Visit Report by MSMDAD (Member since February 12 2006 with 518 posts) Visit Date - July 2006
Visit to Yale University in July 2006 by MSMDAD (Parent of Student, HS Class of 2006)
Visit Activities:
Admissions Interview:
Yes - DD reports that the interview went really well. The student who conducted the interview had an affinity with my daughter and really impressed her. Campus Tour:
Yes - Campus is really nice with interesting architecture. Tour guide was very informative and friendly. Quite a bit of construction going on around campus.
Yale University Campus:
Friendliness/Courtesy of Students: 5 - Excellent -
The students that we ran into seemed very friendly and down to earth.
Friendliness/Courtesy of Staff: 4 - Very Good -
Staff in the office of admissions were nice. Waiting area (I waited while DD was in interview) was clean and welcoming.
Appearance of Campus: 5 - Excellent -
Very nice and attractive campus. Contrary to what we had heard, we did not see any bad neighborhoods around campus.
Building/Facilities Maintenance/Cleanliness: 5 - Excellent -
Buildings were spotless and well maintained. Some of the buildings were undergoing renovation.
Dormitories: 4 - Very Good -
We visited the courtyard of a residential college but did not go inside the dormitory. The courtyard and what we could see of the dormitory seemed very nice.
Security/Safety: 4 - Very Good -
Blue light system throughout campus. Tour guide mentioned escort system.
Overall Campus Impression: 5 - Excellent -
Very nice and clean campus.
Off-Campus:
Area Immediately Around Campus: 4 - Very Good -
The area immediately adjacent to campus seemed clean and safe. We did not see the bad neighborhoods that have been reported on other posts. We got to campus early and went to eat a pizza at a pizzeria - good New York style pizza.
City/Town/Community: -
We expected New Haven to be a grungy and not appealing city. It was actually clean and very nice.
Campus Visit Notes for Yale University:
Visit Description:
We arrived on campus early and found metered parking right on Hillhouse Avenue. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions provided us with change to feed the meters. We waited for a few minutes in a nice waiting area for the interview that DD had set-up ahead of time. DD reported that the interview went very well - actually described it as a very relaxed interview.
We then went to wait in a cafe a few blocks from campus and had a pizza, which was very good.
We returned to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and found that there were over 75 people waiting for the tour to start. There were three tour guides and each one introduced himself to the crowd, including one who indicated that he was the "token conservative" at Yale and that he hosted some kind of a radio show. We decided to follow the tour guide that indicated that she was a theater major, and walked next to her for most of the tour. She was very friendly and chatted quite a bit with my DD as we were walking from place to place. The Yale campus was very attractive and clean. The tour guide described each building that we visited in detail and gave a history of the building. She even discussed the Gothic architectural style, and how the architect deliberately tried to make these buildings look like they were constructed in the middle ages by pouring acid down their sides, breaking/cracking the windows in the form of a "Y", and burying the roof tiles on Long Island Sound to make them look weathered. I must say that hearing this from the tour guide was a surprise (I would have preferred that she would not have mentioned this). The tour guide was also very knowledgeable of academic programs and study abroad opportunities.
The prospective students and their parents that were on the tour were very nice. We struck-up conversations with several parents/students and they seemed like very easy-going people.
Hotel/Lodging Recommendations or Comments:
We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Milford - about fifteen miles away. We had a bad experience and ended up invoking the 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Other Comments (Transportation, local attractions, parking, etc.):
If you plan on parking on campus, there is plenty of metered parking. I would, however, get there early and bring lots of quarters.
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The students that we ran into seemed very friendly and down to earth.
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Staff in the office of admissions were nice. Waiting area (I waited while DD was in interview) was clean and welcoming.
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We expected New Haven to be a grungy and not appealing city. It was actually clean and very nice.