Gilmore Girls: Why Rory Went to Yale Instead of Harvard

Gilmore Girls set up Rory going to Harvard from its very first episode, when Lorelai had to grovel for a loan from her estranged parents so her daughter could go to Chilton Preparatory School. From then on, it seemed like Harvard was as inevitable as over-indulging on coffee or film marathons on the couch. But in season 3 episode 17 “A Tale of Poes and Fire”, Rory made the shocking decision to go to Yale instead.

Swapping one Ivy League school for another may not seem like a huge deal but, as far as Gilmore Girls stakes go, this story line was pretty up there. Up until this point, Lorelai had been very vocal about how much she’d hate it if Rory went to Yale. Harvard even claimed a wall in Rory’s room! So, for creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino to have her go to Yale instead was the equivalent of killing off a character in Game of Thrones – and it completely changed the course of the plot.

Though Rory’s decision is surprising at first, it actually makes perfect sense. Unlike Lorelai, Rory has a nurturing relationship with her grandfather Richard, a Yale alumni himself. He often spends Friday night dinners waxing lyrical about his days as a Yalie, and continues to have great connections to and within his alma mater. Rory not only has a special relationship with Richard, she deeply admires him. Rory going to Yale could well be her way to both impress and honor her grandfather.

Rory going to Yale also foreshadows her future character development. Up until this point, her and Lorelai have been a close-knit unit existing in the vacuum that is Stars Hollow. But Richard and Emily’s influence on Rory is undeniable. While Lorelai rejects their privilege, holding on to her independence as much as she can without jeopardizing Rory’s future, Rory is much more willing to accept their help and handouts. Sure, Rory does eventually find her way and even cuts rich boyfriend Logan out, but deciding to go to Yale is the first step towards embracing her “trust-fund kid” heritage.

It could also be interpreted as an act of rebellion. At the beginning of the show, Rory is the perfect teenager – she never gets into trouble, she studies hard and always makes the right decision. But, in the run-up to her going to Yale, Rory starts to rebel. She chooses Jess over Dean and sticks by him even when he treats her poorly. Lorelai hates Jess and Yale and, though she comes round to both in the end, Rory might be trying to assert her independence by doing the exact opposite of what her mom expects. Like mother, like daughter.

Finally, another plausible explanation for Rory choosing Yale over Harvard could be chucked to simple practicality. Harvard’s location in Massachusetts would’ve made it hard for Rory to spend big chunks of time in Stars Hollow in a way that felt plausible. Yale, however, is in Connecticut, just like the fictional village – giving Sherman-Palladino plenty of room to explore Rory’s experience of college, without being too far from Lorelai, her grandparents and all the Stars Hollow drama.