Mail Services

Information & Mail Centers

During the summer months, the Foster-Walker Information & Mail Center is open from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm to serve residents living in Foster-Walker.

How the Mailrooms Work

1. Mail and packages arrive at the mailroom. The times of deliveries vary, so please be patient as the mail clerks are working as fast as possible.
   • USPS, UPS, and FedEx know to deliver packages for students to their respective mailrooms.
   • Only mail clerks should sign for deliveries. Please do not sign for any packages other than your own.
   • For early morning deliveries when the mailroom is not open, carriers may call individual student rooms to deliver packages directly to them.
   • For any package that does not require signature confirmation and is sent by USPS, UPS, or FedEx Ground, the carrier can leave the package in the locked mailroom and it will be logged in when the mailroom opens. Otherwise, the carrier will usually bring it back later that day or the following day. (Please note that only those carriers have direct access to the mailroom. Other carriers cannot leave packages in a secure area.)
2. The mail clerks sort the mail and place it in the appropriate mailbox.
3. All packages and items that do not fit in the mailboxes are logged and stored at the mailroom. An email notification for each stored item is sent to the Northwestern email address on file to notify the student of its arrival.
4. Students must present both his/her Wildcard to retrieve a stored item.
5. Please ask all friends and family to correctly label all mail and packages. To find the mailing address for a particular building, visit the description of your desired building. Special note: all mail with zip code 60208 or "Northwestern University" will first be delivered to the campus mail center before arriving at the mailroom. To ensure faster service, please be sure to correctly update your address for any bills or statements.
6. During Winter Break, the US Postal Service and the individual package carriers are instructed to hold mail and packages. The items are delivered the first week of Winter Quarter in January.

How to Send Packages

The mailroom does not accept packages to be shipped out or returned. Please contact the carrier directly to arrange for a pickup at at time when you will be available. Only packages under one (1) pound being shipped through USPS may be sent out. Anything over a pound must be taken directly to a US Post Office counter due to security measures.

• Regular mail may be slipped through the mail slot marked "US Mail." Campus mail should be handed to the mail clerk. The mailroom does not sell stamps.
• There are three USPS locations in Evanston:
  • Evanston Main Office at 1101 Davis Street (a few blocks west from the Davis El stop)
  • Evanston North at 1929 Central Street
  • Evanston South at 701 Main Street (just west of the Main Street el stop)
• There is a FedEx Office in the Norris University Center.
• There is a UPS Store at 1555 Sherman Avenue.

Mail Forwarding

University Residential Life collects mail forwarding information. It is important to note that not all mail can be forwarded. So, you are encouraged to notify friends, family, and companies of your summer mailing address to ensure delivery. Refer to Mail Forwarding Information for more details and to provide your forwarding address.

Stop Unwanted Mail

Frequently Asked Questions

Please visit our frequently asked questions about mail service.

For overall questions regarding residence hall mail service, please email Residential Life Mail Services.