@Bearsgarden WELCOME AND CONGRATS!!!
What Faulkner1897 said. I just wanted to say congratulations. Two at Yale. You should be very proud.
@BKSquared same here! We have a close friend of my daughters that was accepted SCEA Princeton and was accepted to Harvard RD but waitlisted Yale. As far as we know, none of the kids that applied in our area were accepted. All around it seems like a strange year. I am wondering if there was such a strong pool that they had to choose from. I also keep in mind that they wanted to fill the new colleges with all 4 grades so how do you do that and only accept freshman. I think in the end with the class numbers that there will be a mix of transfers, deferred students and kids looking to move to a different RC that fill the new colleges over new accepted freshman. I could be wrong but it is very strange how this whole acceptance season feels.
Maybe they will shock everyone and split up. Some times multiples just want to be their own person. Good for them.
I agree with all. From the posts (and my dismal experience with my 7 interviews), something is amiss. Kind of glad I can watch this from the outside though and not really have a pony in this race.
@memmsmom and @Faulkner1897, thanks. Indeed we are very proud. She really likes her brother’s college. Hope all will work out.
My classmates and I have been speculating on how they would fill the 2 new colleges with upperclassmen. Besides not liking your current college for whatever reason, I can see students opting for a new facility, wanting to put together a suite of friends who currently are in different colleges and having a better pick of rooms, or wanting to be on Science Hill or next to Ingalls. http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2017/03/31/new-colleges-attract-established-groups/ This article suggests that the new colleges, at least for the next few years, won’t be “cross sections” of the undergrad population as the other colleges generally are.
@BKSquared
The scenario you mention for current students moving is exactly why my son and some of his friends have transferred out.
My kids were in the same residential college, and it was a real benefit for both, but especially for the younger one. If they get along well, I think it’s a good idea.
Anyone out there with a son or daughter choosing between Columbia and Yale for engineering? Would love to share thinking. A key differences of course is the location and the course requirements. What else?
My S’s roommate has an older sister at Columbia. She told us that my S and her brother are lucky to be at Yale. She likes Yale better because of a stronger sense of community (and a happier one) at Yale. Of course, according to her, Columbia is a great university with strong overall academics. In terms of engineering, I know little about it.
Did anyone else get the April Fools letter from Yale? My H got one addressed to him. I did not get one (guess they didn’t think alums would think it funny). We’re going to post it on our refrigerator and save if for when my dear D gets home.
Yes. I got the letter, and I’m embarrassed to admit that my guard was down and I fell for it, briefly. Funny.
What did it say?
Dear Harvard Parents. 
We got this before. I wonder if they reuse it every few years.
Hi got it too - plus just another thing - do we all receive the Alumni magazine? my mailman is really respectful since I got them…
Was last years from Princeton? I vaguely remember it being orange. I didn’t fall for it this time but did last year because I was new.
This newbie fell for it…
@bentandbarc My son had a similar situation. STEM with admits to Yale, Harvard and MIT. Thinking was that if 100% sure on Math major followed by STEM Phd and nothing else mattered, MIT was top choice, if 100% sure on math major followed by STEM Phd and it was also important to have the ability to dabble in things other than STEM, Harvard went to the top. Finally, if not 100% sure on math and STEM Phd, Yale was the number one choice as it offered the most flexibility to do “everything.” Son picked Yale, loves it, is still Math intensive, but gobbling up seminars from Philosophy and religion to french lit and Pol Sci and is sure he made the right choice. YMMV
@tdy123 Thanks! Great way to break it down! And I had to look up YMMV, but yes!
@bentandbarc, I have somewhat less experience with Columbia than @tdy123’s Harvard and MIT, but aside from the academic, there is the social. Whether it’s classmates to do psets with, or classmates to hang out with, or classmates to date, in my experience Yale is considerably ahead of the others. As a HS student, this might or might not be a huge deal to you, but if I’m not missing my guess, it will become more important to you over the next 4 years.
Columbia does have the advantage of NYC, which has its own social benefits.