Slide Show

Nick Sedlet’s 2007 flight aboard a NASA C-9 aircraft was just one high point in an extraordinary Yale experience.

Student Profile: Nick Sedlet ’08

When Nick Sedlet ’08, a Branford College physics major, first arrived at Yale from Plano, Texas, he never imagined that one day he would speak Chinese, experience weightlessness, or acquire worldwide assets as part of a Yale investment group. But now, just a few months away from graduation, he has done all of this and more.

During his years here, Nick has received the Mills MacPherson Fries (B.A. 1928) Memorial Scholarship, the Lola B. Grillo Foundation Scholarship, and a William Joseph Sette (1927S) Scholarship. He has played the French horn in various undergraduate orchestras, written for The Yale Economic Review, and distinguished himself in a surprising range of academic endeavors.

Here, Nick reflects on his time at Yale College.

I chose to attend Yale because:
When I first came to visit, the campus was beautiful and every student I met seemed to love Yale fanatically. Also, I had a number of personal interests at the end of high school, like music, physics, economics, and politics, and I thought that Yale would let me cultivate all of them.

My best class this semester:
“Modern British Novel” with Professor Bill Deresiewicz. Every lecture was fantastic, and I found it fulfilling emotionally and academically because the themes of the novels we studied are about human lives and interactions.

The professor who’s taught me the most:
David DeMille, physics professor. Through the research I’ve done in his lab, he’s taught me almost everything I know about experimental physics. He explains difficult counterintuitive concepts incredibly clearly, and I really hope to emulate him in this regard.

The greatest book I read at Yale:
Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, by David J. Griffiths. Learning quantum mechanics from this textbook was one of the most exciting intellectual experiences I’ve ever had.

My preferred place to study:
Definitely the Bass Library, which opened earlier this year.

My experience studying or working abroad:
After sophomore year, I took a year off to study Chinese in Beijing. This was my first time overseas, and I certainly would never have gone were it not for the Light Fellowship at Yale. After graduating, I hope to have the chance to return to China at some point, where I could make use of the language skills I’ve acquired.

Editor’s note: Nick returned to Beijing last fall as a member of Yale’s debate team, participating in the International Varsity Debate Series—conducted entirely in the Chinese language. Nick and his teammates debated representatives from Russia, Korea, and Australia, and defeated Oxford in a thrilling final round of verbal sparring to become world champions. Read more.

My favorite extracurricular activity:
I’m a member of a small student investment group called Globalfund that was formed last year. In Globalfund we try to study investing and investors by reverse-engineering the large positions of top hedge funds. We try to come up with our own models and valuations and then invest using our own savings from summer jobs. Then we try to persuade the investors to meet with us and talk about the investment ideas. It's been a fascinating experience that has taught me an enormous amount about finance.

After graduation, I plan to:
Work in quantitative finance in New York City.

Something I learned at Yale that I will always remember:
The best way to choose how to spend your time is to figure out what makes you happiest.

I’m just grateful that financial aid helped to make this incredible experience happen.

(January 24, 2008)