<p>soozievt~</p>
<p>You may want to give the bank a call. I just went to USbank to set up an acct with my D. That's the bank with a presence on her campus. She is only 17, so I figured I'd just open one with her here in Ca and have it ready to go for Or. They wouldn't let us, although if she were going to be 18 shortly, they might have. They did call up to Portland & we were told we could open an account there with me on the account. So be sure to check at both locations!</p>
<p>Sooz, My son was 17 when he began NYU. We were able to get him an ATM card in his name through our local Credit Union where he has an account (with me as co-owner). It worked really well for him during that 1st year.</p>
<p>Thanks you guys. The thing is, the local banks are not ones that are also in NYC. Daughter does have a local account, with my name also on it, here. I just did not realize this would be an issue in NYC at a bank and I guess it would not if I were able to put my name on that one too but if she has to go on her own (no reps on campus on move in day, the day we'll be there) , this sounds problematic. JasMom, were there bank reps set up on campus on move in day? That was the way they had it at Brown with my other D and it was great because while we did not have to put our name on it (she had turned 18 just a few days before she arrived at college), we could be there to make sure she got what was needed, which included a debit card. </p>
<p>Since I wrote on here last night but before I saw today's posts on this thread, I did look around online at NYU to see if I could find anything on this topic. It mentions banks near campus and also gives a Parent Helpline you can call. Then I happened to look up Citibank (it was one bank listed on NYU's site, plus we have our credit cards with them), and there were several branches near NYU. It said something about opening an account online but you had to be 18. I could call about the procedure for opening one in person. But already from these posts, I am thinking that it might be a problem being 16 and not having a parent present to put their name on it. So, I'm not entirely sure how to go about this, though I will call the banks down there to check on that policy. I just know that the two banks in my town are not ones in NYC (they are more regional). Maybe I can see if there are any banks in VT that are also located in that part of NYC. </p>
<p>Susan
(I live in a rural area but I will look up other banks in VT)</p>
<p>Jasmom, just rereading your post. You mean he did not have an account at a NYC bank but used his local ATM card at any ATM machine in Manhattan? That was all you needed to do?</p>
<p>By the way, I just looked in the phone book for the entire northern half of Vermont, and as expected, none of the banks are on the list of the ones in NYC near NYU. The ones near NYU are Citibank, Chase, Washington Mutual, HSBC, and Commerce Bank. You see, we are in the sticks up here! :D</p>
<p>Do you have Fleet/Bank of America in Vermont? Cause they are all over the Northeast. Your D can get an account there, and a debit/ATM card, and ofcourse the ATM card can be used at most any bank's ATM. The only difference is that there would be $3.00 fee associated with each withdrawal from a non-your-bank ATM</p>
<p>Fleet/BoA is in Hanover VT, Lebanon VT, etc. And they do have banks in midtown Manhattan, so its quite likely that they also have their own ATMs all over NYC</p>
<p>BoA has a few ATMs downtown. </p>
<p>Astor Place
742 Broadway
New York, NY 10003</p>
<p>East Village
72 Second Ave
New York, NY 10003</p>
<p>Both of which are close to West 3rd street for NYU. And of course, you can use most any other bank's ATM</p>
<p>Thanks Chocoholic for doing any research on my end. For information, Hanover and Lebanon are in NH, not VT, though border VT (When I first moved to VT in 1981, I lived in Woodstock, VT and worked in Lebanon, NH). I don't live near there now. That is why when I told you I had looked up banks in northern Vermont, none were names that I think exist in NYC. I'll see what I do as far as talking to the banks in NYC and how to set this up. I guess if she has an account at our bank at home with an ATM card, she can use it anywhere but then there is a fee to use an ATM machine from a different bank, plus not having local checks sometimes is an issue for some merchants. I'll look into this whole situation and figure something out. I guess I could travel to Hanover or Lebanon to open an account in person but not sure that is the best thing as we, nor she, will ever be going to that bank any other time. But maybe this is one option.</p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Soozie - I imagine there might be several things that are affected because she is under 18. How about prescriptions and medical issues? You may need a letter confirming that she has your permission to secure those.</p>
<p>For Fairyblood, my daughter will be a sophomore and I still plan on taking her to school - although, to be honest, she needs my SUV for all the stuff she's taking! Plus, we're only an hour and 15 mins away so it's easy for me to just drop it and turn around and come home. But still, I probably won't even give her the option - I am WAY too curious about her dorm and living situation. </p>
<p>I also think it would be a nice, thoughtful thing to do for your mom if you sense she really wants to go to invite her. It is just for one day and you may find you need that touch of a security blanket more than you think!</p>
<p>S went to CA on his own because orientation was a month earlier, but his aunt picked him up at the airport and helped him move into the dorm. H and I will be taking D to CA in a few weeks because there's a parent orientation on the same day as move-in day.</p>
<p>Unless your school specifies that parents are not expected to accompany you (we'll be "kicked out" at 5:30 p.m.), then do extend an invitation to your mom. I'm sure she'll appreciate it.</p>
<p>Have fun at college!</p>
<p>on the bank issue - there may be a particular bank that would be the most convenient (like having a branch inside the student union). Post on the CC forum for the particular college you are interested in, or try to contact a current student in some other way, and see if you can get their input about banking.</p>
<p>My son's college sent him stuff about banking and he was able to set up an account from home for the credit union affiliated with the college, which has an office on campus.</p>
<p>Followup to my own query :-).....I just called the Parent Helpline at NYU because that number was on their website in reference to students setting up bank accounts. So, first of all, the banks do not set up tables on move in day at NYU. So that option is out. However, while the person advised the same thing as you guys about opening the account at a branch at home, none of the banks had a branch in northern Vermont. However, here is the good news....he told me that Commerce Bank, one of the NY bankds with branches near NYU, is open on SUNDAYS (which is move in day) and I had never heard of a bank open on Sunday but voila, we could fit that into that crazy day (which by all accounts, including this person on the phone, said was quite the scene at NYU). That just may be what we do. Not only could we do it with her to get our name on it (he confirmed otherwise you'd have to be 18), but I'd feel better knowing it was all taken care of. I know she is going to be on her own but I do feel better knowing something like that is set up all right. </p>
<p>Regarding the OP.....we took or are taking both our kids to college to move them in (inc. our soph). Everyone seemed to have a parent there so if anything, you'd be more unusual not to have one there, rather than vice versa as you might have thought. Parents can help with the logistics of moving in and setting up. Plus it is a rite of passage to send your kid off to college, particularly as a freshman. At my kids' colleges, that is all we did...the move in. The orientation week was/is for the students only, not parents. So, we will be leaving at the end of the move in day. The orientation (or even if your school has registration at that time of year) is meant for a student to do on his/her own. I did attend the April events for accepted students but at those events, usually there were some things for parents separate from the kids. My kids never minded my attending because again, many were accompanied by their parents but separated for various presentations/events. My kid did the overnight with other students when I stayed at a hotel</p>
<p>. It sounds like your school and some others have a period of time during orientation, when parents remain and have events scheduled for parents. I see nothing wrong with your parents doing that. You go to your things, they go to theirs. My kids' schools just have the move in day stuff but then parents leave.</p>
<p>In your case, you could have your parent just come for the move in and then go home and then be on your own for the rest. I don't see a good reason to deny your parent the chance to take you to college and see you off and help you set up even if you do not feel you need any help. It is just a nice thing to share and kinda a "send off" passage moment. This does not mean your parent would be involved in other aspects like registration. Those things are best done independently by students. If there are things going on at our campus meant for parents, then I don't see any problem with those either.</p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>I told my mom this morning that I thought it might be a good idea if she came with me. I tell you I have never seen someone book a flight so fast, so I guess it was what I needed to do. Thank you guys for your thoughts and reassurance that I wouldn't be the only one with a parental figure. My school is so small that there wasn't an orientation. So anyways for better or for worst I am going off to school with my mom.</p>
<p>fairyblood - I'm glad to hear that! A week after school starts your classmates will not remember who did or did not have parents at move-in. But your mother will remember being present for this transition (for both of you) forever. Think of it as the last thing she can do for/with you before you fly solo for the rest of your life. It's kind of like that last trip on your learner's permit when a parent takes you to the DMV to get your unrestricted driver's license.</p>
<p>fairyblood: I think you'll be glad to have your mom there, especially if she rents a car and takes you shopping! The Target near my D's college was full of parents and kids picking up things for their dorm rooms.</p>
<p>Soozie: My D uses her debit card from her home bank account for almost everything at her out-of-state college (worked for everything except pizza delivery to the dorm!). It is convenient for me because I can just deposit funds into her account here. Most college kids these days use debit cards much more than checks. If your D has a debit card she can use that at first, then get the paperwork for an account at the most convenient bank for a local checking account, get your signatures on the paper, and deposit the cashier's check with her funds. </p>
<p>My D's college has bank accounts with one bank set up for every student ahead of arrival, with a branch in the student union and ATMs on campus. You aren't required to use it, of course, but it is very convenient and all ready for the freshmen.</p>
<p>Fairyblood:</p>
<p>I'll bet your mom was sooo happy you asked! It's not just that she'll be able to help you move in or that she'll be able to picture your new surroundings. It is about your sharing a big milestone in your life and hers as you make the big transition from home to college. Well done!</p>
<p>fairyblood: I admire you tremendously for having the grace to sense that this might be an issue, to inquire of other parents/adults, and to consider your mom's feelings and wishes. You will do well in the world and in your life with such a generous spirit and attitude towards those who love you. I hope you have a wonderful day with your mom, your new school, and with your whole college career. Good luck!</p>
<p>Oh, I'm so glad you did that fairyblood!</p>
<p>Fairyblood,</p>
<p>I think you did exactly the right thing.</p>
<p>Although I am sure our daughter would be capable of handling it on her own, we are driving her to her new school, about 400 miles away. In addition to all the usual stuff, she will be taking an upright bass, an electric bass guitar, a bass amplifier/speaker and, possibly, an acoustic guitar. While we could ship all that stuff, driving turns out to be easier (shipping a decent upright bass is not easy) and it gives us a couple of more days to enjoy being with her.</p>
<p>Once we get there, we will help her move in, run out to the nearest mall to buy anything she still needs and then start in on the activities that her school specifically planned for parents. These are mostly separate from those attended by the students.</p>
<p>We are handling the banking in a somewhat different matter. Many online banks now offer rebates on the use of third-party ATM's in areas where they do not have their own machines. Check out
<a href="http://ibankdesign.com/board/index.php?showtopic=117%5B/url%5D">http://ibankdesign.com/board/index.php?showtopic=117</a> for a partial list. We happen to insure with USAA, so we will likely use them. The drawback is that some stores may be reluctant to accept a check drawn on an out-of-town bank. She will, however, have an ATM/Debit card that can be used at any ATM or anywhere that accepts Master Card, as well as a student ID to prove that she has a local address. Deposits are handled by mail, but we figure that we will be doing most of the depositing over the next few years.</p>
<p>Fairyblood: trust me when I tell you that you made ALOT of moms - not just your own - very happy today and we are all very proud of you for doing a generous thing.</p>
<p>P.S. And dads, too!</p>
<p>Good move, fairyblood, sounds as if your mom feels much better about it this way!</p>
<p>Now will some of you other parents who are <em>NOT</em> going with your children please PM me so I don't feel like such a schmoe? Apparently the "right" thing to do for most people here is to go with your child, but there's no point in it in our situation. (The school puts everyone in temp rooms for a week after parents are gone, so there's no reason to go help set up his room: he won't be in it yet. We live 3000 miles away so there's no point in paying for an extra plane ticket for the 3.5 minutes I'd see my S once we arrived on campus (after which he'd disappear into his own world anyway). Not to mention that H is overseas until Nov. and the younger S should not be left home alone for a long weekend and I don't have any more vacation available.)</p>
<p>Putting S on a plane and waving him into his future works for us and he seems quite excited about it. I hope to hear that this approach works for at least <em>one</em> other family out there.</p>
<p>(PS: His school's credit union has a website whereby you can set up an account before you arrive, and just bring the printouts and a deposit to them to fund the account. But he's probably not going to bother, he'll just use the ATM/debit/VISA card from his credit union account here, since they have reciprocal privileges.)</p>