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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/09/yale-college-undergrad-clubs-competitive/675219/
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Yale grad. Get ready for a long post.

It says a lot that one of the clubs she was able to join- the bell ringers referred to in the article, or the Carilloneurs- are one of the most competitive, self-selecting and challenging to get into at Yale. The two people I know who got chosen my year had 1) already done an undergrad year at Julliard and 2) were an accomplished classical and jazz musician who stopped doing paid gigs because they were even more talented in another area. Not saying her complaints aren’t valid, but she’s doing better than most undergraduates and is still unhappy. She’ll get to go on a European tour and ring bells in famous buildings and cathedrals, and she’s still disappointed. That’s very Yale!

I should add that there is an element of social screening at a lot of these clubs and it’s not always a straightforward application process. Some groups do something that could be likened to rush- not only must you apply, but you have to work flat-out for a semester or more and then hope you are chosen while attending parties and socializing along the way.

It’s interesting that it isn’t mentioned how much Yale club culture is impacted by the role of secret societies at Yale.

This Reddit thread alludes to the effort to stand out with an eye towards getting tapped:

https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/le7sp/iama_member_of_a_yale_university_secret_society/

Many societies have “taps”, or spots for certain people- newspaper editor, crew captain, etc. So one year’s newspaper editor would choose someone, and it’s understood that person would be the next year’s editor. Extra taps might not be strictly designated but are still passed on to people seen as high achievers. In some ways freshman year club tryout culture is just practice for society taps junior year.

Obviously not everyone makes it into a club, let alone a society, but there is a ton of friction at the end of junior year and during senior year because of societies. When ~10% of seniors are in a society with a tomb/building and not quite half are in a society without one, it’s noticeable on traditional Sunday and Thursday meeting nights. Societies aren’t all-powerful in the way they’re depicted in old movies like The Skulls, but they are like their own mini alumni organizations and do have an impact on job opportunities, etc. and have the kinds of resources and connections that undergrads expect they’ll get by attending Yale but are reserved for only a few.

As an outsider it seems easy to say that’s garbage and why would anyone go along with that, but Yale is a small place and clubs and societies have done a lot to create and preserve power. The people I know who were in societies will never ever admit it but have happened to have extremely fortunate breaks in their career paths and life opportunities that can’t be attributed to sheer talent or experience.

Also Ron DeSantis was in a society. [/quote]

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