Heaven in New Haven

Introduction
Don't be intimidated by Yale's reputation. The most important thing about every student here is not his or her SAT score, high school GPA, or anything like that, but what makes him or her UNIQUE. Apply, and tell your story. Each person is so different and so interesting, and I haven't met anyone who is only about what he studies, who his parents are, etc. I chose Yale over Harvard and other great schools, because of the people and the environment. DON'T come to Yale if you're an introverted, hypercompetitive workaholic, because, frankly - there aren't very many people like you here. People push themselves only - the closest I've come to comparing myself to my peers is only to let them inspire me to become a better person. If you love meeting people different from you, and you genuinely believe in the spirit of learning as much from your fellow students as from your AMAZING professors, this is the school for you.

Campus Life and Social Life
There are hundreds and hundreds of undergraduate student organizations on campus - anything you can think of, we've got it. Say we don't? Feel free to make it yourself, and it is UNBELIEVABLY easy to get funding from the school for whatever it is you'd like to begin. The school is absolutely fabulous about making sure you can do whatever you want, and the heavy emphasis on extracurriculars is certainly one of the major detractors from academic stress, because Yalies understand what it means to be truly well-rounded in their lives. On weekends, whatever you end up doing on any given night, you're bound to be with fantastic people. You are never bored. Starting on Thursday night, there are several parties to choose from each night of the weekend - from crowded, sweaty, frat parties to smaller, intimate hang-outs with 5-10 friends in someone's common room. There are ALWAYS options - even when you're a freshman! Yalies definitely party as hard as they work, but the most important thing is that they know how to balance it. The worst part would probably be having to choose between so many opportunities. My planner is always PACKED with activities, and there are so many overlaps that I've just had to learn to juggle. Oh yeah, and you have classes, too. Advertisement
Academics
This may sound insincere, but without a doubt, every single department at Yale is stellar. We have outstanding professors who are, quite literally, the tops in their field, and it is not at all hard to get to know even the most famous. You make an effort, they'll make an effort back. EVERY professor at Yale is required to teach undergraduate classes, so when universities go name-dropping, Yale's are ACTUALLY teaching, not just tenured. I saw one of my professors interviewed on The Daily Show last year; another is tapped to be the next Supreme Court Justice. Oh, and all three of my lecture teachers have written numerous best-selling books on the topics they are teaching. The TAs who lead sections are certainly also experts in the fields - most of the time, they are advanced law/graduate students specializing in the exact topic, and they are very friendly and not at all pretentious. Frankly, the workload is what you make it. You can take anywhere from 4-6 1/2 credits every semester, so you decide the exact rigor of your schedule. Don't be fooled - lectures do have a LOT of reading - but the thing is, it's all interesting and you definitely have enough time to get it all done and still have fun. Languages are also taught exceptionally well, and those classes are VERY small - capped at 15 or 18. Walking out of a class, one feels curious, excited, and refreshed - not bedraggled, unhappy, or drained.

Student Body
The student body is refreshingly diverse. My freshman class was roughly 50% caucasian, 40% american minority, and 10% international - wonderful. And compared with other schools, Yale's diversity is actually beneficial to campus life. Rather than students self-segregating, the student body is a cohesive group of accepting, open-minded individuals. Everyone is so interesting, and amazingly enough, interested in you right back! The entire campus is SO nice, SO laid-back, SO welcoming, and SO smart. Coming in as a freshman is also a unique experience, because the upperclassmen are not only nice to you, but they invite you to their parties, seek you out to get to know you, and are just as excited to meet you are you are them. People are competitive only with themselves, and everyone genuinely appreciates their peers' exceptional talents, instead of being jealous or arrogant.

In Closing...
Yale is heaven on earth. How I'll ever bring myself to leave, I can't even imagine.