<p>I heard that both Harvard's and Yale's (and Harry Potter's) housing systems are based on those of Oxford and Cambridge*, so they're all alike. Nonetheless, I agree that Yale's is distinctive because you're randomly assigned and you enter your freshman year. I remember that was the first thing I loved about Yale and soon found myself wondering exactly how special it really is, so I convinced myself to like it for other reasons. But only recently I've found out that it truly is unique to Yale.</p>