| Ok, I'm international, so I'm not sure if this might help. 2 yrs ago, international kids came on the same day as domestic students, but in the wee hours of the morning. Most students, though, get their IDs on the same day they arrive - it takes minutes - a "mug shot" is taken and the card is printed and laminated on the spot, so I don't think it would be a problem to retrieve mailed items on move-in day... In my own case, my brother mailed my bedding, etc, ahead of time and [I don't remember exactly how it happpened] but my JA's kindly retrieved the stuff for me when it came, and I had it waiting in front of my room when I arrived - at about 2:30 am, because all the kids landing at JFK had to wait the whole day till everyone arrived so we'd only have to make one bus trip]!
Well, this year, I think international students will be arriving a couple days earlier than the others. Last year, though, we helped freshmen move into their dorms the whole day [every year, the Christian fellowship organizes a team of students to help freshmen haul their stuff into dorms] , and I recall seeing many students head to Paresky to retrieve mailed items upon arrival. (In 2006, there was no Paresky...but with the mail system now centralized, a lot of things have become easier.)
Now, I'm not quite sure if first-years needed their ID to pick up mail last year - it says so on the website for this year's incoming students, and it's standard policy at campus mail office, but in any event I don't think it would be a hassle, whatever happens. Students routinely mail stuff ahead of time, and Paresky should be quite busy on move-in day. | 
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