Winter Recess 2023 Hours:
***For the holiday week - starting Friday, 12/22/2023, through Monday, 01/02/2024 - HYMC will be open the following days and hours:
Friday, 12/22: CLOSED FOR THE UNIVERSITY HOLIDAY
Saturday, 12/23: 10am-2pm
Sunday, 12/24 - Monday, 12/25: CLOSED
***Tuesday, 12/26 - Saturday, 12/30: 10am-2pm
***The Science Center will be closed for utility work on 12/28/23. The HYMC will also be closed.
Sunday, 12/31 - Monday, 1/1/2024: CLOSED
We will return to our regular schedule on Tuesday, 01/02/2024.
Important Mail Delivery Reminders for Harvard University First Year Students :
HUMS’ Harvard Yard Mail Center (HYMC) is in the basement of the Science Center and manages mail and parcels for first-year students. All deliveries for first year students are delivered to this mail center. Students for whom parcels are received are sent notification emails, and they can go to the HYMC window for pickup. Window hours are Monday-Friday 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m, and Saturday 10a.m.-2p.m.
Mailbox numbers at HYMC are assigned by the First Year Experience Office. Mailbox and housing assignments are sent via email in late July. Mail should not be addressed to the first-year residence halls, as no mail is delivered to those halls and there is no connection between room numbers and mailbox numbers.
The address of residents receiving mail at HYMC should be formatted as follows:
<Full Name>
<Mailbox number> Harvard Yard Mail Center
Cambridge, MA 02138
So, for example,
John P. Harvard, IV
#### Harvard Yard Mail Center
Cambridge, MA 02138
This is the best way to address your mail. However, some carriers will require a street address, in which case the format should be as follows:
John P. Harvard, IV
#### Harvard Yard Mail Center
1 Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Parcel Lockers: HUMS uses parcel lockers that are available to students to pick up parcels outside of customer service window hours. Delivery to these lockers is on a first-come first-served basis, determined by HUMS, as volume does not allow this service for all deliveries. If a student’s parcel is placed in a locker, they will be notified by email with instructions on how to retrieve their parcel.
Rising sophomores are given new addresses when they move into their residences. If mail is sent to upperclassmen at their freshman address it will be redirected by HUMS, however, to avoid delays in receiving mail/parcels please make sure to use correct address.
Special note for perishable items: Perishable items must be picked up as soon as possible. If not picked up in a timely manner, they will be disposed of (i.e. food, flowers).
Newspaper subscriptions: Please notify the HYMC staff with any newspaper subscriptions. They will ensure they are held for students to pick up.
Hours of Operation:
If you receive a notification that you have a parcel in a parcel locker, these can be retrieved 24 hours per day, or whenever the Science Center is open to the public.
Customer Service:
If you have questions regarding mail, or inquiries into package tracking please contact HUMS@harvard.edu or phone 617-496-6245.
We will need the following information when answering inquiries:
- Tracking Number
- Name, including any nicknames or alternate names that may be on the parcel
- Mailbox Number
- Carrier (USPS, FedEx, UPS, Amazon Logistics)
- General description (shape, size, etc.)
- Any other information that may be helpful
Please note that tracking systems used by the USPS and other carriers (UPS, FedEx, etc.) do not necessarily indicate when parcels are delivered to Harvard University Mail Services (HUMS). In most cases USPS items are scanned “delivered” before reaching a Harvard loading dock, either during sorting at a USPS facility in Cambridge or as they are loaded on to a USPS truck. Other carriers will deliver to loading docks that are not managed by HUMS. Parcels are not considered received by HUMS until they are logged in to our tracking system indicating that we have custody.