<p>We are just home from Yale, where we learned that incoming students are randomly assigned to one of 12 residential colleges. The admissions officer said that students love the system and only a handful of students each year ask to change their placement. In walking around Yale, talking to students and looking at the residential colleges, some residential colleges seem far better than others in location, room size, amenities and design. Is it really true that students end up happy wherever they are?</p>
<p>Most of the students' love and loyalty for the college aren't due to the "hardware" of residences, but the "software" --- the people, activities, and the community spirit. Similar things, I guess, can be said about Yale as a whole. Although some people had expressed discontent in some colleges prior to assignment and had hoped to be placed in a specific college, as soon as they find out their assignment and Facebook groups of colleges pop up, they all think that THEIR college and the ~100 people in it are the BEST!</p>
<p>Yes, it's really true for all the reasons YT3J listed.</p>
<p>The only reason I recall transfers out of one RC to another was generally to room with a group of friends gained Freshman year. A guy from Silliman joined my circle of friends Sophomore year. He had become a good friend with my roommates who were on the same sports team and wanted to join us. He became a loyal member of the college thereafter.</p>
<p>I think most people are satisfied because the diversity in their college usually allows them to find a good niche, a good circle of friends.</p>
<p>Most people will give their left arm for their Residential College. </p>
<p>Go JE!</p>
<p>That's funny...I would have guessed that Silliman would be one of the colleges people would be trying to transfer into...great location, just finishing renovations and a movie theater.</p>
<p>Like the previous poster said, i've never known of a transfer due to physical space or amenities. It's all about relationships.</p>
<p>And I'd say that even the "worse" are still head and shoulders above most collegians' housing. Our friends visiting from other schools would drool over our "slums"</p>
<p>Looking back, we had no right to complain. Housing overall is great. The RC system just makes it golden. </p>
<p>YOu ask any alum what the most satisfying aspect of Yale College: I'd say 90% would say the Residential College system. It's just THAT important to how undergrads interface with each other and the university as a whole</p>
<p>T26E4 is completely right (except about the "go JE" part). Even students in Morse and Stiles (the ones that most people will tell you are the "worst") love their colleges.
And as for Yale's slums being great in comparison to other schools, I just remember the "wow" a Johns Hopkins student let out when visiting a friend in L-dub (the worst freshman housing on campus).</p>
<p>College affiliation supercedes every other affiliation w/Yale. Not major, not department. Not geographic similarity. Sometimes not even class year.</p>
<p>You go to any alumni function and people introduce themselves: "Jane Doe, Stiles '95" or "Bill Black, JE '58". I've never ever heard an alum identify themselves "John Doe, English major,class of '72" Never. The College is THE marker for a Yale undergrad.</p>
<p>Of my circle of about 12 CLOSE college friends (all in JE (which rules by the way)) every single one of our spouses is just in amazement at our closeness to one another and affinity and loyalty to the college (JE).</p>
<p>To the OP, your son/daughter will love it. There's nothing like it.</p>
<p>Actually, Johns Hopkins housing is very nice. The newest addition is Charles Commons, which is just wonderful, containing several dining options and lively and beautiful common spaces. A new and large Barnes and Nobles is also in this building. Freshman housing is fine, but not as nice as the rest. However the kids have a great time because the dorms are very social, located on a big quad, and surrounded by the sports facilities. Freshman housing is also on the side of campus that is surrounded by magnificent Roland Park. The housing for the upper classmen is really lovely, with large and comfortable suites, and clean and well maintained common spaces. Also, the security in the dorms is outstanding. Also, all dorms but the AMR's are air conditioned. Many kids choose to be in these dorms freshman year because they are generally considered to be so much fun.</p>
<p>Thank you for your comments! As an outsider, I am still surprised that random initial placement can yield such passionate loyalty. Is it not really random? Are more drama students placed in an RC close to the theaters or more hockey students placed in an RC close to the rink or more granola-types placed in the RC with organic food? Would legacies be placed in the RC that their parents were in?</p>
<p>Legacies can request to be in the same college as a relative, or in "a different college" at which point they are randomly assigned.</p>
<p>Besides that, it's pseudorandom (The randomizer is colloquially called 'the sorting hat' by some Yalies). Gender ratio is obviously controlled. Everything else is up to chance. There's no drama/hockey/granola bias at all. There have been cases of some varsity athletes transferring to morse/stiles for the proximity of the gym, but it's fairly rare.</p>
<p>It seems to me like they control for race and geographic diversity as well. The residential colleges are a microcosm of the larger college and I think there has to be some engineering to get enough athletes/politicos/poets/etc. in every college.</p>
<p>Yale is all about mixing it up and everyone getting along. My impression is that there is much less segregation between disparate groups at Yale than at many other other colleges. Somehow they select for "residential college kids" in admissions, not sure how they do it.</p>
<p>stiles tends to be the jock college. it's the only one i know of with a certain theme to it.</p>
<p>I loved the residential colleges when I visited. I stayed in TD and found it very comfortable, if a little too small compared to Silliman or Davenport and some of the bigger ones.</p>
<p>If I understand correctly, Morse has some of the best rooms, correct?</p>