<p>Hi. New to this forum. Started perusing and it will take sometime. My S made a decision this afternoon. It was between Michigan Engineering and Cornell Engineering. It came close as both programs are great. He decided on Cornell. As this is my first child off to college, I realize we have to book flights for move in day ASAP, as well as hotel and probably a car rental.<br>
How does one figure out what to take to school? Bedding, clothes, and stuff in general? I saw some suggestions. We already need to buy a winter wardrobe, as he is from Miami and doesn’t really own anything warm. Anyone have a master list of suggested items to take to school? I saw some great ideas on some posts, but haven’t read all of them yet.
And isi itbest to just order things and BB&B and pick up locally? Ship things? Manage with what one can take in suitcases on a plane? This is all new to me… Thanks!</p>
<p>@overtheedge congrats on having the decision made. I’m really glad Sewanee was able to reassure you that they will be able to work with your D to meet her needs. I was hoping that would work out for her. I hope she can work things out with her HS. Can she take an incomplete on anything and finish it during the summer? Does she actually need all her classes to graduate?</p>
<p>One thing you should strongly consider is tuition insurance – if she needs to do a medical withdrawal you may need it. Find out what the school’s policies are regarding the intersection of scholarships and medical withdrawals etc. Everyone should consider it, IMO. It’s a personal decision, but find out what you stand to lose before deciding. If you have financial aid and withdraw before a certain point in the semester, you can end up having to pay back some of the aid, in addition to losing what you paid out of pocket, in some cases.</p>
<p>Welcome, @Bestmominmiami! I have a son at Cornell Engineering, so feel free to PM me with any Cornell-specific questions. We were able to do the move by car though, so that makes some things easier. For a plane-ride move-in I would probably order stuff from BB&B or Walmart or wherever for local pickup (and plan on paying for storage in Ithaca – look up Big Red Storarge – between years). He won’t need winter clothes before Thanksgiving, so you can wait on some of that. If your son is easy to fit, you could buy online and ship directly to school for things like a warm winter jacket and boots, or he can shop locally in Ithaca. You don’t want to buy that stuff in Florida. I have my list from when DS11 went off to Cornell. It’s personal to his needs, but may provide some useful ideas. I’ll post it in a separate post.</p>
<p>@Bestmominmiami
My D will also be a freshman at Cornell. Most of the hotels in Ithaca are now sold out for the orientation day or the available ones are overpriced. I booked a hotel in Cortland (about 20 miles from Ithaca). Here’s Cornell info for new students:
<a href=“Welcome - First-Year, Fall 2023 - New Students”>http://newstudents.cornell.edu/first-year/</a>
What to bring:
<a href=“Residential Life | Student & Campus Life | Cornell University”>Residential Life | Student & Campus Life | Cornell University;
<p>Also flights from Syracuse or Binghamton are cheaper (at least to us from SoCal) than Ithaca. </p>
<p>@mathmomvt, I have heard several people say you shouldn’t buy winter stuff in Florida. I, too, am from Miami and have a S going to a colder climate who will need some things. Why is it that those things should be purchased up North?</p>
<p>Our master packing list (not meant to intimidate – most of it was stuff we had and wanted to remember to pack, not stuff we had to buy. As I’ve said, we didn’t buy much new for school.)</p>
<p>Personal
wallet
passport
cell phone/charger
water bottle
mini-fan</p>
<p>Computer Supplies
Laptop
Mouse
flash drive
headset
printer paper
printer/ink/cable
laptop sleeve? (did not get)
ethernet cable? (bought one but then he did not need - but UVM recommends to bring one so we’ll pass it on to DS14)
powerstrip (2?) - bought there
external hard drive for backups? - did not get this, I think he backs up online</p>
<p>School Supplies – most of this was stuff we had in the house that he grabbed
pens (uniball rollers + multitude of stick pens - black)
Pencils
highlighters
colored pencils?
post its
index cards
glue sticks
Lined paper
notebooks/binders (buy there once he knows what he wants)
hard plastic 2-pocket folders
ruler
3-hole punch
stapler/staples
paper clips? Binder clips?
book ends?
lap desk? (no)
backpack
2 calculators (graphing/scientific)
electronic dictionary
summer reading / response
student handbook (into go to box?)</p>
<p>Entertainment
D&D Books / dice
playing cards
gameboy?
frisbee?
whatever else he wants</p>
<p>Dorm Room
minifridge (coordinate with roommate – ship to local walmart)
floor lamp (coordinate with roommate? Ship to local walmart) - we returned this to Walmart, the room did not need it
back of door towel hooks/rack - got some large command hooks
clothes hangers
alarm clock
storage - buy there
bowls & spoons for breakfast
small amount of other dishes?
dishwashing soap & 2 dish towels
mini safe
plastic drawers
book light or clip-on bed lamp? - he took a desk lamp to use by his bed, the dorm room came with a desk lamp for his desk
shelf paper for dresser drawers? - don’t think we bothered
clip-on fan? - he lucked out with an a/c dorm, so we didn’t bother</p>
<p>Bed & Bath
1 set twin XL sheets
1-2 extra pillow cases
mattress pad
sleeping bag
light cotton thermal blanket
“cheap” down comforter
2 pillows
small fleece blanket
2 towels</p>
<p>Daily Meds & Toiletries
any meds the student takes daily
toothbrush/toothpaste/cup
dental floss
hair brush
face wash
liquid soap
deodorant
shampoo
electric razor
hand sanitizer
hand cream</p>
<p>Laundry
laundry basket (mesh popup thing)
detergent
stain spray
bounty dryer sheets or bounty liquid (can’t recall which he took)
shout color catcher sheets – allows them to combine whites and colors and with red as a school color I figured it might be needed
febreeze? </p>
<p>Go To Box - Medical
box (used a plastic tote with a lid and handle)
anything specific for the student’s medical needs
sunscreen
bug spray
bandaids/triple antibiotic
tums
bug bite gel
spare toothbrush
acne cream
benadryl
tylenol
ibuprofen
naproxen sodium
sudafed
cough suppressant
allergy eye drops
moleskin
mucinex
cold-eeze
cough drops
thermometer
Q-tips (need a container or just a ziploc to put some in)
kleenex
lip balm
immodium
athlete’s foot spray
reusable heat/cold pack
tea
(I later sent a thermos for brewing/carrying hot tea for him to take to class with him when he had a cold)</p>
<p>Go To Box - Other
box
sewing kit
safety pins
screwdriver
duct tape
zip ties
box cutter
WD-40
sharpie marker
head lamp
hand crank flashlight / USB charger
ear plugs
shoe waterproofing spray
spare lightbulbs for desk lamp
spare lightbulbs for floor lamp
batteries:
(I included a list of everything he was taking that required batteries, and what kinds they needed)</p>
<p>Groceries (buy there - these are just some things to consider)
Cereal - I also shipped an assortment of single-serve boxes from amazon
milk
single serve milk boxes for milk “emergencies”? (or ship via amazon.com $20 for 18)
ramen
easy mac etc.
indian pouches? Bring some from home? (shelf stable meals)
microwave popcorn
soft drinks
food storage containers
honey for tea</p>
<p>Clothing
your kid can probably figure this out 
at least 1 swimsuit (Cornell has a swim test they have to take on move-in day – put it where he can find it!)
2 sets dressier clothes (shirt, tie, dress pants, belt, socks)
dress shoes
good rain jacket
long underwear (for outing club opportunities – probably never used it)
mini gloves</p>
<p>Travel
duffel bag (smaller one for weekend trips, plus big ones he moved stuff in with)
toiletry bag</p>
<p>Bring later
Ski equipment (whatever he has that still fits)
winter outerwear
winter weight hiking boots (this is what he wears to class in cold weather)
major winter boots (wears occasionally when the snow is deep, or when spending more time “playing” outside)</p>
<p>Move-in Day items
Cooler with drinks/waters/fruit
granola bars / other snacks
trash bags
cleaning wipes
paper towels
doorstop?
camera</p>
<p>be sure to pack separately (backpack) laptop and anything else valuable or that would be very bad if misplaced (prescription meds) and hand carry to room</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Better quality stuff is available up North, because we actually need it 
Presumably more selection as well, and staff that can help you figure out what’s right for your needs.</p>
<p>@mathmomvt That’s a comprehensive list. Thanks!</p>
<p>@bestmominmiami @2018dad We stayed in Cortland for move-in weekend too! Ithaca is way overbooked/overpriced. Consider looking for vacation rentals (VRBO etc.) now for graduation. Because if you want a hotel room your only option is to enter a lottery for the right to pay ~$500 for a room, or stay in un-airconditioned dorms at a fairly steep price (if you have a large family at least because it’s priced per person). We booked for graduation I think sometime in Sophomore year. So I’m exaggerating a <em>bit</em> about booking now, but not too much!</p>
<p>I just ordered 2 sets of extra long twin sheets. Too much? Is one enough? S is not likely to be doing much laundry…</p>
<p>Wow. After a long day at work I sat down to catch up on this thread, and am sitting here with a big smile on my face. All sorts of good news from all sorts of wonderful parents and kids.</p>
<p>@Overthedge – An advantage of going to a high quality small school is that they treasure every student. Kudos to Sewanee for being such a school. It must be such a relief for you and your daughter to know that she can concentrate on getting healthy and getting her work done without having to worry about repeatedly explaining herself to professors and administrators. What a wonderful advocate you’ve been for your daughter.</p>
<p>@2016BarnardMom – well, I will now finally be able to get a good night’s sleep, knowing that your deposit is in. I had visions of you trying to log on to Michigan’s or Kalamazoo’s student portal at 11:50 pm a couple of nights from now, only to find that the website had crashed or that your internet service provider was down. Congrats on Michigan, a totally wonderful school. . Your son does realize what a saint you are, yes?</p>
<p>@3tallblonds – Thank you for your kind words. I just knew when you hadn’t posted a note in a week that something wasn’t right. Am so sorry to hear about your ER visits/hospitalizations. Am glad that you’re already on the mend. . . Visits to 30 schools!?! That has to be some sort of record. But it’s notable that it was this desire to leave no stone unturned that led you to an eleventh-hour visit to the school where your girls had that I-could-really-see-myself here epiphany. How fantastic. Decades from now this whole college search adventure will be part of your family’s mythology. . . I do think that USC is a truly unique fit for your truly unique (well, times two) girls. Adding the theater piece at a school renown for the performing arts to a strong performance in the sciences will make them stand out when they apply to medical school. They get to follow both of their passions. They will love USC, and they’ll love southern California after this last winter in Rochester. Congratulations. I’m so happy for all of you. And think how much easier this whole college admissions thing will be the next go-around for you, your husband, and that for that third tall blond, Class of 2016!!</p>
<p>@mrspepper and @4beardolls – Like the president used to say, I feel your pain. All of us here are pulling for you. I promise not to discuss dorm shopping on this thread until your decisions have been made – an easy promise as there are only a couple of days left. Hang in there.</p>
<p>Finally, this will be corny, but: It’s so heartwarming to read the notes of so many parents who are so totally dedicated to their kids. Am looking forward to following everyone’s adventures and misadventures in the years to come.</p>
<p>My DS found 1 set of sheets was plenty. For as often as he laundered them, he washed/dried them and put them back on the bed the same day. He has a sleeping bag at school too, which can be used for visitors, for visiting, and for bedding emergencies.</p>
<p>@mathmomvt - where does one get tuition insurance? Is that something the schools offer? It sounds like an excellent idea. No fin aid (I wish), but I would hate to be out all that money. I will find out how a medical withdraw affects the scholarship. Didn’t think about that. Great advice!!! Thanks! </p>
<p>Still working on the HS issues. From a general credit standpoint she only needs 1 credit. However, she needs 3 specific courses/subjects that she is taking. </p>
<p>Welcome @Bestmominmiami! </p>
<p>@SoWest - your story illustrates how important it is for kids to feel the love. Congrats on S’s full ride!</p>
<p>Congrats to the latest decisons including 2016BarnardMom, 2014ProfDad, 3tallblonds and overtheedge. Really good to hear about the assistance and support Sewanee is providing. Congrats to anyone else I have missed.</p>
<p>The undecided list is dwindling. Just 2 days left onboard!</p>
<p>@overtheedge I think the schools usually send you information about it, but it’s through a separate insurance provider. Ours is through Dewar, but I don’t think they sell it as a general thing, they have to have some kind of collaboration with the particular school (probably needing to understand their policies in order to know what rates to offer). </p>
<p>So glad to see so many decisions! So happy for all the parents, too!</p>
<p>Son '14 followed up an amazing weekend track-wise by learning that he is No. 1 in the state in his classification in the 3200-meter run. He was quite pumped. He runs again Friday night locally and hopes to better his time. He also would like to help a relay team make it to the state meet. As thrilled as we were to see the rankings, he also got a letter from one of the local hospitals. A $3K scholarship! It will help to offset fees and books.And here, he complained about writing all those essays…</p>
<p>@overtheedge We got a mailing about it around mid-summer from my D’s school. I think it is probably a good idea in this particular case. That would be a lot of money to be wasted if she did need a medical withdrawal. </p>
<p>@2016BarnardMom – Michigan is an awesome choice!!! Great school – glad you’re off the ship.
@overtheedge – Sewanee is going to be great for your D – sorry she won’t be at CofC with my S though 
@3tallblonds – my D’s best friend (also a NYC-loving city kitty) is at USC and loves it so good luck to your two!</p>
<p>I think my deposit at CofC will “stick” because H’s drama queen dance with GC has come and gone. GC is on my side and S’s. And I’ve ordered my own t-shirt which makes it official (S already has so much CofC apparel it’s not funny)!</p>
<p>What do you all think of those bedding packages you can get through the school? It’s certainly convenient, all bundled together with free shipping and all. But I’m not sure about the quality of the sheets and the memory foam is only 1.5 inches. Thoughts?</p>
<p>@mathmomvt thanks for the comprehensive packing list and the tip about tuition insurance. My Ds clothing list will be a little different, since she ventures outside as little as possible, but if S17 ever heads off to college he’d be wanting his long underwear and hiking boots too.And he’d also have milk ‘emergencies’. “Mom, sometimes I just need a bowl of cereal.” </p>
<p>D hadn’t mentally committed to RIT when we were on campus, so wouldn’t look at any apparel or even a key chain. She visited another school, then committed to RIT, then 2 weeks later wanted the hoodie. But she was more than happy with an older style we found on ebay, since it has a tiger head on it beside the lettering. She finally made her plans ‘facebook official’ by doing her selfie in the hoodie. Ah youth. </p>