<p>Back to the seemingly endless topic of transportation to airports. I really can no longer confidently recommend QConn. DS called me from JFK to tell me the trip there was ridiculous. He ended up having three different drivers and there was a 20 minute stop at a Dunkin’ Donuts where two drivers tried to work things out make things more efficient (I think each van had people going to LGA and JFK). Anyhow, he thinks we need to try a different way when spring break rolls around.</p>
<p>Regarding Yale Football; at least from my perspective as a parent of a sophomore, there is not the “all campus gets psyched about football games” mentality at Yale, like there would be at USC, or say, Notre Dame. Except for the HY game, I think most kids don’t even pay much attention to whether they are home or away that weekend. “The Game” (HY) is a big deal, but more for the scene than for the game itself.</p>
<p>About football: tickets are not hard to come by for any game except the Harvard game, and even that one is not too bad when it’s at Yale. Still, it pays to buy early if you want to go, in order to get decent seats (they’ll still probably be on the ends, because so many alumni buy tix and get preference). Harvard’s stadium, on the other hand, sells out for The Game.</p>
<p>The Game will be at Yale in fall 2013.</p>
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<p>The Yale portal simply provides a link to the CT Limo web site which has not been accepting online reservations for about 2 weeks now due to a re-jiggering of their web site. There is no separate reservation system available for CT Limo on the Yale Portal.</p>
<p>Fogfog, your kiddo just made his reservation before the web site got messed up, so good for him and not good for our kids who didn’t have the foresight to book in November. I will say I didn’t feel an urgency knowing that it would be one of CT Limo’s biggest money making weeks, and they would certainly have many shuttles planned to take kids. In the end it did work out, but a back-up plan is always a good idea.</p>
<p>About football: what Donnaleighg said fits with what my daughter (a freshman) told me: there is no football week frenzy like at some schools. But The Game was big, and half her suite went to Harvard this year (and spent the night on a Harvard dorm floor freezing because they didn’t turn on any heat for them). Tickets for the game were $20, and bus tickets were $20 each way.</p>
<p>About BDD: our daughter didn’t go, but we did visit as a family during our spring break. None of us had been their before. Another girl from her high school goes to Yale and agreed to host her for a day+night. I think that was pretty valuable - she got to see the school as it really is, not as a big show trying to sell it. We visited other colleges in the same fashion, even though she was accepted SCEA at Yale and it was her first choice. I think she felt like she really had made the right choice when she finally chose Yale.</p>
<p>And I think she has - she is back now from her first semester and she has had just an exceptional time. I feel like Yale was a really good fit for her. I hope we are as successful at finding the right college for my son three years from now.</p>
<p>Bulldog Days vs Family Weekend as a parent seeing Yale:</p>
<p>I went with my son to BDD’s and literally saw him for about 15 minutes total, usually moving across campus with a gaggle of other admits having a blast and barely taking the time to make eye contact with me :). Yale does a very nice job outlining various events that parents can attend during BDD’s, so I took advantage of going to the art museum, the law school, the random residential college tour along with a meet and greet with the Dean and Master (the one that did BDD’s was JE). There was a nice program one evening where they introduced the administration of the school and RC’s along with having numerous on-campus singing and dancing groups perform (this event is for both students and parents). Afterwards the administration and RC staff milled around the auditorium lobby available for questions, etc. </p>
<p>One of my favorite events to check out was the activity fair in the Paine Whitney gym where hundreds of campus clubs set up tables to woo prospective admits. I was shocked at the number of clubs/organizations and my son loved it too. He of course signed up to be on many more club email lists than he ended up joining when he arrived on campus as a freshman, but it was so cool to see all the choices. It was a large, all-encompassing Yale experience.</p>
<p>I liked going to Yale for BDD’s (I had never been to campus before, DH and I split up college tours and he got New England), because it allowed me to take in Yale as a whole. By the time Parent’s Weekend rolled around my son’s Yale world was already whittled down (as it should be, of course). We had activities at his specific RC, we went to events put on by the clubs he had joined (concerts, performances, practices,etc) and most importantly we spent time with him seeing Yale through his eyes, which was wonderful of course but considerably narrower than my earlier trip. </p>
<p>I really enjoyed the wider perspective I got at my first visit during BDD’s. So if any parents are weighing the options have a similar complete unfamiliarity with Yale that I did, I’d encourage attending BDDs if it’s economically viable. Just don’t expect to see your kid…ever…during the visit ;)!</p>
<p>Thanks to all for answering my BDD and “The Game” questions! (I’m learning Yale speak…)</p>
<p>How about this one:</p>
<p>When do students start to do summer internships? Is this pretty much the norm for most students? How much does the school help with placement and are they mostly on the East Coast?</p>
<p>Popping back in to say our Yalie just got an email today that he got accepted into the Global Affairs major program through the Jackson Institute, hooray and whew!! :D</p>
<p>I asked my daughter about BDD - did she feel like she missed out, since she didn’t go? She said yes. When walking with friends across campus they will randomly stop and talk to people that they met at BDD, and she understands it was incredibly fun. So… I guess if we had it to do all over again, we’d try to make it happen for her.</p>
<p>DS and we went to BDD. Frankly, we as parents were as eager to go visit the campus and the city as he was. (We had never been in that area before BDD.)</p>
<p>I think it was good for him to have a chance to visit the place he was going to live for the next 4 years. (And one girl from NY he had met during BDD ALMOST became his girlfriend toward the end of freshman year 
I think the girl invited him to an event at the Toads at one time just because she knew DS was very interested in this. It is still a mystery to us as regard to why there was no further “development” between them.)</p>
<p>Looking for advice about Spring Break programs…my freshman DS2 applied to quite a number of the Reach Out Yale trips and didn’t get into any after what he thought was a great interview. He said that there are not nearly enough spots for all who are interests…I suggested that he create his own with the Reach Out group…any thoughts??? My DS1at Vandy has so many to choose from and they try to place everyone in something…and their process begins much earlier. DS2 got into a Global Brigades trip to Honduras but he thinks its more of a ‘pay to play’ than real service project…any thoughts out there???</p>
<p>Regarding CT Limo–I’ve heard CT Limo rebranded to Premier Limo, then a company with a smaller fleet acquired CT Limo. I haven’t yet tried to get a ride with Premier Limo, so I can’t say for sure, but look into that.</p>
<p>Otherwise, Amtrak to Hartford is $12, and there’s a $1.50 bus fare from Hartford Grand Central to Bradley airport. If that doesn’t work for you, you can rent a car from Budget on High Street (about three blocks from High Street gate on Old Campus) and return it at the airport for $100. If you need to find someone to pool with, have your kid use YaleTaxiStand.com, which helps Yale kids coordinate carpools.</p>
<p>I think Amtrak + bus may not be practical unless the time is right.</p>
<p>Is the Verizon’s coverage good near campus? How about the signal strength when you are inside the building?</p>
<p>Just checked. The CT Limo’s web site is still a temporary one.</p>
<p>Does their IT department try to run their company to the ground?</p>
<p>I know it is not a fair comparison due to the resources available to them. Imagine Amazon would do something like this for their amazon.com site.</p>
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Our family all uses Verizon; S has had no problems with it at all anywhere at Yale, nor have we when we’ve visited. Coverage is good there.</p>
<p>^ Thanks for sharing your (and your S’s) experience.</p>
<p>Hi Yale parents,</p>
<p>I’m currently a student who is thinking about doing research at Yale during the summer. However, it is my understanding that the dorms are closed to undergrads during that time. I was wondering if any of your kids have ever stayed in New Haven during the summer and had to find their own housing? If so, do you mind giving me some advice on which apartments are safe? I know some apartments are less safe than others and my number one priority in looking for a place to stay is how safe it is since I’ll be living by myself in a new place off campus. If there’s anything I should look out for when searching, please let me know. Any advice or suggestions are greatly appreciated. </p>
<p>Thanks so much!</p>
<p>I think you’re probablty asking the wrong crowd-- most Yale parents are from somewhere else. That said, I work at Yale, and would suggest you look at rentals on Orange St. North of Trumbull, or on Whitney north of Science Hill, or on the side streets off Whitney in that area. I knew medical students who lived in around Humphrey St. off Whitney, and it was a nice area. I would stay very, very far away from Wooster Square, and also in general avoid anything on or past State Street; also the areas near Payne Whitney Gymnasium and the medical school. And no matter where you live, remember it’s still a city – use common sense and don’t hesitate to take the shuttle. The Yale Housing office (in whatever its current incarnation is) should likely be able to give you some useful guidance as well as leads.</p>
<p>DS lived in the following two apartments a few years ago:</p>
<p>[Elm</a> Campus Partners – 1012 Chapel](<a href=“http://www.elmcampus.com/apartments/Chapel/1012chapel/]Elm”>Elm Campus Partners -- 1012 Chapel)</p>
<p>[Elm</a> Campus Partners – 1145 Chapel](<a href=“http://www.elmcampus.com/apartments/Chapel/1145chapel/]Elm”>Elm Campus Partners -- 1145 Chapel)</p>
<p>The latter was for graduate students only (when DS rented it.) I believe all the properties managed by elmcampus are owned by Yale.</p>
<p>A problem for renting an apartment is that if you can not find others to share the apartment, you can only rent a studio – there are not many of them available. Many apartments are for multiple tenants to share one apartment. If you can sublet one during summer from others who sign a year long contract, it is usually cheaper. You may try yale station but it is hit-or-miss:</p>
<p><a href=“http://yalestation.yale.edu/market/[/url]”>http://yalestation.yale.edu/market/</a> </p>
<p>The summer is often hot and humid in New Haven.</p>
<p>I live near the area and might be able to help if you had something in mind, you can PM.
I’ve known students that stayed at the college and another had an apartment nearby. Sometimes students sublet for the summer but it is hit and miss as stated.
The one staying at the college was very hot at times and although she had a fan, spent many hours in air conditioning and not her room. (she had a stipend for food)</p>