Yale - Community

This is Yale
History
Yale University, founded in 1701, is the third oldest
college in the United States and one of the foremost
research universities in the world. First known as the
Collegiate School, it changed its name in 1718 to honor
benefactor Elihu Yale.
Students
Since its first class, which had only one pupil,
Yale has expanded into a university with 5,100 undergraduates
and 11 graduate and professional
schools with roughly 5,200 students. Women were
admitted to graduate schools in 1892 and to the
undergraduate college in 1969. Today they make
up about 50 percent of the enrollment. Students
come from all 50 states and over 60 countries.
Faculty
The Yale faculty includes more than 2,000
scholars, many of whom are internationally respected
authorities in their fields. Fourteen Nobel
Prize winners have been associated with Yale.
Classes
There are approximately 1,900 courses and
75 majors or programs of study, including 35
different languages.
Admissions
In selecting a class of 1,300 from approximately
18,000 applicants, the Admissions
Committee looks for strong academic ability
and achievement combined with personal
characteristics such as motivation, curiosity,
energy, and leadership ability. Academic
strength is indicated by grades, rigor of curriculum,
standardized test scores, and evaluations
by two teachers and a college counselor.
Yale requires results of the College Board
Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT or SAT 1) and
any three SAT II: Subject Tests or the American
College Testing (ACT) Assessment. Yale
will also accept the Common Application. In
addition, students whose native language is
not English must submit results of the Test of
English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Athletics
With 35 varsity sports teams and a large
intramural program, sports have a prominent
place at Yale. The University offers more than
500 acres of playing fields and nine-story
Payne Whitney Gym, one of the largest athletic
structures in the world. No university
takes greater pride in its athletic heritage.
No fewer than 148 athletes have competed
in the Olympics. Together they have brought
home 88 medals - more than most nations
- including 49 gold, 15 silver and 24 bronze.
Financial Aid
It is Yale’s policy to admit all students
on the basis of academic and personal
promise without regard to their financial
circumstances. In addition, the
University is committed to meeting
the full need of all admitted students
by providing them with appropriate
financial aid awards.
This “need-blind” admissions
policy applies to all applicants including
international citizens.
Currently, approximately 45
percent of all Yale students receive
financial assistance
through loans, scholarships
and work-study employment.
For more information, call the
Yale Financial Aid Office at
203-432-0360.
Residential Life
All incoming students are
assigned to one of 12 residential
colleges before they
arrive freshman year. All
freshmen and sophomores
are required to live on campus.
Each residential college
has its own dining
hall, as well as library,
computers, TV and game
rooms, and often theaters,
weight rooms, and
music practice rooms.
The residential colleges
sponsor numerous academic
and extracurricular
programs, including
musical performances,
dramatic productions,
intramural sports
teams, visiting fellowships
and academic
seminars. A resident
master and dean take
care of the academic
and administrative
needs of each college,
and faculty “fellows”
participate in
the community by
acting as student
advisors and eating
in the college’s dining
hall.