<p>How does one move to Hampshire from far away? (We, for example, are on the west coast.) I presume that one flies into Boston, but then what? Train? Bus? Carpool? Hitch-hike? Are some ways more convenient than others? More or less cost-effective than others? Is the leg from Boston (or elsewhere) a big, inconvenient schlep, or is it more managaeable than it seems?</p>
<p>Bradley International Airport (Hartford, CT) is actually the closest airport. From there you can arrange to have the Valley Transporter pick you up (schedule in advance!). It’s a bit pricy (sixty bucks I believe), but it’s sort of a one-time thing. Meaning by the end of the semester you’ll find Hampshire/Five College kids to carpool with.</p>
<p>I didn’t find it terribly inconvenient. Hartford is only about an hour away from Amherst. Let me know if you have any more questions!</p>
<p>I agree with gcD. We live in Seattle and have tried going to Boston, because it can be a cheaper flight, and you can do it nonstop. But the cost, time and inconvenience to then get to Hampshire does not seem worth it, compared to Bradley. There are two shuttle companies, [Valley</a> Transporter](<a href=“http://www.valleytransporter.com/bradley.html]Valley”>http://www.valleytransporter.com/bradley.html) and [Seemo</a> Shuttle](<a href=“http://www.seemoshuttle.com/]Seemo”>http://www.seemoshuttle.com/) which are convenient but terribly expensive. Our kids know several students who make a little money on the side by taking other students to Bradley for $30 or less. </p>
<p>You almost always have to change planes to get to Bradley from the west coast. It stinks, but that’s the way it is. </p>
<p>You can ship some stuff to your kid’s Hampshire post office box. They don’t recommend it because there is a crush the first few days of the orientation period, and they can’t guarantee that you will have access to your stuff on the first day. We figured out how to beat the rush by going straight to the post office before checking in. </p>
<p>Al F.
(One Hampshire grad and one with a year to go!)</p>
<p>Thanks, GirlcanDISCO --</p>
<p>Which airlines fly into Bradley?</p>
<p>Bradley does seem to be the most common choice. You can also fly into NYC and then take the Greyhound bus which connects with a Peter Pan bus. One or two Peter Pan busses a day actually drop off at Hampshire College. It takes about 4 hours on the bus from Greyhound station in NYC to Hampshire or Amherst. One issue is that the local Pioneer Valley Transit Authority busses do not run to Hampshire/other colleges for the most part the first few days when only the first year students are there.Good luck!</p>
<p>American, Delta, Jet Blue, Southwest, United, US Air</p>
<p>If you haven’t yet, check out the [Hampshire</a> College New Student Newsletter](<a href=“http://www.hampshire.edu/studentlife/newsletter.htm]Hampshire”>http://www.hampshire.edu/studentlife/newsletter.htm)
which includes answers to FAQs, such as:</p>
<p>Can I ship things to the College before I come?</p>
<p>Yes, you can ship things to your campus mailbox beginning two weeks prior to your arrival, but please do not ship anything that you will need for your first week. Hampshire’s post office is very busy this time of year, and it may take up to a week after you arrive before you are able to pick up your packages. You should pack and bring with you sheets, a pillow, a towel, an alarm clock, clothes, toiletries, and your telephone. Your post office box number will be viewable on TheHub. (See next question for mailing format). </p>
<p>How do I format my Hampshire College address?</p>
<p>Please use the following format for your mailing address for all packages and mail. Your post office box number will be available to you on TheHub in the weeks prior to your arrival. The format is:
Student’s Name
Box ####
Hampshire College
893 West Street
Amherst, MA 01002</p>
<p>Also, check out the Hampshire Family Relations Blog, <a href=“http://blog.hampshire.edu/family/[/url]”>http://blog.hampshire.edu/family/</a> which has a, “Parent-to-Parent Advice: Moving In” article, from July 19. The Family Relations Blog is a good place to get questions answered.</p>