Main

That's Why I Toured Yale

Sam Tsui ’11 and Simone Policano ’16 lead an unconventional tour of Yale College. This video from 2017 was viewed over 950,000 times on Yale' s Campus Channel.

Yale University

8 months ago

Hi everyone, welcome to Yale. My name is Simone and I'm a senior majoring in computer science. And I'm Sam. I'm a junior double majoring in classics and political science. And we will be your tour guides today. At Yale students pursue both the arts and the sciences, so in one day you might do research at a state-of-the-art lab with a Nobel Prize winner and take a class at the Yale art gallery. Yalies embrace tradition and innovation, so you might study with a renowned Shakespeare scholar and per
form slam poetry at a cultural center. You might build a robot - and sing with an a cappella group. Debate public policy - and dance with Yale Jashan Bhangra. Excuse me. Are we gonna see all this on the tour? We're certainly gonna try. Could we get a little background music? Uh...How about something with a beat? Follow us. Yale offers more than 2,000 courses every year, and students can choose from over 80 majors. There's no core curriculum, so we get to pick every one of our courses ourselves,
and we don't have to choose a major until the end of our second year. Classes come in all sizes, but three quarters of them enroll fewer than 20 students, so you might choose to take a larger lecture course like this: Dean Chun: Together with Yale students, my laboratory is developing techniques to use brain imaging to read out the mind. We can show participants faces as shown here on the left and decode their brain activity patterns and guess, or reconstruct what they were seeing... Simone: or
small discussion seminars like this: Professor Biggs: So, what do we make of the fact that at the height of WW II, Winston Churchill pulled Laurence Olivier from the Service to make a film of Henry V? Well I think it supports the notion that Henry V should be considered the GREAT patriotic drama the English theatrical canon. ... I'm inclined to agree with you, but let's try the counter-argument: that Henry was a serious war-monger... When doing independent research, you'll have access to some o
f the world's most expansive libraries. This one library holds over 4 million books on 16 floors. Besides books, it also contains thousands of musical scores, maps, and newspapers from around the world. In the Beinecke library you'll find one of the world's largest collections of rare books and manuscripts, including ancient Egyptian papyrus, one of Beethoven's original scores, and manuscripts written by Langston Hughes. The marble walls filter sunlight to preserve the books inside. Yale student
s learn by doing. With over 800 science and engineering labs, a 24/7 makerspace with state-of-the-art equipment, students can push past the boundaries of their scientific curiosity, and innovate solutions to some of the world's greatest challenges. Yale sponsors countless research projects, both on campus and abroad. There are over a hundred paid fellowships reserved for first-year students in science and engineering. That means you get access to hands-on experience at a lab right away. There a
re countless opportunities to learn outside the classroom. You might learn about sustainable agriculture at the Yale farm, or record an original music composition in a professional studio. You can learn a new foreign language abroad on a Yale fellowship. You might even take a class here at the Yale Art Gallery. Professor: Interesting use of color here. But no matter where your academic journey takes you, you'll experience Yale's most distinctive feature: the residential colleges. Every incoming
student is randomly assigned to one of 14 residential colleges. The colleges have nothing to do with your major. They're just smaller communities that reflect the diversity of the student body. Each has its own facilities, events and traditions. Besides just housing students, the colleges are also supportive communities that include some of our most valued advisors. My name is Jorge and I'm a first year counselor. I was chosen by the college to live among first-years and serve as a senior adviso
r, helping with everything from homesickness to course selection to finding the laundry room. I'm Jessie Hill. I'm the Dean of this college. I help students choose classes and explore research and internship opportunities. I support students through every academic and personal challenge. And I'm Dr. Laurie Santos, the Head of this college. I shape the cultural social and academic events in the college and I ensure that each student feels welcome. I make sure to get to know every student in the c
ollege one-on-one. Checkmate. Inside every college are awesome facilities like game rooms with ping pong and pool tables. Common rooms where you can relax, hang out and unwind with your friends. Play games - Spaces like dance studios, woodworking shops, music practice rooms, and workout rooms. Girl: Come on Sam! Come on! Lift that! Come on! And, of course, when you're craving that burger, milkshake, or other late night snack, the butteries. But perhaps the most important spot in any residential
college is the dining hall, where you'll find great food and great friends. This college has the pizza oven where... Sorry to interrupt. Can we hold for a sec? That's better. OK, right about now you're probably wondering: How could I possibly afford to go to Yale? Well the good news is Yale's need-based financial aid meets one hundred percent of your financial need, with awards that won't require you and your family to take out loans. If your family's annual income is $65,000 a year or less, th
en there is no parent contribution at all. Awards are calculated to include the full cost of tuition, books, living on campus and personal expenses. Yale even covers its students to study abroad. My point is: a Yale education is affordable. For everyone! Within the residential colleges students live in suites. Bedrooms are attached to common rooms, where you can study and hang out. Suites range in size from three to twelve students, and you usually share a bathroom with your roommates, the bath.
.. And, scene! OK that's a wrap for rehearsal. Great job today everyone. Can I talk to wardrobe backstage? You'll spend most of your time outside your suite though, participating is some of the hundreds of student organizations at Yale like theater and singing. Singing: Woah - that's why we chose Yale Make your voice heard in a political group, mock trial or debate. Debater: In today's political climate, what we need is more.. Debater: I couldn't agree more! Civil discourse! You can join one of
Yale's many dance groups. And there are dozens of groups affiliated with Yale's four cultural centers. I did not build this house, but I claim every beam and bone as my own, because here I find people who will laugh with and at me, but always out of love. I find a community that shows up when I ask them to and especially when I don't. With every gathering, we build a home that will last. The best part is that your activities don't have to have any connection to your major. You could join a music
group without taking a single music course. You might even start your own jazz combo. Or you can play with the Yale Symphony Orchestra. You can stay active with more than a hundred different athletic teams. Including varsity, club, and intramural. And we're just scratching the surface. Yale has over 500 student groups! If you have a passion, you can pursue it! If you want to try something new, you can try it! And if you have a dream, you can follow it! Any questions? How do I apply?! You just g
o to the website.

Comments