Yay Yale!

Today we met up at the lobby from our hotel at 7:25AM.  I was really excited to visit Yale. When I was in Second grade it was my dream school. I even wrote them a letter. Before we left on Amtrak to Connecticut we grabbed something to eat from Dunkin Donuts. It was the first time I ever tried it and it was really good. I got a Chocolate frosted donut and a caramel iced coffee. After we left straight to the train. 

The ride was about 2 hours long. To me it didn't feel as long. I was sitting next to Mahi the whole time. She was showing me pictures of her hometown and it looked beautiful. I wish I could go visit to see all the animals! On our way she got a little tired and she fell asleep. I thought it was hilarious because she looked like a bobble head. She started falling to the side and her head was just hanging so I put my shoulder to support her head. The whole time I couldn't stop laughing. The people sitting next to us were starting at me. When she woke up and I told her everything we both thought it was really funny. 

Bricks everywhere

Once we arrived to New Haven, Connecticut we got off. We walked all the way to Yale. From far away I thought it was gorgeous. Everything looked part of a castle with bricks. We went inside an office and inside there was a lot of history. We even saw the Yale bulldog. It was stuffed inside a glass which made me really uncomfortable. I am really against that! We all decided to sit down and none of us realized the girl sitting by us was out tour guide. 

Castle look alike

Poor dog

Our tour guide's name was Sarah and she was extremely nice! She made everything about Yale really interesting. The first thing she said that was a huge shock was about the green at Yale. Years ago it was a cemetery. They decided they wanted to build something for the community so they removed the tombstones and left the buried people under there. Until this day the people are still under there. A couple years ago on Halloween there was a huge storm. One of the trees fell which causes a skeleton to ride from the bottom. Since it was Halloween, many people thought it was a prank. No one had a clue that it was an actual human skeleton from someone that was buried there more than 300 years ago. I thought it was insane. 

At Yale, there is a 36 credit requirements to graduate. About 55% of the students there are on financial aid which was really surprising. It makes me feel a lot more relieved when I know a school tries to help students a lot with financial aid. Overall Yale encourages and tries to push students to try many different subjects out of their comfort zone to expand their knowledge. I thought it was really funny that the school's original name was not Yale. It was Colleget School. Many of the statues there had similar stories to the ones at Harvard. The statues weren't the actual person they claim they are, they just picked a person on campus who looked to most similar to the actual person and decided to make the statue based on their looks. Just like Harvard as well the school is very diverse and freshman are required to live in the halls. 

"Nathan Hale"

Law School!

What I thought was really amazing were the buildings and the stories of the guy who build them. He was really into making buildings look old so he would do anything to make them look that way. He started a fire on the roof, he broke windows on purpose and glued them back together, he dropped acid to make it look a different color, he put these rocks in this one water so they would all get different Ph levels. Although he sounded crazy I thought it was really interesting and entertaining. 

Since I am in the Law Academy, I was really excited to look at the Law school there. Unfortunately we passed by it really quick. The theatre there was really nice as well and spacious. Right there we met Linda who was really polite. He told us all about the theatre and the roof on the stage is really high so people can Hang from the top. 600 people for in the audience. She mentioned that sometimes depending on the show the tickets sell out really quick and other times only the bottom seats fill up. 

So far Yale was my favorite University. Everything about it I really loved. I feel as it was meant to be that way since I was really interested in it since I was about 8 years old although I barely knew anything about it. The only thing I didn't like was the places around it. It looked really sketchy in some parts. 

Beautiful Buildings

Tower look alike

Pizza time!

Yummy yummy in my tummy

After the tour we went to a pizza restaurant. I ordered a slice of pepperoni pizza and shared some mozzarella sticks with Komal. Everyone was sharing their food. There was calamari, breadsticks, and chicken wings. It was all very delicious but I really couldn't eat everything although I wish I could have. I had a really good time eating there. 

Roman coins that portray powerful women in ruler's lives

Once we were done eating we left to the Peabody Museum of Natural History. I was really into everything in there and unlike the last museum we went to, the staff were really nice. They had a lot of Picasso paintings. They also had costumes from a long time ago that were made from chicken feathers. There was this other thing that was made from actual animal skin and fur. I really didn't like that! One of the elevators in there was HUGE! It could literally be a room in there! Another elevator was clear, it was really fun. 

Picasso 

Amazing art

Cool Marble Guy

After the museum we went to Ashley's Ice Cream shop. Everyone got something except Erin and I. We both weren't really feeling ice cream at the moment. Once everyone finished eating we went walking back to the Amtrak station to head back to Connecticut. 

While Ms. Neal was renting a van... Can you spy me? 

Today was a great day. I really enjoyed Yale and can't wait to learn a lot more about it when I email Sarah for more information. 

Yale Tour Today!

I  got out of bed at 6:20. I had to meet up with my cohort and Ms. Neal down at the lobby at 7:25. This was a bit early, but I made sure that I had enough time to get ready. Today was our Yale tour. I knew I was going to really like it because I had seen pictures  of Yale and its authenticity on various occasions. 

To get to Yale we took the Amtrak. The ride was about two hours long, but it felt way longer. Prior to that we had gotten breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts. I ordered a Vanilla iced coffee with a glazed donut. The Vanilla iced coffee wasn't that great because it tasted sugarless. 

The Amtrak ride was tiring. Two hours of just sitting down was not comfortable. I couldn't wait to get down to stretch out my legs and find out what Yale had to offer. Later, we were greeted by our tour guide for the day, Sarah, a current Yalee. She elaborated on the many traditions that Yale has which seemed like so much fun. She also explained how all of the teachers and professors genuinely care about you and how they want you to succeed whether it's in a class or a research project.

She pretty much convinced me why Yale is the perfect school. I loved every aspect of it. I really liked the architecture and the vibe that it gave away. The odd stories behind the creation of them made them more intriguing. I just really liked it. Maybe it was because there weren't many visitors like there was at Harvard and because the atmosphere was quiet, placid and welcoming. I felt at home. I loved how you get to experiment with different classes before declaring a major as well. 

After that we went to the museum of art. There were many ancient artifacts and paintings. We also got ice cream. And later, we visited the theater. It was a packed day but it was worth it. 

The Tale of Yale and the ILC.

 I woke up this morning with limited clean clothing to wear. This was frustrating because I always try to dress nicely for college visits. I left the hotel feeling confident however, and ready to go!

Outside of the bookstore.

View from the stage.

I was still tired enough to sleep on the train to Connecticut, although I was cold, and consequently kept waking up.

We arrived in the Yale Visitor center perfectly on time, and almost immediately started our private tour with Sarah, our tour guide.

I was worried that our tour would be completely parallel to that of Harvard's for the first ten minutes. Statues of the "founders" of both schools happen to be statues of random students because there is no reference to how the founders looked. There were also many similarities in how the tour was structured.

I was relieved and uplifted when the tour became more relaxed and question based. Our tour guide had many funny stories to tell about her freshman year, and about the architecture of Yale. Many of Yale's buildings have been purposely broken and repaired to look old. One building was supposed to be a cathedral, but is used as a library because Yale is secular. Some dorm buildings have no right angles in them. Students understandably have a hard time fitting their beds and desks into corners.

After looking through the bookstore, we met Linda, a lighting designer for Yale's School of Drama theater. She walked us through the theater, and talked a little about drama, and her job. Her adorable three-year-old daughter Bella ran around the house as I asked Linda about Yale programs, and the details of how they work. I am very thankful that Linda was kind enough to talk with us.  

Outside of the largest theater on campus. 

The cohort and Ms. Neal then walked to a pizza parlor and inhaled a surprising amount of food. One of the best parts of today was walking around Yale's art museum after. I enjoyed looking at paintings from the American Revolution and modern art the best. 

I was very excited to eat the bittersweet chocolate ice cream in the ice cream parlor we went to after. It tasted like cocoa powder, which was a nice change from common super sweet chocolate ice cream.

On the train ride back from Yale, Mahi and I sat together, and nonstop talked for two hours. I am really glad I got the chance to know her on this trip, and I am glad we go to the same school, so we can hang out together after this trip concludes!

After getting off the train, we went to the airport to pick up a van for tomorrow. We will need it to tow our luggage around before finally heading to the airport. Even though it was late at night and we were all exhausted, we managed to stay awake. Every one of us was famished, and IHop was on the way to the hotel. We entered the restaurant at 11:30, and left well after 12. Things became slightly hilarious... Mahi started cutting her pancakes with her spoon she was so tired. 

New Haven, New Horizons

Take-off times for the trains.

Experiencing the window seat on the train ride.

Our cohort got up earlier than usual this morning and was promptly on its way to its next destination in New Haven, Connecticut. Today, we would be touring our last Ivy League: Yale University.

Upon arrival, the cohort headed for the university’s visitor center. As soon as we got there, we started snapping pictures because of the gorgeous scenery all around us. From the gothic-style buildings to even the interior decoration. One thing I immediately noticed was a stuffed bulldog at the center. When then met our tour guide, Sarah -- a student who had just finished her Freshman year at Yale. Sarah was from North Carolina, and was studying Environmental Engineering while pursuing her pre-med.

As soon as our tour started, Sarah began filling us in on the basics of Yale’s academics, including credit requirements, majoring and minoring (Yale has no minors), and much more. As we moved onto seeing the residential halls and statues, Sarah began telling us the stories behind the architecture of some of the buildings. The most memorable thing Sarah told us about was the main architect of Yale’s residential buildings, who also happened to be quite insane. Apparently, James Gamble Rogers, who had build many of Yale's structures, was obsessed with an old-fashioned style of architecture, and would go to extreme lengths at trying to make his new building look as run down as possible, such as pouring acid down the walls and setting the rooftops on fire for a "vintage" look. Besides these kinds of historical anecdotes, Sarah also told us about residential life, Freshman culture, and more regarding what makes Yale so unique. Probably my favorite thing about the Yale was the gorgeous architecture, along with the stories behind them.

The cohort snaps a picture with Sarah!

Sarah left us off at the bookstore as she departed. After roaming around and looking at merchandise, the cohort was ready to move onto to the next part of its itinerary: meeting Linda, a stage worker and coordinator at the Yale University Theater. We were also able to meet her adorable little daughter, Bella. By chatting with Linda, we found out that she had gone to UC Berkeley, which is incredibly close to us! She had majored in theater. Gaby and her had a good time chatting, since Gaby was so interested in pursuing a performing arts career in the future.

Being unfamiliar with the area, we asked Linda where we should go to eat, and she suggested Yorkside Pizza, a restaurant just up the street a few blocks away. Everyone agreed that it sounded like a good idea and off we were to have lunch at New Haven. Everyone ordered their preferred meals and ate to their heart’s content. I loved the pizza there, as well as the garlic bread with basil, cheese, and tomato. Since we still had a lot of time to spare afterwards before our train would be boarding, we decided to visit the Yale Museum, which offered free admission.

The museum was very fun! It was grandiose, and held many artifacts and art pieces from different periods and cultures. Our timing was impeccable as well; just as we decided to leave, we found out they were about to close for the day!

After the museum, we concluded our visit to New Haven with some ice cream at Ashley's Ice Cream Cafe. They had unique flavors and toppings I had never seen before. I ended up getting a Raspberry Chip ice cream, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  

We took the train ride back to Boston to head back for the hotel. Now, we have to finish packing our luggage since today was our last full day traveling. By this time

Another Long Day

View From the Train 

The train ride to New Haven Connecticut was luckily fairly uneventful and relaxing. We had to get up rather early which I was not excited about considering that I was up late blogging. We took the red line to the South Station where we got breakfast then caught the Amtrak to Connecticut. Cindy and I were able to claim the seats with extra legroom and at back to enjoy the ride. We took full advantage of the free wifi to do some work and research although we didn’t forget to look out the window and enjoy the scenery. Eventually the rocking of the train lulled us off to a short but peaceful sleep and we arrived at our destination.

                                                                                                      

Once we got to the train station we still had to walk 20 minutes to the Yale Visitors Center. We made it just in time for our twelve o’clock tour with Sarah, a rising sophomore at Yale. She was really interesting. She is studying environmental engineering but also wants to do pre-med. As she led us around campus we learned a lot about the history of Yale. She took us to see a lot of the famous sculptures on the grounds as well as a lot of the grand buildings. We saw the exteriors of a lot of libraries and dorms but not many classrooms.

One of my favorite parts of the tour was the explanation of the architecture at Yale. There were so many grand old buildings and lots of interesting stories behind them. One famous Yale architect, James Gamble, did a lot of crazy things when constructing his buildings. Gamble had an obsession for making his gothic style buildings look old and he took drastic measures to complete his dream. He would order acid to be splashed on stonewalls in order to erode the rock and give a false sense of age. He also created a burned appearance on some walls and broke and repaired stain glass to make the buildings seem older. I personally find this kind of ridiculous considering the effort and costs that must go into weathering a building in these drastic ways.

African Masks 

After our tour was over we took a quick stop in the college store to check out the gear. Then we meet up with Linda, an individual who was very involved in the theater department at Yale. Gabi was especially interested in talking to her about theatre. Linda had a three-year-old daughter named Bella who was adorable. After Gabi had learned enough we went to lunch at a pizza place. The food was very filling and delicious.

We still had about two hours left before we had to go to the train station so we decided to go to the Yale Art Museum for a little bit. The museum was very cool. They had a large collection of all types of art from ancient sculptures to modern paintings. My two favorite sections were the African art section and the contemporary and modern art section. The African art was especially interesting to me because I haven’t seen a lot of it at museums in the past. There were so many incredible masks and carvings that I really loved. The contemporary art was also very cool. There was a mix between sculptures and paintings in all different shapes and colors. I think that I am especially drawn to the contemporary art because of how unique every piece is.

After the museum we stopped to get ice cream and then headed back to the train station. Our train was delayed so we had to wait for more than an hour at the station. Once we got on our train we were able to relax. The two-hour ride went by very fast and soon we were back at South Station. Unfortunately, our journey was not yet over. We still had to travel all the way to the airport to get the rental van for tomorrow. We spent about an hour waiting at the airport. At this point it was around 11 but we still hadn't eaten dinner. There was nothing open except for IHOP so we drove there. Unfortunately, there was a lot of traffic so we didn't get there until around 11:30. We were served at 12:10 and got to the hotel around 1.

I still had to pack and blog when I got back. Packing was very difficult because I had to fit all of my clothes strategically into my suitcase. After finally getting completely ready I was finally ready for bed at around 2 in the morning. I am super excited to wake up at 7 in the morning! 

Ice Cream and Yale!

Today we were touring Yale! Once we had awoken and met at the lobby, we made our way to the subway. We arrived at the train station around 8:10 AM, leaving us half an hour to grab breakfast. I had really wanted to try Dunkin' Donuts at least once before we returned to California, so I had their salted caramel hot chocolate and glazed doughnut. We boarded the train and I managed to get a seat beside Esme. 

Boston to New Haven was about a two hour ride. Esme and I talked during most of it, discussing our families, colleges we are interested in, and our mutual affection for dogs. Once we realized just how long that was, we molded play dough and took pictures to pass some time. I ended up dozing off, awakening to find myself leaning on Esme's shoulder. 

Once we arrived in New Haven we walked to Yale's visitor center where we met our tour guide, Sarah. She led us around campus, telling us interesting facts and great stories about Yale. We learned about traditions that make the institution unique. Although the architecture of the school was not my favorite, because it was not what I generally prefer, I did appreciate how unique it was.

I liked how much of a community Yale appeared to be, and how focused they were on creating a system that is very inclusive. Sarah was telling us about how much the faculty cares about helping students, which I found was something I would very much appreciate in a college. The city of New Haven was different from what I'm used to. I do find that I thrive in very urban areas, but I think Yale's focus on community makes up for it.

We ended the tour at the Yale bookstore where we said goodbye to Sarah. We met Linda at Yale's school of drama theater. She works with lighting and design, and it was fascinating to learn about her job. She also has an adorable daughter, Bella, who ran up and down the aisles wanting to play. Linda recommended Yorkside Pizza for lunch so we thanked her and parted ways.

We walked down the street to Yorkside, very hungry, I ordered a slice of the pizza of the day, which consisted of olives, mushrooms, basil, and chicken. We also got something to drink and various appetizers to share. After devouring all of that delicious food we decided to visit Yale's art museum. I absolutely love Greco-Roman and Hellenistic pieces so I found their display of Greek coins, pottery, and marble figures fascinating.

I was also very drawn towards the Native American artifacts.  There were some contemporary statues outdoors that I found that appeared very interesting. Since it was super hot in New Haven we decided ice cream might be a good idea. Although I generally do not enjoy it, the heat decided for me. I got a small cup of vanilla with some hot fudge and white chocolate chips. 

Back at the train station I got to talk to the rest of the cohort about various things. It's going to get a long time to get used to going from being around these wonderful girls every day to suddenly not. I sat next to Gabi this time, I love talking to her because the conversation is very natural and real. We discussed our families, aspirations, and hopes. Scenic views and stimulating conversation make Mahi very happy.

Back in Boston, we decided on IHOP since it was one of the few places that would be open that late. We stopped at the airport to pick up our rental car, saying goodbye to public transportation for the time being. I had some buttermilk pancakes and a berry blast at IHOP and returned to our hotel for our last night together.

A Wonderful Trip to Harvard and When Everything Went Wrong in Boston

My day consisted of two different experiences: a fabulous trip to Harvard and tiresome walking around Boston. 

A cheese bagel, a red velvet cupcake, and a bottle of water started my day. Soon, the whole cohort left for our site visitation to Harvard. 

First the info session took place in Sanders theater. An admission officer and two Harvard students informatively explained about the opportunities available at Harvard. They explained about the curriculum, extracurriculars, concentrations (the word for majors in Harvard), and financial aid.  I was very impressed with the presentation.

Info session in Sanders Theater in Harvard

After the very informative session, we met with our three tour guides, Kalen, William, and Cesar, who were rising sophomores at Harvard. They were very friendly and welcoming. Since the group was small, we were all able to ask plenty of questions. William, Kalen, and Cesar did an amazing job giving the tour and answering our questions. 

In the Harvard tour with our three lovely tour guides. 

They also shared interesting and funny stories related to Harvard, such as the three lies behind the John Harvard statue and the story behind the Widener library. The three lies behind the John Harvard statue are that the statue isn't of John Harvard, John Harvard wasn't the founder of Harvard, and Harvard wasn't found in 1638, instead it was found in 1637. Eleanor Elkins Widener donated the Widener library as a memorial for her son Harry Elkins Widener, who died aboard the Titanic. Mrs. Widener donated her son's collection of books and the library to Harvard since he loved books and Harvard.   

After touring the college, the whole cohort along with Kalen, William, and Cesar went to have lunch with Roger Banks, the Director of Recruitement at Harvard admissions office, at the beautiful Annenberg Hall, the freshmen dining hall of Harvard. Sarah, a senior at Harvard, joined us for lunch. The discussion was very interesting and informative. I am glad that I got an opportunity to ask questions and talk about my interests. I had a great time at Harvard!

The beautiful Annenberg Hall, the freshmen dining hall.

I had an awesome time having lunch at Harvard with amazing individuals.

Next, we headed out to explore Boston. Sarah and Kalen also joined us. We had planned to do the duck tour of Boston. Once we got to the venue of the tour, we found out that the tickets were sold out for the whole day. In a science museum nearby, we wanted to a roller coaster type activity, however it was booked for another hour. Everything we wanted to do in Boston failed us.

Then after discussing and debating about what to do next, we headed for the Boston Commons. Once we got there, we explored the park. After taking a gazillion pictures, we decided to eat dinner.

Boston!

Beautiful flowers in the garden.

We walked around and around, but we couldn't find a single place where we would want to eat. We ended in the financial district, where all the restaurants were closed. When we saw no hope, we decided to go back to Cambridge and eat in our hotel's restaurant.

At the end of the day, I was extremely tired and sore from walking so much. I was very happy that I got the opportunity to go to Harvard and meet with students and the director of the admission office. Thank you so much Ivy League Connection!

First I fell in love with Brown, then Harvard, and tomorrow I am going to Yale.