Experience Residential College Life
Whether this is your first summer at Yale or you’re returning for another Summer Session, this page has the information you need to prepare for life in the Summer Colleges.
Learn what to expect from your room and residential community, explore dining and other amenities, and review important housing policies and procedures. Check back as summer approaches for updates and information you’ll need before you arrive.
On-Call Assistance
For any questions or issues during your time on-campus, please contact the Summer Colleges on-call number: (203) 436-8877. Please note that this number is not monitored except when students are in residence. After-hours, please only call this number for emergencies.
Summer Activities
The Summer Colleges staff curate an exciting collection of activities on-campus as well as trips around the state and region. You can find out more about the activities at our Summer Colleges Activities page.
The Summer Colleges
In previous summers, residential students have been housed in Trumbull, Ezra Stiles, or Morse Colleges. Each has its own courtyard, dining hall, common room, library, and laundry facilities. Room assignments are given upon check-in at the Summer Colleges. You will most likely be housed in a suite with a common room and shared bath or a stand-alone single with a shared bath.
Students must live in the rooms to which they have been assigned and may not move without the express permission of the Head of Summer Colleges. Room changes are rare and exceptional, typically only for medical reasons with the support of Student Accessibility Services. In most cases, students living in the Summer Colleges will share a bedroom with another student; single bedrooms are rare.
Dining in the Summer Colleges
Meals featuring a wide variety of hot and cold food are served during three meal periods per day in the college dining halls. Students living on-campus have a full 21-meal-per-week contract as part of the room and board package, which provides breakfast, lunch (or brunch), and dinner seven days a week.
The Trumbull College dining hall is open all summer. The Ezra Stiles College dining hall will open in late June.
- Breakfast: 7:30am - 10:30am
- Lunch: 11:30am - 2:00pm
- Dinner: 5:00pm - 7:30pm
[bulb] You can check out the dining menus on Yale Hospitality's website.
Summer Colleges Furnishings
Rooms in Yale’s residential colleges are simply furnished. Each room contains:
- Twin extra-long bed and mattress
- Desk and chair
- Bureau
Students may also find furniture belonging to previous or returning occupants. This furniture must remain in the room and may not be removed or damaged.
What to Bring
Students should bring or purchase in New Haven:
- Twin extra-long sheets
- Blanket and pillow
- Towels
- Desk lamp
- Fan, if desired
- Trash bin
Household items are available for purchase at the Yale Bookstore.
[Pin] Residential college rooms are not air-conditioned. Fans are permitted and are very helpful during the summer. Portable air conditioners are not permitted.
For fire safety, halogen lamps are not permitted.
Laundry
Laundry rooms with pay washers and dryers are located in the basement of each residential college.
Gymnasium
Students living in the Summer Colleges have access to the Payne Whitney Gymnasium, conveniently located across the street from Ezra Stiles and Morse Colleges. All you need is your Yale ID card. Be sure to check the PWG website for hours and updates.
Mail and Packages
Students who are in on-campus housing at YSS may receive mail and packages. For more information about receiving packages from a parcel carrier, such as UPS, FedEx, or Amazon, please see: Yale Summer Session student mail. If students wish to receive mail through the U.S. Postal Service, they may have it addressed to:
Student Name (First and Last)
Yale Summer Session
P.O. Box 205289
New Haven, CT 06520-5289
Please note that these services are only available for the times that the Summer Colleges are open. Mail and packages received outside of those times will be returned to sender.
Printing
Student printing is available on Yale's campus. There are printers in each of the libraries in the Summer Colleges. More printer locations are available around campus.
Cell Phones
Yale Summer Session residential students are required to have a working mobile telephone with an active service plan in the United States. Students must be reachable at a phone number, not internet applications which require a data connection, such as WhatsApp, WeChat, or Messenger. Students are advised to bring a cell phone with them or to purchase one upon arrival in New Haven. Students will have access to the on-campus Wi-Fi network.
Yale's Office of International Students and Scholars has an informational page about American cell phones and service plans for international students.
Curfew
Summer Colleges students who are under 18 years of age have a curfew of 11:00 pm every night of the week while in residence. After a student has checked in for curfew, they must remain in their residential college until at least 7:00 am the next morning. Leaving one's residential college after checking in for curfew is a serious offense and will be subject to disciplinary action or other educational or administrative interventions.
New Haven
New Haven is a historic and lively city on Connecticut’s coast, located about halfway between New York City and Boston. Home to Yale, the city combines a college-town atmosphere with a diverse community, a thriving arts and cultural scene, and plenty of places to explore beyond campus.
During your time at Yale, you’ll be within easy reach of restaurants, cafés, museums, galleries, theaters, parks, and shops, as well as New Haven’s downtown and historic neighborhoods. The city is also known for its distinctive food scene, including its famous New Haven-style pizza.
Whether you’re exploring the city between classes, meeting friends for dinner, visiting a museum, or heading to the shoreline, New Haven offers plenty to discover just beyond Yale’s campus.
Residential Regulations
Our residential regulations govern the Yale Summer Session Summer Colleges in New Haven. As a condition of residence in University housing, students are required to comply with these regulations, which are binding on all students in residence in the Summer Colleges and their visitors, whether from Yale or elsewhere.