Have incoming freshman received any mailings from Earlham?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Earlham College
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<p>Does Earlham communicate with incoming freshman mostly through The Heart online portal, or does it also send out mailings?</p>

<p>DS will be starting as an Earlham freshman this fall, after taking a gap year. He did receive a letter urging him to log on to The Heart to fill out the various freshman questionnaires (housing, advising, etc.), and he is dealing with that.</p>

<p>I also thought, though, that he would be receiving information in the mail, based on older DS's experience at another college. Have any other incoming freshmen received anything in the mail from Earlham, or do they really do everything online? (Which would be fine; I just want to make sure we're not missing anything!)</p>

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<p>Only 2 years ago, I remember we got the housing forms by snail mail. I understand why colleges do everything online now, but doggone it, those mailings were fun to receive!</p>

<p>The other thing I remember was getting “Countdown” packets; one for D, and one for us. Ours included the Orientation schedule, info about parent events, financial info and deadlines, arrival and lodging, stuff like that. </p>

<p>I do seem to remember that it was after graduation that we received both of those, probably late June-ish. But as you probably know very well by now, all you have to do is call and the friendly Earlham folks will set your mind at ease.</p>

<p>Congratulations to your DS!</p>

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<p>Thanks, LasMa!</p>

<p>DS did sign up for the Wilderness Program, and just today he got a mailing about that. </p>

<p>Hm, maybe I will start another thread asking about that program.</p>

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<p>I was kind of surprised too that everything was online. My ds will be a senior and everything came by mail. My dd who will be a freshmen next year is forgetting to do everything, out of sight, out of mind and very ADD, LOL!! They had/have a parent discussion group, but I haven’t seen anything about that so I’m wondering if it is still around. It was a great place to ask questions. Hope your son has fun on the wilderness trip! Earlham has been a great school for my ds and for us so I’m glad we’re not leaving it entirely yet.</p>

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<p>DS is also ADD, so I hear you, utzybuzzy!</p>

<p>We (parents) did get a mailing just yesterday with some helpful information, mostly about the orientation weekend.</p>

<p>I just now – like, within the last half hour – realized that there is an entire [Countdown</a> to Earlham](<a href=“http://www.earlham.edu/countdown]Countdown”>Countdown to Orientation : Earlham College) section on the website. I was looking for something specific (can’t even recall what!) and stumbled upon it. It includes the information that is on The Heart (the student web portal), but seems to have a fair amount of additional information. </p>

<p>It also has three sub-sections that become accessible on different dates. The first section, [Countdown</a> 3](<a href=“http://www.earlham.edu/countdown/three]Countdown”>http://www.earlham.edu/countdown/three), has been available since May 13.</p>

<p>I asked DS if he knew about this. He does see now, on The Heart, that there is a link to Countdown 3, but he did not receive any kind of “heads up” notification (i.e., an email), and so did not know about it until I asked him. I guess Earlham expects the kids to check The Heart regularly for new information, which is not unreasonable, but – well, I wish DS had known about this when it was first available earlier this month.</p>

<p>Anyway, he knows now, so that’s good!</p>

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<p>By the way, I agree with utzybuzzy that Earlham is a great school! It’s DH’s alma mater, and he loved it. We think DS will be very happy there as well. I’m just stressing out a bit about getting everything all set for a smooth start!</p>

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<p>LasMa, the packet that we (the parents) received yesterday was labeled “Countdown to Earlham” on the envelope. DS has not (yet?) received a similar mailing. Now that he knows about the Countdown to Earlham website, though, he should be fine.</p>

<p>But if anyone else’s DS or DD receives anything in the mail, I’d be interested to hear.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p>This is true; he can get into the habit early!</p>

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<p>^^ I’m hoping he’ll make The Heart his home page, so checking in will be automatic!</p>

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<p>I too am having some difficulty getting my son to keep up with the website paperwork. He seems to feel this is the last summer, he will get to “do nothing”! But the Heart as his home page, would mean he has to log in each time?</p>

<p>I wish they would make a parent portal! Anyone have any luck figuring out the tuition payment plans. The website seems to have lost the forms and info on all that for 2011-2012.</p>

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<p>OP here! Although DS never did receive any paper mailings (other than from the Wilderness Program), I think he has dealt with all the Countdown website forms.</p>

<p>He is currently on the Wilderness Program in Ontario. I think one of their mailings said that material that is normally mailed to incoming students in August will be waiting for him in his college mailbox when he returns to Earlham on August 18, the day before Orientation starts. So I’m wondering if any parents of new students could just post here if their DS or DD receives any significant mailings at home this month?</p>

<p>Also, I have a question about choosing courses. I know each freshman student meets with his or her advisor during Orientation for help selecting courses. What I don’t know is, is the student expected to have a complete list of specific list of courses that he or she wants to take, ready for the advisor’s approval? Or will the advisor be suggesting specific courses? (I would have thought the former, but my husband, an Earlham alum, thinks it’s the latter. If I am right, DS will be busy on August 18 choosing courses, because he did not do that before he left and can’t do that in Ontario. Sigh!)</p>

<p>Finally, for momoffiresnake, you have probably figured this out by now, but I think all the payment info is [url=&lt;a href=“http://www.earlham.edu/countdown/three/billing-payment]here[/url”&gt;http://www.earlham.edu/countdown/three/billing-payment]here[/url</a>].</p>

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<p>Hm, I meant to say “is the student expected to have a complete list of specific courses” – should have proofread my post!</p>

<p>Also, I found that there is an “Official Earlham College Class of 2015” group on Facebook, but it is students only, not parents.</p>

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<p>Sodium, my memory is a bit foggy two years after the fact, but as I recall, students are not expected to have a completed finalized list of classes when they meet with their advisor. Advising, like everything else, is collaborative. If your DS has some firm ideas about what he wants to take, then the advisor will work with that. If not, then he/she will provide the necessary guidance.</p>

<p>ETA – I’m excited for you and your DS. :slight_smile: Earlham’s Orientation is really wonderful. It literally begins as you drive onto campus. </p>

<p>Although check-in is scheduled from 8 to 2, I’d recommend getting there as early as you can. It’s a busy day.</p>

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<p>Thank you, LasMa, that’s reassuring about the course selection process!</p>

<p>I’m very excited, too. One helpful thing is that the Wilderness Program kids return to campus on Thursday, the day before Orientation, in the morning, and get to move in that afternoon. So when everyone else is just arriving on Friday, DS will already be set up in his dorm, and we’ll be able to check in bright and early on the first day of Orientation. </p>

<p>I’ve been looking at the Orientation schedule, and it does look busy, but also very helpful and interesting!</p>

<p>We’re also planning to go to the Homecoming and Family Weekend in September. I’d like to see first hand how DS is adjusting, plus it’s DH’s 35th reunion. I see on that schedule that they have horseback riding for the families. I used to ride many years ago – not sure why I stopped, really, because I loved it – so that will be a treat that I think you don’t get on family weekends at most colleges!</p>

<p>If you don’t mind, I have yet another question. I need to pack up DS’s stuff (clothes, etc.) this week, and will probably ship it to Earlham using UPS. For things that we will need to buy (e.g., pillow and sheets), I can’t decide whether to buy them here (or order them online) and have them shipped, or just to wait until we get there. My concern is that the selection at nearby stores in Richmond will be picked clean. Do you think that’s a valid worry, or would we be okay putting some of the dorm shopping off until we get there?</p>

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<p>That’s wonderful @ your DS getting to move in the afternoon before! And great that by the time NSO starts, he’ll be ahead of the game, having already made some connections with other first-years. My D did not do the Wilderness program, so I’d be interested to hear how he liked it.</p>

<p>I did as much shopping/shipping beforehand as I possibly could. I had the same concern about selection, especially on school supplies. Plus I hate shopping anyway, and wanted to spend my time in Richmond helping D and attending NSO events, not schlepping through stores. For the things that I shipped, I tried to time it so that they got to Earlham a day or two before we did, so that they’d be waiting for us. If you don’t already have it, get your DS’s mailbox number and he’ll have a notice waiting when he arrives.</p>

<p>We shipped D’s clothing, shoes, towels, and other bulky items by Post Office (lowest rate). For books, school supplies, CDs, other small heavy things, we used the Post Office’s Flat Rate boxes – greatest thing since sliced bread (also the best way to send care packages.) </p>

<p>For large dorm furnishings like a garbage can, desk lamp, fan – basically, stuff that would cost more to ship than the item was worth – we did the Bed Bath & Beyond dorm registry and picked up at the store in Dayton. If I had it to do over, though, I think I’d use the JC Penney option for that kind of thing. That’s how we got D’s comforter: ordered online ahead of time and asked to have it held at the Richmond store for pickup. That would have saved me the round trip to Dayton.</p>

<p>Having done all of that, once we arrived in Richmond, the only thing that remained was to shop for toiletries, supplies like paper towels, some snacks for her room, and the inevitable unanticipated last-minute needs.</p>

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<p>Thanks, LasMa, this is all very helpful! </p>

<p>I like the idea of using the Post Offfice Flat Rate boxes for smaller, heavy things. For the bulky items, like clothes, I was planning on using UPS, mostly for the peace of mind of being able to track the delivery. But maybe I will try to save some money by using the Post Office instead. I assume you used Parcel Post? The USPS website says Parcel Post takes 2-8 days, so if I can mail those boxes in the next couple days, we should be okay. (Especially if that includes every day, not just “business days.”) Did all of your D’s boxes arrive on time?</p>

<p>It’s been two weeks today since I’ve heard from DS, since they don’t bring their cell phones with them on the Wilderness Program trip. Can’t wait to see him August 18, but also actually kind of enjoying this preparation stage – making the lists, etc. I don’t like shopping in stores, but shopping online can be fun!</p>

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<p>We did use Parcel Post for the big boxes, and I always pay for tracking on everything I ship. If memory serves, it’s like 65 cents per box, so well worth it. Last year, we shipped 3 LARGE boxes to Earlham and the total was $77, substantially less than what we’d have paid at UPS. </p>

<p>We’ve had good luck with the Post Office; nothing’s ever been lost, and everything has always arrived when they said it would. The 2-8 days refers to all days, not just week days, although of course delivery is only on mail days. The only problem we’ve ever had was with a Flat Rate Box which contained CDs (blank ones, fortunately), and some of them were broken. You could tell from the outside that this box had been dropped, or maybe ended up at the bottom of a very heavy stack. If this is a concern, you can purchase insurance, also dirt cheap. Other than that, the whole Post Office thing has worked like a charm for us, although there are plenty of people who swear by UPS or FedEx.</p>

<p>If no one has told you how to address things, it’s:</p>

<p>(DS’s name)
Earlham College Drawer #XXXX (call the Residence Life office for this)
801 National Road West
Richmond, IN 47374</p>

<p>D is also arriving on campus on Aug. 18 – earlier than she’s supposed to, but she’s moving into one of the on-campus houses with friends, so they wanted a few extra days to set up housekeeping. I’m going to ship her box this Tuesday or Wednesday, so it should be there when she arrives. We’re in Northern California, so since you’re closer, your time frame will of course be shorter.</p>

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<p>You know, I didn’t actually realize that you could pay for tracking with USPS. I will definitely do that. </p>

<p>We’re in New York City, so we are closer – I think the distance is about 650 miles. So I’m thinking we should be fine if I get these boxes mailed in the next day or so. </p>

<p>Thanks again for all this great advice!</p>

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<p>My D graduated a year ago. When we took her there as a freshman (from California) we carried as much as we could in our luggage, shipped some, and bought some. Richmond has a Walmart, a large K-Mart, Meijer (a grocery/variety store), JC Penney, and Elder-Beerman, a department store downtown. You should be able to find just about anything you need. The orientation schedule doesn’t allow a lot of time for shopping, but we managed. Earlham expects people to ship boxes and they’ll hold them until you arrive.</p>

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<p>Thanks, suzybelle!</p>

<p>I just noticed on the [Orientation</a> Schedule](<a href=“http://www.earlham.edu/sites/default/files/u7/orientation_schedule_2011_0.pdf]Orientation”>http://www.earlham.edu/sites/default/files/u7/orientation_schedule_2011_0.pdf) that there is a field trip to Walmart scheduled for Sunday night at 11 PM. I think that was an inspired bit of scheduling! (I assume from this that the Richmond Walmart is open 24 hours, which is good to know.) DH and I will be gone by then, but maybe S will take advantage of this to get whatever he still needs.</p>

<p>Progress report: the clothing box has been mailed!</p>