My cousin rented a minivan to get her kid to college.
2 Likes
Our out of town car was a Hyundai Sonata. With older S, everything fit (plus 4 people) because he also drove his Elantra. With younger S, he wasnât allowed to take his vehicle. Everything might have fit had we only had 2 people going, but not 3. We just rented a minivan for a day, and had more than enough space.
You could also just not take so much stuff. Older S - who took 26 pairs of shoes to school his sophmore year - managed to spend a semester abroad with just 2 suitcases and a backpack. And that was for a winter in Scotland! We did buy his bedding through the school, so that was there waiting for him.
1 Like
We rented a van from U-Haul. The college heâs attending is only about 1 hour from our house, so it was a day rental for the big stuff/most boxes. Thereâve been a couple other visits where âmore than I wanted to carry on public transportationâ was brought down in our cars.
When I went to college back in the olden days, my dad drove me cross country with a loaded trailer towed behind his hatchback.
Honestly, dorm rooms donât hold that much stuff. (My kid was outfitting an apartment, so we had a bit more in the way of furniture to provide.)
Biggest thing I wish I had done differently is âdonât tell people where your kid is applying, or which one youâre hoping forâ. Possibly sharing âwhere your kid was admitted & choosing betweenâ. But definitely, once the choice is made, shout it proudly from the rooftops.
11 Likes
If you are looking at schools where the student might be eligible for merit aid, remember that colleges often give out merit aid/academic scholarships throughout the application cycle until the budget is used up. So even if the school is a likely or a safety for admission, apply as early as you can, and certainly no later than the EA deadline if there is one. Sometimes students wait until the RD deadline to apply to safeties and then realize that the anticipated merit aid money is no longer available. Also, larger and/or more competitive scholarships may have specific deadlines that are not the same as the schoolâs application deadline (say, Oct 15 instead of Nov 1).
4 Likes
We drive a Chevy Bolt. My D22 drives a Ford C-Max. We took both cars to move her in since she could have her car on campus, but neither one was super full. It would be a tight fit in the Bolt if youâre trying to take 4 people and all their stuff, but if you donât take too much you could probably do 2 people. The biggest things she had that couldnât be redistributed (so not suitcases or IKEA bags) were her small dorm fridge (itâs a little smaller than some, and square) and her mattress topper (in box) and some plastic drawers.
I think a Honda Pilot would be no prob to move in w/, but depending on the size of the fridge, etc, a Chevy Bolt by itself might be tight. It holds an amazing amount of stuff for a car that size, though.
1 Like
We easily moved my daughter in with my Subaru Forester, including a fridge. I could even see easily out of the back window (i.e., the car wasnât too packed). Would have been harder with a third person in the car, but still doable. A smaller car, similarly, might have been tough - not sure how you get the fridge in since it didnât fit upright on the seat (we had to lay it down) but otherwise I think we could have done it with a decent-sized trunk and the back seat. She could have taken even less - this was without trying too hard to minimize what she was taking. Bedding is the hardest thing to make small, and clothes, but otherwise she really didnât need that much.
1 Like
Vacuum seal bags are your friend 
4 Likes
We also used vacuum bags, and they were great, but there was the problem of the suitcase being too heavy at the airportâŠyou can not transfer stuff once they are sealed or you will never get your bag closed again!
We came from far away, so limited to suitcases and then just bought stuff locally and rented the fridge with the roommate. Now, sheâs just getting things as she discovers she needs them, like a clothes drying rack. Bringing as little as possible, means less to pack up at the end of the year 
1 Like
Apply early if you can and apply to twice as many schools as you think reasonable.
Do not trust admittance rates from books or online, as they are all so out of dateâŠlook it up online and get the information from the school itself for the most recent year.
Get everything done before the start of senior year, because you will not be able to give your applications or your current school 100%, leading to a lot of stress and exhaustion, which only makes everything harder.
Visit the schools. Online isnât the same as reality.
Being full pay at smaller schools definitely helps. We arenât, soâŠ
Donât get too attached to one school, because they will break your heart. When you end up where you do, you will probably be very happy.
9 Likes
College Data set for each school can be found online and give you the exact information. You can also see how many they offered and took off the waitlist.
1 Like
Could you link a sample?
Google âcollege name CDSâ.
Class of 2023 parent here- Question about ED, EA and ED2. My daughter wants to apply to one ivy in the ED cycle, and several EAs. If she does not get into her ED college, can she apply to ED2 at another university? Will EA acceptances that roll in before ED2 deadline prevent her from applying to ED2 at a college? Is it just going to be based on ED rejection that she becomes eligible to ED2 at another college come January?
Yes, exactly. Ed denial or deferral allows you to ed2.
1 Like
I answered your question on your other thread.
1 Like
Hi -for power of attorney and health directive for D22, I am looking for forms I can download for D22 to submit to college . Thanks in advance for sharing pointers on how you approached it for your kids/colleges.
Many people like MamaBear forms.
4 Likes
And then choose the state where your student is residing. Many of these forms are state specific.
2 Likes