On this week's Gossip Girl [1], the whole gang goes on a field trip to Yale to try to impress the dean and secure admissions. Because suddenly, Yale is the school everyone (save for Jenny and Vanessa) dreams of attending. Dan and Nate conveniently gave up on their previously chosen schools for various reasons, and after a tongue-lashing from Blair about how Brown is "an enclave of trustifarians" and dreadlocked hippies, Serena decides Yale is the place for her, too.

And what criteria is Chuck using to determine what institution of higher learning will help him meet his life goals? Secret societies, of course. All in all, a pretty fun episode, wouldn't you say? Let's chat about it — just !

• I love how Serena has turned into the Paris Hilton of the show (early years Paris, anyway) and is all over the press for being a socialite and in a fashion show. She's a bigger star than her own mother ("Sorry they called you my unidentified friend.").
• Chuck has so many fun lines based on his thoughts about college it's hard to pick a place to start, but his early conversation with Nate is full of gems like "We are three hours away from horny women's studies majors" and something about creating his own freshman 15.
• Yale's dean tells Dan he needs more letters of recommendation and should go to the English department to get one. Does this strike anyone else as weird? Why would professors of the school you are attempting to get into recommend you when they don't know you?
• Chuck and Nate sit around campus waiting for the Yale secret society Skull and Bones to find them. The way they pop out and grab Chuck is so funny!
• We learn that Nate's dad is basically responsible for any financial hard times these rich kids have endured — like losing a vacation home on the coast — so they all hate him ("He's the new Milken [2]").



• The Skull and Bones dudes tell Chuck they love him because "rumor has it you’ve slept with more Maxim covers than John Mayer." Lovely.
• While Nate makes out with a girl who thinks he's Dan and Chuck arranges a party for the secret society, the girls actually work on getting into the school by impressing the dean. He fawns over Serena but finds Blair to be boring. When he asks her for a fun personal anecdote, he cites Serena's story about being in a fashion show. Oh, sure, that would impress the dean of Yale. Sheesh.
• Blair sort of loses it with the dean after that: "My hair might not sparkle when it catches the light!" Brownnosing her way into his exclusive party via some cat figurines for his secretary was brilliant, though.
• At the party, Serena corrects Blair in a conversation about an old Pope and later tells Blair she learned that by watching The Tudors [3].
• So of course Blair freaks out about Serena winning the Yale war and brings up the guy Serena killed in front of the dean. Ha!
• Best line Blair screams at Serena: "I’m sick of always looking like Darth Vader next to Sunshine Barbie!"
• Their fight was crazy mostly because of the bow in Blair's hair. Serena: "I hate your stupid headband!" Blair: "Ow! My headband!"
• The best part of the night for me is when Chuck tells the Skull and Bones dudes that he basically set up the whole naked girl party to frame them with pictures. Because they're the future leaders of America, this was all part of the plan, as Chuck aims to rule the world one day, I'm sure.

So the girls are friends again (so soon?), Dan and Nate seem to be getting along well, Jenny gets to be home-schooled, and Chuck is brooding. What did you think of last night? Let's discuss!

To see how to get all the fashion from last night's episode, check out our new site CelebStyle [4]!

Photos courtesy of The CW [5]