Drinking Culture at Yale

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
1

<p>Hey all,</p>

<p>So I'm a soon-to-be undergrad starting to look more closely at schools, and of all of the schools I plan on applying to, I liked the students at Yale the best. However, I've heard there's a really dominant drinking culture there. It doesn't bother me to be around people who are drinking, nor am I all that uptight about it, it's just something I don't particularly want to be doing much of. Not really my idea of fun. So my question (and I know this has been addressed some in past threads, but never really directly or to a very big extent) is if I plan on not drinking while I'm there, will I still be happy? If I don't really want to be the only sober person hanging out with a bunch of drunk people, can I find things to do on the weekend? Would you say this makes Yale a bad fit for me? Would love to hear feedback/personal experience from present or past undergrads.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

2

<p>Almost every college is gong to have a large group of students whose habits are different from yours. That being said, I’m sure that Yale and most other schools have many students who don’t drink like fish. I didn’t attend Yale. I attended UIUC, and there was a large party culture on campus and in my fraternity. My goal always was to get into medical school, and I did just fine staying away from the party scene when I needed to and enjoyed it when I wanted to. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.</p>

3

<p>I think that if you really don’t plan to drink at all, you have two main options:

  1. Go to a school where most people don’t drink. This will be difficult, unless you are interested in a religious school.
  2. Go to a school that is big enough that there will be a significant number of people who don’t drink, or who don’t drink a lot.</p>

<p>Personally, I think that Yale fits the second criterion. There is lots to do that doesn’t involve drinking, and even many social events that include drinking don’t involve getting totally hammered. Although Yale has a Greek scene (much more so now than a few decades ago), it’s still not really dominant of the campus social life. There are lots of extracurricular groups, and lots of arts stuff (concerts, plays, comedy shows, etc.) to see on the weekends.</p>

<p>I think there is too much drinking at Yale, and I think the drinking culture there has deteriorated since I was an undergrad–ironically, I think it’s because of the higher drinking age, leading to pregaming, drinking at frats, etc. I still think, however, that Yale is on the less hard-partying spectrum as compared to other similar schools, and especially when compared to schools with a dominant Greek scene.</p>

4

<p>That’s actually a good point PsychoDad, thanks for pointing it out and let me clarify: I think I’ll be really happy if I were to go to yale (which is presumptuous to think about, but I’m being pretty hypothetical). Asking if I’d be happy was a bad way to phrase it. Really the point of this is I’m trying to figure out where I should apply early action/where I would be happiEST. I don’t doubt that I could find people at Yale who don’t spend all their time drinking, but would I be better off somewhere where I found the kids marginally less fun (brown, for example), but where they drink less? I guess that’s really my question.</p>

5

<p>Nobody can tell your where “the best” fit will be for you. That’s a personal decision made on a gut-level. </p>

<p>Given that Yale deferred or rejected 85.5% of SCEA applicants in 2013, maybe you should stop thinking about where you would be happiest and start thinking about whether applying SCEA is the right choice for you. </p>

<p>You haven’t mentioned your stats, but unless you have taken a rigorous course load and done well (95+ average), have top SAT/ACT scores, stellar teacher recommendations proclaiming you one of the best students your teachers have had in their career, are a recruited athlete or URM, you might be better off applying to a broad range of non-binding schools in the early round and then apply apply to Yale RD. In that way, you have at least one acceptance in your back-pocket come mid-December and still have a shot at the rest come April.</p>

6

<p>Gibby:</p>

<p>I think what you’ve said is the right advice for a lot of people on this forum, and especially someone who’s stats you don’t know. But I will say that my mom is a professional college admissions consultant who specializes in the most selective schools, so I’m fully aware of just how ridiculously hard it is to get into schools like Yale, and where I stand as an applicant. I’m also aware of all of the gaming that can go into applying EA, and having talked it over and considered it my consultant/mother and I agree that the best choice for me to apply EA is heavily dependent on what school I think is my number one choice. </p>

<p>I don’t really want this to turn into a discussion about my application (seems like everything else on here is a “chance me!” post…), so I won’t go into further details about stats etc. But thanks for your input, it is appreciated.</p>

7

<p>“I agree that the best choice for me to apply EA is heavily dependent on what school I think is my number one choice.”</p>

<p>Well then, if Yale is your first choice, apply there. If Brown is your first choice, then apply there. Both schools have a “culture of drinking.” In fact, as Hunt said, I cannot think of one non-religious college where there is NOT a culture of drinking somewhere on campus. That doesn’t mean that non-drinkers are looked down upon, excluded, or have less fun.</p>

<p>FWIW: Yale and Brown are totally different. At Brown, students do not live in residential housing and there are no general education requirements that you have to take in order to graduate. And Brown as ED, not SCEA. Whereas, at Yale, one of the selling points is the residential housing and students must take distributional (liberal arts) requirements: [General</a> | Distributional Requirements | Sophomore Web Site | Yale College](<a href=“Yale College”>Yale College). IMHO: Those issues, and whether either school has a major (and courses) that you want to take would seem to be more important than which has less of a culture of drinking. But, that’s just my opinion.</p>

8

<p>As someone who is somewhat familiar with both schools, I don’t think Yale and Brown are “totally different.” Socially, I think they are somewhat similar. I think they are more like each other than, e.g., they are like Duke or Stanford. </p>

<p>Unofficially, they vie with one another for the title of “the gay Ivy.” They both have strong performing arts scenes. Both are awash in a capella groups. Both have vibrant theatre scenes. Spectator sports aren’t that important at either. There are frats at both–in Brown’s case they have on-campus housing–but they don’t dominate the social scene at either. Sororities exist at both and aren’t as strong as frats at both. Brown also has a co-ed Greek house; I don’t think Yale does. More Yale students live on-campus at Yale than at Brown, which is partly because Brown has fewer rules requiring people to live on campus. Still, the vast majority of students at both schools live on campus. </p>

<p>I’m a parent and thus not the best source, but I tend to doubt that the drinking scene at Brown is much tamer than that at Yale. On campus, I doubt there’s much difference. (People who live off campus but not in Greek housing tend to drink less than people who live on campus.)</p>

<p>Quite seriously, I wouldn’t choose one over the other based on their drinking cultures because I don’t think there’s much difference…but again, I admit I’m a parent.</p>

9

<p>According to the Yale Daily News, Yalies drink more than the average college student. [Ivies</a> tighten alcohol policies | Yale Daily News](<a href=“http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2013/01/24/ivies-crack-down-on-alcohol-usage/]Ivies”>Ivies tighten alcohol policies - Yale Daily News)</p>

<p>And, according to the Brown Daily Herald, so do Brown students…though 20% of Brunonians don’t drink at all.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.browndailyherald.com/2012/12/03/undergrad-episodic-drinking-rate-exceeds-national-average/[/url]”>Undergrad episodic drinking rate exceeds national average - The Brown Daily Herald;

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<p>I suppose students at Yale (and other Ivies) probably drink more than students at colleges that strictly enforce underage drinking laws.</p>

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<p>Brown was a bad choice. I actually was just throwing out a name. I will likely not apply there early because they are ED and their econ department (my intended major) pales in comparison to a lot of comparable schools. I got the impression that they had a strong but not quite so widespread drinking culture, but it’s somewhat beside the point. Really I know what I’m looking for as far as what factors determine where I will apply EA, and the drinking culture is definitely not going to be the deciding factor. This is just one issue at yale that I’ve heard a lot about and wanted to get some opinions on.</p>

12

<p>As a transfer student to Yale who has also visited friends at many colleges, I can say with certainty that I do not find the drinking culture overwhelming, nor do I think that there is actually more drinking here than at other schools. Drinking is more visible at Yale because it is a smaller student body than some large sports schools, and because Yale attracts high-achieving students who you wouldn’t necessarily picture drunk at a frat party when they leave high school. Naturally, when these students drink, there is probably more negative attention than at a school with less social scrutiny. But I truly think that alcohol is an unavoidable part of the college experience, and there are few schools that do not have some sort of drinking culture. Yale is no different. </p>

<p>That being said, drinking at Yale is not overwhelming. If you like to drink, then there will be parties for you. If you don’t like to drink, NO-ONE at those parties will care; no-one will judge if you say “I’m sorry, I don’t drink.” One of my really good friends does not drink at all, and he still goes to almost every party, goes to bars, has his own parties, is popular with people who do drink, etc. Seriously, nobody cares. </p>

<p>If parties aren’t your scene, or if you don’t feel comfortable being sober around drunk people, then there are LOTS of other things to do at night. Yale is wonderful in that there is an incredible arts and cultural scene. On any given weekend night, there may be plays at the Yale Repertory Theatre (which are excellent and discounted for students), dance performances from undergraduate groups (Yale Dancers is a popular one), concerts by a cappella groups and the Yale Symphony Orchestra, etc. And all are heavily attended; in fact, the most popular event on Halloween–the midnight Yale Symphony Orchestra show–is not partying or drinking centered at all. There are also more laid-back hangouts that don’t involve drinking. Every Friday and Saturday night, for example, there is a social gathering held on Old Campus with coffee, cookies, tea, other snacks, etc. where everyone plays boardgames. Additionally, New Haven has a lot to offer, which makes the drinking scene less oppressive than it would be at a school in a rural location.</p>

<p>So, long story short, drinking at Yale exists. As it does on almost every college campus. Some students will find it overwhelming, but this is true of any place; it is a generational problem, not a Yale problem. There are ENDLESS other activities to do that don’t involve drinking, and those who complain about drinking are perhaps just not exploring them. While I don’t agree with gibby and others that you shouldn’t think about these things when choosing a college, I also don’t think that you should let it be a factor when it comes to Yale unless you don’t want any drinking scene at all. In which case, as has been mentioned, your choices pretty much narrow to a religious school (but even at those there is drinking, I hear).</p>

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<p>Thanks for posting the articles, those look like some good resources on the matter.</p>

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<p>Thanks Angels, that’s exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for. I absolutely don’t expect the total absence drinking scene wherever I end up. Having spoken to friends at Yale, the kind of things that bothered me were such comments as “Yalies pregame everything” and “they don’t do anything here but sit around and drink.” While I thought the latter characterization was definitely hyperbole from an unhappy student, the first one made me wonder.<br>
I would say it’s not going to bother me to be around partying, but I’d just like to know that at times I could just hang out without anybody drinking. Out of curiosity, would have an estimate on the percentage of students that you think don’t drink?<br>
Thanks again for your feedback.</p>

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<p>*by don’t drink I don’t mean have never had a drop of alchohol, but rather for whom drinking is not a significant part of their social life.</p>

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<p>Hmm, I honestly don’t know the percentage because like I said… it isn’t something that people really pay attention to. No-one bats an eye if someone doesn’t drink, and there definitely are a good amount of students who don’t. There are also people who do drink, but on any given night may decide not to for no particular reason, and again it’s not noticed. I think what I’m trying to get at here is that most Yalies are mature enough to respect personal decisions. There is little to no judgement for a choice such as one to abstain from alcohol; the people around you won’t care, but if you personally feel uncomfortable being around people who are drinking when you’re not (which, as I’ve mentioned, I have at least one friend who always does this) it just means that you may feel left out of certain social scenes that inevitably involve alcohol no matter what school you attend, such as dorm parties, bars, dance scenes.</p>

<p>It’s true that among students who do drink, pre-gaming is pretty big. This probably has to do in part with saving money at bars. Also big in the greek scene. But again, common to all schools. And if you think there is nothing to do but drink, clearly you aren’t trying to get involved in anything but drinking-centered events (like parties, Toads, bars, etc.). There is plenty to do that does not involve alcohol; it’s just about finding people to do those things with, which albeit takes a bit of outgoingness, willingness to try new things, and eagerness to meet/engage new people. </p>

<p>Don’t let the drinking scene at Yale dissuade you. In my opinion it is no different from other schools. But don’t look for an assurance that it isn’t big; it is big enough that you will notice it, just as you will no matter where you go. It is up to YOU to feel confident enough in yourself to not be self-conscious if you choose not to drink in an environment where there is alcohol, or to be outgoing enough to invite people to do things that don’t involve alcohol. There will always be people who will say yes.</p>

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<p>As a parent I was a little worried about the college drinking, sex week, etc. But so far, it seems as all my worries were unfounded. Both my daughter & her roommate are not drinkers and in my daughter’s suite, there is only 1 girl who is a big partier. But even she began to tone it down when her grades slid after the first semester. All them have tough classes & are active in their various extra-curriculars, and socialize some, but they are way too busy to join the party-crowd. My daughter wonders how the partiers do it, given the rigor of the Yale classes. I suspect there are probably more academically-minded students than partiers at Yale, but the partiers are probably way more visible. The residential colleges host tons of social activities and I think it would be pretty easy to find which-ever group a student is looking for.</p>

18

<ol>
<li> My experience is way out of date, but I think still indicative. I was a big drinker at Yale, especially my first and second years. I am married to a woman I fell in love with at Yale, who maybe drank a glass of wine a month, if that, while she was a student, and who couldn’t stand going to parties where people were drinking. While this did mean that we didn’t go to a lot of parties together when we were students, it didn’t stop us at all from becoming close friends and ultimately more than that.<br></li>
</ol>

<p>My best friend at Yale was part of a quad that essentially stayed together for all four years of college. One member was a serious alcoholic whose drinking negatively affected his life. One was a serious drinker and partier, but not an alcoholic, and not at all dysfunctional. One drank about once a month, but tended to go overboard when he did. And the fourth never touched alcohol at all. </p>

<p>The point is that there’s a lot more to friendships and social relations at Yale (and every similar college) than drinking or not. It’s not like high school, where there is often a kind of Manichean separation between partiers and non-partiers.</p>

<ol>
<li> That said, I think there are colleges similar to Yale, with first-rate Economics departments, where people tend to drink less: Harvard, Columbia, and Chicago, for obvious starters. People do drink plenty there (or some people do, and some don’t), but it’s less widespread because (a) they are a little less social, and (b) people tend to do more off-campus in their vibrant, sophisticated cities, and that makes it both harder and less interesting to drink intensely. Then there’s Stanford, where people drink less, but consume other mind-altering substances more, which is probably not what you are looking for.</li>
</ol>

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<p>I don’t like the dichotomy being drawn between “academically minded students” and partiers. It’s a bit elitist to presume that the best students are the ones who stay in the library every weekend. One of my friends who had a 4.0 freshman year (yes, a 4.0 at Yale) also spent every other weekend blackout (sure, a really bad life decision, but it didn’t influence his academic performance). I know many students with 3.7+ GPAs who also go out every weekend or every few weekends. Almost everyone at Yale is academically minded; about half party, to varying extents.</p>

20

<p>My daughter’s recent experience at Yale echoes JHS’ wifes’ pretty closely. She was not a drinker or partier, had intense social groups based around ECs, some of her closest friends and roommates were drinkers, some were not.</p>

<p>That said, there definitely was a pre-gaming, frat-party/ bar /club /Toad’s scene that she didn’t participate in at all. She did not enjoy having that around her and in her face (and having it be the public face of Yale, in the sense that columnists for the YDN, for example, mostly write as if their alcohol-awash experience is universally shared), but there was lots more to her time at Yale than that.</p>