<p>hey - current yale student here… decided to visit CC randomly, first time posting in who knows how long lol. basically, yale’s alcohol policy as it stands is that we focus on safety, not punishment. this means that it’s hard to get in trouble for underage drinking (relatively, compared to other schools), unless you’re clearly violating some rule (e.g. the open container law, that is, drinking in plain sight outside). for me, and for almost everyone i know, this is a positive policy, because no matter where you go, there will be college students drinking, and most of them underage. the difference is that at yale, if you’re in trouble (i.e. you drank way too much and need medical attention), students are more willing to report it because there are largely no repercussions, and the institution trusts that we have learned our lesson after the first, or in some instances, the second time.</p>
<p>in terms of housing, you can specify that you don’t like alcohol, but i highly, highly doubt you’ll end up in a suite in which no one drinks. i’d say that upon entering, probably 60% of the class will be willing to drink, and by the end of that year, it’s 90%. you will probably feel SOME sort of pressure to drink – but definitely not much, and at yale, it’s probably one of the places you’ll feel the most comfortable NOT drinking. just be aware that at yale, like most other schools, people do like to let loose and have fun. the difference is that people have fun more openly and are smarter about it, and there is very little judgment on what you do choose or don’t choose to do. good luck!</p>