(Admissions officer (spoken):) ...and that's why it is such an important decision, because it is one that will follow you now, and into the future. And that concludes another traditional Yale information session. There will be a guided tour beginning in 15 minutes. In the meantime, I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.
(Boy:) Yes, um... When was Yale founded?
(Admissions officer:) Great question. Yale was founded in 1701.
Oh, um yes, you.
(Girl:) Is it true that all Yale professors teach?
(Admissions officer:) Another great question. It is true that all tenured Professors in Yale college teaches undergraduates, so even a freshman might be taking a class from a Nobel Prize winner.
(Woman:) Uuh.
(Admissions officer:) Any more questions?
(Girl:) Yeah... I have a question. Why did you choose Yale?
(Admissions officer:) When I was a senior in high school, colleges called out my name. Every day I'd debate where to matriculate, but every place seemed the same. Yet after I went through the options only one choice remained. I wanted to hail from a college called Yale
(Admissions officer (spoken):) Now let me explain...
(Admissions officer:) It's a place where you'll learn quintessential knowledge, and you can live in a Residential College, and you can put your hearts into all the liberal arts. And that's why I chose Yale.
Of course, you'll get a first-rate education, but also thrive on classmates' conversation. Here is where we thread Shakespeare Studies and Pre-Med (O-o-o-oh) and that's why I chose Yale.
(Admissions officer (spoken):) One of the reasons why I chose Yale was for its housing system. Before students arrive as freshmen, they're randomly assigned to one of twelve smaller communities called Residential Colleges. These colleges has nothing to do with academic subjects or extracurricular activities. But rest assured, they're quite a bit more than just living spaces. Excuse me? (Boy:) Yeah admissions officer? (Admissions officer:) Tell us a bit more about ... Residential Colleges. (Boy:) Sure thing.
(Boy:) Students here at Yale come from everywhere around - with every type of interest that can possibly be found. Do our passions divide us? No, our colleges provide us with family and common ground.
For all four years we'll all reside together in colleges, united by pride. With such great facilities to hone your abilities, you'll never want to go outside.
(Girl:) Every college has a dining hall with a salad bar and grill and organic options for every meal. (Boy:) I'm gonna eat my fill. (Boy:) Each one has a common room, which we could not live without, to study or to meet in groups, or simply to hang out.
(Girl:) And when the dining halls are closed there's butteries for snacks (Boy:) And if you need a study break, there's game rooms to relax. (Girl:) I can get to my college library without stepping foot outside, (Boy:) and just right down the hallway, my clothes are washed and dried. (Girl:) I work out in my college gym, a mere two floors below. (Girl:) Then I meet my friends for rehearsal in the dance studio. (Boy:) There are tons of music practice rooms where I can hone my skills. (Boy:) We even have a movie theater. This one always gives me chills!
(Girl:) We don't have normal dorms at Yale. Instead, we live in suites, so you may have a roommate. (Girl:) Uuh - we have matching sheets! (Girl:) Outside there's a common room, so come and stay a while. There's space for couches and TV's or a lava lamp if that's your style.
(Boy:) At the head of every college is a Master and a Dean. They live with us and eat with us and everything between.
(Different persons speaking:) Am I taking the right class? Will these credits suffice? I've got the flu. Need a pass. Can I get some advice? What's a good summer program? (The Dean:) This fellowship's nice. (All in harmony:) Thank goodness that we have our Dean.
(Girl:) A Master brings us all together as our senior prof, hosting study breaks and lectures for when we need time off.
(Professor:) Who'd like to see a Broadway show? I'll gladly subsidize. Let's host another concert - I'll proudly harmonize.
There is free food in the evening for all of you to share, and a Master's Tea tomorrow too, I hope to see you there.
(Girl:) The Master's Tea's are a chance to see all your favorite celebrities, hear their stories and ask advice.
(Celebrity speaking:) ..which is why I had to interview him twice.
(laughter)
(choir:) Residential Colleges, come give a cheer. (Hey!) A place to call our home for all four years. A sense of unity, immense community. Our friendships will prevail. (O-o-o-oh) That's why i chose Yale,
(Admissions officer (spoken):) But when you do step outside your Residential College, who knows what you might run into?
(Intermezzo with musical background)
(Admissions officer (spoken):) But mostly, I chose Yale for it's superb academic opportunities.
(Girl:) I came to Yale because i wanted to learn and I wanted to learn from the best. I was tired of memorizing figures and facts just to pass another test.
(Girl:) Last year i spent the summer abroad. I helped to monitor a foreign election. And now i volunteer at a law school clinic on human rights protection.
(Boy:) I wanna be an architect some day - I want to help save a city that's dying. That's why i needed a school that would push me to see that my coursework has a grounding in reality. Now i grasp the bigger picture. My perspective has a different scale. That's why I chose Yale.
(Boy:) I came to Yale from across the world because I wanted a global education. Now I'm bringing clean water to the countries that need it through the H2O Africa Foundation.
(Boy in art museum:) I'm taking a class called Philosophy of Art to see where truth and beauty connect. What is the concept of art, and why should we care? Where do Plato and Picasso intersect?
(Girl in lab:) I study real world problems that need to be solved because the climate is changing fast. I'm working on a project i designed myself for submission to a conference on the Polar Ice Shelf. With the faculty's help, I know that I won't fail. That's why I chose Yale.
(Girl:) How do I know which class to take? There's over 2000 here.
(Boy:) More than 50 foreign languages.
(All:) It's only a freshman year.
(Freshman counselor:) Well, as your freshman counselor I was chosen by the Dean. I'm a senior in this college and I know just what you mean.
The first two weeks of classes take any course you choose. Then you pick your favorites - There's no way you can lose.
(Admissions officer:) And when it's time to study for that intensive course, and you're looking for the perfectly resource, Yale's libraries have got what you need - dozens of collections sure to help you succeed. Within this mountain of books, between these walls you'll find music and film, ancient maps and all. You'll want for nothing - someone clearly thought of every detail!
(Spoken:) Do you mind? This is a library!
(Admissions officer (spoken):) Sorry.
(Admissions officer:) That's why I chose Yale.
(Choir:) Everyone here is on a similar mission where great classes and professors are a campus tradition. The students are able and the classes are small, so go audition all your courses in the lecture hall.
(and) Come on people, time to hit the ignition in science or in chemistry or as a musician. Meet our professors over coffee or dinner - with their help you're sure to be an academic winner.
We're housed in suites in our residential colleges. There's no debating it, everyone acknowledges - we've got it made with a Master and a Dean, and a freshman counselor to show us the scene.
Residental Colleges give spirit and unity to every single person in the Yale community. We're eat there and we study and we joke and relax and go to masters teas and study breaks for nighttime snacks.
Wo-o-o-oh. Wo-o-o-oh. Wo-o-o-ooooh. That's why we chose Yale. Yale!