Academic Support and Community

These resources are meant to help you adjust to the expectations of college and to help you thrive personally and professionally in this new climate. Though some experiences can feel isolating, it is important to remember that there are networks, communities, and resources to help you navigate the various challenges you may encounter and to help you feel connected and supported at Yale.

The Poorvu Center provides resources for students, including guides and handouts on various aspects of writing and research, peer mentorship in the form of drop-in writing consultations and one-on-one writing tutoring through the Yale College Writing Center. Residential College Writing Tutors who are themselves professional writers and teachers at Yale are also available to help you with your writing.

Your instructors will arrange a library visit for your class, but you can find additional support for writing and research through the Personal Librarian Program. Each student is assigned a personal librarian upon enrollment at Yale. For general questions about library services, you can also ask Yale library.

The Academic Strategies Program aims to help all Yale undergraduates become active, empowered learners in their academic lives at Yale. Through peer academic mentoring and interactive workshops on topics such as time management, exam strategies, and managing a heavy reading load, they aim to demystify the hidden curriculum and to provide students with the tools they need to achieve their personal goals.

Student Accessibility Services facilitates individual accommodations for all students with disabilities throughout the entire University, working to remove physical and attitudinal barriers that may prevent their full participation in the University community. You can register with SAS if you require any kind of academic or other accommodation (including a temporary one due to a sprained ankle that inhibits their mobility or a concussion recovery that is still affecting them cognitively).

The student advocacy organization, DEFY, has increased the visibility of students with disabilities at Yale and helped focus the university-wide conversation on students’ needs. They have created this Disability Survival Guide for Yale students with disabilities (link is external).

First Generation Low Income Community Initiative supports students who are first in their families to attend college, lower income, and/or DACA/undocumented. The Community Initiative helps students to access campus resources and build networks that will provide both social and academic support necessary to succeed at Yale.

Yale Mental Health & Counseling provides counseling to Yale students free of charge. The staff works with students to help them develop the skills and insights they need to thrive at Yale.