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Life at Yale

Life in New Haven

New Haven is a city of about 250,000 people and is situated on Long Island Sound near the center of the Connecticut shoreline. It is a major Northeast port facility and transportation junction. By car or train, New York is only one and a half hours away and Boston three hours away from New Haven. Yale and New Haven have grown up together since 1716, and the University and the city interconnect and work along side each other in significant ways.

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Life on Campus

Yale has long been known for its training and work in the creative and performing arts, and this leadership adds much to the cultural life of the University and the community.
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Housing

Edward S. Harkness Hall, located at 367 Cedar Street at the School of Medicine, houses MSTP and M.D. students, as well as students from the School of Nursing, Public Health, and Physician Associate Programs. Built in 1955, this 200-room brick building consists mostly of identical single rooms that contain a vanity with sink. Additionally, there is one suite per floor consisting of a bedroom, living room, and private bath. Most floors are co-ed; one floor is all male and two floors are all female. There is no limit to the number of years that students may occupy Harkness Dormitory. All dormitory students are required to participate in a meal plan with Dining Services.

The Harkness apartments are located adjacent to the Harkness Dormitory, and are intended primarily for couples without children or singles. Each apartment has a bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchenette. Residents of the apartments are entitled to full use of the dormitory facilities.

The Yale Housing Department maintains a listing service for off-campus housing, as well as a list of roommates who want to share accommodations. This service is available to the Yale community on a self-help basis. Information is not given by telephone. More detailed information may be obtained from the Graduate Housing Department, 155 Whitney Avenue, P.O. Box 4568 Yale Station, New Haven, CT 06520, telephone 203.432.9756.

Athletics

The Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation offers the entire Yale community a wide range of activities designed to satisfy many different levels of interest and skill. The Payne Whitney Gymnasium is one of the most complete facilities for physical education and recreation in the world. It contains two swimming pools, three jogging tracks, three rowing tanks, 26 squash courts, eight handball-racquetball courts, plus rooms for dancing, fencing, gymnastics, exercise, judo, golf, volleyball and basketball. MSTP students may use the gym at no charge, provided they use a transient locker, and bring their own lock and towel for day use. For reasonable fees, students and student spouses may arrange for locker assignments and towel service.

There are some three dozen individual and team sports offered campus wide as part of a large intramural program. The number of intramural sport opportunities for students is steadily being expanded and includes participation in soccer, touch football, volleyball, softball, and racquet sports. The Yale Golf Course is less than five miles from the Medical School campus. Golf lessons are available for advanced and beginning golfers; balls and clubs may be rented. Indoor and outdoor tennis courts are available in the vicinity of the Yale Bowl, and the Ingalls Skating Rink is open October through March.

In the summer months, the Yale Sailing Center is available to students for a moderate fee. The Center offers instructional, recreational, and racing programs. The Yale Outdoor Education Center, located 42 miles from New Haven, is open to the entire Yale community. The OEC features swimming, boating, camping, canoeing, fishing, volleyball, horseshoe pitching, trap and skeet shooting, bird-watching and hiking.

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