<p>Hi, </p>
<p>I just thought I'd ping and see if any Yale engineering, computer science, or applied math students are reading the forum. I'm curious about engineering-style majors pursued at colleges that aren't strictly engineering schools. What's the student experience like? Why choose Yale over, say, a purely technical school?</p>
<p>One reason to choose it is a better-than-1:1 student to faculty ratio. Caltech is really the only other place that offers something even close to that. As a result, placement into top grad programs is extremely high.</p>
<p>Also see</p>
<p>and other threads.</p>
<p>Thanks, posterX. Anyone else?</p>
<p>Tokenadult:</p>
<p>I've posted a few times about Yale engineering in various forums, but here is a summary of thought. Let me know if you have specific questions. </p>
<p>Let's say your choice is between MIT and Yale (I'll compare these schools because I have personal experience at both). </p>
<p>First, why would you choose Yale?</p>
<ul>
<li><p>If you have an interest outside science/engineering that is not covered as well in the MIT curriculum such as literature or foreiqn languages. MIT does have great business, music, and econ programs, so if those are of interest to the student then perhaps this is not as important. </p></li>
<li><p>If you are not sure science is for you. There are so many miserable kids at MIT who don't want to be majoring in engineering. Come senior year, they're stuck in advanced courses and hating every second of it. At Yale you could switch to a major like history, pyschology, or english as late as junior year. There are many majors at Yale that only require 12 classes. </p></li>
<li><p>If you're a dilletant. Do you hate being told what classes to take? At Yale you have much more freedom than at MIT.</p></li>
<li><p>Undergraduate research experiences at Yale are generally great. Because lab groups at Yale tend to be smaller than at MIT and because there are fewer undergrads competing for spots, it may be easier to land an amazing research opportunity early on in your Yale career. And when you get a research position at Yale, you are more likely to be treated like a graduate student and assigned a larger role in the project than at a large science school where you may find yourself to be an assistant to a graduate student.</p></li>
<li><p>If you like the residential college system. If you want a dining hall to mingle with people who are not scientists.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Why choose MIT?</p>
<ul>
<li>The curriculum and teaching standards in the sciences at Yale leave something to be desired. MIT and really cares about undergraduate education in the science (there are so many undergrads!). There are many dedicated professors at Yale, but undergraduates are not always a departemental priority. At Yale, if you are considering grad school, you will probably be taking mostly graduate classes by senior year. Basically at Yale you are left to push yourself; at MIT, you are pushed.<br></li>
</ul>
<p>Finally, if you are thinking of grad school. MIT and Yale can both prepare you equally well; it's up to you to take advantage of this.</p>
<p>Oh, I forgot to reply to the last reply here earlier. I might have said "renaissance person" rather than "dilettante." Anyway, thanks for the reply. I'd love to hear more about Yale's sci-tech side.</p>
<p>Just bumping the thread here to read more replies. My son is touring a Brand X college today on an out-of-town trip. I'm trying to find out more about other colleges he is interested in.</p>
<p>Tokenadult - </p>
<p>Do you have any specific questions?</p>
<p>Here are some more random thoughts.</p>
<p>Yale has plentiful funding for summer research projects. I was able to spend several summers abroad doing research as part of an international collaboration. I got funding through the Dean's office for housing and travel expenses, and I was paid a stipend by host lab. I was certainly not alone - so many of my classmates remember their summer experiences funded by Yale as the most rewarding times of their college careers.</p>
<p>The undergrad advising in the sciences left something to be desired. Some of my friends and I who chose the path of grad schol often wish that someone had told us to take classes x, y, and z. They were suggested in the course catalogue, but no one took the time to explain to us why they would be so important. But overall, I arrived at grad school very well prepared and capable of quickly filling in any gaps from my "liberal education".</p>
<p>I think a former Yale administrator summarized it best when she said to me (and I'm paraphrasing) "At Yale we want you to fight for your opportunities." This is so true. Nothing will be handed to you. At Yale you have to "fight" for funding, access to a class, attention from professors, etc. The fight may be painful and stressful, but the rewards are tremendous. And perhaps the biggest payoff is learning how to "fight".</p>
<p>I'm very curious about this question too, personally. I asked a question about the sciences at Yale, and I don't think anyone answered, so I'm glad tokenadult brought it up. La_vie, I'm guessing you are or were an undergrad at Yale with an interest in science and scientific research? Can you remark on the math and physics (basically, sciences excluding bio) departments at Yale? Did you feel that there were a significant number of Yale undergrads who were REALLY primarily interested in a NON-biology science, as opposed to loving a number of subjects including a science? Where do most people do research - directly on Yale campus, since I don't think there would be many other opportunities in New Haven?</p>
<p>Most of amb3r's questions match mine, so thanks to anyone else who jumps in with replies to those. Thanks to la<em>vie</em>est_belle for the thoughts on the transition from undergraduate studies at Yale to graduate school.</p>
<p>Alum here who wasn't a science/engineering type and was at Yale before they started really pouring money into science and engineering. I can't answer amb3r's questions, but I just have a couple of thoughts that might be of interest. </p>
<p>Since this post asks about engineering, let me address that from the perspective of close friends who majored in engineering and went on to grad school and later careers in engineering. These people had tremendous research opportunities. There was no problem getting a research job during the summer at Yale if that interested you. My friends all got into top Phd programs. From the two I kept in touch with during their Phd programs, they felt well prepared.</p>
<p>The biggest thing for my friends was that they loved taking history, literature, language, art history, philosophy, etc. classes. They felt that if they had gone to schools like MIT or Caltech they wouldn't have had such inspiring offerings outside the sciences. They were people who really bought into the concept of a liberal education and were excited by topics outside engineering. They wouldn't have felt intellectually complete at a science-focused college. You know if you are or your child is one of those types.</p>
<p>amb3r -</p>
<p>Yes, I graduated with a BS in a physical science from Yale a few years ago...now have a graduate degree under my belt.</p>
<p>I had two friends who majored in math. Both are in graduate school now, and have positive memories of the Yale department. They participated in REU (NSF funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates) programs as well as did independent work with members of the department. Otherwise, I can't say much. I took a couple analysis courses in the department. The teaching was quite good, but I prefered the applied "math for physicists" subjects because I found them more relevant to my career. If you arrive at Yale having not had multivariable, I hear that Math 120 can be less than inspiring though. </p>
<p>Now for Physics/Applied Physics (in Engineering). The departments are very open to undergraduates in grad classes. Typically the undergrads who aim for top grad programs start with grad classes their junior year. Almost all the professors are willing to have undergraduates work for them. The research is almost entirely on science hill (in Becton -- experimental condensed matter, optics experiment/theory, semiconductor/electronic material design), Sloan (atomic, theory, NMR, etc.), Gibbs (astro, coms), or Wright Nuclear Structure lab. There are Yale professor involved with projects that go on at Brookhaven (STAR) and various observatories. I know people spent summers in the Alps, Hawaii, and Chile doing research in astronomy and did analysis/coding during the semester. The physics department has a new chair Meg Ury, who is not only a brilliant scientist, but someone with a record of improving undergraduate education. </p>
<p>Friends/classmates. Most science majors at Yale do have other interests or at least want exposure to people outside of their field. That's why they chose Yale over a tech school. But being involved in another activity like music or writing does not mean that the students are not serious about a scientific career. Most semi-normal grad students and professors have lives outside of research. I did know a few people who were only into science (no extracurriculars) and while they kept busy and enjoyed the research opportunities, they did not met a lot of like-minded people and felt isolated.<br>
The good thing about Yale is that it allows involvement in science at all levels of committment. It does not force anyone to be what they are not just to complete a major. Also, as an undergrad in science at Yale, you tend to make friends with the grad students. This was wonderful because you had friends who are also role models.</p>
<p>Thanks for the helpful replies.</p>
<p>Here is a webpage that might be of interest:</p>
<p>Yale Science and Engineering Research (for undergrads)
YSER</a> > Home</p>