@payn4ward no worries! Timberlands are also hugely popular!
At my son’s school (Massachusetts), many girls wear Bean, but Timberlands are more popular among the boys (or “Tims,” as they call them).
I would suggest in investing in a pair with the thinsulate. We have had so much snow in parts of the country these last few years and the thinsulate does make a difference. My D didn’t really pay attention when she ordered a new pair her junior year and got the ones without thinsulate. So she had to adjust sock thickness or her feet were cold. She complained then that the boots were too snug. Think they “gave” enough over the last 2 years that she can still wear them with the thick socks.
Thanks for the advice, everyone. The Bean boots arrived today. When I ordered, they were backordered until July. I guess they are catching up now that winter has finally ended. Size 12 - with thinsulate. Will now put them in the closet until October and hope they fit when the time comes.
I have a brand new women’s ll bean size 7 TC175064 available if anyone wants to PM me.
I concur with others who have mentioned getting your kid ready for managing life on their own. Getting themselves up is key, of course. Also, if they don’t do this already, start having them do the kinds of things that someone who is going to be both handling themselves day to day and living in a community of others will need to do. Set expectations for how people who live together are supposed to act - don’t expect others to take all the responsibility for keeping the house clean and going. If the dishes are clean, empty the dishwasher. If you bring a glass into the living room, bring it back to the kitchen when you’re done with it. Have your kid start figuring out things for themselves. We’re going from here to there - what route would we take? How much time do we need? Don’t give them money willy-nilly - start giving a monthly allowance and get them going on paying for the kinds of things you’ll expect them to pay for at school.
As for how you spend your time, with all due respect to my cyber-friend @SevenDad, I think that’s a family decision. A kid headed off to boarding school probably has a lot of conflicting emotions and going to a beloved sleepaway camp might be the best thing for them. In our experience this was not the smoothest time in terms of sibling relations so that’s something to consider too.
Another tip - let your kid spread their wings a little and encourage them to do so if they’re reluctant. In a few months they will be making a lot of decisions about how and with whom they spend their time, so let them start making those decisions. Even if you’re not thrilled with some of the situations they go into, the lessons learned are good ones for them to take to boarding school. I’m not suggesting you let your 14-year-old go to parties where parents have bought out BevMo and then left the house - but be open to considering a reasonable set of plans, and even make some (relatively safe) mistakes.
A final point is to start getting comfortable talking about money. Your kid is going to be in school with people who have A LOT of money, and their lifestyles might be very different than yours. Help your child approach their future peers with an open mind about them. Also help your child feel confident and proud of who they are, and recognize the value of what they have.
Thanks @friendlymom – HBKid has become much more independent since becoming a rising HS student. One of our family rules is that he should stay at home during the summer since he will be gone for the other seasons. He is taking some college math/science courses at our local state school and got a bus/rail pass. This (along with an app that tells him how to get places) has opened up his independence for exploring the city. He loves the idea of being on his own, the same way I felt before going to college.
My daughter, age 16, is heading to boarding school this fall. I was looking for a thread like this. I’m now obsessing over Bean Boots and mattress toppers. I was playing with a discount airfare site today. She will probably have to fly home for holidays. The site said it did not sell tickets for “unaccompanied minors.” What do you all do for plane tickets? I assume she will need to have a picture i.d. She has one from our state. Will it suffice or will she need additional credentials?
FormerChoatieKid always flew Southwest which does not consider passengers over 12 to be unaccompanied minors. SW also does not charge for the first two pieces of luggage. The few times kiddo could not fly SW, we paid no attention to the unaccompanied minor rules and never ran into a problem, but he is tall and no one ever asked.
@OspreyCV22, in the last few years carriers seem to have standardized their rules a bit more. It used to be that each airline had different rules regarding unaccompanied minors and some needed to be booked as such until they were 15, where others could fly alone as young as 12. Mow most airlines seem to allow one to fly “unaccompanied minor” with the airline having some responsibility, until age 17.
Now, most airlines allow “Young Adults” age 12 and over to choose to fly without the restrictions and surcharge of that designation, if they so choose.
With JetBlue changing their “one bag free” policy, Southwest still stands out as the most generous with baggage allowance included in the base price. Other carriers will include one free bag if you sign up with their co-branded credit card, so as you determine who has the best fares and schedules, you may wish to get their credit card.
At age 16, there is no need to even think about “unaccompanied minor” status, at least for domestic flights. If you cannot accompany her the first time or two, you may want to see if you can pair her up with another student at the school leaving from the same airport so that they can fly together. In any case, you may want to walk her through a verbal “dry run” of what to expect. For example, some kids really get tied up with wanting to understand the rules on what can be included in luggage- hazardous, flammable, liquids, etc. A thorough briefing could set their mind at ease and probably needs to be done only once in a lifetime. We forget, as experienced adults, how bewildering the first-time flying experience can be. Judging from your screen name, you especially may have long forgotten how intimidating an airport can be. 
She will want to invest in a “wheeled coffin” duffel that meets size standards; and perhaps a hand scale to be sure it meets weight standards.
United is OK with kids over 12 traveling alone:
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/specialneeds/minors/default.aspx
“Wheeled coffin” already purchased! As is everything on the supply list. I wish I’d read some of the threads here first.