<p>Hi everyone. I am looking through the Yale website and I have to say that I'm confused about the required courses--I am going into humanities and if I am required to study math (on the site they call it something like quantitative reasoning) or science, then I want to do the easiest level possible. Could someone give me some info on this--I would have to take 2 science creds and 2 math creds; how many credits are each class worth and could someone give me a list of the science and math courses offered? If you don't have a list, just name some of the easiest ones and how many credits they're worth... Thanks! </p>
<p>Usually, the math that counts towards a degree would be college level math, which is usually college algebra. You might be able to take a statistics course or business math also. There probably is an option for liberal arts majors so they can get their math credit, too. Sorry I don’t have specific information. I’m just giving you an idea of the easiest math classes. If you have to take a physical science class, Biology doesn’t require as much math as Chemistry. If you could take a whole year of it, it’s probably the easiest. </p>
<p>How about checking the Online Course Information on the Yale website? You can do a search of various parameters, (such as QR-quantative reasoning) and get a list of all courses offered that semester, course descriptions, prerequisites, and credit numbers. </p>
<p>OP, your question is too open-ended. There are lots of courses that satisfy the QR and SC requirements, in a number of different departments. Some of them are designed for non-science types, and that’s generally made clear in the course description. Some of the QR courses are not really math courses, but are courses in other disciplines, but with some math in the class.</p>
<p>My kids both took a course called, I think, “Issues Approach to Biology” to satisfy one of the SC requirements and it wasn’t very heavy lifting. My son took stats for the QR, and that was more work, but he thought it was worth it. You have to look at the listings and do some research. There’s also a shopping period once you get there, and advising to help you choose classes.</p>
<p>Some examples of courses that fill the QR include Intro to Programming, several intro Astronomy classes, many science labs, Statistics (there is a Statistics for Social Sciences), Microeconomics, and Movie Physics. It is not hard to fill the distribution requirements with courses you will enjoy even if they are not in your area of strength.</p>
<p>The blue book is finally live – it will give you the names of courses, the credits they carry, and ratings! <a href=“Central Authentication Service | Yale University”>Central Authentication Service | Yale University;
<p>sorry I don’t have the user/pass for that @gibby. So what you guys are saying is, even if I’m not a science/math person, I’ll still be able to do well in the science/math classes? Does anyone know how much work/how hard the humanities classes at Yale are? And I have another concern; I want to go to a great law school (let’s say Harvard Law) but I am really confused as to why Harvard Law doesn’t care much about the undergrad university I attend? Does that mean I should go to a no-name university because I’d be assured a 4.0 rather than struggling for this GPA at a top school? </p>
<p>Try this <a href=“Subjects of Instruction < Yale University”>Subjects of Instruction < Yale University. Click on a subject then on courses. After a course listing it will classify if it counts as a math class (QR). You will not find classes such as business math or college algebra as another poster suggested. There are QR classes that are geared towards non math or science Ypres and will not be in the math department. If you want an easy school where I you can get a 4.0, don’t go to Yale. </p>
<p>@wiseorigins, what stage of the college process are you at (rising HS junior, rising HS senior, etc.)? Yale has some courses suitable for hard-working students who might not find the subject their strong suit, so a music major might not love math, but can buckle down and pass the course, possibly without an A. My son’s weakest link is foreign language – unlucky, but he will survive. </p>
<p>There are some schools where you can avoid most or all requirements. Personally, I think it’s impossible to read the newspaper without some math (or statistics) knowledge. </p>
<p>Again, the Online Course Information on the Yale website (click on “Student” on the home page) does NOT need a user/password, and will provide you with some information you’re asking about.</p>
<p>WOW! That was so helpful, that course catalog! Thanks a bunch! I am a rising senior. So, what are the ‘initials’ for all of the requirements? So Quantitative Reasoning is QR, but what are the other abbreviations? For example, one Psychology course has SO, WR, and RP next to it. What do these mean? And could a class like this count towards more than requirement? Also, generally speaking, how many credits is each class worth? Just 1? </p>
<p>And see I really want to go to Yale and I think I have the potential, and I do think I’d maintain a fairly good GPA. However, at a college like University of Maryland, I feel confident that I could easily maintain a 4.0 without a whole lot of effort. I want to go to law school and I don’t think it’s fair that apparently where you went to undergrad is no big deal!! Would it be better not to go to Yale, and to just go to a normal college and get a good GPA from there??</p>
<p>Key abbreviations:</p>
<p>L1–L5 - Foreign language levels 1–5
QR - Quantitative reasoning
WR - Writing
HU - Humanities and Arts
SC - Science
SO - Social Science
RP - Course meets during the reading period</p>
<p>Most courses a 1 credit per semester. Many L1-L5 foreign language courses are 1½ credit per semester. Some intensive foreign language courses are 2 credits per semester. Courses with numerous distributional designations may be applied to only one requirement.</p>
<p><a href=“Key to Course Listings < Yale University”>http://catalog.yale.edu/ycps/key-to-course-listings/</a></p>
<p>WR is writing, SO is social sciences, RP stands for Reading Period–it means courses are held during that week. Yes, generally speaking, classes are worth 1 credit unless otherwise indicated. Generally speaking, they can’t count towards more than distributional requirement as the point of the requirements is to assure that Yale students have “an acquaintance with a broad variety of fields of inquiry and approaches to knowledge”. As far as your other questions…these are things you have to answer for yourself. First of all, one must actually get accepted to Yale. I suggest you carefully think through and prepare your list of colleges–safeties, middles, and reaches. It’s way too early to be already be trying to consider what courses you would take. I suggest you start preparing for the application process instead–that’s a huge undertaking in itself with all the essays, short answers, etc., that vary from school to school.</p>
<p>Listen well to @Clarimom. It’s fine to look at what a school offers, what its requirements are to graduate, lifestyle, and so on in helping come up with a list of schools to apply to. But, given the single digit acceptance rates of a school like Yale, it is premature to spend too much time thinking about distributional requirements, the chances of a 4.0, how fair it is for law schools to interpret a GPA from UofMd the same as if it were from Yale (if that’s true).</p>
<p>If I were you, I’d want to have my list nearing completion, and be thinking about essays.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your kind replies. Yes, I do have my list and I have written most of my supplementary essays. Do any of your guys know about the workload of a humanities major? Is there grade inflation/deflation? </p>
<p>Common App doesn’t open until tomorrow, how do you know what the supplemental questions will be? Some essays can be recycled, but you better make sure you are reading the questions carefully and answering them fully. </p>
<p>Common App is open, but Yale is not uploaded yet.</p>
<p>Wondering about the workload and grade inflation/deflation makes me think you’re the wrong sort of person for a school like Yale. Going to school at a place like that is <em>supposed</em> to be intense. </p>
<p>May I make a suggestion? Ask all of these questions AFTER you are admitted. Yale rejects 93% of students, so you are spending a lot of time wondering (possibly worrying) about something that may never happen.</p>