Care packages, school gear, dorm essentials — shipped to or from your campus.
You're studying abroad. Mom and Dad want to send Reese's, Hershey's, the toothpaste brand you grew up with, the snacks that make a Tuesday afternoon in a foreign dorm feel like home. Or you're a US student abroad who needs textbooks, prescription medications, a laptop charger from Best Buy. Or you're an international student in the US trying to send graduation gifts back to siblings overseas.
Selectido was made for every direction of this. We're a Minneapolis-based service that buys US-only items in person or online and ships them to 60+ countries at student-friendly prices.
The three most common student use cases
1. Parents abroad sending US care packages to their student
If you're a parent in São Paulo, Lagos, Manila, Mumbai, or Dubai with a kid studying at NYU, Michigan, USC, or any other US school, Selectido lets you build a real American care package. Pick the budget ($50, $100, $200), tell us what your kid loves (specific snacks, brands, hometown comfort foods if they're American), and we'll shop Target / Trader Joe's / Walmart and ship to their dorm. Gift note and gift wrap free.
2. Students abroad needing US-only items
Studying in London, Paris, Sydney, Tokyo, or anywhere else, but you need US-only items: specific OTC medications (Tylenol PM, Zyrtec D, Pepto-Bismol pink), school supplies (US notebooks, Crayola, Sharpie), American textbooks not available in your local Amazon, or a specific brand of contact lens solution. We ship anywhere.
3. International students in the US sending things back home
You came to the US for school and want to send graduation gifts, US-only beauty products, or holiday packages back to family in your home country. Selectido handles the customs paperwork and finds the cheapest carrier per destination.
Student budget tiers
- $50 mini care package. 1–2 lb box. Snacks only (Pop-Tarts, Reese's, Sour Patch, Cheez-It, Hershey's). Shipping to most destinations: $25–40. Total: $75–90 delivered.
- $100 standard care package. 3–5 lb box. Snacks + drugstore items (toothpaste, deodorant, body wash brand from home) + one comfort item (US-only book, magazine, T-shirt). Shipping: $35–55. Total: $135–155 delivered.
- $200 comprehensive package. 6–10 lb box. Multiple meals' worth of US snacks, drugstore basics, a comfort gift, maybe a small electronic accessory. Shipping: $50–80. Total: $250–280 delivered.
- Recurring delivery (monthly or every 2 months). 15% off forwarding fee on subscriptions. Best for parents who want a steady drip rather than one big box.
Common items in a student care package
How parents abroad use Selectido for their US-based kid
The pattern we see most:
- Parent in [home country] signs up. Free US address assigned in 60 seconds.
- Parent texts Selectido on WhatsApp: "It's my son's birthday on March 15. He's at UMich. $150 budget. He loves Reese's, Hot Cheetos, and gummy bears."
- Our shopper builds the box at Target. Photo confirmation. Gift wrap + note.
- Ships to his Ann Arbor dorm via UPS Ground. Arrives in 3–5 days within the US. Birthday box on the dot.
- Parent pays Selectido once. We pay UPS. Done.
Total cost to parent for $150 product value: $150 + $14.99 forwarding + ~$18 UPS Ground domestic US shipping = $183. Same package shipped from home country via DHL: $400+ (and most home countries don't have these items anyway).
How US-based international students use Selectido to send home
Reverse direction: you're an international student at MIT, Stanford, Columbia. You want to send graduation gifts back to family in your home country — but the school store charges $50 to ship a sweatshirt, and DHL/FedEx direct from your dorm is impractical. Drop the items at our Minneapolis suite (or order to us), and we'll batch-ship to your family via the cheapest international carrier. We've seen students cut their per-package shipping cost by 60% this way vs. shipping individually from each dorm.
Recurring care packages — set it and forget it
Many parents set up monthly or bi-monthly recurring care packages. Saves the back-and-forth, builds anticipation for the kid, and qualifies for the recurring-delivery discount. Tell us the budget, the cadence, and any specific items to include each month. We handle the rest.