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Mailroom Frequently Asked Questions

Mailroom Entrance

Where is the Merrill Mailroom Located?

Directly across from the Merrill College Office, or, adjacent to the Merrill roundabout in the orange building.

What is my address?

The format of your Merrill student address is as follows:

Your Full Name (First Name, Last Name)
UCSC, Merrill College, Box #
641 Merrill Road
Santa Cruz, CA 95064-1102

✓ Do use your full legal or preferred name, first and last
✓ Do include your box number

× Do not use nicknames
× Do not use your room number
× Do not use 1156 High St.
× Do not use P.O. Box

Incorrectly addressed mail will be delayed or returned to sender.

What’s my assigned box number?

All students living at Merrill will receive a mailbox number assignment and combination code and will receive email notifications when packages are available for pickup during mailroom open hours. Please note that mailboxes are shared.

Your box number, combination, and instructions on recieving mail and packages will be sent to you via email to your UCSC.edu email address either shortly before or on move-in day. If you did not receive this email and you are a Merrill resident, please email us at merrillmail@ucsc.edu.

What do I do if there's a letter in my mailbox that is not for me?

Mailboxes are shared with up to two students per box, please double check the name so as not to take mail that is not addressed to you. If mail addressed to another student is taken accidentally please return it to a mailroom employee.

How do I know when my package has arrived?

You will receive an e-mail notification from us letting you know we’ve logged your package into our database and it is ready for pick-up. If you receive a notification from your postal carrier prior to receiving our e-mail, please be patient and know that we will contact you very soon. There are several reasons why there may be a lag between these two notifications:

  • MANY OTHER STUDENTS ARE ORDERING PACKAGES AT THE SAME TIME: The beginning of each quarter is very busy.  If you have an urgent need for a package, we may be able to prioritise sorting for your package.  Please email us with more details or stop by the mailroom with confirmation of delivery.
  • YOUR CARRIER PREEMPTIVELY NOTIFIED YOU BEFORE IT ARRIVED:
    Postal carriers frequently mark packages as delivered when they are still in transit.  
  • THE PACKAGE WAS INCORRECTLY ADDRESSED:
    If a package is delivered to you with any missing info (first or last name missing, nickname used, or package shipped with parent's name, etc) it may cause delays in your package as we confirm who it's intended for.  In this case we may ask for the tracking number to confirm the package is for you.

What do I need to bring when picking up a package?

Please bring your student ID card when retrieving packages from the mailroom. If you do not have your student ID card, talk to the mailroom staff about different options.

Can I send a friend to pick up a package for me?

Yes you can! Please send an email to merrillmail@ucsc.edu that includes information of who will be picking it up, authorizing the person to pick it up on your behalf, and the student ID ASSOCIATED with the package to pick up.

What if my carrier has notified me my package has been delivered, but I haven't received any notification from the Merrill Mailroom and it's been more than a couple days?

It may have been misdelivered or the package might have incomplete information, causing us to be uncertain who it's for.  Come to the mailroom during our open window hours OR to the Merrill College Admin building across from the mailroom with your student ID card and a tracking number from your postal carrier and we'll try to figure out what went wrong.

What if I go by a name other than my legal name?

If you have specified a preferred name in MyUCSC, you can receive mail under either your preferred or legal name.  For all other students, please use your full legal name for all packages and letter mail, otherwise we cannot guarantee mail will be matched to you. Do know packages will be written down on the package itself using the name that's on the package label itself. Be sure to have pacakges mailed by you, family, friends, or other sources using your preferred full name rather than your legal name.

Where can I mail a letter?

The Merrill mailroom is not a full service post office, a UPS or FedEx pick-up spot. We do not supply any mailing materials or stamps.

The closest U.S. mailbox for outgoing mail is located at the UCSC Bookstore and at Baskin Engineering. Please make sure you apply approproate stampage to the letter mail based on USPS instructions and place it into the blue mailbin

Where can I mail a package?

The Merrill mailroom is not a full service post office, a UPS or FedEx pick-up spot. We do not supply any mailing materials or packing labels.

The nearest UPS location is next to the Safeway on Mission Street at:

849 ALMAR AVE, STE C
SANTA CRUZ, CA 95060-5848

The nearest USPS location is downtown on Mission Street at:

850 FRONT ST
SANTA CRUZ, CA 95060

The nearest FedEx location is downtown on Front Street at:

712 FRONT ST
SANTA CRUZ, CA 95060

If you wish to send out a RETURN package from campus, you will need to bring a box with the item inside while having a printed out RETURN label for the carriers to accept. Once the box is sealed and the return label is on the package, the mailroom can accept it and request the carrier to pick it up.

What if I want to work at the mailroom?

Please introduce yourself to the Merrill College Assistant, a staff member at the front desk of the Merrill College Office, during open hours to get more info on how to submit an application. You can also check periodically of open positions on the UCSC Handshake system.