Campus Clips

Yale’s lobbying expenses (federal, state, and local) totaled $1.24 million in 2025, a dramatic increase from the $600,000 it spent in 2024. The university was not alone; the 71 members of the American Association of Universities spent a total of $37 million on lobbying in the first year of Donald Trump’s second term, up from $28.1 million the year before. 

A record number of students was admitted to the Class of 2030 in December  through the QuestBridge College Match program, which matches selective colleges with students from low-income families. Yale matched with 118 QuestBridge candidates, topping the previous record of 87 in 2019. Also admitted in December were 779 early action candidates, 11 percent of the 7,140 who applied. 70 percent were rejected, and 18 percent were deferred to the regular decision pool. 

As Harvard’s lawsuit against the federal government over its right to host international students is being considered on appeal, Yale and 47 other universities have filed an amicus brief supporting Harvard’s position. Last spring, President Trump issued a proclamation denying entry to new international students and researchers planning to study at Harvard, and the government revoked Harvard’s certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. The administration said Harvard had failed to supply records on its international students to the Department of Homeland Security, a claim the university denies. A federal judge issued preliminary injunctions last June blocking enforcement of the federal actions, and the government has appealed. The brief argues for the value of international students to American higher education and warns that “the destabilization of student visa programs via arbitrary cancellations threatens to stymie progress in scientific research, medical advancement, and technological innovation.”

A quantum computing company spun off from Yale research has been sold for $550 million. Quantum Circuits, Inc., cofounded by Sterling Professor of Applied Physics Robert Schoelkopf, employs 65 people in New Haven developing and manufacturing quantum computers. It was purchased by Palo Alto–based D-Wave, which says it plans to expand the company’s operations in New Haven.

What if we kissed beneath the Tylosaurus? The Peabody Museum explored its romantic side on February 14 with a “one-of-a-kind Valentine’s date night” called Jurassic Sparks. Patrons enjoyed drinks, a cheese and chocolate bar, and live music, plus a special themed tour on the natural history of kissing.