It’s college decision time! This time, two years ago, I was thinking about all the best possible ways to figure out which college I should go to. I wrote last year about what it was like to go to Yale without visiting, but this year I thought I would talk about how some of my friends decided to come to Yale and the resources they used. There is a ton of information out there about different colleges and it can be hard to know where to start or what will be most useful so I thought this would be a helpful guide to the best resources available told through the stories of how we all chose Yale.
Name: Sofia
Major: Statistics and Data Science
How did you choose Yale?: I was able to tour which was really cool, I also used some search engines to look at financial aid and school size to find schools that seemed like a good fit. I really liked the vibe of the tour and ended up applying early to Yale as my number one choice. I literally read everything online (like Bulldogs Blogs), watched a lot of vlogs about Yale, and attended student forums held by the admissions office. When I got in early my decision was made for me and it was my number one choice so I didn’t apply anywhere else.
Name: Esteban
Major: Electrical Engineering
How did you choose Yale?: I read a lot about different colleges online and really enjoyed the more flexible curriculum at Yale. As an FGLI student, Yale also seemed to really care about their students coming here without financial barriers. There were also a lot of workshops and resources offered that were really important for me in terms of preparing FGLI students for college. I added it to my QuestBridge list and ended up matching so my decision was kind of made for me but I’ve definitely felt like I’ve made the right choice since I’ve come here.
Name: Adam
Major: Music and English
How did you choose Yale?: When exploring different schools I looked a lot at different academic degree offerings online. I was looking for an equal balance of non-music humanities without a dual-degree or conservatory. I wanted to study both English and Music with great departments and an equal distribution of both disciplines; Yale is one of very few schools that do that. I toured a lot of schools also and that helped me narrow down my list. I also met with some composition faculty over the phone or over Zoom at a lot of schools and the ones at Yale really stuck out to me as very nice and willing to work with students.
Name: Sartaj
Major: Computer Science and Philosophy
How did you choose Yale?: I had a really good interview and my interviewer and I had a really great conversation and connected well which helped me make my decision. I also talked through the college admission process with my college counselor since I was deciding between a few schools to apply to early and he helped me talk through the reasons why I wanted to apply to Yale. I got in early and knew that Yale was the only place I wanted to go.
Name: Annie
Major: Music and History
How did you choose Yale?: I talked with the music faculty before coming here which really helped me make my decision because they seemed really open to teaching me. I also read a lot about Yale online and on social media and it seemed like the only place I wanted to go. I went to an accepted student’s Zoom for students in my area as well and I really enjoyed the group of people there which was really exciting for me.
Whether or not you are able to attend Bulldog Days (you definitely should if you can!), there are many ways to make your decision and so many resources that can help you figure out what the right fit is for you. Something else that I’ve learned from talking to my friends about this and from going through the process myself is that you’ll end up in the right place no matter what and even though the decision-making process is hard it all feels worth it in the end.
