The brown 8 inch version with or without Thinsulate seem to be the most popular on campus, from what I have observed…
@itsJustSchool: Item #TC212880.
8" boot. The regular tan color, and thinsuate is nice if you intend to wear them in very cold weather. Women order women’s sizes. Note: they are roomy (by design), but do not get them too small. 
I concur on the Bean Boot discussion and if a New England school is in the mix would go with the thinsulate for sure. My other piece of advice is to take the time to label everything- while my son thought I was being completely OCD when I spent a week in August ironing labels into clothing and affixing labels to hard goods, he has mentioned time and time again how glad he is to have it done- even the boys share clothes and many many many are wearing the same “shep shirts” fleeces and same school hoody. I even labeled shoes- as half the population wears a size 11 sperry or bean boot or vans sneaker. He has avoided having to argue with a peer about whose grey champion school hoody left in the common room this is, mine or yours, b/c his has a permanent label. Label Land has iron on, stick on, shoe labels etc. they have withstood laundry service and dear sons own laundering with good results.
a sharpee works well and is a lot faster
signed Mom of a lot of kids
My D’s BS had a pretty strict dress code - no jeans, no shorts, etc so you did have to stock up a little before you arrived on campus. There was definitely nothing in her wardrobe already that she could have worn.
By parents weekend we had learned a whole other language of labels that were previously unknown (Longchamps? Tory Burch? Vineyard Vines?) Still, we found acceptable blazers etc at Gap and H&M!
Send the slider type ziploc bags in both gallon and quart sizes. They are handy not just for food, but all sorts of little things. The disposable plastic food containers than everyone uses over and over again are also handy for all sorts of things. My kids like the round ones with the screw top. They can use them to heat up soup and then put the top on it if they don’t wash it out right away. It keeps the gross factor of left out food minimized. Any time I send care packages with food, I always put it in ziploc bags or those plastic containers. The kiddos are grateful for Doritos that arrive uncrushed in a plastic container that will keep them fresh.
Start making them get up on their own.
If they don’t have a passport, go ahead and do this. It’s inevitable and you don’t want to have to deal with it when they’re home on break.
And a million other things that don’t come to mind immediately. 
especially on socks. Black sharpie on light-colored socks; silver on dark.
Schedule an appointment with your pediatrician if it takes a while to get one. You will need a recent physical for the forms, which are due early July.
What schools can you take a mini-fridge to?
Again, premature. Many schools only allow seniors to have a fridge in their room. Ask the housing office once you have an acceptance.
@gryffinhunter I think you need to relax, you can’t bring your double bed and most places aren’t letting you bring a mini fridge freshman year……Maybe hang on for 4 days and see where you have actually been admitted and then you can figure out if you want to start eliminating places based on bunk beds, loft beds, closet sizes or fridge capacities….I hope you have a stellar application profile and you applied to plenty of schools in order to meet all these criteria!
I like your sense of humor. @LifeLongNYer
Also, buy quarter zips and collared shirts for guys. Fits with dress code of a casual school, and multifunctional.
Good suggestion with zip-lock bags and passport, neato.
If you order bean boots now, they come in June. :!!
Ugh…you all have me pretty freaked out on the Bean boot ordering thing. Now that we have committed to the frozen tundra of Mass, it is time to buy them. I’m good with the 8in thinsulate kind, based on everyone’s comments, but I have a 14 year old son…I’m worried about what size to get, since he may be a completely different size by next winter comes. He is in a size 11 sneaker now. Since they run big, would it work for him to get a 12 - and he can wear them with wool socks? No crystal ball, but looking for opinions of those with growing sons, especially those who may have ordered up (or not!). Thanks.
I’m of mixed opinion on the thinsulate personally. One great thing about bean boots is they can be used year round - they make great rain boots. Thinsulate can get hot in the warmer months. I prefer just adjusting sock choice for the warmth needed.
How far along is your son in the puberty spectrum? Feet usually grow first from my experience. My son’s feer haven’t changed size for several years.
LL Bean customer service is the best! You can call them for their advice. Another thing to consider/ask about is resoling. You can get new soles put on the leather uppers for less than a new pair of boots. Perhaps you could have a new larger size put on if needed.
@fullofbs I think they run big and the website says order 1/2 size down. DS is picky about shoes and doesn’t like Bean boots (tried his cousin’s pair) We will get just other boots locally, Timberland, Wolverine, Merrell, etc. and will try stopping by at an LLBean store to try fitting when we are in NE.
I live in New England…I always wear winter boots 1/2 size larger than street shoes…the extra ‘space’ keeps your feet warmer. I’ve been a card-carrying LLBean shopper for decades, and you can return an item to them years after purchase, no questions asked. So if you are uncertain of the size, order 2 pair…keep the one that fits best, return the other after the snow begins…that would probably be in October! You can get free shipping if you apply for their credit card.