Questions to current Yale students from a SCEA admit

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
1

<p>I know that academically and extracurricularly, Yale is definitely the right fit for me. I've sent a few questions to my regional director and other friends, but I have a few more questions I'd like more input about the social scene from current Yale students before I commit, because that aspect of college is important to me as well.</p>

<p>What is the social scene like? Is there pressure to be cool/preppy/pretty? Is it hard to find a "group"? I know that a lot of the east-coast boarding schools and public schools have extensive Yale networks, and that a lot of students go into college knowing a lot of people - does this make it difficult for people who aren't used to the private school scene to fit in? Where (in classes, at parties, or through extracurriculars?) did you find your niche? Do you really bond with your residential college suitemates, and is that usually how your social group is determined? Are people generally open to meeting new people, and are people easy to meet? Do you feel that there is a lot of pressure to be thin/attractive? </p>

<p>And what would you change about Yale if you could?</p>

<p>Sorry if this sounds like a post from a 12 year old girl, hahaha, I am just hoping to hear some insight about the true workings of the social life at Yale!</p>

<p>Thank you ahead of time! And good luck to the RD applicants.. you are all amazing!</p>

2

<p>1) pressure to be preppy? No
2) hard to limit yourself to a few groups. You’ll be stretched as far as social circles
3) not that many “old school” ties. Some of my roomies were Andover guys. but they clumped together with the larger group of about 12 of us.
4) where find niche? ECs, suitemates, teams, some classes
5) bonding w/suitemates is extremely common. My first bonds were with other kids in pre-frosh orientation programs but then gravitated to my suitemates. This became my biggest and strongest group of friends.
6) Yes, people tend to be very extroverted
7) less so than most other schools I visited. I recall visiting Duke and seeing girls wearing dresses and carrying handbags to class. My jaw dropped.
8) What I would’ve wanted to change already has: better overseas travel/study advising. I really missed my chances</p>

<p>(my info is old but I hear it’s the same) Best of luck to you. Try to visit during Bulldog days, if at all possible.</p>

<p>For me, the people is what made Yale my first choice. Looking back, I can’t imagine having gone to other schools.</p>

3

<p>My son is a sophomore now, and I would say that everyting T26E4 says is still true. There are many social circles, but your first one will probably be in your Residential College/Freshman dorm.</p>

<p>I second the advice to go to Bulldog Days.</p>

4

<p>Edit: I am a student at Yale right now</p>

<p>Im gonna agree with T2 for the most part, here are my answers (and yes go to BDD)</p>

<p>What is the social scene like? Fantastic… its about as wild as you make it. You can go out almost every night if you choose, or sit in your suite and not talk to anyone… its entirely up to you</p>

<p>Is there pressure to be cool/preppy/pretty? NOOOONNNEE. At least not in my experience. That being said, I havent seen many people who dress absolutely crazily (most fit a pseudo prep vibe type of clothing) but its not due to pressure, you just have to take into account a lot of these people (myself included) have been dressing like that for most of their lives.</p>

<p>Is it hard to find a “group”? No. Finding a group is as easy as asking some fellow frosh to eat with them in the dining hall… the one thing that bonds Yalies together quite well is dining hall food (love it or hate it)</p>

<p>I know that a lot of the east-coast boarding schools and public schools have extensive Yale networks, and that a lot of students go into college knowing a lot of people - does this make it difficult for people who aren’t used to the private school scene to fit in? Once again no. I have friends from Choate, Andover, Exeter, the Dalton School, Collegiate, etc and I only know that because they are in the “alum” network of those highschools. Not once do people bring that up as a means of finding a social life. There are some meet ups (one of my friends from the Dalton school has lunch with his friends from highschool every now and again) but its not to the exclusion of others who didnt attend those schools.</p>

<p>Where (in classes, at parties, or through extracurriculars?) did you find your niche? I found mine through sports (Im on a varsity team) but you could find one just as easily through club or IMs. As well, ECs in general are the best way to find your “niche”… parties are great to hang out with people you are already friends with, and classes can strengthen an already made bond. I find it hard to start a friendship just cause of a class or party because those last much shorter than a good EC.</p>

<p>Do you really bond with your residential college suitemates, and is that usually how your social group is determined? I dont always hang out with my residential college, and I dont think any colleges except TD or Silliman (since they are self contained and dont get Old Campus) really only hang with themselves. I love my RC and the people in it, but I dont feel bad hanging out with or making friends with people from other ones, and they dont feel bad about being friends with me just cause Im not in their college.</p>

<p>Are people generally open to meeting new people, and are people easy to meet? Oh dear lord yes. Im sure there are a few people who dont want to meet others, but theyre never around anyways so you probably wont meet them.</p>

<p>Do you feel that there is a lot of pressure to be thin/attractive? I havent. There is an overwhelming sense that all Yalies should be the best that THEY can be. No one pressures you to do anything if you dont want to, but when you dont take care of yourself it does show. PWG is always being used, but I dont feel its because of external pressure, I feel its because Yalies have a lot of internal drive to succeed, and for many a measure of success is physical fitness and health (and yes, physical attractiveness).</p>

<p>What would I change? Probably the washing machines. Im not kidding, they kind of suck and the dryers do not work very well. But, as for a more overall change, I really dont know… I am very happy at Yale and while it is not perfect (hello, New Haven), the good far outweighs the bad. I wouldnt even change the bad that much because the things like New Haven kind of sucking brings the campus together so much more than if we were in some massive city. The bad brings campus together (after all, what are we if not a bunch of people complaining together, right? :stuck_out_tongue: )</p>

5

<p>2014 freshman here trying to prepare upcoming course schedule but I thought I would reach out real quickly as I am sure most SCEA admits have these questions as I did when I got in EA.</p>

<p>Of the 12 people in my entryway on my floor, 4 are from private schools. One person is very VERY rich, the other three are on financial aid. Everyone gets along great. There definitely are networks from high schools, but it isnt an exclusionary thing. I meet with friends from my high school and eat with my suitemates at the same time. Yale is awesome. I have never before felt like I could sit down at a table with someone who I previously knew nothing about more than a number (2014!) and end up making a good friend. Upperclassmen are generally pretty cool too, especially when they are in your res college.</p>

<p>I found my group in a combo of my suite/ECs/academics. You can be in a lot of groups. I default to my suite though.</p>

<p>Not a whole lot of pressure to be attractive/thin…as far as I am aware of. People get dressed up for parties and whatnot but day to day people really don’t look that good :).</p>

6

<p>What is the social scene like? Anything you’d like to be. If you’re into partying, there are plenty of people doing that. If you’re into hanging out in someone’s common room, chatting, listening to music, movies, intellectual discussions, etc. there’s plenty of that too.</p>

<p>Is there pressure to be cool/preppy/pretty? None at all. I am a complete music geek and nobody has pressured me to be anything other than that. I am from California and continue to wear a t-shirt and jeans; nobody has pressured me to do anything else. Pretty? haha no.</p>

<p>Is it hard to find a “group”? Nope. The great thing about Yale is that everyone going there is extremely interested in something, whether it be academic, artistic, athletic, etc. And because of this interest, it is really easy to find someone into the same thing and form a bond immediately. Closest group of friends are social science / science majors in love with music. I’ve made friends through talking about sports, etc. etc.</p>

<p>I know that a lot of the east-coast boarding schools and public schools have extensive Yale networks, and that a lot of students go into college knowing a lot of people - does this make it difficult for people who aren’t used to the private school scene to fit in? Nah. I don’t even think most of those people hang out together all the time. My suitemate is from a well-known private school on the east coast and he seems to spend most of his time with his teammates rather than other people from his school.</p>

<p>Where (in classes, at parties, or through extracurriculars?) did you find your niche? Our group assembled randomly through one of our friends. Other friends I found through extracurriculars.</p>

<p>Do you really bond with your residential college suitemates, and is that usually how your social group is determined? My suite doesn’t. I think we get along okay, but we’re not close friends by any means (although I should point out I’m an anomaly; most people have great, great suite bonding). All of my friends are actually in different colleges. No problems there.</p>

<p>Are people generally open to meeting new people, and are people easy to meet? Yeah, I would say so.</p>

<p>Do you feel that there is a lot of pressure to be thin/attractive? haha, there are a lot of attractive people at Yale, but I’ve never felt any pressure in that area.</p>

<p>And what would you change about Yale if you could? Absolutely nothing.</p>

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<p>This has been SUCH a nice read :)</p>

8

<p>All I’m going to say is that my best friend is currently at Yale and he says that when it comes to relationships a lot of guys just hook up and party like other schools, managing to have sex that night with a girl and whatnot. I don’t mean to bring it up in such a sense, but if that’s your thing then it’s possible at Yale.</p>

9

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<p>What’s PWG? A quick Google suggests that the acronym is most frequently used to indicate “Pro Wrestling Guerrilla” but I have a sneaking suspicion it’s not used in that context here</p>

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<p>^LOL. It’s Payne-Whitney Gym ;)</p>

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<p>And if you’re looking for a meaningful relationship, of course there are a lot of people doing that as well ;)</p>

12

<p>This makes me want to get in so much more. ='(</p>

<p>Gahh it kills me that the chances are so low.</p>

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<p>Gotcha, will try and check that out when I visit during BDD. But why use the PWG? Don’t all the RCs have their own gyms?</p>

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<p>Yes, but PWG is much more well equipped. And it has pools, squash courts, etc.</p>

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<p>Not to mention it’s the second largest gym in the world ;)</p>

<p>Actually I heard it’s the largest now because the one in Russia collapsed or something. Not sure if it’s true.</p>

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<p>yep PWG is biggest in the world currently…I heard the russian one caught on fire so it isn’t entirely destroyed, but enough that we reclaim #1</p>