GPSCY: The Graduate and Professional Student Club at Yale

If you are the type of person who likes to go out with friends but doesn't like to spend a lot of money, GPSCY is the place for you. If you enjoy trivia, karaoke, open-mic nights, great dance parties, and theme nights with the occasional cook-out, GPSCY is the place for you. If you want to find a fun place where you and your friends can rent out a private parlor for birthdays or other events, GPSCY is the place for you. If you are looking for a fun bar with lots of outdoor seating and very few undergraduates, GPSCY is definitely the place for you.

GPSCY (pronounced as "gypsy"), or The Graduate and Professional Student Club at Yale, is exactly what it's name implies - a bar and club for the students of Yale's many graduate and professional schools. Yes, that's right. Yale subsidizes a bar on campus for grad student. Welcome to heaven. It's popular for its variety of events and for its incredibly affordable prices, made even better by nightly specials such as buy one get one, free beer until 11pm, or $1 off all drafts. Divvies tend to flock to the Thursday night dance parties, but we've also seen quite a few of them at Friday karaoke, and at many of the special events and barbecues. GPSCY is big on free food, good times, and getting students from different schools to mix together - how can you go wrong?

GPSCY consists of Gryphon's Pub, the Ballroom, and the Lounge, all of which have their own special flair, and all of which are cash-only (there's an ATM in the basement, but it comes with a service charge). This also means that there could be three completely different vibes happening all at the same time - so whether you're looking for something wild or something laid-back, you just might be able to find them all at the same place. The Pub, which consists of the entire downstairs portion of GPSCY, is pretty standard for a school pub, complete with televisions, tables, couches, lively bartenders, and access to the back patio. This is also where you would go to get draft beers, and to see Friday karaoke.

The Ballroom and the Lounge, both upstairs, can be rented out for private events either by individuals or organizations. The Ballroom is a huge versatile space that is used for open-mic night, live-band karaoke, and of course the dance parties we keep mentioning. It also holds the occasional special event, such as Speed Dating and various benefits for different schools. The bar upstairs has all of same offerings as the Pub, save drafts, and is a great place to go to cut loose and celebrate the latest paper or exam with friends. The Lounge is the smallest of the three, with a private bar (again, no drafts) and an impressive sound system. This is a great space for birthday bashes, study parties, or really any event for under 50 people. Rental prices are reasonable, but the schedule fills up pretty quickly so if you know you want to use either of these spaces for an event it is best to contact GPSCY management as early as possible.

Also, GPSCY runs a wonderful series of tastings (beer, wine, scotch, etc.) that happen on a regular basis. Usually these run $25, and offer top-shelf varieties in large quantities. These are great ways to meet students in other graduate and professional schools, as well as hang out with other divvies, and expand your cultural horizons all in one fell swoop. (The instructor of the wine tastings is a divvie too!)

If you come to GPSCY during BTFO, or in the first few weeks of school, and believe that this is the kind of place you could come back to, we strongly recommend purchasing a membership. It's $15 for the year, and then you never have to pay a cover-charge for any event ever. Cover charges vary depending on the event from $2-$5, but if you attend regularly it doesn't take long for those charges to surpass the $15 membership fee. Plus you'll sometimes get a surprise bonus, like free tacos or an extra drink ticket. Membership is open to any Yale affiliate, including students, spouses, post-docs, alumni, medical residents, and research associates. 

So...see y'all on the dance floor?