BlackAlbino

Cheers, that's helpful information. I also read about that program (although, as I understand it, you only have access to the college at which you act as liaison). I would also agree about the divide being as big as you want it to be, but there is something to be said about the university placing unnecessary hurdles in the path of the two groups interacting. Princeton has the disadvantage of having a much smaller graduate population in comparison to Yale, so it isn't necessarily a clear-cut issue. After my visits, I'll probably end up flipping a coin!

Can anyone comment on the undergrad-grad dynamic? I'm also considering Yale, which seems, from what I've read, to have an almost institutionally mandated schism between the two (grad students don't have access to undergrad colleges, organizations are distinct between the two, etc.) Is it similar at Princeton, or is there a bit more interaction?

Thanks for doing this! I'm starting in theory and have been reading a lot of math lately. For one of your next posts, could you list a sequence of topics/textbooks for math that you would recommend for a beginning graduate student? There's a lot to look through, and it seems everyone I talk to has an opinion on what's worth reading and what isn't.

Your suggestion about looking into East Rock is much more appealing now! http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2012/12/12/in-focus-hgs-in-disrepair/ Why does the university spend so much on the undergraduate colleges and let something like this happen? You'd think that after all the money they spend on graduate students' tuition waivers and stipends, they might like to ensure they have somewhat nice dormitories!

Everything Faraday says is reasonable. The fact remains, however, that the qualities Faraday mentions as being intrinsic to success as an academic seem to be demonstrated more frequently by graduates of a small number of schools. The reasons for that aren't necessarily clear, but there must be significant reasons that 4% of Caltech PhDs, for example, go into the upper echelons of academia.

I think the takeaway message is that "prestige" is an issue that plays a bigger role than most people are willing to admit.

This is it! Thanks a lot.

Chemical & Engineering News published an article a while back with data on where tenured faculty (in chemistry) received their PhDs. It basically showed that a large percentage of all faculty members got their PhDs at the top 10 chemistry schools. Does anyone remember what the article was called, or better yet, have a link to it? I have tried all manner of searches looking for this article on google, but have had absolutely no luck.

I have a question regarding on-campus housing and meal options. I figure it would be best to live on campus for the first year. HGS is appealing, so I think I'd like to look into living there. However, there is a mandatory meal plan: http://www.yale.edu/dining/options/Gradmealplan.html Apparently, 150 meals cost $2 214 per semester. This works out to $14.76 per meal. Am I missing something? Is the price in a currency other than USD? Do the meals consist of foie gras and caviar? If I am not mistaken and that is the actual price, is there some way to get the unlimited meal plan like the undergrads have for around $3 000 per semester? I've looked all over the place, but the link above seems to be the only place with information on the graduate meal plan.