History of Religious Conversion in Medieval Europe", and a lot of other unique classes. Also, it is not uncommon to have a professor who is the world-authority on the topic he/she is teaching. My math professor this semester literally wrote the textbook, and this is pretty common here!