I realize their is a previous, older version of this thread. Because it is outdated and does not take into account the two newer colleges, Benjamin Franklin and Pauli Murray, I’ve decided to start a fresh one!
I am hoping to attend Yale. I am interested to know which residential colleges people believe to be best (please be unbiased!). If you could rank all or at least list top 3, as well as the reason behind your ranking, that would be awesome.
Question: Do yale residential colleges offer undergrads singles? I heard the two new colleges offer mostly singles. Could someone please provide more detail.
Also, how is life at the two new residential colleges, given they are apart from the old campus? Does one feel a bit far or left out?
In terms of centralized locations, Trumbull, Berkeley and Hopper. The 2 new colleges, Murray and Franklin, are good for science majors because they are already halfway up Science Hill. Some don’t like the new colleges, Silliman and Timothy Dwight because their freshmen do not live on Old Campus (and some like it for that reason). If you like living in “Hogwarts”, the colleges with Gothic architecture are Jonathan Edwards, Branford, Saybrook, Trumbull, Berkeley and Hopper. If you like living in old colonial Williamsburg, then its Pierson, Silliman, TD, Murray and Franklin. If you like both, Davenport has a Gothic exterior and colonial interior. If being close to the gym is important, and you don’t mind ugly modernistic architecture, then its Ezra Stiles and Morse.
Unless you are a legacy, you will not have a choice in where you are assigned. If you are a legacy, your choice is to either choose your parent’s college, or not that college. Colleges develop different and changing reputations and feels over the years because of the personalities and interests of the Heads and Deans, and sometimes from particularly strong classes. I wouldn’t worry, most grow to feel their college is the best.