Re: picking room and bed. They get assigned to a suite with roommates, but not necessarily the particular bedroom in the suite, or “upstairs or downstairs” bunk bed (YMMV depending on which college). I might argue against doing that. My DD (on FOOT) was in a four person 2 bedroom quad, unassigned other than that. I was not going to pick her roommate for her! We just dumped stuff in the common room and let the girls figure it out when they all got there.
@DeepBlue86 - thanks! I thought that they played two games a year and since it is on the calendar I assumed it will be at Yale! Thanks again for the clarification 
@donnaleighg - ha, I think I will do the same if it comes to this.
Yes, what donnaleighg said . . . Yale assigned which suite but not which room or bed.
As I recall, your roommate is assigned over the summer. Both of my children knew who their roommates were before they got to Yale.
Same^–our freshman was assigned a roommate as well as suite. Maybe this varies by college/size of suite? He had six suite mates.
Evidently it varies - my daughter was assigned to a suite but it was up to her and her roommates to figure out rooms and beds.
Both my sons also were assigned suite, roommates and even the room they were in. The only choice they had was which bed within the room, if they were in a double room.
@Kelowna,
For move in day, we stayed until Sunday since we are from the left coast. D also wanted us to pick up more things for her on sun and drop it off.
My daughter also knew what room she was in prior to move in day. She was given a list of her suite, suite mates and room assignment ahead of time.
I’m sure this kind of hovering won’t make me a wildly respected Yale Parent Thread parent, but I’m growing very concerned that my son will know how much time it will take to pack his room up before catching his flight. I know, I know… it will be what it will be. And nothing is a better teacher than stress and failure.
Haha, @Community2605 , if it weren’t the case that we drive him back, I have no idea how much stress DS would have generated packing up. His record is perfect; he has been ready when he said he would be 0 times.
It is with immense love that I call DS a brilliant idiot. I might have told this story here before, if so, please excuse my senior moment. DS had a final interview for a selective and lucrative internship, a tough 3 hour interview by 4 different sets of interviewers, one after the other. The interview was out of town, and I’m enough of a helicopter parent that I seriously considered driving to Yale to make sure DS got to the airport, got on the right flight, etc. I didn’t do that, and he got there (big thanks to his gf :)) ), but it’s noteworthy that I had no concerns about the interview, just concerns about him handling the logistics.
Sorry I can’t be more optimistic and assure you that things related to the move always work out…at least based on my son. Without going into the details, he ended up the moving process without his refrig, at least 3 suitcases, and who knows what else. The only way we even figured out he is missing the suitcases is because when I met him in NYC over Thanksgiving break this year, he showed up with his belongings for 3 nights in a huge suitcase that was 3/4 empty. When I asked him why he dragged such a big suitcase with him, he promptly responded that it is the only suitcase he has. After some discussion, he eventually remembered us bringing all the suitcases to Yale when he started college, but has no idea where the suitcases (and probably some contents) ended up…
The ironic thing is that he is probably the most intelligent person I know.
You might want to verify he has the DAY right for the flight. When picking up D one year her roommate was in a tizzy because she just realized her flight was the next day and not the day after, and she had nothing packed yet. Then another year in verifying the day we were picking D up, she said oh I thought it was the next day. They are so very smart, but some things do slip past them.
My son is taking the train to Bulldog Days, and he will arrive at 5 AM tomorrow. Any recommendations of where to go at Yale at such an early hour?
There’s a Starbucks on chapel St that opens at 530. What time do activities start?
Registration starts at 2 PM, but there is a lot to do after 8 AM. Just trying to find a good starting point at 5 AM. Glad to hear Starbucks is open early.
Since somebody mentioned it, I’ll give a little insight into attending the Harvard-Yale football game. It can be a lot of fun, particularly if your kid is involved, like being on the team, or as a cheerleader, or as a member of the marching band. It also can be fun if you (or your spouse) is a Yale alum. But it is not a time that you will spend with your kid. Your kid will not sit with you at the game, and will not want to hang out with you before or after the game, because of student tailgates and other activities.
When the game is at Harvard, as it will be this year, get your tickets as early as you possibly can because it sells out. Also, many of the seats are really lousy, with obstructed view. Honestly, I don’t recommend going when it’s at Harvard if you don’t have a kid actively participating, or if you don’t have some other reason to be in Boston.
When the game is in New Haven, it still pays to get tickets early, although the Bowl is huge and doesn’t sell out. You will probably want to buy a parking pass, because the Bowl isn’t all that accessible. The parking passes do sell out. It is the day before Thanksgiving break, so you might be able to leave with your kid. Don’t expect much conversation from your kid on this particular trip, though.
I’m at Yale for Bulldog Days! I dropped my daughter off at Old Campus and said farewell - she wants to do this all herself. Had a late lunch at Pepe’s and will spend the afternoon strolling around campus. I am happy to be here and hope my daughter has a great time.
I hope everyone visiting has an awesome time at bulldog days! Don’t miss the evening speech/ presentations! I can’t remember exactly when it was, but it was incredible.