<p>Interested in hearing from any current Yalies (or recent grads) about what they thought about Bulldog Days(to be held 4/18-19, Mon and Tues) for admits to the Class of 2009. Did it help you a lot about making a decision to go to Yale?
What did you like most about it? Least? Was it worth the time and money for the trip?
I looked at the schedule posted online at Yale, and it looked like there is a lot of free time. How does that tend to get used?
Do they pair the admits with current student in some sensible fashion or is it all random?
Any ideas on best way to get to Yale if flying in? Safest way for a female admit who may be flying solo, and then getting from some airport(New Haven(not likely for airline reasons), Hartford, or NYC) to New Haven?
Thanks!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ctlimo.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.ctlimo.com/</a> CT limo is the cheapest shuttle service out of the two I looked at. $70 round trip will take you right to Phelps gate.</p>
<p>Is this only for students or can parents tag along? Are there separate programs for parents? Which airport is the most convenient to fly to? Thanks in advance for answers to the above questions.</p>
<p>to redhawkjay:</p>
<p>I found Bulldog Days to be a wonderful experience. I went there expecting not to go to Yale and came back unable to wait to get there! I definitely feel like you should do it, it'll reassure you if you have already decided and help you make your decision if not. One common complaint about bulldog days is that there really isn't that much activity planned for you, but i foudn that to be just more time for me to get to know more people and explore the campus, etc. you definitely won't be bored. </p>
<p>About the airport, I personally fly into NYC from Atlanta, and then take an airport shuttle from LGA to Grand Central and take a train from Grand Central to New Haven. Once there, you can just take a taxi from the station to Phelps Gate. This may sound complicated, but it actually isn't too bad, and, at least for me, usually turns out to be significantly cheaper. Otherwise, fly into Hartford and take CT Limo, just be sure to plan your return shuttle very much earlier b/c ct limo is atrocious about overbooking and being late! </p>
<p>Best!</p>
<p>to anothermom:</p>
<p>You can read my answer for the airport in the post above. Parents can definitely tag along for the trip to Bulldog Days if they wish, although the vast majority don't. Bulldog days is an event that's more geared towards the incoming frosh than their parents. So, there isn't likely to be many activities for parents. </p>
<p>The event that most parents go to during the year is Parents Week, which occurs around October.</p>
<p>There are definitely activities, or I should say, forums and talks, for parents! This is your opportunity to get any questions answered about the school and its fit for your child.<br>
-The admit days at two other colleges she was considering coincided with Bulldog days, so we did all three in a row. It took some organizing, but it was well worth it and really helped my D make a decision that would have been more difficult otherwise.
I think most kids had a least one parent in town during the Bulldog activities. They may not be visible to the kids ( note to above poster) but they are there!</p>
<p>About the airports - it depends where you're coming from. We live on the west coast, and fly into Bradley at Hartford. From there you can rent a car, or take the Connecticutt Limo to the university ($30 one way, or $50 round trip) It's a little over an hour in the limo, 45 minutes if you're driving. My D is comfortable with that arrangement now, as she flies into Bradley and takes the Conn Limo by herself all the time. They take the kids right to Phelps gate. It seems like there are almost always other students she runs into on route, so she rarely has to make that part of the trip alone.</p>
<p>So I live with my grandparents, and they just bought this RV last year that they're hot to get some more use out of. So they've decided that we're going to drive to the east coast and see NYC and whatnot before Bulldog Days. But I almost had a heart-attack at the thought of driving around Yale in this huge RV, so I think we're going to rent a car now to get around NTC and Yale. Jeez... lol.</p>
<p>So my grandparents will be around, but not really with me. Which is what i think it will be like for most of the kids. which is good. i'm wanting to meet new people and party. </p>
<p>anyhow, that's all</p>
<p>I hated Bulldog Days, I found it and other Admit Weekends to be forced and fake. I did not get a chance to really learn much about Yale (outside from what I already knew) and it was very clear that I was not getting an accurate picture of life at Yale, but rather the idealized admissions office brochure version of what Yale was like. I think if you have the option, go visit Yale some other time before or after Bulldog Days when you can see what life at Yale is really like.</p>
<p>There's another thread about this, with hotel recommendations, in the Parents forum (<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=26296%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=26296</a>).</p>
<p>My daughter's experience last year was somewhere in the middle: She liked Bulldog Days but felt she'd gotten more out of a less formal overnight visit in the fall, especially since her hosts had invited her to stay on for an extra night. My husband and I were already familiar with Yale, so (at our daughter's request) she went alone both times. </p>
<p>I do think Bulldog Days is worthwhile for kids, who get a chance to check out the dorms and prospective future classmates, but for parents who have already visited the campus, I'm not sure this is worth a long detour.</p>
<p>My son went to Bulldog Days last year. He went up on a Sat and stayed with a friend that was already a student there, then went to stay overnight on Monday with his host, leaving to come home on Tuesday.</p>
<p>I flew him up there solo and he took a cab from the New Haven airport. Not even a half hour after he stepped foot on campus did he call me to tell me he knew Yale was the place for him. He had visited other colleges that had accepted him and none of them made him feel the way Yale did. I'm glad he went :)</p>
<p>Taking him up in August, we flew in to Hartford, rented a car. I then knew why he fell in love with Yale and the New Haven area - it's beautiful. I had worried about the area after reading some stuff about it being seedy and not so safe - not true from my own personal experience.</p>
<p>My son has taken CT LIMO without any problem. Very reliable and they take you right to OC (PHELPS EXPRESS). My nephew is going to visit him next month and will take it to/from the airport. I think it's $40 rt. </p>
<p>I know this is a bit premature, but I rarely come on this board anymore, so here's a few bits of advice a wee bit early:</p>
<p>Last year when I was scouting the boards AND the web, I couldn't find any information about the dorms, how big, what they looked like, etc. Of course, they are all different. If your host doesn't mind, take a picture and post it on a special board that shows the dorm suite and/or room. I think many kids were surprised at the space, or lack thereof, of the dorms they got assigned to. The closets in my sons dorms are, for lack of a better word, minuscule! People were surprised when I showed them the pictures I took of my sons dorm room and how small it was (common room is nice size though). Others at Yale said his room was big in comparison to theirs.</p>
<p>And, for those of you who do get accepted and decide to go to Yale, take an allen wrench or two with you - the small tool kit that I brought came in VERY handy to unbunk the beds if yours are bunked and don't want them to be. This avoided having to wait hours/days to get on the list for maintenance to come and do it. Oh, and duct tape, that too came in very handy.</p>
<p>And, for those of you who go to Yale, and are going to fly - how to get all your stuff there? GREYHOUND! I got my son the Student Advantage Card which allowed us to ship his stuff at 50% off. Just picked it up at the New Haven station. Of course, that was in addition to all the luggage we took up with us on the plane - thank goodness DELTA SONG lets you check in 3 pieces per person!</p>
<p>Good luck to all of you who've applied!</p>
<p>Thank you for posting all this helpful info. I really appreciate it.</p>
<p>Many thanks for all the helpful info posted above about Bulldog Days and more!</p>
<p>Haha...any advice on how to make my mom stop complaining? She's convinced that when we visit for Bulldog Days (she's bringing me and my dad doesn't feel like coming, since he'll be back in August), she'll never see me because I'll be "too busy for her," so she'll be "all alone for two days." (Isn't that part of the experience?) Oh my, I can't wait until move-in day - she'll have a nervous breakdown... :)</p>
<p>As for travel plans, we'll probably fly into Hartford and rent a car...any thoughts on that?</p>
<p>Tell your mom that she'll be able to meet other moms while she's there. The administration also has info sessions for parents that I found helpful. If she enjoys photography, the architecture is a worthy subject. The Peabody Museum of Natural History is interesting, as well as The British Museum. There's always shopping, and eating! She won't be bored.<br>
Flying to Hartford and renting a car is a convenient way to go. You can park and leave your car at the hotel (if you're in town) as she probably won't need it until you leave for the airport.</p>
<p>I had the same problem last year, so on the first day, I had lunch with another girl and her mother, and our mothers managed to have a blast. That made my mom realize that this is a good opportunity to meet other parents, and she ended up loving Yale.</p>
<p>Anyone going solo besides me?</p>
<p>Lots of kids go solo to Bulldog Days. (CC parents may not be a representative sample.) And, as other posters have pointed out, the kids are pretty much on their own whether or not their parents are staying in New Haven.</p>
<p>Tell your Moms to go to TRADER JOES and/or IKEA, that will surely keep them busy. Okay, maybe it's just me, but we don't have either store where we live and I love TJ'S! If they like to gamble, tell them to go the the big casino not too far of a drive away - but not to bet your college tuition while there;) Before they know it, Bulldog Days will be history! It's such a short time, it will be over before you know it. </p>
<p>In August, we rented a car on the internet from HERTZ, they seemed to have the best deal at the time. I got it through Priceline, I believe it was about $20 with tax a day. </p>
<p>Check out this great site that has all you need to know about NEW HAVEN! There's tons of stuff on there, not only to keep a parent busy while you all are checking out Yale, but great info on transportation, lodging, etc.</p>