Wow @IxnayBob – it seemed like yesterday you were a new Yale parent! Time flies
@IxnayBob - can you believe our babies are going to be second semester juniors!!?? Time does fly. Mine is safe and sound in her bed across the hall and will be home for a whole month (the longest she has been home in forever). I am a happy mommy.
I have been watching the admissions forum and it is exciting to see the new crop. As an alum, it is also interesting to me that this new crop will actually move into the new colleges. It is hard to wrap my head around the fact that there are now 14 of them. Gotta change my spiel. Looking forward to seeing the results of the two candidates I interviewed in the early round. We don’t get results for a couple of days.
Enjoy your holidays.
Yes, next year he will be a senior. It is not an overstatement to say that attending Yale has been transformative for him. He would undoubtedly have done well almost anywhere, and he would have matured elsewhere also, but I can’t begin to describe how different he is now. The endless debates, here and also on Bogleheads, about the value of an education at a highly selective school are just noise to me now.
ETA: maybe I prefer to think that he’s only 2/3 done 
I too noticed that the parents thread slipped to another page.
My daughter doesn’t get home until Wed next week. She has all of her 3 hour exams within 2 days. Granted I don’t have to wait for then to see her- I was actually on campus last night delivering sour cream and cheddar potato chips, Reese’s peanut butter trees and gum shaped as cubes. Study food apparently. I had to be in New Haven for something else anyhow, she isn’t THAT spoiled 
I watched the thread of the SCEA kids yesterday and fed my kid the updates on how many were accepted from CC, where they were from and so on. She is so funny because she thinks its strange that I still come here and yet she likes getting info from me because I am here. I am always amazed and humbled by the stats of the kids that are rejected or deferred. It truly reminds me of how blessed she is to be there.
Has anyone seen anything written about any increase in applications or acceptances comparing this year to any other years? I wonder how it ended up comparing to other years seeing that there has been so much talk about the new RC’s.
Here are some of the admissions stats.
http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2016/12/16/yale-admits-17-percent-of-early-applicants/
@musicmerit I won’t lie… I teared up reading that. I love hearing the stories. Thanks for finding it for me.
That is a huge increase. I wonder what they will do if there is a higher matriculation rate than they anticipated. I can’t wait to see the numbers of applicants for RD. Such an exciting time.
On decision day in 2013, my son’s phone battery was at 5%, and “I think I got into Yale!”. I almost cried.
My son attended Metro High School, a St. Louis Public school near the center of the city. I was working about 15 minutes away from home, so I rushed home, dragged some larger aerial fireworks out of the basement and waited in the driveway.
The my son was dropped-off at the front of the house, the driveway being hidden on the cul-de-sac side. When I heard the car door shut, I lit the fireworks. Great. Big. Bright. Balls-o-fire exploding over the neighborhood.
Follow-up.
Whenever I mention a coworker who is over-doing his enthusiasm for his child’s school, he reminds me… “Dad, you lit off fireworks”
^ :))
I just want to say welcome to all the new parents that may be lurking on this thread and afraid to say anything or post their questions. This is a great group of parents that are a perfect mix of information and support. There are Yale alums, parents of first generations and parents that are just far away from New Haven and looking for connection. Their kids are from all sorts of economic backgrounds and various types of high schools. Personally I am a mom of a sophomore daughter who went to a public school. I am in CT so Im good for a weather update or local news. Welcome!
^ which btw it is freezing here today!!! My younger kids had a two hour delay due to the extreme cold, so much different from last Dec where they were wearing shorts during finals!
… and, don’t feel obligated to read all prior posts; we don’t mind repeating ourselves :). I’m the father of a junior CS major from NJ. Welcome.
I would like to follow on the earlier comment by @Faulkner1897. In addition to Bulldog Days, I believe this year there will be a Bulldog Saturday, or something like it, according to YDN. If my memory serves me correct, this additional admitted student day is to accommodate more admits this year due to the two new residential colleges.
For my S, his experience at Bulldog Days early this year had played a decisive role in his commitment to Yale. In addition, his first semester at Yale and his few days of stay at Harvard during The Game, which provided hime some perspectives and comparison of social life between Yale and Harvard, has made him a very satisfactory and happy Yallie.
Greetings all -
Time for me to come out of the woodwork and stop lurking. My daughter was just admitted to the Class of 2021!
Many thanks in advance for the warm welcome and the offers to share your collective wisdom. By means of introduction, I’m an ex-NYer who bid farewell to east cost winters about 25 years ago and moved to So. Cal. My daughter (whom I’m used to referred to as D17 over on the Parents of 2017 HS thread) was thrilled to get her acceptance yesterday. We regrettably have not yet seen the campus and are hoping to do so before Bull Dog Days (thanks for the advice about making reservations in advance, @Faulkner1897; and yes, Bull Dog Saturday – with no overnights – is on April 15th, I believe.)
Quick question - What are people’s recommendations re: travel to New Haven? I would imagine that there are a few options (none ideal), depending on whether it’s just my daughter traveling alone or if she’s accompanied by someone that that can rent a car, etc. (She’s probably one of the few Californian HS seniors that doesn’t drive!)
The obvious possibilities if she’s alone are to fly to LGA/JFK make her way to Grand Central and take the train to New Haven or get to Penn Station and take Amtrak (likely more $$). I suppose flying to Newark is an option, too. If we are going too, I’d rent a car.
What about Connecticut airports? (There’s one in Hartford if memory serves, no?) Or the Westchester airport? (My brother’s in White Plains, so I’ve done that airport once or twice).
Are there shuttles from any of the airports?
Where do people recommend staying?
Thanks in advance. Nice to meet you all!
Welcome and congratulations, @LoveTheBard!
We have come to love and appreciate the Hartford airport (Bradley International). It is a little over an hour from New Haven, and Yale has a negotiated rate of $44 one way with Connecticut Limo (a shuttle service). My daughter takes CT Limo to and from Bradley and it is pretty easy. Pick up and drop off is at Phelps Gate, the main entrance to Old Campus (where 10 of the 12 (and next year 14) college freshmen live). We have a direct flight to Bradley and there are quite a few flights in and out every day.
When I fly into Hartford, I rent a car. The airport is very easy to navigate. The rental car pick up/drop off is straightforward, and the rates are reasonable. I reserved an SUV for drop off weekend and was happy to have a big car.
For hotels, the main ones I know about in New Haven are the Study (boutique/trendy with a great restaurant, great location, a bit more expensive than other area hotels and hard to get into for busy times), the Omni (nice, a bit less expensive than the Study but has 3 night minimums for busy Yale events and they raise the rate quite a bit during these times), and the New Haven Hotel (less expensive than the other two - I stayed there for family weekend and it was a decent hotel that is convenient to Old Campus). There is also a Courtyard not too far from Yale on the NW side of campus. Others stay in Milford, which is a 15 minute drive but the rates are much more reasonable and there are some decent chain hotels. Here is a tip for family weekend reservations - if you are determined to stay in New Haven itself and there seems to be no availability, try booking a 3 night stay. That’s what I ended up doing, and we made a long weekend of the trip.
I stayed at the Study for Bulldog Days and for move in weekend, and it worked well. However, you really have to do valet there. My husband liked the New Haven Hotel because it is self park/unlimited in and out in the hotel owned parking garage across the street - and he thought this would have been way more convenient for move in weekend when we were doing multiple trips to Target, the grocery store, and IKEA.
We fly in and out of Newark airport, and use Amtrak to go directly from New Haven to the Newark airport.
This gives us a predictable scheduled service, and no need to get a city bus.
The fair from New Haven to Newark airport is about $40, and the schedule is predictable.
My son is a current Yale freshman, and he and most of his friends attended FOOT, the Freshman Outdoor Orientation Trip. Great experience for transitioning to Yale life right before move-in. .
I am posting this information for new parents who may want to start planning for the August 2017 move-in to campus.
Yale will provide parents their child’s room key so that they can move everything in the morning before the freshmen have returned from their FOOT trip. So the freshmen return (dirty) and they can shower in their new Yale home. Moms have the opportunity to decorate the rooms. The upperclassmen carry all the boxes to the rooms, so it is not difficult for the dads.
The challenge is to coordinate getting your son or daughter to Yale several days before move in, and then to coordinate for the move-in.
Here is a link to the FOOT site:
http://foot.yalecollege.yale.edu
Thanks @ElMimino and @Faulkner1897. Unfortunately, there are no direct flights from here to Bradley, so that’s a consideration, especially given the fact that in going from the west coast to the east, we lose 3 hours in addition to travel time, changing flights, etc.
The Amtrak fare is less that I thought it would be.
Hi new parents!! Welcome to Yale. I am a 1982 graduate and my D is a junior Literature major who has traveled the world, literally, since starting at Yale! Yes, I’ve made some really good friends on this page, some of whom I can’t wait to meet at our kids’ graduation in May 2018. You’ll find a wealth of information, some very opinionated folk, but all with a good heart. You and your kid are in for a stressful but wonderful ride. Welcome again!! Boola Boola!!!
Hello. My son is a sophomore - public school graduate in Northern Indiana, studying music and/or economics, involved in Yale Political Union, deacon at University Church, dabbler in the chess club. I cannot wait to get him home late this Sunday - provided the winter storm in the Midwest doesn’t hinder his travel. I am watching the weather and wringing my hands. Yale has been great - he has found his people and is finding his way.
@LoveTheBard
Welcome! SFBay Area mom of Freshman here. We share your travel woes…there’s been great advice here but really your kid and you will figure it out as you go.
Word of advice when booking flights if you do a connector to Hartford, leave plenty of connection time! And, sometimes paying the extra $$$ is worth it to get them to Hartfod. I’d say the flights to NYC area airports with taking a train to new Haven is fine if your kid is traveling with friends. My son hasn’t done it solo yet but first round at Thanksgiving went off without a hitch
A bit worried about the snow they got today but it should melt by takeoff time this Wednesday. Us west coast parents have to trust the travel gods or say a prayer to St Christopher