Help and advice for
incoming freshmen:
freshman.affairs@yale.edu

Yale College
Dean's Office
P.O. Box 208241
New Haven, CT
06520-8241   USA

FAQs

The Freshman Handbook which contains information about moving to Yale, academic programs and preregistration, preorientation programs, summer mailings, academic requirements and advising, choosing courses, programs of study, acceleration, foreign language requirements and other pertinent information will be mailed to your permanent home address. All information contained in the handbook is also available on this Web site.  Please view the site periodically until your arrival in August for up-to-date information.

Below are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. If you do not find the answer you are looking for, please email freshman.affairs@yale.edu.

FAQs Quick Links:


  1. When are the dates for Bulldog Days?
    The dates for Bulldog Days are April 20-22, 2009. For more information see the Bulldog Days Web page.
  2. How do I find my Student Identification Number (SID)?
    Look for the 9 digit number beginning with 90xxxxxxx that you received when Yale acknowledged your application
  3. When do I need to arrive on campus?
    You are expected to arrive on Friday, August 28, between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Please schedule your travel so that you arrive during these hours. We recommend that you come to campus as soon after 9 a.m. as you can on August 28 so that you have as much time as possible to get settled and to enjoy Freshman Orientation activities (August 28 to September 1). The Calendar for the Opening Days of College will be available in July and a copy will be mailed to each student’s permanent home address.

    If you choose to attend a pre-orientation program i.e. Cultural Connections, FOOT, Harvest, FreshPerson Conference, or the Orientation for International Students you will need to arrive before Friday, August 28. Please see Important Dates to Remember for the dates of these programs and arrival information.

    FOOT, Harvest, FreshPerson Conference meet on campus and then depart for their destinations. They all return on Friday, August 29 around noon.

    Cultural Connections and the Orientation for International Students stay on campus in temporary rooms until they move into their permanent rooms on Wednesday, August 26.
  4. Is there a parent orientation?
    We have designed events for parents and families on Friday, August 28 and Saturday, August 29.We encourage parents to attend the panel discussion about undergraduate education and the residential colleges, followed by the Masters’ open houses, on Friday afternoon, August 28 as well as the Freshman Assembly and President’s Reception on Saturday morning, August 29. The Calendar for the Opening Days of College will be available in July and a copy will be mailed to each student’s permanent home address.
  5. What are the dates for fall, winter and spring breaks and when do the residences close for undergraduates in May?
    Please see Important Dates to Remember.
  6. When is Family Weekend?
    Family Weekend is scheduled for Oct 9-11 in 2009. For more information see the Family Weekend Web site.
  7. I am an international student, when will the I-20 form be sent to me so that I can apply for a visa?
    For more information visit the Office of International Students and Scholars or e-mail oiss@yale.edu.
  8. When will I receive information about housing and roommates?
    In early July, we will mail your housing and roommate assignment to your permanent home address. Please be sure to complete your Housing Form by May 1, 2009.
  9. When will I receive information about moving to Yale?
    Please see Important Dates to Remember for arrival information based on the preorientation programs, Freshmen orientation and dormitory opening. For more information see Planning Your Move. We will also mail this information to your permanent home address.
  10. When will I receive information about the pre-orientation programs i.e. Cultural Connections, FOOT, Harvest, FreshPerson Conference, the Orientation for International Students?
    Freshman Orientation—August 22 to September 2—is your formal introduction to Yale College. The optional preorientation programs are described in the booklet “Freshman Preorientation Programs” included in the May mailing and on this Web site. The deadline for most programs is June 8, 2009. For more information or to apply see Preorientation Programs.
  11. What AP tests would be beneficial for placement and which ones should I forgo?
    For more information see the Yale College Programs of Study.
  12. When may I apply to Directed Studies?
    If you are interested in being considered for this program you must apply on the Web by June 8, 2009. Applicants will be notified of admission decisions by the end of July. For additional information or to apply see Directed Studies. We will also mail this information to your permanent home address.
  13. When may I apply to Perspectives on Science and Engineering?
    If you are interested in being considered for this program you must apply by June 8, 2009. Applicants will be notified of admission decisions by the end of July. For additional information or to apply see Perpectives on Science and Engineering. We will also mail this information to your permanent home address.
  14. When may I apply for a freshman seminar?
    Information about the Freshmen Seminar Program and the application process will be available in July.
  15. Is there a score I could receive on the AP test that would preclude me from taking any foreign language at Yale?
    All Yale College students must fulfill the Foreign Language Requirement as one of the distributional requirements for graduation. For more information see the Center for Language Study's Guide to Language Study for Undergraduates.
  16. If I travel over the summer, what should I do about receiving mail?
    We will send our publications to you at your permanent home address.  It is important that we have your current address; without it, we cannot send you the material you will need for your first weeks at Yale.  

    In early June, you will be able to activate your student NetID (instructions will be on the Freshman Web site) and thus make updates to your personal information—including your mailing address—in the Yale System. We encourage you to list your permanent address and to keep it as current as possible, bearing in mind that mailings may take a week or more to reach you. Please do not list temporary summer addresses but rather make arrangements for mail to be held or forwarded as appropriate.

    If in moving you leave a forwarding address with the post office, you must specifically request to have periodicals and third-class mail forwarded, as well as first-class letters, to be certain that publications reach you over the summer.

    If your family moves before you are able to activate your NetID, please send address change information to fas.registrar@yale.edu or:

    Registrar’s Office
    Faculty of Arts and Sciences
    Yale University
    P.O. Box 208321
    New Haven, CT 06520-8321
    Fax: (203) 432-2334
  17. What does Yale recommend in terms of laptops for freshmen?
    During the summer, computer specifications and special Yale prices from selected vendors will be posted on the Student Technology Collaborative (STC) site. Yale students are not required to buy computers through the STC, but the Yale-negotiated prices and packages are worth investigating.
    For more information, see Buying Computer Hardware and Software.
  18. What immunizations do I need before coming to campus?
    The immunization requirements, waiver request, authorization for medical care and treatment, and pre-entrance health forms are mailed to freshmen in mid-May. You may view this information and download the forms from Yale Health Plan: Forms for New Undergraduate Students.
  19. What should I buy for my room?
    The University provides each student with a desk, a chair, a bureau, and a bed (extra long, 80" by 36"). The beds have mattresses, but no pillows. In some dormitories there are additional furnishings. These will be noted in your room assignment from your residential college dean. Almost all freshmen live in suites in which they share a living room with several roommates. Consequently, it is a good idea to consult with your roommates over the summer about bringing furniture, stereos, telephones, rugs, televisions, etc. Many rooms have no overhead lighting, so you should plan to bring some lamps with you; halogen lamps, however, are fire hazards and are not permitted. For more information see Planning Your Move.
  20. How do I access Yale's online services and email?
    All Yale College students are automatically assigned a NetID—usually the student's initials followed by a number—that allows access to the campus network and its many online systems. Along with a password of your choosing, a NetID gives you access to such systems as email accounts; billing account information and online payment services; course information and registration; as well as to Yale's Computing Clusters. In order to access these services, you must activate your NetID beginning June 1. For more information see Activate Your NetID.
  21. When will I receive my post office box number?
    In order to receive mail on campus, all students are required by postal regulations to have a post office box. An application for your Yale Station post office box, along with your assigned box number, will be sent to you in August.
  22. How should I ship my stuff to campus?
    We recommend that you bring with you your most important items. Items that you cannot bring with you may be shipped by U.S. mail, United Parcel Service (UPS), or motor freight carrier. There is no storage space on campus, so please plan accordingly. For more information see Shipment of Personal Effects.
  23. Can I keep my car on campus?
    For information about Student Parking, see the Transportation Options Web site.
  24. What publications can I expect to receive from Yale?
    Over the summer, the Yale College Dean's Office sends two important mailings through the U.S. Postal Service: one around May 15, and one around July 20. For information regarding the specific contents, see Summer Mailings.
  25. Do freshmen have to live on campus?
    Students in their first four terms of enrollment must live on campus unless they are married or are at least twenty-one years of age. For more information see Undergraduate Regulations: Dormitory Regulations.
  26. Do I have to have a meal contract?
    All resident students must take a meal contract. Freshmen are required to have the Full Meal Plan, but may select the optional Anytime Meal Plan Plus Flex Points. For more information see Undergraduate Regulations: Dining Services Regulations.
  27. Which banks have ATMs on campus?
    Bank of America has an ATM in Durfee’s located on the Old Campus and in the lobby of Sterling Memorial Library. Their offices are located at 157 Church Street and 88 Broadway.