College Formals

One of the pillars of Yale social life is the residential college system; a network of 14 randomly-assigned residential communities that serve as home bases and microcosms of Yale for all Yale students for all four years. Each college puts on its own, unique social events throughout the year. But there is one event that all colleges typically put on at least once a year: a college formal. College formals are some of my favorite events of the year and they serve as a great example of just how strong the residential college communities are.

College formals are just that: formal events/dances hosted by each residential college. Formals are also common for sports teams, social clubs/Greek life organizations, and other student groups on campus. Most colleges throw a formal once per year, in the fall or spring, while some do them once per semester. Some colleges will rent out a venue like a restaurant or hotel while others opt to hold the event in their dining hall or courtyard. College councils typically organize these events and cover venue and food expenses. Often, college councils will also pay for photographers to help document the night.


A photo from the Morse Formal a few weekends ago.

My college formal happened just about two weeks ago so I figured this was the perfect time to reflect on it. This year the Morse College formal was held at Barcelona which is a restaurant in downtown New Haven. There was music and dancing the whole night along with some great food and a wonderful photographer. Last year, our formal happened in the spring at a restaurant called El Segundo and it was also a great time. Since Morse typically holds our formals at New Haven restaurants, I’ve found that these events are also great ways to try out new restaurants in a low-stakes way. As a whole, the formal was super fun and it was really great to come together with everyone in my college as that is where I have made some of my best friends here at Yale

College formals are probably my favorite social events of the year, they provide a great opportunity for all the students in a college to come together and each year my formal has been a highlight of the year for me. Looking at the bigger picture, I also think that college formals provide a great example of the merits of the residential college system. The way the residential college system is structured, we truly do have a bunch of smaller communities at Yale that are given resources to put on events like this and foster a really wonderful community between all of the students in the college. Since coming here I’ve learned that the residential college system is one of the best parts of social life here and college formals are a great example of that.