Academic Fair 2023

When and where?

What is the purpose of the Academic Fair?
  • To showcase Yale College courses, majors, programs and departments
  • To provide an occasion for students new to Yale to seek guidance and up-to-date information about courses, placement, and prerequisites for majors before new student registration
  • To provide an occasion to meet the directors of undergraduate studies, other faculty, staff, or upper-level majors in each department
  •  To showcase many of Yale’s academic resource offices
  • To share news of upcoming departmental initiatives or events
  • To distribute departmental contact information for follow-up meetings

Who should attend?

All first-year students, including transfer students, and Eli Whitney students. Returning students are also welcome and, every year, some sophomores, in particular, attend.

Whom should I contact with Academic Fair questions?

Please direct any Academic Fair questions to Dean Risa Sodi, assistant dean of Yale College and director of Advising and Special Programs, or advising@yale.edu.


For DUSs’, Departments, and Majors

Who should attend?

The director of undergraduate studies is the logical choice to attend the Academic Fair. Many departments recruit additional faculty members to attend, especially those with introductory courses with strong first-year student enrollment. Some departments and majors have also found success by enlisting senior majors or members of the departmental Student Advisory Committee to help answer student questions.

Is there a directory for DUSs’ showing the departments’ and majors’ Schwarzman Center locations?

Yes, please click here for the Academic Fair Directory. 

What, if anything, should I bring with me?

DUSes bring a wide array of materials with them . Please see the document “Academic Fair Notes from the Field” for a list.

Departments with roadmaps are strongly encouraged to bring copies with them.

Limited numbers of water bottles will be available in Schwarzman locations, but all participants – especially in WLH – are advised to bring their own water bottles.

What are good ways to handle strong student interest in my department, major, or program?

In past years, departments, majors, and programs with strong student interest (including, but not limited to, those with high-enrollment first-year courses, such as biology, Chemistry, Economics, Mathematics, Political Science, etc.) have handled high student interest by bringing several faculty members, besides the DUS, to the Academic Fair.  Often, chairs, course coordinators, departmental registrars, and senior majors flank the DUS and associated faculty.

Whom should I contact with Academic Fair questions?

Please direct any Academic Fair questions to Risa Sodi, assistant dean of Yale College and director of Advising and Special Programs, or advising@yale.edu.