<p>Hey everyone!
I'm very well aware that there are already numerous posts comparing Yale vs. School X, so I won't really ask that anymore.. but right now, all I really need is a die-hard Yalie who will feed me some major Yale propaganda that will make me confident in my decision to choose Yale. So for all current or loyal pre-frosh Yalies... WHY YALE over any other school?!?!??!?!</p>
<p>Congratulations!</p>
<p>Why is Yale better, you ask? I'll try to answer your question as briefly as possible. For one, Yale is monosyllabic. If you are thinking of attending "Prince-ton" or "Har-vard," you'll spend more time telling people that you attend one of those schools and thereby that little moment of awkwardness after dropping the P- or H-bomb will be just a little longer than it would if you dropped the Y-bomb. It would be long enough to make you wonder whether you should have lied--and then you will lie the next time. But not if you say "Yale." This is principally why Yalies are honest people. They're unabashed about their greatness, and yet they don't make people spend inordinate amounts of time telling them just how great they are.</p>
<p>Here are some better reasons:</p>
<p>1) The residential college system. It's plain awesome. 12 colleges, 9 of which are newly renovated, 2 of which many people hate but I actually find architecturally interesting and inspiring, and the other 1 of which is beautiful and gothic and has its own wine endowment.</p>
<p>Your college is your home base. By the end of your four years, you will know most of the people there. It gives you the impression of intimacy among your fellow students while being at one of the world's premier research institutions. It also serves as your hub for academic and social activities, such as Masters Teas and college-sponsored events. Such an event may be going to see the New York Yankees destroy the Red Sox, or a play or an opera. Sound expensive? It is, but not for you. Colleges subsidize the events so you'll rarely pay more than $5 to go. They're also very generous and will often cover that expense if you cannot.</p>
<p>2) The students. Yalies are smart. What's even better is that there is very little competition between the students. Everyone is self-assured--not to the point of smugness--talented, and willing to help you up after you stumble. There is a beautiful sense of camaraderie at Yale, and while it may be cliched to say that students at Yale are in love with their fellow undergraduates and their university, they are.</p>
<p>3) The academics. You can do whatever you want at Yale. The professors are the real deal, and they actually teach you. Very few classes are taught by TAs, and something like 75% of classes have fewer than 20 students. You'll find classes stimulating and challenging and you won't be able to get enough. Many people underestimate the importance of reading week, which allows you to try out as many classes as you want at the beginning of each term to see which pique your interest. That way, you always know what you're getting into, and you have ample opportunity to drop out of a class that you don't like without it appearing on your transcript.</p>
<p>4) The architecture. Yale is beautiful! The quality of construction is amazing! It's hard to believe that most of the buildings (all of the colleges) are under a century old, yet they look as though they were built hundreds of years ago. No detail was overlooked. I don't know much about architecture but the best online picture-tour of Yale I've found is here:</p>
<p>You HAVE to go to that site--the REALLY beautiful stuff starts half way down that page, but it's all very interesting and a nice progression of pictures.</p>
<p>5) New Haven. Okay, so it isn't the nicest city. At least it's cheap. The area around Yale is very pleasant. There are nice shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, clubs. If you're epicurean, you'll be very impressed with the restaurants. Many are really good, and not in the least stuffy. Establishments like Toads, Mory's, Sally's, and Pepe's really add to the student tradition at Yale. The tradition of Yale in general is something that cannot be matched at newer schools like Stanford and MIT.</p>
<p>6) Student organizations/Activities. Life at Yale isn't just a simple combination of partying and studying. Elis are universally active. Whether you're interested in politics, entrepreneurialism, tutoring disadvantage youths, acting pretentious, acting like a hippie, bowling, Karate, cooking, eating, snow angels ... whatever you can imagine, you can do it at Yale. The school's $20 billion dollar endowment is very instrumental in helping you get things done. So long as your idea isn't too crackpot, Yale will help you realize it.</p>
<p>Ummm... I could go on. I tried to keep this post brief, but I guess I didn't succeed. It's hard to enumerate the strengths of Yale. There are too many great things to put on paper, but I'm sure you know that. I'm sure you'll be in full agreement with what I've said after Bulldog Days if you aren't already. Again, congratulations on your acceptance, and I hope you have a wonderful four years in college.</p>
<p>Thanks, Lanzabelle! That was extremely helpful!</p>
<p>Thanks so much! I guess the monosyllabic thing is quite helpful when describing yourself as a "Yalie" as opposed to a "Stanfordie" or "Harvardie" haha. </p>
<p>I also have some academic questions..
Does Yale have some sort of Core curriculum that you have to follow?
Are there pass/fail classes?
Are there many internship opportunities? and if so, do students usually take them during the school year or summer?</p>
<p>and on a different note.. alot of people talk about how Yale has many "deep-rooted traditions".. Any good examples?</p>
<p>Thanks again!</p>
<p>who cares. why yale?</p>
<p>its cause of the name. durr..</p>
<p>In response to your questions:
I'm class of '08, but I know not a great deal has changed. There is no hardcore core cirriculum like Columbia, but there are certain requirements you must fulfill before you graduate. For example, you cannot graduate without taking a language or science course. However, there are several classes which can be used to fulfill the various requirements, and there are various routes you can take in order to deal with those pesky courses early on. It leaves you well-rounded when you graduate, without being too burdensome.</p>
<p>Many classes have the option of letting you Credit/D/Fail them. This means that unless you get a D or an F in the course, you will simply get a Cr on your transcript. The nice thing about the system at Yale is that you can change it so that instead of a Credit, you get a standard grade (A-F) if you're doing very well in the course, as long as you decide to this before the 8th week of the semester. </p>
<p>Yes, there are A LOT of internships, especially international ones. Yale has been expanding this every year, and already has regular summer internships in several countries. Check out: <a href="http://www.yale.edu/career/students/intern/itl_bulldogs.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.yale.edu/career/students/intern/itl_bulldogs.html</a></p>
<p>There are several fun traditions, too. For example, every Halloween, everyone piles into Woolsey Hall and listens to a live YSO (Yale Symphony Orchestra) show, which is played as the soundtrack to a humorous movie.</p>
<p>Lots of other little things, too. The Game, inter-college rivalries, that sort of stuff. </p>
<p>Feel free to PM me if you have any more questions.</p>
<p>It is a school filled with happy, humble people.</p>
<p>I sometimes get this indescribable happiness when it's a beautiful day and the bells of of Harkness Tower can be heard all over campus, playing Renaissance pieces of "Rubber Ducky" as the case may be.</p>
<p>If you feel like it's your place already, you're probably right - come.</p>
<p>Yours,
DMW</p>
<p>Each college has its own traditions. Many involve inventive chanting and taunting other colleges. Some newer, school-wide traditions are the parties like Exotic Erotica and Casino Night (said to be the best organized college event, in the world, ever, period.). There's Spring Fling, and a lot of the prominent societies have their own traditions. Then there are the older traditions like Mory's, where you and your friends drink massive cups of punch. The person who finishes it has to put it upside-down on his or her head and spin it around. If it drips afterward, the spinner buys the next round. A lot of clubs and frats have their own traditions that are more exclusive, and then there are the secret societies, which invariably have many secret traditions that few know about.</p>
<p>Traditions are really what you make of them. If you don't participate in something at Yale, it won't be a tradition for you; however, if you and your friends decide to have pizza at Naples every Wednesday night, that may become your favorite tradition. At Yale you'll explore and find your favorite and least favorite things to do, and hopefully some of the former will end up becoming your personal traditions to supplement Eli lore.</p>
<p>Hey guys! Thanks so much for your responses! They helped so much! I did some more 'research' of my own on the Yale Admit's website and I'm really starting to lean towards Yale! </p>
<p>It was really random, because tonight, while I was trying to weigh my options, I got a call from both a Yale Alumnus and my local Yale Admission's Officer and the things they had to say really made me felt like Yale would be the place for me! It was pretty cool too because both guys seemed to have taken the time to research me and my interests before calling me, so that when they called, they already knew so much about me! </p>
<p>One important thing that they emphasized was how Yale really focuses on their undergrads. While other top colleges like Stanford and Harvard invest a large part of their funds on their graduate programs, Yale is all about the undergrads in the College</p>
<p>I really do get the "community feeling" when I chat with Yalies, and I think I'll love the residential colleges too. So with all that said... GO BULLDOGS!!!! :-D</p>