@canoe2015
Thanks for the tip about shipping to FedEx store location. It looks like there is a location just north of Timothy Dwight college.
The service is free of charge (of course, have to use FedEx for shipping). I use FedEx regularly for business and have an account, so this is a great option.
@Faulkner1897 Yes, I think it’s a good option especially since you’re already set up for FedEx shipping. Other folks have also mentioned the UPS store but I haven’t tried that option myself.
Installing new mailboxes in the colleges seems anachronistic. How much snailmail do these kids get, anyway? If it’s small enough to fit in a mailbox, it goes electronically. For packages, the Student Receiving Center at 135 Prospect Street works pretty well. Forget about the Elm Street post office.
To close the loop on the UPS store box, here is what they emailed me:
For the the mailbox the minimum months is 6 months and there is a set up fee ($10) and a key fee ($10). The fee is $18 a month.
My daughter went ahead and set up the Yale PO box today. We will see how it goes! I already have a request for a Shakespeare book from home (with her notes from AP English) so I will test it out next week. I will definitely be using the FedEx store option for anything important or of value (like her passport - she didn’t bring it, not sure if she will need it).
@Faulkner1897
Please report how it goes! You are a brave soul! Via Con Dios and may the book be delivered safe and sound!
And now for something completely different…
Has anyone done a AirB&B near Yale? We ran into a couple who were dropping their senior daughter and were already looking at one on the coast in Milford for commencement time.
We’re thinking of doing one for spring break and having family reunion with the east coast relatives but not sure how reliable it is in that neck o ’ the woods?..
Are there “vacation” rentals? Is this a thing?
My student and suite mates have been successfully receiving packages(Amazon and Target) since last week using the 135 Prospect St address, including no delays with Amazon’s 2 day Prime service.
I thought 135 Prospect was just for the start of the school year, but I’m not positive about that.
@tonymom - we used www.homeaway.com to book a lovely little house in Branford during the 2015 autumn break, which worked really well. I think it’s part of AirBnB but it only rents out complete units so you know you won’t be sharing a space with anyone else! It was much cheaper than a hotel and we could cater for ourselves or eat out, which suited us very well. We’re planning to do the same for Commencement, though it’s a way off yet.
My tip is to be very careful as to the place you book. I only look for places with a number of reviews over a decent length of time that look as if they are written by real people, for example!
@fro123 @DeepBlue86
Thanks! Great recommendations. I was surprised by the variety and affordability of the homes listed. Not sure what the weather is like in early April (if a beach/River site would be a waste)…
Thanks again!
early april is still pretty chilly in the northeast.
Hi parents,we just came back from sending our freshman student to the school. Now we are thinking about Family Weekend. We love to see her soon; however it takes 2+ hours to fly to NY and another 3+ hours to NH; cannot decide if we should go or not. Any advice? Thank you!
We live close but never went for Family Weekend (though we went a week or so later, usually, often just for the afternoon and evening). I’d feel out your kid; that sounds like quite a hike for you. From what I hear parents who have kids on a sports team or in a singing/other performing group have the most to “gain” from going. Neither applied to us.
We semi-splurged on a shared box for our two boys this year at the UPS Store. The location is more convenient for them (close to the gym) and–miraculously–boxes show up on the day Amazon says they are delivered! It’s a win for us. Yale USPS is just a mess. It also hasn’t been a problem for one boy to pick up a box addressed to the other, which is nice.
Just spoke to offspring about this tonight. Strange that even students seem unclear about their options…
Thinking UPS is the answer…just add it to the bill 
@T26E4 - me too!! 4972 Yale Station, New Haven CT 06520
When I go into the Post Office on campus now it is mind boggling. So many boxes, the counter for UPS and FedEx. I went so long ago, when my mom wanted to send me a dress for a party, my dad took it down to the Greyhound Bus station and put it on the bus. I then went down to get it at the bus station. We thought we were very clever to figure that out. I also remember a good day was going to my box and finding a $20 bill from home. My kid will never know that feeling since I just transfer money and it appears in her account. Oh, the good old days.
@Tperry1982 we are the same generation (I graduated college in '83) and I still am known to tuck a $20 in a valentine’s or halloween card! Nothing like real paper currency!
Finally spoke to my daughter on the phone today. She reports that she is the happiest she has ever been - even happier than she was at her beloved summer camp, and that is saying something. She is auditioning for different musical groups and exploring new extracurriculars. She has selected her classes and has a freshman seminar with only 4 students (!!!). She finds the kids at Yale (for the most part) to be welcoming and friendly, and likes the fact that it is socially acceptable to just join a group and start chatting (I wonder when this ends?). She loves living in Old Campus, says it is fun walking outside and seeing/running into freshmen from so many different colleges. Although, she says the kids from TD and Silliman really enjoy living in their colleges and are tight knit.
@Faulkner1897 - Yes!! This is Yale. That is why Yale students are often voted the happiest students. The school is set up to bring freshman together for instant camaraderie. So glad to hear. For those whose kids are not quite so enthusiastic, don’t worry. I found out that my child was eating meals in her room because she thought it was awkward to eat in the dining hall (her school never had a cafeteria) and she was very shy. She is now a junior, president of many organizations, and loving her time at Yale. I know this makes you feel so much better.