Yale University Top Questions

The best thing about Yale are the people you meet and the opportunities presented, both always things you are enriched by. Telling people one goes to Yale is context specific - for the most part, it is a well recognized name, but not always something easy or useful to give away. While on campus, I like to split my time among class areas, the many wonderful libraries, the dining halls, my college Berkeley and running errands around the remainder of the place. As much as Yale is split among different social circles, it is surprising and comforting to see how these overlap through several people, and how no matter what, Yalies look out for and love other Yalies. Unusual to people who visit, are the many resources we have available to us here.

Yale is wealthy, old, and well-known. That means a Yale student always gets a reaction when she tells people she goes here. Sometimes that's a good thing, since the school has a reputation for academic rigor, but it can be awkward as well. The nice part is that the school doesn't hoard its money to itself. It spends, lavishly, on its students. We have every organization you can imagine, and the school makes an effort to provide everyone with funding, even individuals with project ideas of their own. The food is good - my friends who visit without exception prefer it to that of their own colleges - and a large and growing portion of it is sustainable. The campus is gorgeous, and it blends into the city of New Haven, so there's no exact division between the two. That being said, New Haven can get a bit sketchy, even close to campus, so it's important to take safety precautions. Size is a flexible issue here: the student body is large enough to provide some anonymity to those who crave it, but the division into residential colleges gives students that small community support too. In general, Yale is simply a happy place. Seniors are still as excited about the school as freshmen. And there is always so much to do.

Most people have the idea that Yale is some sort of exclusive gentleman's club. This is completely true, in a way: Mory's, the Yale Club, secret societies – they all exist. And of course, when you graduate, there are tons of successful Yalies who would be happy to give you a job or put you in contact with a colleague. Yet people seem to think that only rich white legacy kids have access to this, when the truth is that it is available to anyone who works hard enough to get in. Yale goes out of its way to let in a completely diverse group of students, both racially and economically. Now, anyone can be part of the Yale legacy.

The best thing about Yale is, to put it broadly, the people. Going to Yale was hands-down the best choice I've ever made. All of my closest friends are people that I met during college, and while I get a range of responses from "I'm impressed" to "So you think you're so great, huh?" when I tell people I went to Yale, I can't possibly imagine myself having gone anywhere else and being as happy. It was perfectly sized, the "shopping period" method of classes was a really interesting and effective way to make sure that you were going to take classes that you like and allowed you exposure to all sorts of academic topics. Honestly, one of the best things about Yale when I was there was the administration's lax approach to drinking on campus. The residential college system worked better on paper than it did in reality, especially for those of us who were stuck in Morse.

Yale is the best...relative to Princeton and Harvard. Because instead of having a polo shirt uniform, people mostly just wear Yale shirts. I think that's an improvement. I definitely wish I didn't have to take fill so many requirements, and think maybe I should have gone to Brown. But the size is perfect; I always run into people I know, but I definitely don't know everybody. And it's near NYC which is perfect for when campus feels too stuffy. When I tell people I go to Yale, they usually just say "oh, cool." I'm the one who blushes. Living off campus is ideal for me, because I like feeling like I have a home away from the school. But you can't move out of the dorms until you're a junior. New Haven is definitely the best part of Yale; amazing restaurants, diversity, people who aren't between the years of 18 and 22...basically, actual culture. Not just college culture. And we have a dance club/concert hall that attracts a lot of great performers. The biggest complaint I hear from my friends is that the environment is so claustrophobic and competitive that it's unhealthy for your self-esteem. You lose sight of why you're actually learning. But on the up-side, a lot of alumni make a lot of money and then give it to us, so Yale can subsidize just about any project you're interested in doing while you're here. I just got back from an internet-themed dance interpretation of Alice In Wonderland, written directed and performed by Yale students, but payed for by Yale. School pride generally comes in the form of, "Well, this IS Yale..." which gets really tiring. But the student body is split into 12 residential colleges,which are assigned randomly to Freshmen, so there's some lighthearted fun rivalries and intramural games between the colleges.

All in all, I have had a great experience at Yale - I've met so many interesting people that I really identify with and I have have so many ridiculously fun experiences here and I have grown so much as a person here. Obviously, since Yale is a top tier school, so many great academic and career opportunities exist here as well. That was my overview. Now, to take a step back. August and September and the beginning of October at Yale, it's really warm and nice-weathered. Campus is beautiful at that time. Perhaps during late October it starts getting colder, and rainy, but a lot of people really enjoy the snow. It actually snows until about mid-March, but many people enjoy playing out in the snow (you'll see so many people having snow ball fights organized by student clubs and such.) During the warmer days, you'll see everyone lounging on the grass, reading and studying and just socializing. It's amazing. Freshman year, most of the freshman live together, so there's a really great spirit of community within the class, so DEFINITELY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND MAKE FRIENDS OUTSIDE OF YOUR RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE.

The campus is unbelievably beautiful, especially in the summer and fall. The buildings are gorgeous and the architecture is varied. I think it is much prettier than campuses with cookie-cutter buildings. The campus is big, but not overwhelmingly big. After returning from classes I never have to walk more than a block or two to get to evening review sessions or class sections. The only complaint I have about the campus is that the science majors have a small hike to get to their classes. I love the college system. They are like dorms, but more inclusive. It's designed to give you a small college feel inside a larger university. Most of the freshman live together on one quad so they can get to know each other during the first year. Then all students split off to live in their respective colleges. Each college has a library, a hang-out area, and a dining hall. Most have gyms and other recreational spaces and they all have something extra, like a movie theater or a dance studio or a pottery studio (my college has all three)!

Well, I love New Haven, personally- and I say that hailing from New York. Tons of restaurants of all varieties (many with late hours: two within a 5 minute walk of my room are open 24 hours); lots of interesting (if expensive) shops, independently-owned cafes, many, many bookstores... it's a small city, but really a nice one. Also, our food is really phenomenal compared to what my friends at other colleges eat. They're astonished at what we have when they come to visit. Those who complain are dreadfully spoiled. The beauty of this campus still gets to me, even after living here for so long. The architecture and the history isn't anything to be brushed aside; absolutely everything, from our libraries to our dining halls to our gymnasium, is gorgeous. Everything is so damn convenient, too- there's internet access everywhere, and many computer kiosks available if you can't be arsed to bring a laptop about- always a nice, comfortable place to sit and read, common rooms never locked, security not an issue... it's damned lovely here. There are stupid people here- there are people who, in my opinion, do not appreciate or deserve the education they're receiving. They're not legacies or minorities or sports recruits- I'm sure they had very good grades in high school, and a list of extra-curriculars six pages long (didn't we all?)... but they are not what men and women of Yale should be. Still, there are some whose brilliance, passion, and dedication amaze me greatly, and it is because of them, and those like them in decades and centuries past, that I am a fiercely proud Eli.

Jesus, you've asked way too much here. I know i can answer what parts of it I want to, but still it's overwhelming. The big picture with yale is that I guess i'm glad I went there. I have fond memories of it now, although I think i spent way too much of my time there unhappy. I met the people who remain my very best friends in the world there, but I also almost never hear from the people who were my very best friends while I was there anymore. I learned how to learn, how to think in totally new and dynamic ways while I was there, but I don't think the yale name or "network" or even its reputation for excellence has helped me once in getting work in the real world.

The Best Thing: The care given to each student and the ubiquitous feeling of love that Yalies have for the institution. Every Yalie loves Yale. Change: The current president Size: Just right. You wont slip through the cracks. But its never claustrophobic. Time on Campus: Spent in New Haven (the campus is not fenced off but is very much a part of the city). Yale Administration: May be the worst part about Yale. While the deans are generally lovely, the corporation is largely out-of-touch with the students and far more invested in making a Yale hegemon. School Pride: Lots. Not in terms of Athletics, but certainly otherwise. People love Yale. Unusual: Secret Societies. History. Secret passage ways. Mystery