<p>So I am thrilled to be going to Yale though am just starting to learn more about the school. I couldn't find answers to some of my questions so if you have them to any of my queries please post away!</p>
<p>1.When do we receive residential college assignments in the mail?</p>
<p>2.What are the basics behind Orientation, any breakdown of usual events out there?</p>
<p>3.As someone who got off the wait list I wonder (and hope) that now that I am in my wait list identity will no longer matter. From the point after acceptance are wait list admits treated just like those accepted from the get go? As in do we get the same treatment when being randomly assigned room mates, picking courses, and overall being evaluated. I mean I know my diploma wont read Bluecoast, graduate of Yale Class of 2014, got in off wait list, but still just wanted to make sure no hierarchy exists.</p>
<p>4.Do underclassmen often find themselves in classes with upperclassmen?</p>
<p>5.Is the first semester at Yale overwhelming? I can just imagine that being surrounded with so many bright kids and clubs could be kind of intense. Any tips on surviving freshmen year?</p>
<p>6.Any students out there, do you find yourself needing lots of spending money or are finances not an issue?</p>
<p>7.Is it easy to find opportunities with different Yale organizations like the Yale Daily News?</p>
<p>8.Are faculty available to help you adjust to what can be a large transition. I come from a very non competitive public school and I worry and wonder how I will do in Yale classes?</p>
<p>You will get all the same treatment as a person taken off the wait list. I can’t speak from personal experience because I don’t know anyone who was admitted off of the wait list (so few people are that it’s rare you’ll find one - and in fact no one was for 2013) but generally people won’t ask and if you don’t want to tell them don’t and they’ll be none the wiser :).</p>
<p>4.Do underclassmen often find themselves in classes with upperclassmen?</p>
<p>All the time.</p>
<p>7.Is it easy to find opportunities with different Yale organizations like the Yale Daily News?</p>
<p>It’s easy to find the opportunities - they’re everywhere. Is it easy to be an active member in such organizations? No. It takes dedication - FAR more than your typical high school newspaper.</p>
<p>6.Any students out there, do you find yourself needing lots of spending money or are finances not an issue?</p>
<p>You don’t need more than $20 a month for necessities. If you’re like me and eat out WAY more than you should, money could become an issue. The moral is: don’t follow my example :).</p>
<p>1.When do we receive residential college assignments in the mail?</p>
<p>If you approach faculty, almost all of them are very receptive and helpful. But this requires <em>you</em> doing your homework, figuring out what you don’t understand, making the effort to show up at office hours, and asking the questions you need. </p>
<p>So, be proactive yourself, but faculty and TAs are great resources and will want to help you out.</p>
<p>The basics of orientation are pretty generic - move in, meet your master/dean (residential college advisers), get to know you activities, trying out extracurriculars, assemblies to prepare you for the year (getting IT help, sexual health, alcohol abuse, campus safety and health services, etc.), blah blah blah. </p>
<p>There will be tons of fun activities in the first week (called Camp Yale) before classes start. Take the opportunity to meet lots of people and have tons of fun at night before the work starts!</p>
<p>Regarding spending money: there are tons of student job opps (and the minimum wage is about $11!!! Some go higher) and lots of kids, not even on FA, take advantage. Many jobs go un-filled (unheard of at most colleges). For me, working 10-12 hrs a week at a simple job, gave me some structure to my schedule and I enjoyed the extra spending money. As a matter of fact, I saved enough to fund all my Spring Breaks and pay for all my books each year.</p>
<p>Is the first semester overwhelming? It’s certainly a huge transition: moving out on your own and completely being treated as an adult, new schedule, new social circles, etc. However, get the ear of upperclassmen to know how to best take advantage of your course schedule. Be adventurous. I didn’t and felt my first semester was kind of a waste – it replicated most of what I took last semster as a senior. I was at friggin Yale! Why didn’t I take the wild Polisci or Art History class right away? That changed 2nd semester and every one afterward: I aways had extremely interesting classes for my open slots.</p>