火爆社区

Listening to Yale students wax rhapsodic about their school, one can be forgiven for wondering whether they aren鈥檛 actually describing the platonic form of the university. By their own account, students here benefit not only from 鈥渁mazing academics and extensive resources鈥� that provide 鈥減henomenal in- and out-of-class education,鈥� but also from participation in 鈥渁 student body that is committed to learning and to each other.鈥� Unlike some other prestigious, prominent research universities, Yale 鈥減laces unparalleled focus on undergraduate education,鈥� requiring all professors to teach at least one undergraduate course each year. 鈥淸You know] the professors actually love teaching, because if they just wanted to do their research, they could have easily gone elsewhere.鈥� A residential college system further personalizes the experience. Each residential college 鈥渉as a Dean and a [Head], each of which is only responsible for 300 to 500 students, so administrative attention is highly specialized and widely available.鈥� Students further enjoy access to 鈥渁 seemingly never-ending supply of resources (they really just love throwing money at us)鈥� that includes 鈥渢he [13.8] million volumes in our libraries.鈥� In short, 鈥渢he opportunities are truly endless.鈥� 鈥淭he experiences you have here and the people that you meet will change your life and strengthen your dreams,鈥� says one student. Looking for the flip side to all this? 鈥淚f the weather were a bit nicer, that would be excellent,鈥� one student offers. Guess that will have to do.

A typical Yalie is 鈥渢ough to define because so much of what makes Yale special is the unique convergence of different students to form one cohesive entity. Nonetheless, the one common characteristic of Yale students is passion鈥攅ach Yalie is driven and dedicated to what he or she loves most, and it creates a palpable atmosphere of enthusiasm on campus.鈥� True enough, the student body represents a wide variety of ethnic, religious, economic, and academic backgrounds, but they all 鈥渢hrive on learning, whether in a class, from a book, or from a conversation with a new friend.鈥� Students here also 鈥渢end to do a lot.鈥� 鈥淓veryone has many activities that they are a part of, which in turn fosters the closely connected feel of the campus.鈥� Undergrads tend to lean to the left politically, but for 鈥渢hose whose political views aren鈥檛 as liberal as the rest of the campus...there are several campus organizations that cater to them.鈥�

Yale is, of course, extremely challenging academically, but students assure us that 鈥渁side from the stress of midterms and finals, life at Yale is relatively carefree.鈥� Work doesn鈥檛 keep undergrads from participating in 鈥渁 huge variety of activities for fun. There are more than 400 student groups, including singing, dancing, juggling fire, theater...the list goes on. Because of all of these groups, there are shows on-campus all the time, which are a lot of fun and usually free or less than five dollars. On top of that, there are parties and events on campus and off campus, as well as many subsidized trips to New York City and Boston.鈥� Many here 鈥渁re politically active (or at least politically aware)鈥� and 鈥渁 very large number of students either volunteer or try to get involved in some sort of organization to make a difference in the world.鈥� When the weekend comes around, 鈥渢here are always parties to go to, whether at the frats or in rooms, but there鈥檚 definitely no pressure to drink if you don鈥檛 want to. A good friend of mine pledged a frat without drinking and that鈥檚 definitely not unheard of (but still not common).鈥� The relationship between Yale and the city of New Haven 鈥渟ometimes leaves a little to be desired, but overall it鈥檚 a great place to be for four years.鈥�

As its name would suggest, the Yale Office of Career Strategy (OCS) offers a host of resources to students before they even embark on the job hunt. A comprehensive collection of online career profiles helps students gain an overview of potential fields, and walk-in appointments with career advisers ensure that all of their questions get answered. OCS sponsors numerous internship programs, often drawing upon Yale鈥檚 extensive alumni network for leads on opportunities. The Yale Career Link is another great way to network with keen alumni. Yalies report median starting salaries of about $72,700, and 59 percent of those grads who visited PayScale.com say they find a high level of meaning in their work.