The idea is more of a fireside chat, says Laurans. But where Yale's advising falls short in the first and second years, it seems to compensate in departmental advising. Once students finally select their major in their third year, there are few complaints for those who take initiative. The general sense is that people are very happy with advising in their major once they reach junior year. But still, faculty major advisers are hit or miss, and unless students take steps to acquire a faculty adviser they know, major advising can be disappointing.
Concentration advising is totally great.
Brown's advising begins before students even enter the college. The summer before their first year, students are given the opportunity to take a class which combines advising and teaching, called Curricular Advising Program, or CAP classes. The main feature of a CAP course is that its instructor volunteers to be a first-year adviser. These classes are available in a wide range of departments. Consequently, the system is also a natural solution to matching adviser with student based on interest.