Since Yale University has the highest percentage of out-of-state students among any college in America, we put together this convenient moving guide for new students. How should you prepare? What's available within each residential college? And where's the best pizza in town? It's all in this quick, printable guide.

1. The Big College Move:
A Comprehensive Guide for New Yale Students

2. Table of Contents
Moving: A Simple Checklist for New Students
On-Campus Living
Residential College System
What to expect: A guide from Yale grads
Berkeley College
Branford College
Calhoun College
Davenport College
Ezra Stiles College
Jonathan Edwards College
Morse College
Pierson College
Saybrook
Silliman College
Timothy Dwight College
Trumbull College
-Off-Campus Living
Downtown
Dwight
East Rock
Westville
Wooster Square
Nightlife and Off-Campus Dining
Alpha Delta Pizza (Pizza and Sandwiches) Yelp! 3.5 Star Rating
Blue State Coffee (Coffee) Yelp! 4.0 Star Rating
Bar (Pizza Place and Bar) Yelp! 4.0 Star Rating
Ashley’s Ice Cream Cafes (Ice Cream) Yelp! 4.0 Star Rating
The Owl Shop (Cigar Shop and Bar) Yelp! 4.5 Star Rating
Louis’ Lunch (Burger Shop) Yelp! 3.5 Star Rating
Toad’s Place (Live Music and Bar) Yelp! 3.5 Star Rating
116 Crown (Bar and Eatery) Yelp! 4.0 Star Rating
Gryphon’s Pub at GPSCY Yelp! 4.0 Star Rating
Karaoke Heroes (Karaoke and Bar) Yelp! 3.5 Star Rating
Conclusion
Call to Action
Images
Sources

3. The Big College Move:
A Comprehensive Guide for New Yale Students
So you got accepted into Yale. Congratulations.
After the initial euphoria and feeling of “I did it! Ivy league, baby!” wears off, then comes what to
some is a daunting realization: How am I going to prepare for the big move?
Never fear — the Internet is your friend, and we’ve prepared a crash course on moving to New
Haven, Connecticut. This guide’s got the skinny on the residential college houses, off-campus living
and even a little taste of the Yale nightlife.
Moving: A Simple Checklist for New Students
Yale provides each student with a desk, a chair, a dresser, and a bed. Bedrooms are assigned by gender, but
suites (bedrooms are inside the suites) may be mixed gender.
1. Make a checklist. You’ll want to pack light, but you don’t want to leave anything behind
either.
2. Be sure to check out the dormitory rules and regulations before packing any items that
might run you afoul of the campus’ laws.
3. The Facilities Superintendent’s dorm room report has a list of items you will be responsible
for. Check it and report it to the Superintendent within five days.
4. If you know who your roommates are going to be, call ahead and coordinate things you can
share. (E.g. a TV, Stereo, Hair Dryer, Iron or Steamer, etc.)

4. 5. Pack a “First Night Survival Kit” of essential items in case you arrive ahead of your luggage
or you are too tired to unpack once you get there.
6. If you’re moving over long distances, ship your larger items and luggage to your destination
and just bring your survival kit to get settled more easily.
Tip: Once you arrive, you can make a trip to IKEA. Items to keep an eye out for: desk accessories for
studying, affordable room organizers and—if needed—room dividers for privacy.
1. Snacks (drinks and small nonperishable foods)
On-Campus Living
If you are an incoming freshman who had your heart set on off-campus living from the get
go, bad news: Yale’s got a policy that requires freshman and sophomore students to live in
on-campus housing—unless of course you are over 21 or married.
That means that cool apartment you picked out with your friends is going to have to wait a
couple of years.
But we do have good news: Yale’s dorms ranked No. 8 on Her Campus’ list of “The Coolest
Dorms in the Country,” and a Yale grad we talked to confirmed it, saying the dorm rooms
are more like suites.

5. Residential College System
Yale puts all of its students into what is called the residential college system (think Harry
Potter’s Hogwarts’ housing) which the college’s website states, is for the purpose of
providing a small-school environment at a large university. Each college has its own
residential facilities with which students are associated for all four years of their stay at the
university. There are 12 residential colleges across campus. To boot, you must take your
chances with the Sorting Hat, or, lottery.
With the exception of students living in Silliman College and the Timothy Dwight College,
freshmen don’t even get to live in these houses until sophomore year. They instead live on
what is known as Old Campus before being relocated in sophomore year. Your Old Campus
facilities are assigned based on the house you choose or are assigned to.
The colleges generally are equipped with your standard Yale facilities: Common rooms,
laundry rooms, computer labs, dance studios, small nighttime cafes (called butteries,)
scenic courtyards, dining halls, libraries, etc. But some are equipped with something a little
extra to give the college its own flair.

6. What to expect: A guide from Yale grads
Author’s Note: The following section’s information is derived from interviews with two Yale Alumni:
Will Moritz and David Mackenzie, both from Trumbull College.
Since placement into a residential college is random, the colleges don’t tend to pick people based
on their personalities (unlike the administration in Hogwarts might.) The colleges don’t use social
characteristics as criteria but college houses are populated instead to represent a blend of
personalities with diverse and complementary qualities.
Will Moritz, a Yale Alumni from Trumbull College say’s “your residential college is going to be
the center of your social life on campus.”
While your friends aren’t restricted to your college, the people living in your residential college
are going to be around day after day. So how are you going to interact with them? One tip for you
freshmen: Meet as many people as you can in your first year. Your college experience is going to be
largely defined by the connections and encounters you make, and remember: starry-eyed
freshmen are just like you. Make friends with everyone.
Living on campus as a freshman and sophomore can be fun because of the room set up you have.
"Leave kitchenware at home--or face a fine.” says David Mackenzie. “
Usually, the dorm suites are two rooms with two people and then two singles so you have six
people in a suite with a common living room where you all hang out. It’s a much nicer setup than
the standard two bed closet (-sized room) at other universities and ensures that no matter what,
you’ve always got people to be around. It’s great if you’re a social creature.
Also, don’t be afraid to form relationships with your professors (No, not that kind.) Some of the
most valuable things you can learn from professors aren’t taught in the classroom but rather in
conversations afterward. The same goes for conversations you have with students outside your
major. You can learn a lot from other people, so don’t be afraid to get out there and connect.
When you enter your sophomore year and get off Old Campus to get into your residential college,
you’re going to have a lot of fun engaging the activities. Take advantage of your surroundings
while you’re forced to remain living on campus. Eat in the butteries late at night. Go watch movies
in the theater.
Junior and senior year, you’ve got a decision to make: Do you remain on campus or don’t you? By
this time, if you’ve been engaging in extracurricular activities, those are the friends you’re going to
have, more so than the friends you’ve made from your residential college.

7. Certain extracurricular activities (e.g. acapella) have houses where juniors and seniors from those
clubs room together in houses off campus. So certain houses are almost like fraternities in a way.
There’s the theater house, the acapella house, etc. Keep in mind, living off-campus isn’t cheap.
Undergraduates usually live in the downtown area nearby campus, where a room can cost you in
the $800-1000 range. This is the price to be paid when you want to be at the epicenter of
undergraduate social interaction. If you live in some of the other off-campus areas where grad
students live, you run the risk of taking yourself out of the scene, so to speak. Or at the very least,
you just have to commute. Take a look at houses in Lynwood Place or perhaps Elm Street.
Or, if you want to, you can remain at any one of Yale’s 12 (soon to be 14) residential colleges.
Berkeley College
Berkeley College is known for its gothic architecture, central location and is popular for its
dining hall, which gets so overcrowded that the school announced in 2012 its closure to
non-Berkeley-residents two Mondays out of each month. The freshmen at Berkeley College
live in Lanman-Wright Hall, a.k.a. “L-Dub.”
Branford College
Branford College is the home to Harkness Tower, which is one of the largest free-standing
stone structures in the world. It also one of the few colleges to host a printing press as part
of its facilities. Freshmen in Branford share their space in Vanderbilt Hall with Saybrook
freshmen.

8. Calhoun College
Living here used to suck, when trolleys periodically came screaming by at night. The
trolleys were eventually removed, and the college celebrates Trolley Night to this day to
commemorate their demise. A removal they don’t celebrate so much: The tree that held the
college’s iconic tire swing in the courtyard had to be removed in 2007 as it was a threat to
fall on the building. Calhoun freshmen reside in Bingham Hall with students from Trumbull.
Davenport College
If we’re still on with our Harry Potter references, perhaps you could call Davenport the
Gryffindor of the bunch, considering how the college is often regarded as the one to apply
for if you find yourself wanting to make your own destiny. The college does not boast
unique facilities (really, no college does,) but they are considered some of the best in class,
so to speak. Davenport students live in Welch Hall.
Ezra Stiles College
This one gets style points for having an underground recording studio as a part of the
building. Architecturally, the college is the sister of Morse. Both of them advertise the lack
of right angles in the architecture of the buildings. Stiles and Morse also share the same
kitchen, which serves items like brick-oven pizza. Much like Berkeley, the popularity of the
dining hall has caused the college to cut back on its availability, in this case closing the
kitchen off to non-Stiles, non-Morse students between the hours of 5-6:30 p.m. Stiles
College students live in Lawrence Hall.
Jonathan Edwards College
Jonathan Edwards is the oldest of the residential colleges on campus and the students
reside in Farnam Hall. It comes equipped with a lot of the standard facilities but also plays
host to one of the most interesting residential college traditions on campus: Wet Monday.
Wet Monday takes place at midnight on Easter Monday, and entails this: Freshmen storm
the courtyard with water guns and water balloons. Upperclassmen defend it with the same.
Morse College
Morse — along with Stiles, underwent a transformation that gave the college added space
and updated its student facilities. The Morse-Stiles kitchen of course, is an attraction here.
It also boasts a 50-seat theater as part of its offerings to students. Morse freshmen live in
Durfee Hall.

9. Pierson College
Pierson shares certain facilities with Davenport, its house rival, and lists a printing press
along with a bookbinding studio as part of its facilities. In one of the more unique college
traditions, on Pierson Day, Pierson students can wrestle in a vat of yellow Jell-O against any
other student — or even the house master if they so choose. Pierson freshmen reside in
Lanman-Wright Hall with students from Berkeley.
Saybrook
Pray you don’t get Saybrook if you don’t like getting down to your underwear in front of
people at football games. That’s the major tradition that sets it apart from everyone else:
the famous “Saybrook Strip.” It happens at football games, where the entire Saybrook
section strips down to their skivvies. Some Saybrook seniors at the Yale-Harvard football
game elect to go the full monty. It’s a source of pride for these guys. Oh yeah, and they’ve
got a lot of the same facilities as the other houses do. The freshmen live with students of
Branford in Vanderbilt Hall.
Silliman College
This one’s got a couple things going for it: One, if you’re an incoming freshman and you
want to get a head start on living with your residential college, this is one of two colleges
that allows freshmen to live with upperclassmen off the bat. Two, this one has a dining hall
that tops student surveys. So those students looking for good food and instant gratification
in terms of a living space might be interested in this house. It’s the largest residential
college as well, has a basketball court, theater and a recording studio.
Timothy Dwight College
Timothy Dwight is the other college that does not require its freshman to stay on Old
Campus, allowing them instead to move in straight away. Timothy Dwight boasts similar
facilities to Silliman, its rival college.
Trumbull College

10. Trumbull is the smallest of the twelve residential colleges on campus in both physical size
and number of students who are enrolled. It was one of the original eight residential
colleges and reportedly the building that designer James Gamble Rodgers called his
masterpiece. It contains a lot of the usual amenities of Yale dorm facilities, just in a more
elegant, scaled-down environment. Trumbull freshmen live with Calhoun students in
Bingham Hall.
Yale’s site has great resources about each house and where they are located, in the city and
relative to one another. Check out PDF versions of their maps here.
Off-Campus Living
If by the time you reach your junior year you’re ready to get away from your residential
college, New Haven isn’t without off-campus housing options either. While it’s not
uncommon for undergraduate students to live off-campus, certain areas are predominantly
graduate student areas.
Yale’s Off-Campus Living Department manages a database specifically made for students
(although, faculty and staff can use it, too) in search of apartments. Renters post their
listings and students can get in touch with them directly.
Please keep in mind that when we refer to an area as safe, that doesn’t mean crime does not
occur in the area — it simply means that the does not have a reputation for crime. You can
always check out reviews and local area ratings by visiting sites like College Prowler or
Yale’s Off Campus Living partner Tenant Landlord Rating to see how your peers rate each
option.

11. Also, keep in mind, the one-bedroom measurement is just a reference point. We
recommend finding a 2-3 bedroom apartment and a roommate while living off-campus,
because it can be safer, and can save you money in the long run.
Yale itself owns a fair number of the properties that surround the campus area and the
transition to one of these residences can be easily coordinated by the administration of
your specific college with some planning ahead.
Downtown
If you want to be around the action, then downtown living is the pick. The residence
options in this area are mostly apartments catering to students. The campus is located in
the downtown area as well, so living here would provide a shorter commute and access to a
variety of the town’s entertainment options. That’s the upside. The downside: pricing.
Living in a one-bedroom apartment downtown is going to run you $1,000 at a minimum.
This may sound like a good deal, but keep in mind that Yale graduate student advocacy
groups have warned the lower the price in the downtown area, the more dangerous the
location.
Dwight
Dwight is one of the areas that might be better to avoid. Street violence in the area reached
such preposterous levels that in 2011 the neighborhood was considering instating a curfew
for neighborhood teens starting at 9 p.m. Some students opt to live here, where a one-
bedroom apartment costs in the vicinity of $900, but it is not an area known for safety.
East Rock

12. The East Rock area of New Haven is often called “Grad Haven” and is a place where grad
students usually rent housing. It’s an extremely popular place to live for students and
almost universally recommended for students new to the area looking for housing. It’s a
not the closest to campus. Depending on what school you’re trying to hoof it to, walking to
your classes could take anywhere from 15 minutes to 30 or 40. That said it’s often regarded
as one of the safest and most picturesque areas in town. The pricing at first glance may not
seem cheaper than it would be downtown, with most listings for one-bedroom apartments
coming in the $1,100 range. However, the area as a whole is much nicer and the apartments
themselves are in better shape. But if close proximity to campus is a chief concern, East
Rock may not be your style.
Westville
Westville is a predominantly suburban area. While it’s not known for cheap student
housing, a quick survey of Craigslist revealed that Westville actually has some of the best
prices on one-bedroom apartments of any of the neighborhoods, with the lowest price on a
one-bedroom falling at $765. Some of their two-bedroom options are going for the same
price as a one-bedroom apartment in East Rock or the downtown area. The only problem is
that Westville is not exactly close to campus. Students living out here would almost
certainly need their own car to make it to campus, so if car costs are an issue, it may end up
being more financially prudent to pay extra in rent for walking distance.
Wooster Square
Wooster Square is a historic district south of East Rock and East of Downtown. It is not as
consistently highly rated for being a good student neighborhood, but its proximity to
campus makes it an immediate plus for those looking for nearby off-campus living. It’s also
got a reputation as being a safe area. Wooster apartments typically run for the same price
as East Rock apartments, so expect to drop somewhere in the $1,000 range for a one-
bedroom offering.

13. Nightlife and Off-Campus Dining
“Alpha Delta Pizza is another late night food essential - especially their Wenzels.” - David
Mackenzie
Of course, no college experience is really college without experiencing the nightlife of the
town. New Haven is just like any college town: It’s got its highlights and lowlights.
We canvassed the area and incorporated the best options for fun and food in the area. The
locations listed below include summaries of Yelp! Reviewer’s comments, creating a small
compilation of the spots to go when seeking out a good time or good food in New Haven.
But remember, this is just the tip of the iceberg, so there’s always going to be more to
explore when you’re there.
Alpha Delta Pizza (Pizza and Sandwiches) Yelp! 3.5 Star Rating
Alpha Delta is open until 4am to meet your late-night food needs and is famous for a
sandwich called “The Wenzel,” which is so popular on campus that one girl reported
in a news article that a guy tried to pick her up by saying he had one at home.
Blue State Coffee (Coffee) Yelp! 4.0 Star Rating
If you like studying in coffee shops as opposed to common rooms and libraries, Blue
State is probably the destination. They’re known for a rock-solid cup of brew and an
atmosphere great for students looking to hunker down and hit the books.
Bar (Pizza Place and Bar) Yelp! 4.0 Star Rating
Well, they certainly didn’t put much imagination into the name, but this place is a
combination of a bar and, as general consensus would have it, the pizza king of New
Haven. One caveat: Good luck getting in. If you do, try the mashed potato pizza.

14. Ashley’s Ice Cream Cafes (Ice Cream) Yelp! 4.0 Star Rating
Ashley’s is the best ice cream in New Haven, according to just about everyone who
has ever tried it. The flavor offerings aren’t crazy, left-field ice cream from space. Instead, they
focus on offering delightful versions of your old favorites.
The Owl Shop (Cigar Shop and Bar) Yelp! 4.5 Star Rating
If you’re into feeling like you live in a Humphrey Bogart movie (and let’s face it, we
all want to feel like Bogey,) The Owl is your place. The Owl is a cigar shop and bar
specializing in having an impressive selection of whiskey. They also have live music.
Keep in mind: it gets smoky inside!
Louis’ Lunch (Burger Shop) Yelp! 3.5 Star Rating
Open until 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, Louis’ Lunch is deserving of inclusion
on this list because it is, according to the Library of Congress, the first place to ever
serve a hamburger.
Toad’s Place (Live Music and Bar) Yelp! 3.5 Star Rating
Toad’s Place came up as most often mentioned when it came to places to find live
music in New Haven. The bar, according to reviewers, is under par, but as far as
places to see live music go, this would be the place to do it.
116 Crown (Bar and Eatery) Yelp! 4.0 Star Rating
If you want a Manhattan feel without actually going to Manhattan, by all accounts
116 Crown is your destination. The mix drinks are well reviewed, as is the food.
Cheap is not the operative word here, but it’s no doubt a place worth at least
checking out.
Gryphon’s Pub at GPSCY Yelp! 4.0 Star Rating
This bar gets great reviews on Yelp! For being affordable, free admission for Yale
students and it is accommodating to smokers and a great place to play pool, do some
shots, sing a little karaoke on select nights and just hang out when you’re not
studying your fingers to the bone. (Okay, we know at least some of you do that
right?)

15. Karaoke Heroes (Karaoke and Bar) Yelp! 3.5 Star Rating
Let’s face it: We all secretly have the desire to get up on stage and make a fool out of
ourselves trying to sing along with old favorites. If the karaoke aspect isn’t enough
of an attraction, add in the fact that this bar is superhero themed, complete with
staff wearing capes.
Conclusion
Ultimately Yale Administration decides where and with whom you will live, but you do have some
room to suggest roommates and overall, the campus has a very satisfactory living space. The best
thing you can do for yourself is take the time to enjoy the Yale experience and to not spend so
much time in your dorm room. There are plenty of places to study, relax, congregate and have fun
on and off campus. Good luck and once more, congratulations.
Call to Action
If you have items to move to a University or College that are bulky, heavy, or just plain awkward to
move yourself, consider finding a shipper using uShip that can help you make transition to life on
your own away from home much more bearable. The team at uShip will review the details of the
move and provide quotes from the best customer rated movers which service the areas you are
moving from and moving to. uShip’ s recommended movers will take care of your things and bring
them safely and securely to you at your destination, wherever that may be. Please Note: While we
find movers that ship nearly anything from short to long distances in the continental United States,
we cannot recommend shipping your Mom—if you’re bringing her, she should definitely ride in a
passenger vehicle or public transportation.
Images
● http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Yale_University_Old_Campus.JPG
○ (Picture of Old Campus)
● http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Sillimancollege.JPG
○ (Picture of Silliman)
● http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Berkeley_College_(South)_at_Yale.jpg
○ (Picture of Berkeley)
● http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:East_Rock_from_SSS_Hall,_October_17,_2008.jpg
○ (Scenic view of East Rock)
● http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/James_Gamble_Rogers.JPG

16. ○ (Picture of James Gamble Rodgers, who designed the residential colleges)
● http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/New_Haven.JPG
○ (Shot of New Haven)
● http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Louis-lunch.png
○ (Louis' lunch)
● http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Yale_Harkness_Tower.JPG
○ (Yale Harkness Tower)
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rstudio/
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24. Average Weather For New Haven, Connecticut, USA - WeatherSpark
25. Seven packing tips for college freshmen - save time and money | YOUniversityTV
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sandwich/
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