Coming to Yale College is exciting and for new students, the unknown may create a little anxiety. All students look forward to successfully adjusting to the new environment that they quickly begin to call home. In the Cultural Connections program (CC), freshmen participate in a week of activities intended to facilitate their transition to Yale. CC is designed to introduce freshmen to Yale's cultural resources as well as to explore the diversity of student experiences on the Yale campus, with emphasis on the experiences of traditionally underrepresented student and issues related to racial identity. Activities include discussions with faculty experts in the concepts of ethnicity, nationality, and race; panels on academic expectations by faculty; presentations on campus life by students; and group visits to local points of interest such as the Yale College cultural centers, local and University museums and parks.


Program Dates
Cultural Connections will run from Saturday, August 23 through Thursday, August 28, 2008.

Housing and Meals
Room and board will be provided for the duration of the program beginning with dinner on Saturday, August 23 (parents are welcome to join us for dinner that night). All CC participants will be housed together on the Old Campus and will move directly into their permanent rooms at the end of the program.

Cost of the Program
The cost of the program is $100. This covers your housing and all of your meals for the duration of the program. FULL SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE FOR ALL STUDENTS ON FINANCIAL AID. This means that if you are on financial aid, you simply need to submit the CC application to our office. If you are not on financial aid, your student account will be billed $100 automatically at the end of the program.

Applying to Cultural Connections
If you wish to attend CC you can submit an application electronically or via regular mail to the address below:

Ms. Silvia DeCastro
Yale College Dean's Office
P.O. Box 208241
New Haven, CT 06520-8241

The CC application can be found at: www.yale.edu/preorientation/cc

Applications are due on June 23, 2008.

While we do have a cap on the number of students that can attend CC, we are usually able to accommodate all students interested in participating. You will receive an email from our office by July 8, 2008 confirming that a space has been reserved for you. If we are unable to accommodate you, we will also notify you by July 8, 2008.