<p>I'm an incoming frosh, and I live 5 hrs. away from Yale, so my family doesn't want to trust me with my passport and SS Card. Do I need my SS card (I have my number memorized) or my passport for anything at Yale? Also, what other important documents should I bring (e.g. copy of birth certificate or anything else)? Thanks.</p>
<p>If you’re planning on getting a student job, you’ll need two forms of ID (SS Card, Passport, or Driver’s License) to fill out your I-9. That was the only time I needed mine my freshman year.</p>
<p>I think you’d want to begin guardianship of your passport from here on out, to be frank. Can you imagine the following?</p>
<p>Your Mom to a neighbor: “Yes, we just got back from New Haven. The kid seems to fit right in. We’re so happy to have a Yalie in the family. What’s that? Oh I keep all the important documents for safekeeping.”</p>
<p>Replacing a lost or stolen passport is a huge pain in the neck.</p>
<p>If you can rustle up two other forms of ID (for the Student Job), it would be wiser to leave it where it is most secure. For my kids, that would be at Mom & Dad’s house.</p>
<p>Your parents can mail you your passport if you need it in a hurry. Once you start travelling abroad on your own, departing and arriving from someplace other than home, I imagine the pro/con balance will change and you’ll go on having custody of your passport. That’s what has happened so far with my kids. Until then, however, what’s the big deal with leaving it at home? Your parents can mail it to you if you need it.</p>
<p>D1: SS card, no (she has it memorized after filling out college apps); birth certificate, no; passport, yes. She keeps it in a secured lock box, with being so close to Canada she might need it spur of the moment.</p>
<p>If you’re going to get a student job, the passport alone can do the trick. I also think it might be a good idea for you to start keeping your own documents. For one, mailing a passport=bad idea!! I had my mom do that because I needed to fill out my I-9. Of course, my passport got lost in the mail for WEEKS and I had no idea what the hell happened to it. So, mailing is probably more dangerous than you keeping it. Just be sure to leave it in a safe place.</p>
<p>I also have a copy of my birth certificate - I don’t know what it is exactly. It’s an original copy but a lot smaller. You might want to look into it.</p>