LetterAgent
Mail physical letters by just asking your AI assistant.
Address it the way the university's mail center asks, not the way the dorm appears on a map. Most schools want the student's full name, mailbox number, the mail center's street address, and the school name with city, state, and ZIP. Using the building's address or a nickname is the fastest way to get mail delayed or returned.
On most campuses, the postal service delivers to exactly one place: the university mail center. Individual residence halls usually are not delivery points, so a letter addressed to "Room 214, Maple Hall, 123 Campus Drive" can bounce around before someone figures out where it belongs. The mail center sorts everything internally and routes it to the student's mailbox or the hall's front desk.
This is also why the ZIP code on a school's mail-center address sometimes differs from the ZIP on the campus map. Processing plants route by the delivery address, not by the building name. Always use the address the university publishes on its mail services page, not the one a maps app shows for the dorm.
| Line | What to put | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Student name | Full legal first and last name, as enrolled | Mail centers match the name against enrollment records; nicknames get flagged or returned |
| Mailbox number | The assigned box, "MSC 4821", or "Box 567" | Routes the piece to the right cubby inside the mail center |
| Mail center address | The street address the university publishes for student mail | This is the actual postal delivery point |
| School, city, state, ZIP | University name, then city, state, and ZIP | Confirms the right campus for schools with multiple locations |
Put together, it looks like this:
Jane A. Doe
MSC 4821
500 University Ave Mail Center
Springfield, IL 62701
If the school's instructions say not to include the residence hall name, believe them. Extra lines that the sorting staff doesn't expect can slow a piece down rather than help it.
The name match is the big one. If your student goes by "Alex" but is enrolled as "Alexander," put Alexander on the mail. Many campus mail centers return mail when the name doesn't match their roster, because they have no safe way to confirm the recipient. This bites hardest with packages, but letters get returned for it too.
Timing matters as well. Most campus mail centers won't accept mail that arrives before the move-in hold window opens, often about a week before the term starts. Anything sent earlier may be returned to sender, so don't ship dorm supplies in August for a September move-in unless the mail center says it's fine. During summer and winter breaks, some centers close entirely: check the mail center's calendar before sending anything.
One more wrinkle: students can't always receive every carrier at the mail center. University mail centers typically accept postal mail and often accept private carriers too, but the rules differ by school, and some charge a small fee per package received. Letters through the postal service are the safest bet when you're unsure.
In Canada, the setup is nearly identical: universities run residence mail rooms, Canada Post delivers to the university's receiving address, and the same name-match and hold-window rules apply. The address format follows the Canadian convention (name, mailbox number, university, city, province, postal code).
Yes. LetterAgent mails to US and Canadian addresses, and a student mailbox counts: just address it exactly the way the university's mail center specifies, mailbox number included. Describe the letter to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and the letter is printed (8.5x11, single-sided) and mailed in a double-window envelope with your return address showing. One honest limit: LetterAgent mails letters, not packages, so care packages and boxes still need a parcel carrier.
Ready to mail it? Send your letter with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it is printed and mailed.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
Need help? Ask your assistant: it can check a job's status any time. If it ever can't handle something: hello@getletteragent.com