Yalies are really diverse in terms of geography, interests, and religion/ethnicity. There isn't a ton of socioeconomic diversity, though, and everyone is similarly ambitious and hard working. We're also a very liberal campus, though there is a vocal conservative minority. Bear in mind that I'm speaking from the perspective of a white, middle-class student, but I'd say that students generally hang out in diverse groups and get along well.

Yale is amazing, at least for me it is. I love Yale because of many aspects and even the city of New Haven itself has become dear to my heart. The reason I initially chose Yale was because it is not a small school 10,000 students. For me at least, it was right in between with about 6,000 students. I wanted a campus where I would be able to see familiar faces as I walked down the block, but not know everyone as I walked down that same block, and that is exactly what I got. Moreover, Yale is in the city of New Haven, which, in my opinion, is an average-sized city. It has all the benefits and downsides to being in a city. Some of the benefits include: night clubs like toads, lots of amazing restaurants, a rich community to get involved in, and so much more. One of the major downsides is the crime, but generally if you have some common sense you'll be fine. Besides, Yale does a fantastic job of having tons of security and security escorts/cars if you need to get around at night. I, nor has anyone I have known in my time at school, ever felt unsafe here. More than anything though, Yale is a school of tradition. The traditions that students take part in here will stay with them forever. I wanted a school that had an amazing academic program, but also a fun social atmosphere as well, and I got the whole package in Yale.

Most of the classes here are difficult because of the nature of the students who take them. If the class is an easy course, chances are that there are quite a few over-qualified students who are taking the credit to boost their GPA - which increases the competition. Higher level courses, which are usually restricted to upperclassmen and students who are specifically majoring in that department, are filled with hard-working, competitive students who are taking the class because they have to or because they absolutely love the material. Since Yale requires students to take classes in different subjects (according to their liberal arts education approach), most students will get equal experiences of getting good grades easily and having to struggle to go above the average.

There are hundreds of student groups at Yale, from a capella to sports, politics to religious groups, cultural houses to frats and sororities. It's really hard to say what the most popular groups are, since there are a lot of varying interests at Yale. Socially, though, every weekend there are plenty of things to do--from suite parties to frat parties, dances to student shows and performances. Frats and sororities are not that big here--they're there if you want it, but I know I'm not in a frat and don't feel inhibited at all in terms of my social life. I'm involved in the Yale College Council [Yale's student government], Yale College Democrats, the Office of Sustainability, and various activities within my residential college, Davenport.

best place on earth, but nobody dates here, which is really sad...i wish we had more traditional boyfriend/girlfriend ish dating, and not just hookups

i think i said what i wanted to say

The great thing about Yale is that there is always something going on. If you want to go out for a drink (or many), you can do that on any night of the week, and more importantly, find other people that want to do the same. However, when you need to buckle down and get schoolwork done, there are always plenty of people doing that as well. I think that this gives students a terrific balance.

The student/faculty ratio at Yale is something like 8:1, which is pretty incredible. Some of the most intense learning I've done has been in small seminars of 5-10 students. This generally results in an atmosphere of interest and discourse, but rarely competition. Especially for a Theater Studies major, students seem to want to help each other, never hinder. At Yale, learning is very much up to you. There are guidelines, but they are in no way restrictive. Professors vary, as humans do, but are in general very accessible and interesting. These are the people at the head of their fields, not just those who follow.

Going to Yale was the best decision I ever made!

Classes are very very hit or miss. I've taken two classes that have been mind-blowingly good: small seminars with David Bromwich and Charles Hill, two veritable legends, where there was great intellectual stimulation every day. And I've even had some great lectures: David Scott Kastan's Shakespeare class springs to mind as a class that really brought the lecture format to life. But many other classes are very uninspired; I've had horrible experiences with math and language, which are commonly cited as poor spots. And there are onorous requirements... I think Yale has great classes if you are committed to the humanities (English, Literature, Art History, Architecture, Fine Arts, German Studies, History, all incredible) and are aggressive about getting into the seminars you want, but there are a lot of people who walk away with very little from their classes.

Class sizes range. Science classes are big (range from 100-200 students per class). Mid-sized classes (200 level history classes) usually have about 40-80 students. Seminars have no more than 20 students. Everyone knows their profs but class participation is much more likely to take place in a seminar. Yale academic requirement are slightly more stringent than the other Ivys (esp. Harvard which requires four less classes to graduate and has higher grade inflation). Yale education is very un-pragmatic. don't expect a journalism department or business department.

The best thing about Yale are the people you meet and the opportunities presented, both always things you are enriched by. Telling people one goes to Yale is context specific - for the most part, it is a well recognized name, but not always something easy or useful to give away. While on campus, I like to split my time among class areas, the many wonderful libraries, the dining halls, my college Berkeley and running errands around the remainder of the place. As much as Yale is split among different social circles, it is surprising and comforting to see how these overlap through several people, and how no matter what, Yalies look out for and love other Yalies. Unusual to people who visit, are the many resources we have available to us here.

I love Yale. It's the perfect size (about 5 thousand undergrads and 11 thousand total), and it's made to feel like home with the residential college system (think Hogwarts, except 12 colleges and there's no magic). New Haven is a wonderful city to live in because there are so many cool things to do and see (night clubs, restaurants, parks, museums, etc.), but it is also very close to New York City (easy train-ride away). There are definitely impoverished areas, but these provide great ways to help out and improve the world around you- I love it! When you are on the Yale campus or in New Haven it is great, but when you're somewhere else and somebody asks you where you go to school, I often feel like a tool when I say "Yale". Many people tell strangers that they go to Pierson College, or Calhoun College, etc. - whichever residential college they are in. That way, people don't assume anything about you for going to Yale.

New Haven can sometimes be dangerous (no worse than other cities), so people try to be careful about security. But most of the crimes are just armed robberies. Athletics are pretty popular among the athletes, but that is a very separate world form the rest of Yale. I never hear about sports events. I tend to hear about naked parties and performances, etc. Or philosophy lectures. There is really a mind-blowing amount of activities going on every night, for any type of person. There are a lot of fraternities and a few sororities, but they tend to have their own social scene. Sometimes they throw parties. As a girl, at least, there is no pressure to join a sorority.

Know my name? Yup. Favourite class? ENGL 114, with Alfred Guy. Least favourite: Chinese L1/Introduction to Cog Sci. Students study all the time, are you kidding? Students don't shut up in class. Intellectual conversations? The common Yalie code-switches from brilliant to mindless to brilliant again in the blink of an eye. Competitive? Like their lives depended on it. Although it depends. I try to avoid those types. Unique class? History of Sexuality. My major: UNDECIDED. Professors? Sometimes. Distributional requirements are like parents. You hate them, but actually they make you into a man/woman. Education? I-BANKING or GRAD SCHOOL, take your pic.