<p>Regardless of story told, if grades drop too much, the parents may just decide not to continue funding the "party." Fake IDs are a felony in some states & misdemeanor in others. There is possible jail time--not something to venture into lightly, whatever the prevailing view is. Criminal records have a way of limiting future options.</p>
<p>We did not spend much for our "launches". My kids are not into clothes. and we just scavenged around the house for what they needed. Son 1 had gotten a lap top the year before which he took with him though we bought him more memory in a portable "thingy" a little later. Son 2 got a very basic desk top from the college shop which was really his only expense outside of the tuition, room, board, COA things listed. We got a deal doing a one way rental getting him there, and a cheap flight home for me meant not staying the night.<br>
An expense not noted is the cost of going to orientation in the summer. Both colleges held freshmen/parent orientations during the summer which were informative. I could not suggest skipping out on them, and Son 2's school seemed to make them mandatory, though I think if you really could not make it, something could have been arranged. His was 3 days, with lots of pomp and ceremony, but also some informative talks on how things work, including a very valuable financial aid session. I walked out of there feeling I knew how the university worked, and met many key people, including faculty. It was long enough for me to also scope out the area around the campus, the city, as well as the campus facilities in much greater depth than a tour would have allowed. We also saw his dorm, and got the specifics about the room and what would be useful. The thing that struck me the most was the large number of faculty there. My son pretty much went over departmental requirements and pre registered. But 3 days meant 3 nights in a*hotel, though food was pretty much provided by the university for us in the events they set up. We drove, but live about the limit of what you want to drive for something like this, especially when you are coming back in about a month to move the kid in. </p>
<p>A friend of mine who had to make 2 trips to the college that summer because he had a special required orientation for his program, was so burned out that upon returning from leaving him there for the year, and finding the family weekend flyer in the mail, was ready to incinerate it.
Her son's college was in the middle of no where with no good way to get there. A 4 hour drive, which made it tough to drive home after a big day there, and you had to get there the night before to make an early morning event. The area hotels were very much in tune with the college schedule since the school is just about the only game in town for overnight guests, and the prices sky rocket for any events where large numbers of parents are expected. She was on a very tight budget, and ended up staying at motels, maybe an hour or so away, enroute to or from home which made for savings, as you couldn't get a bargain anywhere near the college on event days.</p>
<p>Another suggestion; since many of you know that your senior will be college bound next year, start looking for stuff on college lists of "what to take" instead of cramming the buying session in those summer weeks when all of those stores have those fake "sales" knowing that everyone is going to be storming the aisles to get the best for their kids. Some items seem to only appear at that time, but many things are in short supply when you are competing in this buying frenzy. I have been such a loser so many times in back to school supplies for my kids (why do their teachers want 2 subject spiral binders?) when Office Max and the like are out of staples like pencils sometimes, that I have finally wised up and stocked up on stuff since I HATE shopping on a tight deadline for stuff that I need to store hop to find. Yard sales, 2nd hand shops and friends/relatives may be able to provide stuff. Also unless I store everything in one place, all those laundry baskets, trash cans, extension cords, flashlights, go into hiding the week of move in. I can never remember where that danged lamp I was eyeing all year was, and that extra box of pens or markers, or that message board I spied disappears. My house is a treasure trove of things, but finding them when the time comes to use them is a challenge.</p>
<p>Yea, it was crucial to go to orientation for my S's U--that's where they did placement exams & actually registered the students for fall classes, with advisors & lots of the top faculty members. We were fortunate that they had an orientation in our city instead of us having to fly to LA like everyone else. My S felt it was a lot of hype, but was pleased that he got the classes he wanted, so he said it was worthwhile in that respect. He also got to see a lof of his friends who were matriculating at the same U in the fall, nearly 2 dozen from his HS.</p>
<p>Yep, and if the school is doing registration for fall classes, it behooves you to go to the earlier orientation. My same friend went to the last one, and her son was shut out of a number of courses that he wanted, which necessitated his going to summer classes at some point if he was to graduate in 4 years. Check with the university about that possibility, especially for large colleges and those in programs where specific courses are important, or sequencing could be delayed.</p>
<p>Yea, we were really lucky--our kids' school had the 1st orientation in our city at our kids' HS. My S got all the classes he wanted at the times he wanted. It made all the difference to him to be able to have his 1st classes start at 9 or 10 am instead of the earlier 8am classes.</p>