So I have recently narrowed down my options to these two schools. The major point that’s concerning me now is the academics. I am hoping for a college education that’s challenging but not too overwhelming. With that being said, what’s the average academic scene in Yale? What’s the average GPA? Are all-nighters prevalent?
Moreover, how much do the profs care about undergraduate teaching? How accessible are they? I understand a number of intro classes are taught by TAs in Yale. What are the qualities of these classes?
Plus, how about the research or internship opportunities in Yale? Regarding the fact that there are so many brilliant minds in Yale, is it harder to fight for opportunities? Do the undergraduates also need to compete with graduates for research opportunities?
Lastly, it would be nice if someone can please elaborate on the dining and dorm status quo in Yale. I am familiar with the residential college system. I’m simply asking about the facilities here.
Thanks a lot:)
Several things to consider:
- Amherst's Early Decision is BINDING, meaning that if accepted, you agree to accept their offer and WITHDRAW your applications from all other colleges. So you really need to be certain that Amherst is your number one choice. If there are any doubts in your mind, you should not apply ED to Amherst. This is especially true if you need financial aid, as you will not get to see what financial aid other colleges are offering you if are accepted ED to Amherst.
- Yale's SCEA is non-binding, meaning you can apply to Yale early and if accepted, you don't have to notify Yale of your decision until May 1st, after you've heard back from your other RD school's, including Amherst.
- Last year, Amherst's freshman class consisted of 469 student's, which is about one-third the size of Yale's freshman class. Or, to look at it another way, there are about 1800 undergraduate student's at Amherst, while there are 5200 at Yale. While you'll get just as good an education at Amherst as you would at Yale, Amherst is appreciably smaller. That's a plus for some student's and a negative for other student's. Where do you envision yourself for the next 4 years? In an urban environment with many students, or in a rural/suburban town with fewer student's. Have you visited each school? The atmosphere is very different at each college. What does your gut tell you?
- All professor's at Yale teach undergraduates and have office hours, so they are very accessible. That said, a Yale professor is not going to reach out to an undergrad student, but if that student reaches out to them, they are very receptive. That might be the same at Amherst, or not. I don't know enough about the school to comment.
5 Most Yale professor’s prefer graduate student’s for research assistants, as they have more experience and maturity. However, a few undergrads, including my son, were able to have very notable Yale professors as their thesis mentors. This is especially true if you and the professor’s research interests are the same. But again, the student has to take the initiative and reach out.
- My son graduated Yale last year Cum Laude with a 3.89 GPA. He had an A in every course except two of them, which he received a B+ and a C+. He found the academic work challenging, but very do-able. He did not find the atmosphere cut-throat, but his goal was to get an A in every course, so he studied a lot. He's now working as a data analyst at a well known tech company in New York making a very handsome salary.
- With regards to the physical facilities of Yale's residential college's, you can get an overview by visiting each college's website and looking at the photos under rooms, facilities and spaces. http://berkeley.yalecollege.yale.edu http://branford.yalecollege.yale.edu http://calhoun.yalecollege.yale.edu http://davenport.yalecollege.yale.edu http://ezrastiles.yalecollege.yale.edu http://je.yalecollege.yale.edu http://morse.yalecollege.yale.edu http://pierson.yalecollege.yale.edu http://saybrook.yalecollege.yale.edu http://silliman.yalecollege.yale.edu http://timothydwight.yalecollege.yale.edu http://trumbull.yalecollege.yale.edu
Most emphatically the case. DS was surprised by two things related to this: 1) how few UG students avail themselves of the resources at Yale, especially office hours and 2) how receptive Yale professors were to his reaching out to them. That includes some “rock star” professors. If you are not just brown-nosing, but have actual interest and have done the reading/psets/etc., you will be warmly received.
As to the difficulty (ie, challenging but not overwhelming), it’s a mixed bag and very much under the control of the students. DS has a tendency to sign up for too much; that’s his style and he pays the price (and also reaps the rewards).
I’ll give you two examples from Math and CS. DS is not a math major, but one of the things that made him interested in Yale was Math 230. He knew math majors that were avoiding the course (it’s somewhat notorious), but he signed up for it as a freshman. He worked his butt off (he said that the proofs took as much time as the rest of his courses combined), and got a B+. He was a bit discouraged by the grade, but bounced back and considers it a badge of courage.
He’s a CS major now. He knows other CS majors who have “postponed” CS 323 for their junior year or later. He thinks that they will probably change majors before they take the required course. His approach is to take the “weed out” course sooner rather than later. He is not convinced that he will get an A in the course, but he finds it invigorating. Grades aren’t everything.
I can’t speak to the other students’ approach, because I have only the one student at Yale. I am sure that they are fine students who probably have other interests, and who made choices that match their priorities. The point I’m trying to make is that you can have a spectrum of difficulty in your academics (and clubs, sports, social life, etc.) that are determined by you.
Thank you so much! I only asked those questions because they were the only ones I couldn’t find the answers to on the Internet, but thx a lot for also taking your time and offering me info on the other factors. That’s really nice of you:)
Thank you for sharing with me the detailed examples. They really help a lot! Thx!