The fourth season of Gilmore Girls brings a new chapter in Rory's life as she begins her studies at Yale University. The historic Ivy League institution seems just right for a bookish person like Rory. As she gets settled in and dives into her years as a Yalie, viewers get a glimpse of what the school is like.
Not everything about Rory's Yale experience is exactly like the real-life university. Even the real Yale inspirations can be confusing, though. What doesn't make sense about Rory's time with the Bulldogs?
Extra Attentive Upperclassmen
Season four, episode two is called "The Lorelais' First Day at Yale," and many fans know this episode well. Lorelai helps Rory get acclimated on her first day and night at the university. Lorelai drives Luke crazy by borrowing his truck all day for the move and by hauling an ancient Yale mattress back and forth trying to dispose of it.
One thing about Yale in this episode that makes no sense is how attentive the upperclassmen are in helping their assigned freshmen learn the ropes. Rory's freshman counselor comes up to her on the sidewalk to offer assistance. Even if this greeting happens at an Ivy League school, the gesture seems kind of odd.
Rory's Spacious Freshman Suite
Even before Emily Gilmore furnishes Rory's Yale suite, the average viewer might notice that Rory has some nice accommodations. She shares a bedroom with Paris and a common area with two other female students, Tana and Janet.
Lodgings vary across the university, but it's surprising to see such a spacious suite for freshmen to live in at college in general.
Not Knowing Who Roommates Are Until Move-In Day
Rory is in for quite a surprise when she sees that Paris is her college roommate. Tana and Janet are unexpected, too, with their peculiarities in the suite. Tana is socially awkward but very sweet, and Janet keeps everyone awake with her constant exercise.
It's so strange for Rory to show up at Yale and not even have seen the names of her suitemates. Even if there wasn't a way for them all to correspond before living together, she should at least know who they are beforehand.
Not Really Attached To Her "College"
Undergraduates at Yale are part of "colleges." In housing, that term doesn't refer to academic schools or departments; Yale uses the word "college" for each of its undergraduate dormitory communities within Yale College. There are fourteen residential colleges in which freshmen are to live for their four years. Rory lives in Branford College, for example (but not for the whole four years).
The term "college" is normal for Yalies, but watching the show, it's odd to think of Rory living in a college. While viewers see her interacting with her community during and in between classes and at the dining hall, Rory doesn't seem too attached to her college overall. This seems odd since she probably would end up spending a ton of time with them.
Shopping Weeks
One real academic ritual that Gilmore Girls includes for Yale is shopping--not for material items, but for classes. This means that students have a chance to try out any class they want before committing to it for the semester. The procedure sounds great in theory, but it really makes no sense. At Yale, some professors move full steam ahead in the first week of classes, so it's easy for a student trying out multiple classes to miss something important in the courses they actually sign up for.
Rory gets to experience a ton of courses that really challenge her, and she and Paris talk about shopping for these courses as they begin their studies. Although this is really more about Yale's system, it seems strange that students like Rory, who are so committed to their classes, would risk missing crucial introductions.
Using Exclusive Terminology
With Emily and Richard's Yale connection and Logan's family ties as a Huntzberger, the pretentious sides of Yale are incorporated into Rory's storylines there. To that end, one thing that makes no sense is the use of exclusive Yale-only terminology to describe random entities. Fans might remember one such word: "Kropog."
Logan, Richard, and Emily know the term as a unit of measurement specific to Yale--it was named after a student whose last name was Kropog. The season five episode is even called "How Many Kropogs to Cape Cod?" The whole joke seems to be fictional, but it is still a little unnecessary.
Rory Being Drawn Into A Secret Society
One very real aspect of Yale seen on Gilmore Girls is the secret society. Because they're secret, the societies are somewhat difficult for non-members to crack, but they can be seen throughout Yale's New Haven, Connecticut. Many of them look like tombs and are referred to as such, with one of the most well-known being Skull and Bones. Logan is a member of fictional The Life and Death Brigade, and Rory goes on a few outings with him and the group.
As exciting as the societies can be, they don't make much sense for Rory, who is often incredibly practical. Rory's time with Logan and The Life and Death Brigade can be dangerous and risky, so it really makes no sense for her to be engaging in activities that could have potentially bad outcomes.
Yale Daily News's Intensity
According to The Yale Daily News, the homemade newspaper hats seen in the newsroom on Gilmore Girls are real. There are some other parts of Rory's time with the news that don't add up, though. Paris Geller is upended from her position as editor rather quickly and is succeeded by Rory.
The paper is presented as a high-pressure environment with its end goal to be a superior journal altogether. While journalists can understand what is at stake, there are also times when the frenzy of the paper at Yale seems like too much. The newsroom on Gilmore Girls can be really over-the-top with people like Paris and Doyle, so fans wonder why it has to be so intense.
Rory's Timetable
Rory is an overachiever from the beginning of the series, but her full schedule at Yale tops her busy days at Chilton. Yale course reading lists and syllabi don't offer students a break; there's always something to read or submit throughout the semester. On top of that, Rory gets a spot at The Yale Daily News and later becomes editor-in-chief.
It's so odd that despite Rory's busy schedule, she still manages to spend a majority of her time visiting Stars Hollow on weekends, going on dates, and doing fun things with friends. Before and after her break from Yale, it doesn't make sense that Rory is able to juggle so much academically and still have a thriving social life and time to have many outlandish adventures.
Lack Of Local Coffee
Perhaps it's because she's so busy, but it's shocking to see how often Rory chooses to stick with the Yale dining hall for her nourishment.
There are many cozy corners to get a cup of coffee and study surrounding Yale's campus. For college students, stepping out to off-campus locales is a source of refreshment that's great for studying or paper-writing. Maybe Rory gets her fix by heading home to Stars Hollow for coffee from Luke's, but it's odd that she doesn't explore too much beyond Yale's walls.