<p>Sk8rmom - I’m with you on the meal plan, in principle. In reality, my freshman S, who was required to take the unlimited meal plan, is taking full advantage of it. </p>
<p>The only way freshmen at my S’s school can opt out of living on campus is if they live with their parents or another approved relative within 50 miles of campus. We live exactly 50 miles away and could probably put him in an apartment and claim he was living at home like a lot of people do. But I really wanted him in the dorms his first year so he would have some rules and some structure while he was getting used to being on his own. He’s doing well, so I might be more open to an apartment next year.</p>