<p>I heard that Yale is known for their History program (what i want to major in). Is this just hype or is there really a strong program?</p>
<p>I've fallen in love with Yale over the past month! It just has everything that I want! Great history and theatre programs, a wonderful student newspaper, and the residential college system!! </p>
<p>Btw does Yale have a core curriculum?</p>
<p>Stats aside, do you think it's a lot harder to get into Yale than it is to get into Brown? I'm definitely applying to Brown but i don't know how much more of a reach Yale is... </p>
<p>Yale's history department is perhaps the best in the country, featuring some of the top scholars in the world in areas ranging from Modern Chinese History (Jonathan Spence) to Ancient Greek History (Donald Kagan) and everything in between. That said, as an undergraduate, I would argue that the strength of a school's history department doesn't make that much difference, and that any of Yale's peers (with the obvious exception of tech schools) can offer just as good an education in history. Particularly for someone considering a major like history, non-academic aspects are going to be very important.
Yale does not have a core curriculum. It has very broad distribution requirements that can each be fulfilled by a great variety of courses. You need to take two courses each in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities, as well as two courses that meet the writing requirement, two quantitative reasoning courses (for which options include not just math, but most science courses, economics, and even a couple of philosophy courses), and you must meet a foreign language requirement.
It is probably slightly harder to get into Yale than Brown, but both are highly selective schools which reject the vast majority of their qualified applicants. Even though Yale is slightly more selective, getting into Yale does not mean that one will get into Brown.</p>
<p>That was a really helpful response! I really appreciate it. The curriculum sounds really well set up. I think i'll apply to Yale because acceptance is just so unpredictable. Who knows, maybe i'll get into Yale but be rejected from Brown. </p>
<p>Btw i had no idea Jonathan Spence taught at Yale!! AWESOME :D</p>
<p>My sole regret from attending Yale: not double majoring in History. The absolute most head-spinning lecture I ever attended was Paul Kennedy's lecture on Pre-WW1 alliances in his "Great Powers" class, covering the timeframe from 1905-1914. </p>
<p>The hall literally burst into spontaneous standing ovation at the end of this. I would doubt that many of my classmates that day ever experienced anything like that before or since. I know I haven't. </p>
<p>Yale's history is fantastic. Good luck with your application to Y and others.</p>
<p>Hmmmm wow, now I really really want to apply to Yale. I have a huge passion for history!!!! Haha i was Chapters the other day and I asked the lady if she could order Volkogonov's "Trotsky the Eternal Revolutionary" for me and she looked at me like I was absolutely insane. She was like "well, i don't know if we have it in stock but you could read "Bras and Broomsticks" instead.""</p>
<p>Seriously, a standing ovation after a WWI lecture - I NEED TO GO TO YALE :D</p>
<p>See, Brown is a bit of a reach but i know i have an ok chance, but Yale is just that much harder :( <em>sigh</em></p>
<p>^ Yeah... wow! I absolutely love history too, and I would give anything to actually hear lectures like that from the people who are writing my history books... That's so awesome!
I love Yale now</p>
<p>I have no idea how i didn't hear about Yale's history program sooner! I just happened to be watching one of those videos on 'theU' and it mentioned their great reputation for history!</p>
<p>Ahh piratemonkey, the reasons you just listed about Yale were the same reasons I fell in love with it!!! Humanities/arts/residential colleges...it's all incredible!! Their history program is not only excellent, it's also the most popular major in the college! Unlike at so many other unis, it doesn't get neglected as a "useless" concentration. I'm headed there this fall and hoping to major in history...I can't wait!!! And don't shy away from applying just because it's a reach...I had a friend whose scores, etc. were supposedly "out of range" for the "top tier" schools, and he still got accepted to Stanford, because he was an incredible applicant (and person) in so many ways!! Good luck!!!</p>
<p>Hi! I'm not a prospective history major but i'm taking a roman history class that's very interesting. Classical history at yale is a lot of fun too (well, as fun as classical history can be i suppose...)</p>