Life at Yale

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
61

<p>Some answers from a current student:</p>

<p>jegan--I'm in DS am enjoying myself immensely. It's true that the DS work-load is more consistently intense than non-DS, but we don't have mid-terms and papers are spaced out evenly, once a week. Take a look at the reading list for this year at yale.edu/directedstudies--if that sounds like your cup of tea, then DS is for you. On the subject of applying, some time in May (I think) a website will be launched for freshman and will offer an application for DS. If you really wanted to, you could shoot your admissions officer an e-mail asking about the DS application--that should indicate to him/her your interest. Let me know if you have any other questions about the program!</p>

<p>treetop--(a) in my experience, the entry-way layout of the colleges has not prevented social interaction in any way, especially since in most of the dorms it's possible to cut through suites as if they were halls. Plus, stairs = exercise. </p>

<p>(b) Bathrooms: some of the dorms have in-suite bathrooms, in which case you have to clean them yourself (this is my situation this year--cleaning isn't all that bad and the privacy is nice); most dorms, however, have bathrooms in the hallway which are cleaned by Yale staff. </p>

<p>(c) Yale will tell you which college you're in over the summer--July, I think. Yale is on the whole outstanding, but people will tell you that two of the colleges aren't up to par: the neo-medieval Morse and Ezra Stiles. Now, I'm in Stiles and I might be biased, but I think it rocks. A renovation is planned soon to fix up the facilities (which, admittedly, need fixing up) and the architecture, if not entirely aesthetically pleasing, is captivating, to say the least. You basically get to live inside the creative mind of an architect (Eero Saarinen)--see what he got right, maybe what he did wrong...</p>

<p>In the end, though, which college you're in is not up to you (unless you're a sibling or a legacy) and so whichever one you get will be the best one for you (Epictetian stoicism, anyone? Nevermind...DS joke.) From a social perspective, the res. college system is outstanding. You'll have a tight knit family friends in addition to the rest of the awesome people you'll meet at Yale. Life in the residential colleges is good--even if you do end up with me in Stiles, surrounded by walls that may or may not look like peanut brittle...</p>

62

<p>Hey, the bard lives, thank you!
I do have another question. I know at Harvard and some other upper tier colleges, grade inflation is rampant. Is this the case at Yale, or is deflation more common? I'm not afraid of working for my grades, but how difficult is it to get A's (not A-'s), especially in DS? Sorry if this sounds superficial or whiney--I've just been hearing all kinds of horror stories from my friends returning from their first semesters at other colleges and wondered where Yale fell on the grading spectrum.</p>

63

<p>In regards to colleges, JE is another college that is sometimes seen as "undesirable," but that is only because the college residences themselves are undesirable. But they're getting renovated next year, so you don't need to worry about that.</p>

<p>Grades--yes, the grades are centered higher than many other schools. Not "inflation," but rather, what you deserve since everyone is smart and hard-working (well, in this regard, almost everyone). Though this is a question that could probably be better answered after first semester grades are released.</p>

64

<p>hello yalies! My sister attends yale and i have been doing my best to try and like another school better (i was in love w/ Princeton for the longest time, but since my deferral in ED, that love has been fading). i really love yale and the things and people my sis tells me about all sound fantastic, but i am worried about having family so close by and my sister on campus. is it common to run into people often, its an issue of freedom for me, i have'nt been away from my family and really need some space for a long time. what's your take please?</p>

65

<p>jegan-- I don't actually know all that much about the inflation system as a whole, but I can tell you that in DS first semester, you DO have to work to get an A. For a little while at the beginning of the semester, it seemed (to me at least) that an A was impossible, but then as my writing and papers improved, an A seemed more likely. Then again, each DS professor is different--some are harder graders than others.</p>

<p>That said, especially where DS is concerned, DON'T SWEAT GRADES AT COLLEGE LIKE YOU DID IN HIGH SCHOOL. A's are wonderful, yes, but A-'s are awesome and so are B+'s. Furthermore, supposedly, DSers who maintain B+'s will mostly get A's later in school (emphasis on the supposedly.)</p>

66

<p>There's a saying that at Yale you can get a B without much trouble, but you have to work to get the A.</p>

67

<p>how does it compare with the the other ivies??</p>

68

<p>ak72889, I read from the bard lives that when he was talking about colleges, he said that you can choose which college with the exception of siblings and legacy, so I'm guessing you'd be in the same college as your sister. But since there are 12 colleges, there's probably a few hundred people in them, so you would run into her, but not that often, since the entire school has thousands of students.</p>

69

<p>ak - i'm currently a yale freshman - since your sister goes to yale, you can choose to be put in her residential college, or you can choose NOT to be put in that college and be assigned to one of the other 11 at random. If you are in her college, chances are you will see her pretty often - particularly in the dining hall. If you choose to be in a different college then you are far less likely to see her.</p>

70

<p>I'm a poor, crafty kid... any thrift stores in New Haven?</p>

71

<p>D seems to make frequent purchases at the Salvation Army store.</p>

72

<p>are there any good dance groups (clubs, teams?) to join at Yale?
Which had the best reputation?</p>

73

<p>I know this isn't fully relevant, but is Yale like top 3 for biology?</p>

74

<p>Yale has easily one of the strongest, if not the strongest undergraduate biology program in the country (with the possible exception of Caltech). If you look at the amount of federal research funding per undergraduate science student in biology, Yale is heads and shoulders ahead of everyone except Caltech. Also, Yale's medical school and thousands of biomedical researchers are practically on the central campus, whereas at other schools, the biomedical research takes place miles (or in the case of Cornell, hundreds of miles) away from the campus, that is, if it even exists at all. So it's much more accessible at Yale. At larger schools, you're much more likely to have to compete with other undergraduates to work in the best labs with an actual faculty mentor, and might not even find a decent experience until your junior or senior year. Pretty much everyone at Yale can do research beginning their freshman year, in one of several of the world's leading biology, physiology, genetics, or neuroscience laboratories. In addition there are great classes. The payoff of course is that Yale students have the highest acceptance rate into the nation's top medical schools, prestigious NIH fellowships, and graduate (Ph.D.) biology programs (which include Yale).</p>

75

<p>Thanks for the answer, you seem really informative.</p>

76

<p>I know that the campus itself offers a lot of things to do, entertainment wise...but how many people leave campus and head to NYC, for example, every weekend? Is it that common?</p>

77

<p>every weekend? not common at all.
true, $14 is not a lot of money, but it does add up if you're going too frequently. plus, why would you want to spend that much time away from campus? new haven is great and yalies are great, and going to NYC too often prevents you from spending enough time in/with either one of them.
i'm a freshman now and i'd say i've been to NYC four times since i've been here, which is a decent amount (esp. since one of the trips was to see a play and get an expensive dinner, all funded by the college).</p>

<p>in conclusion, NYC is definitely accessible, and if you want to spend every weekend there, that's definitely feasible, but i sincerely doubt that you'll want to.</p>

78

<p>After a lot of reading, I really liked Yale. But I recently read some harsh reviews from Yale students that sort of conflicted with perception of Yale. Could you guys help me clear some things up?
1) Professors really care about students or only care about their research?
2) Is there easy student access to research?
3) Is it true that a lot of professors have accents and that a lot of the TAs don't speak English?
4) People are depressed and arrogant or mostly friendly? Are most students really socially awkward? Are the students you know happy at Yale?
5) How's the food?
6) Is it true that Yale will often cram more than two people in a dorm?
7) Residential college system: "the best thing about Yale" or "people never stay for bonding time anyway?"</p>

79

<p>I've found professors to be incredibly accessible. While I'm admittedly in a special program, 3 of my 5 courses this semester have 18 kids or less. The other two courses are intro courses, where you'll have big classes anywhere (though there are smaller, seminar-based econ classes for frosh). I've shown up multiple times for office hours, sometimes just to chat with my prof.</p>

<p>I don't know</p>

<p>I haven't found that to be the case with profs, but you generally run into TA problems in the math department.</p>

<p>Almost everyone I know is ecstatic to be here. I mean that. Kids love Yale. I've found most kids I know to be very friendly, very committed to their organizations, and really fun.</p>

<p>Food is great by cafeteria standards. 40% of the dining hall food is organic, including all the milk, yogurt, and other small things, plus a few main courses every meal. Thursday nights are all-organic night, and for dinner tonight they had clam pizza, which was mildly ridiculous.</p>

<p>I'm not sure what you mean by "cram two people in a dorm" - are there doubles? Yes. I have heard of 2 people being squeezed into a room that I have as a single, which would be tight but not quite ungodly. Yale housing is great, on the whole. I have a single in a suite of six, with 10 ft ceilings, hardwood floors, and a big common room. L-Dub housing can be pretty rough, but that's by relative standards. By the fall of next year, 8 of the 12 residential colleges will be fully renovated, and the renovations are absolutely gorgeous. Wood flooring, paneling, etc etc. The other colleges are fine (mine among them), and will be renovated over the coming years.</p>

<p>Residential College system is so awesome. So awesome. The college rivalries get intense (massive game of Old Campus Risk going on right now. Absolutely massive.), and it just makes Yale seem so much smaller - I know I've got a homebase in my college's dining hall.</p>

<p>Definitely check it out if you're able - you'll find almost everyone here is having the time of their lives. That being said, if there's a better place out there for you, go for it - part of the reason Yalies are happy here is because it's the right place for them.</p>

<p>All the best,
DMW</p>

80

<p>
[QUOTE]

1) Professors really care about students or only care about their research?

[/QUOTE]

To be a professor at Yale, you have to teach undergrads, so Professors who come to Yale want to teach students.</p>

<p>
[QUOTE]
2) Is there easy student access to research?

[/QUOTE]

Many of my friends (freshmen) are involved in it; I don't have any personal experience to share.</p>

<p>
[QUOTE]
3) Is it true that a lot of professors have accents and that a lot of the TAs don't speak English?

[/QUOTE]

Eh, I had a TA that didn't speak great english. He was also the most helpful guy I'd ever met. Yeah, you'll get some TA's that struggle with their commad of the language. As far as professors go, I haven't had a professor with an accent in two semesters so far; I feel that having a class with someone with an accent might actually broaden my ability to listen to different types of people speaking.</p>

<p>
[QUOTE]
4) People are depressed and arrogant or mostly friendly?

[/QUOTE]

Friendly, for sure. It's one of the first things I noticed.</p>

<p>
[QUOTE]
Are most students really socially awkward?

[/QUOTE]

There's a higher percentage here than at the average American school, I'm sure. It's what happens at schools with a lot of people who did really well in high school - some of them did it at the expense of other things, like developing strong social skills.</p>

<p>
[QUOTE]
Are the students you know happy at Yale?

[/QUOTE]

It would be an understatement to say yes - Yale pride runs very deep.</p>

<p>
[QUOTE]
5) How's the food?

[/QUOTE]

Featured in the NYTimes:
<a href="http://artsci.wustl.edu/%7Eanthro/articles/yale.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://artsci.wustl.edu/~anthro/articles/yale.htm&lt;/a> (Berkeley's approach has been taken campus-wide)
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/31/dining/31yale.html?_r=1&ref=dining&oref=slogin%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/31/dining/31yale.html?_r=1&ref=dining&oref=slogin&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[QUOTE]
6) Is it true that Yale will often cram more than two people in a dorm?

[/QUOTE]

It depends - I have a spacious single, and the doubles where I live are fairly spacious. I think I got the good end of it. The upside is that you'll most likely also have a nice common room.</p>

<p>
[QUOTE]
7) Residential college system: "the best thing about Yale" or "people never stay for bonding time anyway"

[/QUOTE]
</p>

<p>Best thing evar. Especially for freshmen. But overall, it just gives you a context within which to define yourself. The questions you get asked at Yale are:</p>

<p>"Where you from? Which college? What's your major?"</p>

<p>It's considered a substantial part of your identity. Of course, everyone makes friends outside their residential college; there are even a small few who chose to transfer allegiances. Most people find that their residential college is the best one - I honestly believe that mine is supreme to all others. And I'm sure every other Yale student thinks the same thing.</p>