momsons2, Kudos to your son! He obviously excelled in HS to get into those top schools. My son’s list was shorter and he wanted to stay close to home, but he has some overlap with yours.
Unfortunately, if he got his passport before 16 he’ll need to go in-person to renew as they won’t do those by mail. I just did this with both my kiddos - they are on their 3rd passports at this point (hilarious to see how young they looked in their last picture).
I didn’t get my license until I was 30 - was living in cities and didn’t really need to drive -so I can relate. I was really responding the idea that getting a passport is cheaper because in my experience it isn’t. My kids have had a passport for years but I think a license is easier for ID in-country as carrying a passport around is a PIA.
Maddening that he didn’t get into his state flagship when obviously he must be a great candidate (as proven by his acceptances.) And he wanted to stay close to home! This seems so screwed up to me!
There’s another reason to get your student a passport and bring it to the college. Many national labs (funded by DoE, DoD, NASA, etc.) are operated/affiliated with universities. US students at these universities (and others) often visit, conduct research, or intern at the labs, which require proof of US citizenship.
Again you do not need a passport to prove citizenship. Social security card will do that, birth certificate, too. It’s all on that I-9 acceptable documents page I linked upthread.
I just think this talk of passports is so very privileged. Geez. I mean my kid has one, but has used it exactly once. You need a passport if you are planning on going out of the country — full stop. There is no other case where it is a necessity to have a passport. It may be a convenience for the I-9 documentation, but it is expensive and a logistical pain in the rear for most high school kids.
If your kid already has a passport then it might be something you want to consider sending with them, but please recognize that most high school grads in this country do not have passports! It reeks of privilege. I recognize that my family has been privileged to be able to go out of the country, but I would not expect every class of 2022 kid at my D22’s school who is going to college to have a passport.
Birth certificate is a valid substitute, but I don’t believe a student can use social security card for that purpose (visit/research/work at the national labs). Non-US citizens can also obtain social security cards (for them to pay taxes), so they aren’t considered proof of US citizenship.
I may be wrong, but I think it’s relatively much easier to replace a lost passport than a lost birth certificate.
Not my point. My point is that having a passport is a point of privilege. Lots of kids do not have passports. They ALL have birth certificates and most have Social Security cards that allow them to work.
Do not think that to visit/research/work in the labs you are talking about you would need a passport. Please provide documentation that you would. I have linked the government’s list of acceptable documents numerous times now.
Many kids who grow up near the borders ( both Mexican and Canadian) have passports early; it has nothing to do with privilege. Kids cross the borders all the time for routine matters in some towns ( my dentist was in Canada).
Let me quote myself for those who missed my earlier post.
Many kids do not have passports, but do have driver’s licenses, or will have a college ID (also works for I-9 documentation) and have a SSN.
For people to suggest that a passport is a necessity for work is incorrect to the best of my knowledge. Again I have posted the link showing what documents are necessary according the government. If y’all have other documentation please post.
It’s not necessary privilege. Only select dmvs near me offer Real ID. Getting a Passport was 100 times easier than wasting any more time at the dmv. I have already wasted 2 days. First day was finding out that they could offer me one, second day I went to the correct place the computer system crashed.
Don’t mind discussing the convenience of a passport or a passport card instead of two forms of documentation, but the assertion that a passport is required is, well, I can’t find anything to back that up. Maybe there are some places that require it and I am just unaware, but nobody is posting any links about that and instead they are just saying it is required without backing up that statement.
I live in an area where it is much more rare to have a passport than it is to have a driver’s license and it is NOT helpful to scare parents into thinking that it is a requirement.
But you don’t need Real ID either. That’s only for flying.