<p>Have any current Yale students here participated in the FOOT program or any of the other pre-orientation programs? Do you recommend them or have any inside info on them?
Thanks!</p>
<p>My son, now a freshman, participated in FOOT last August and thoroughly enjoyed it. He went on a trip to the Catskills and had a wonderful time. (He has a lot of backpacking experience but that is not required by any means.) In fact, he is applying to lead a group this coming August. As parents on this site have said, the sight of the different FOOT groups arriving on campus for orientation straight from the trail, filthy and tired but exuberant and triumphant, is heartening and a treat to witness. They each chant their songs, louder than the next, with arms entwined in a huddle. FOOT aims to create community for frosh before they arrive on campus - and from what I know it succeeds completely!</p>
<p>My son did one of the Appalachian Trail trips. He absolutely loved it. He has a fair amount of backpacking experience, but he’s not an expert. One of the neat things about FOOT is that you arrive on campus with a ready-made group of friends.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. My son does not have much backpacking experience, but he does rock climbing and seems to be interested in doing this. I think it would be a good “jump start” to meeting new classmates. Did your sons do the 4 or 6 day program?<br>
Does this trip make move-in day any more difficult that it normally would be? :-)</p>
<p>My son did the 4-day program. There was no interference with moving day festivities. As I recall, the kids returned to campus around noon. After a quick shower, there was plenty of time to get the room arranged (well, as much “arrangement” as boys care about) and run around to IKEA, Target, etc.</p>
<p>My son did the 6 day program, and no, it doesn’t affect moving in at all. I don’t know where you live but flying in from the midwest we did have to plan carefully. My son left first of course, just with one backpack and one day pack with a change of clothes. They don’t have storage space for luggage while on FOOT. Then we arrived for move-in a week later with his four big suitcases (Southwest - free!) and picked up packages we had mailed ahead of time to the hotel (Courtyard Marriott- but you can also mail UPS to Yale - they have the trucks lined up on Old Campus for frosh pickup of packages - all of this info will be sent to you). We actually picked up his key for him (8 or 9 am) and got into his room before he ever got to campus. He arrived at around 10 or so and Dad and he went to the hotel to shower while I continued to move him in. All worked smoothly. Upperclassmen are there to help carry stuff into the rooms, food is out in the Old Campus lawn, all very exciting and well-organized. Please let me know if you have any other questions. FOOT is most assuredly a worthwhile program!</p>
<p>THanks! I’ll pass along the info to my son…
It sounds like a great program!</p>
<p>My son really enjoyed it, too.</p>
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Well, it made it a lot easier for HIM, because we arrived hours before he did, got the key, moved his stuff in unpacked it all, put it away, made the bed, etc.</p>
<p>Exactly, Hunt! DS just walked in to a clean and almost complete room! But I was happy to do it - kept my mind off the impending farewell…:(</p>