<p>What are your majors, and what has been your experience with the distributional requirements?</p>
<p>I know it sounds dumb, but how exactly HARD is it? Do you have any time for social life? Or is it study study study? I was considering applying to much less selective colleges because I am stressed out enough in HS as is...I don't know if I will be able to handle it.</p>
<p>Compared to other schools, esp. Ivies, how big of a factor is alcohol in the social scene? Based on information from this board and other sources, I've gotten the impression that drinking is condoned/encouraged at Yale (as opposed to Harvard). I'm not really into that, however...so am I in for a rude awakening if I go to Yale?</p>
<p>The applications, website, etc. always says there is (diversity)harmony btween race/class/ethnic lines........but in your opinion is there really harmony or is it more like people group together and tolerate the others????</p>
<p>I'd like to second sprkl325's question. However, could you please explain it as a comparison to difficult high school classes like AP? ALso, is the work pretty much self-directed...like just having grades for exams/midterm/final....or are there points for homework etc.? Thanks for doing this btw! :)</p>
<p>This is a simple one, but how long is your winter break? What other breaks do you get throughout the year?</p>
<p>Don't they get a long Thanksgiving break, compared to Harvard's?</p>
<p>Nov 19 Fri Fall recess begins, 5:20 p.m.
Nov 29 Mon Classes resume, 8:30 a.m. </p>
<p>Dec 18 Sat Examinations end, 5.30 p.m. Winter recess begins.
Dec 19 Sun Undergraduate residences close, 12 noon. </p>
<p>Spring 2005
Jan 5 Wed Undergraduate residences open.
Jan 10 Mon Spring term classes begin, 8:30 a.m. </p>
<p>I found this at the Yale Website.</p>
<p>To answer a few of the questions:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I took a lot of AP courses in high school (but I did not go to prep school) and I found myself adequately prepared to take relatively tough courses here as a freshman. </p></li>
<li><p>You can have a time for a social life if you choose. I know people who spend most of their time in the library, and I know people who spend most of their time at the gym/practice, and I know people who spennd most of their time with their extracurriculars, and I know people who spend most of their time at bars. At the end of the day, you have to create a balance for yourself based on your goals.</p></li>
<li><p>I find that at Yale there tends to be a more racial interaction than at many schools... I find this to be true because of the residential college system, by being random, sort of forces people together as freshman, and that's very important. Those friendships can last for a good while. Though some segregation issues exist (as they do everywhere), I find Yale to be a bit better at this issue than the vast majority of colleges.</p></li>
<li><p>Alcohol plays a big part in the social lives of many students. However, for some students, it plays a minimal role. However, chances are that you will have a suitemate that parties/drinks a lot as a freshman, but you will also find people that like to do other things. Honestly, I drink a good amount, but I also hang out with people that don't, and they have a good time at Yale just like I do.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I am a bit concerned about overburdening myself with work the first year. How many courses do most freshman take per term? I know you need four credits, so most take four courses? Or is it better to take five? How much is too much? Do most freshmen opt to take two "hard" courses and two "easy" ones so as to lessen workload?</p>
<p>Thanks for your help.</p>
<p>You can take 4 or 5, but frankly, take 4. Don't stress yourself out too much while you are trying to adjust to college. If you do Directed Studies, 4 is about all you can handle.</p>
<p>I took 5 my fall semester of freshman year... I wanted to get adjusted to the workload quickly. I think it was a good choice... it's better to get your 5 course semesters out of the way quicker, because as a junior/senior, you want to spend less time on academics.</p>
<p>I wanted to take 5.5 credits but my faculty advisor limited me because he wanted me to have more freedom to do different activities and to adjust to the academic atmosphere. I ended up taking 4.5 and having so much free time on my hands (and I took "hard" classes according to some of my classmates), so I ended up joining the crew team and getting a job and doing other activities. You shouldn't be afraid to take 5 credits; your high school preparation should prepare you for the workload at Yale.</p>
<p>I'm only a senior right now, but my friend is a freshman at Yale and I'll tell you what he tells me. He says the smartness of the college is overrated. There are numerous ppl who you will meet who are amazing in what they do, yet still lack common sense hehe. He said he's taking a courseload that would be seen as rigorous by students at Yale. Thus, he is taking a hard courseload even for Yale, and the way he performs...not to demean my friend, heh, but he gets drunk every weekend night and still is acing all his classes. Soooo, yeaaa, you definitely have time for a social life. Keep in mind, tho, that during the week he has a very hectic schedule. Class during the day and is usually studying all night. He also carries a full-time job and I can usually catch him on AIM around 12:30 a.m. his time before he goes to sleep. So to sum him up, he has a hard courseload by Yale standards, gets drunk every weekend night, aces his classes, works a full-time job (hmm on weekends that is, I'm not sure about during the week. On weekends I think he works all day and then parties at night), and still manages freetime for leisure reading and chatting on AIM for prolly almost an hour before he goes to sleep. sooo, yeaa, I dunno, I'll have to ask him how it is next semester. Btw, he says he loves it, it challenges him, loves the ppl b/c they are brilliant but still everyday ppl, and so on. He said even tho he misses his close friends from home, he still has met amazing ppl there who he'd say he knows extremely well. I hope some of this info helps...</p>
<p>to add on to bfjava's comments:</p>
<p>the key is being able to balance yourself. that's why they look at all aspects of your application... if all you did in high school is study, then all you're going to do in college is study. basically, most of the people who get into yale can handle a lot of things going on at once, because they've done that in the past.</p>
<p>What do you think of the quality of the undergrad education? I was wondering as compared to a smaller school, but I realize you only go to one school. So is it personal? How's the advising? Do you go to prof's office hours?</p>
<p>do I have to drink if I join a fraternity? I have never drank alcohol before</p>
<p>When you were in High School, how were you compared to your classmates? Were you in the 10%, the valedictorian or misplaced geinius?</p>
<p>When you went to Yale, what happened? Did you end up being in the, say, top 50%?</p>
<p>To Shawn, you can plegde most fraternities dry, but the only people who do that are people who are athletes in season while they pledge. If you are not an athlete, you may as well drink during pledge, helps you learn the ropes.</p>
<p>To paradox, I was top 5% in high school at a competitive magnet. No one is really sure where they are at Yale until graduation and the cum laude awards come up, but I think I am in the top third of students GPA wise, but that really doesn't matter when it comes to job searches and such. It's about GPA/extracurriculars/transcript.</p>
<p>Are Yale students very competitive with each other? Is the atmosphere very laid-back, or laid-back on the surface with competitiveness underneath?</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your information. It's really helpful.</p>