AHHH December 14 can’t come soon enough!!! Instead of just sitting around waiting for the decision to roll around, I want to try to get some discussion going with the rest of my Yalie hopefuls! I’m curious: What do you love about Yale?
For me what set Yale apart from all of the other equally great and prestigious colleges was the amount of passion and love for the school that I saw in its alumni. I have a thing for getting hats from every college I’ve visited, so when I was in the Yale store trying on hats I happened to run into a Yale alumni. After giving him fashion advice for a gift for his wife, he returned the favor by preaching to me for nearly half an hour about the greatness of Yale. I had already fallen in love with the school previously during my tour and research but this encounter locked it in for me. Then I even met one more alumni in that same shop who continued showering the praises! Now I’m hoping that the only college hat that I wear for the rest of my life will be Yale’s!!!
I’d love to hear why you guys would like to be Yalies! Yale alumni and current student are welcome to share why they chose Yale as well!
I get hats from every school as well! The Yale one is especially comfortable, lol.
I’m not an applicant, nor a graduate, but the father of a current Yale senior. The decision to enthusiastically support DS’s decision to apply was formed after a day walking around campus, noting the friendly vibe, and cemented during a meal at a restaurant full of happy and engaged students. I could see my son fitting in with those kids.
And now, I’m making my final tuition payment this month. At the risk of sounding like a nutcase, those checks have been the happiest I write, a reward to my wife and me for working hard and saving, and I might miss them (just a little). But, I’m sure I’ll find another use for the money, because DS is well launched, and will be “off the family payroll” shortly.
Yale is imperfect, but it has been a boon for DS and his family. I wish you applicants luck. And parents, if you’re so fortunate, enjoy the moments, because 4 years go very quickly.
For me what makes Yale so special is the camaraderie among students that the school engenders. The residential college system, the resources made available to the various student groups and clubs, and the high number and quality of advanced seminar courses makes it so easy to find your “tribe” and people of similar and varied interests. My world views were probably more shaped by the debate and discourse we had in the Berkeley dining hall than certainly any textbooks I read. I stay out of the debates on the “fairness” of diversity and holistic admissions, but I will say that my 4 years at Yale were enriched by the fact that I was surrounded by all sorts of highly intelligent and motivated classmates that came from incredibly different backgrounds, from the immigrant kid to the 3d generation legacy from a New England prep school, the big city son of a lawyer to a farm boy who literally was getting up at 4 in the morning to milk the cows when he was home, children of doctors and professors with suitemates from blue collar families – you get the picture. The best testament to the lasting effects of the bounds developed is that my group of super close friends, about a dozen of us, still take a “boys” long weekend together every year. I don’t think my experience is atypical given all the tight knit groups I see at every reunion. I am not the least surprised by OP’s interaction with the alumni at the Yale store.
@bliker1002 Haha I’m not the only one then! For Yale I actually ended up getting a custom hat, that’s how much I liked it! For each decision that I open I’m going to be wearing that college’s hat to see what’s gonna happen. Might have a lot of hats to burn, who knows?
@IxnayBob Yale is the school that my dad said that he would be glad to shoulder the tuition for. It’s nice to hear that you and your children both loved your experience at Yale! Thanks for the good wishes 
@BKSquared Oh my gosh that actually sounds amazing. The chance to be able to attend a school like that would be…wow I can’t even put it in words! Not only is Yale my dream school, now it’s literally invading my dreams. When I got up this morning I was wondering why I was feeling so happy, and then I realized that it was due to the fact that I had spent my night imagining myself as a Yalie! I’ve never seen such dedicated alumni, and I really hope that I will be able to join your ranks someday!!!
I chose Yale over Harvard and Princeton for its science program.
It was my last choice of the three when I was applying. Once I got in, I had a closer look at the programs and the opportunities provided - and it was clear that a lot more money was being spent at Yale on its undergraduate program and that it still attracted a lot of stellar students. For privacy reasons, I won’t go into the details, but from what I experienced I’m confident I was right on both fronts.
I’m a 2022 SCEA applicant
I think my on-campus interview and tour are what ultimately pushed me to apply SCEA to Yale (my top choice). I’d always been intrigued by the sense of community that the residential colleges seemed to foster and when I visited the campus and spoke to current students, they definitely confirmed that for me. I currently go to a pretty large competitive school so when I heard from my tour guide that during the 2016 Bulldog Days he witnessed his “roommate”, a Yale student, studying collaboratively with a group of friends for a chemistry midterm, I think I recognized that sort of experience as something I desired that was different from the hyper-competitive and cutthroat atmosphere of my current school. Also my interviewer, a senior at Yale, spoke to me about how the homework/social life balance at Yale was not overwhelming at all as opposed to some other schools and that the school structures its curriculum requirements in a way that it leaves students with quite a bit of free time it encourages them to spend exploring new interests and pursuing unique hobbies. I think those are the main reasons I chose to apply.