Arrow Zhang arrived at Yale University with a sense of excitement and a desire to explore new interests. In high school, she had dedicated most of her free time to writing and playing the piano. However, at Yale, she envisioned herself engaging in a variety of activities ranging from finance to international relations. Unfortunately, Zhang soon discovered that Yale’s clubs were highly competitive. Similar to the university’s admissions process, many clubs required written applications and interviews. Zhang filled her Google Calendar with information sessions and application tasks, experiencing a month-long whirlwind of auditions, applications, interviews, and tests. Eventually, she received rejections from multiple clubs, some of which seemed unexpected. Most of the clubs she was able to join involved skills she had already honed in high school.
Zhang expressed her frustration saying, “Everyone would say, ‘You don’t need any experience to apply,’ but then everyone who gets in are already pros.” This selective club culture at Yale extends beyond traditionally exclusive groups like secret societies and acapella groups. Even the investing club turned away hundreds of applicants, leaving many aspiring members disappointed.
Yale’s competitive club culture is not unique to the university. Other highly selective universities, such as UCLA, UC Berkeley, Georgetown, Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell, also have intense club application processes. The rush process for sororities and fraternities at many schools can also be highly competitive. This hyper-competitive club culture has created a frenzy among students, leading to a sense of irrational competition and anxiety.
As a junior at Yale, I have experienced this competitive culture firsthand. I have worried about rejections and the implications of not being “good enough.” While I have had some success in joining certain clubs and organizations, I can’t help but feel that this system is exhausting, absurd, and unnecessary. Many of these clubs are competitive without a reasonable justification.
Surprisingly, this competitive culture is not entirely imposed by Yale as an institution. Faculty members have expressed bewilderment at the high level of competition among clubs. Dean Pericles Lewis has suggested making the application process more humane, but club leaders have resisted significant changes. The students themselves are responsible for perpetuating this competitive atmosphere.
Yale, known for its selective admissions process, should theoretically make students feel confident and secure in their abilities. However, the opposite appears to be true. Students, driven by insecurity, feel the need to constantly prove their worthiness and establish hierarchies among themselves.
While there are many clubs at Yale that are open to all, rejection remains a common experience. One student on the anonymous social-media app Fizz lamented, “College clubs are so unserious like why are you the same age as me and trying to gatekeep me from joining a social impact volunteer group.” Such experiences have left students and parents frustrated and questioning their self-worth.
Even after gaining admission to these clubs, many students find it difficult to fully participate or contribute. Senior Han Choi, a political science major, was admitted to the Yale Undergraduate Legal Aid Association (YULAA) but found the club too competitive to make a meaningful impact in advocacy and aid work. The application process for projects within the club further limited his involvement. Choi explained, “Even when I joined the club, I couldn’t do anything, because there’s a whole other super-competitive application process where you have to write about your experiences.”
YULAA, originally founded with the intention of fostering passion and commitment, has gradually become more selective. Founder Yasmin Eriksson believes that increasing demand should lead to expanded opportunities rather than turning more people away. While YULAA has increased the number of projects offered, there are still many volunteers who are unable to participate due to limited capacity.
In conclusion, Yale’s hyper-competitive club culture is not an isolated phenomenon. Many selective universities have similar atmospheres, where students experience irrational competition and anxiety. The culture of rejection and exclusivity among clubs is perpetuated by the students themselves, rather than being imposed by the institutions. With a need for more inclusive and accommodating opportunities, these universities should consider reevaluating their club admission frameworks to create a more supportive and encouraging environment.
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