June 18, 2021

Dear Class of 2025,

Next Wednesday, at noon EDT, you can visit the Student Information System (SIS)  to find out your residential college assignment! The assignments will be followed up by a welcome from your new college and an introduction to some of the people in the college you will get to know over the next few years like your Head of College (HOC) and residential college dean. Your college will both provide you with an immediate community when you arrive on campus and serve as a launch pad for you as you begin to explore the larger Yale community.

Each residential college is big enough to find people with shared interests and experiences, but small enough to feel like home. Each comes with a set of unique traditions – which you will soon be introduced to. Your college will connect you to events happening in the wider Yale community, like varsity athletic competitions, arts performances, and research presentations. Your peers love to be cheered on by friends from their college! 

Your college will also connect you with two groups of peer advisors who work specifically with first-year students:  First-Year Counselors  and  Peer Liaisons . The First-Year Counselors, or FroCos, are seniors from your college selected to help you in your transition to Yale. When you find out your residential college assignment, you will also find out who your FroCo is. Each FroCo is assigned a small group of first-years for the year. You will attend orientation events with your FroCo and small group and begin to plan your academic path with their support as well. Think of your FroCo as your first stop for getting your questions answered during the year. They are likely to know the answer, but if they don’t, they can certainly connect you with someone who does. You are bound to have countless questions now, but rest assured that many of them will be answered later this summer.

The Peer Liaisons, or PLs, are upper-level students who also work specifically with first-year students. Each PL is affiliated with one of the eight centers on campus, as well as the residential colleges. While each of the eight PL programs are structured a little differently to meet specific needs, all are designed to help first-years feel supported and a sense of belonging within the Yale College community. If you are interested in making a specific request for a PL from one of Yale’s eight centers, you may do so via the Peer Liaison Request Form anytime during your first year. You can certainly request more than one! 

The colleges and peer leaders cannot wait to welcome you all to Yale!

Warmly,
Dean Peck