Classic Seinfeld episode.
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You gave me hope! I have an August rental for 4 days for $600 for D21âs move-in. Just went and looked to see if the rate was better now. Same vehicle is now $1375. 
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We fit mattress topper, sheets, comforter, weighted blanket, two bed pillows into 1 1/2 samsonite tote-a-tons and they went on the plane with us when we took S19 to school. Desk supplies, hangers, clothes, laundry bagâŠon and on also fit in samsonite totes. Six total. And then we each carried on a small bag for clothes. It can be done. We had a fan and a desk lamp sent to the dorm and did school supply shopping and toiletries when we got there. He didnât need under the bed storage but any storage items like that can be sent from amazon (or wherever) right to school.
We rented a mini van and S19 still had the whole backseat to himself and plenty of space. Really, itâs not that hard! Anything you canât fit, donât have it sent home. Have it sent directly to school. And, if youâre not sure, get there and measure and have the right thing sent a few days later if you donât want to be running all over the place. Whatever they need to store in storage that they donât have upon arrival can just stay in whatever you brought it in for a few days.
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Thatâs exactly my point, not everything would fit into a mini van in one trip, some of the bigger stuff needs to be picked up after the fact or mailed. D19 bought at least 6 of the deep (meaning extra long) plastic stacking drawers from Bed Bath & Beyond- just those took up most of the rental car. Had we been able to drive we could have packed them full of her stuff but we had to get them once we got there.
Oh, and as for rental cars we have had the hardest time finding cheap cars this summer. I check on Costco and Kayak every day and have had a few come down a bit but some trips SUVs and vans arenât even available. Then there is the fact that even a regular full size car (non SUV) for our trip to MA this summer costs more than our flights - 11 days $1800! Well over $2000 if I want anything bigger.
@srparent15 , I was looking on google maps and it shows the closest BBB to the school is the one on Clybourn Ave. There are two BBB stores that seem to be closer but showing as perm. closed. Any idea if theyâre indeed closed for good? Also, do you recommend Jewel-Osco for groceries? I saw there are a few around that area.
I am always befuddled by the conversations here about how to pack. One large suitcase and one small, everything else can arrive via Amazon or Target. Over four years the amount of belongings will likely increase each year, but there is no need to arrange for transport of larger items like bedding that can be purchased locally or shipped within a day or two. In our experience the large suitcase (or rolling duffle) comes home at summer break but shorter breaks, just utilize the carry-on size bag. The shorts and other summer-type clothing comes home at fall break and the suitcase goes back full of sweaters and sweatshirts. Been doing this for quite a few years.
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Iâm with you on this. I give some allowances for females, but for boys, I just donât get the overpacking.
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Shipping items should really be investigated with the individual school as they all have different policies and procedures. Some allow to ship ahead and will store until the student arrives. Others donât allow that. And depending on the size of the mailroom, there can be a delay at the beginning of the year b/c so many people are expecting packages. Another suggestion if using Amazon is to see if there are any Amazon lockers located near the school.
One way to save space is to vacuum pack things like bedding, clothes, etc - anything soft that can be shrunk down.
Having been through this twice before, once with a girl and once with a boy, I realize less is more. What is a âmust haveâ for one kid is an unneeded, unopened waste of space for another (parent sees someone else sharing something their kid likes so parent buys it and kid never uses it).
If unsure it will all fit in car, maybe make a list of âneeds right awayâ and âwait and orderâ if he really needs it.
Edited to add this post is not directed at you - hit the wrong reply button.
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Here are the IL locations and the one on N Broadway which may have been closer does look permanently closed. https://stores.bedbathandbeyond.com/IL N Clybourn is further North but it would be on your way from Ohare at least and not far off the highway.
Jewel Osco is where I like to shop, but many people of course like Whole Foods or Trader Joes. Marianoâs is also popular but they are pricier and for me they donât have a lot of the brands I like. Just be careful about the location where youâre doing your shopping. Thereâs a huge Target right downtown in the Loop on State St. but thereâs also a two story one on S Clark that is huge and there are some other stores I cannot remember what though as itâs been a long time Iâve been down there. It has groceries there too if I recall. A Jewel not too far either
A ton of people just put me onto packing cubes. I bought them for my girls since they literally pack their bags as full as can be. These people swear by them. This might be good for those who are also trying to get a lot of stuff into a small amount of space (or luggage).
I usually book on Costco too, but have booked my last two cars at Hertz with a code and theyâve been half the cost of Costco so Iâve added them to my list to search now. We have to rent a car to go from JFK to Ithaca later in July and it was $300/day through Costco, which was absurd. When I checked Hertz it was 1/3 that so I switched.
I think packing is based on personal preferences. I think parents could be a guide to help kids simplify and the other way around is the kids telling you what they need and donât need.
I like to have control and not lose things or get in line to wait at the university storage center. We are going to depend on the samsonite tote a ton bags and the amazing SWA two bags per person limit 
I think we are done shopping for school. Iâll get soaps and toiletries at Costco when Iâm there. We got a lot done this week. By we, I mean me nagging my kid. But we did get the insurance waiver done and he passed his chem placement test. Saves an extra semester. Phew.
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or have the stuff sent to the hotel you are staying in. We did that. I just called the manager of the hotel to ok it and they were fine with it. I made sure Amazon packages arrived maximum three days before we arrived and i didnât overdo it.
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Wow, I had the same question until now, but relieved seeing yours. Yes, my S21 did send his free score choice to be sent to his college on June 19th. He got a confirmation page but no email. When I went back to check his order status, it does not show as of now. But he confirmed that he did the procedure well. Letâs see, the past order status might take a few days on CB I guess
Thank you! Yes, it does show up in his AP profile. Huge relief
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529 DISTRIBUTION QUESTIONâIâm wondering how folks are making payments for tuition and housing through their 529 plans: 529 plan check sent directly to college or 529 fund sent to personal account, then pay college. Any ideas as to which method works best? Thanks!
I like the vacuum pack bag suggestion. I was mostly worried about the space that the bedding would take and this might solve it.
For S18, I was able to set it up to go directly to the school and plan to do same for S21. With Fidelity, I was able to set it up online. There was some paperwork to initially set the school up but then I could request easily. I was worried about being able to match up qualified educational expenses when I did taxes. I think it can be trickier when check is addressed to you.
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We were floundering a bit with the community college after they changed the schedule for Ds planned program to conflict with her dance schedule. The advisor they assigned her there was program specific and they donât offer generalized advising- and even her program one is on an extended summer vacation- so I stepped into the role to help her figure out what to do.
After digging deeply into the school I found a unique (bachelors) program they donât advertise very much but that is perfect for my D- it was actually her initial double major with dance but we didnât think it was possible with CC. Itâs also 50% online, making the scheduling that much simpler. Sheâs going to schedule a meeting as soon as her advisor is back and make the switch in major (she already switched the classes to make sure she doesnât get shut out).
Iâm guessing theyâll then assign her a new advisor. Once youâre in a major at a CC and figured that part out, it almost seems like advisors are redundant (she registers for a whole year of classes at once and both years are fairly structured), but hopefully whoever she is assigned is able to handle any craziness that pops up- and it always seems to.
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Guys, people just want advice on how to manage the move/packing. Not everybody has done this before, be nice In my experience, some schools provide a fridge/microwave and some do not. Those alone can fill up a lot of space in a vehicle and perhaps need to be purchased closer to the destination or rented.
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