@birdie3 and @chercheur, my older girls have those Costco ones on the beds both at home and at school. We’ve been very happy with them.
Thank you for sharing @WWC4me !
@pickledginger Yes definitely agree with you on the affordability issue. I wouldn’t encourage my kids to come back to the Bay Area unless they want to work in tech (and maybe not even then). The people we know with new graduates generally have them living at home. I don’t think we’d have moved here now.
D18 is off to Utah and I look at the cost of living there and think that a ballet dancer might actually be able to survive there. And I also hope S18 goes to the east coast for grad school. As the famous “sunscreen” commencement speech goes: “live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft”.
@pickledginger, definitely agree regarding metro city costs in CA. Having lived in both Northern and Southern CA, I have been fortunate to do well with real estate investments in CA over the years, but costs are becoming increasingly difficult for young people to afford housing or buy property even after five or more years of working after graduating college.
When deciding between colleges, although it is hard to predict where one will be hired after graduation, if a school is better known regionally, it might be useful to think about the overall cost of living if one thinks one may wish to remain working in the city where the university is located.There are, of course, some exceptions such as schools like Cornell or Notre Dame where students are more prone to be hired outside of Ithaca or South Bend due to strong national branding.
@pickledginger I had the same disappointment re staying in CA with my kids, who both picked in-state schools. I don’t see a viable path for them here in the state. I’m going to push OOS internships for my son in the hopes that he finds someplace else he likes to live. D is studying international relations so who knows where she ends up.
My Brother lives in the Silicon Valley - I keep trying to get him to sell his house, get out from under an astronomical mortgage and move to Central Texas where he could buy WAY more house for a WHOLE LOT LESS money. I’m working on him…
You know, at some point something has to give, who is buying the homes, who can afford to live in CA, especially the SFO Bay Area?
DS was awarded 2 additional scholarships bringing us to full tuition and books for all 4 years! 
Where we used to live in the Santa Barbara area, many of the small communities and neighborhoods have families who bought, or whose parents bought, 30 years ago when prices were reasonable. They’re teachers, artists, retirees, people who work for the city - regular middle class folk. They’re paper millionaires, but if they sell, they have to leave the area because they won’t be able to buy back in.
We lived there for almost a decade, but DH’s parents own the house and we were paying below market rent. If S ever wants to live there, his only choice will be to renovate the grandparents’ place (which is a teardown, tbh) because even with a six digit salary, he won’t be able to buy there.
Well, after 22 college visits, 3 revisits/overnights, and many a tearful moment, we finally have a decision. My DD is going to Smith College. She’s a Smithie! Way back when we first did odds I think I put Smith at 40%. And now here we are. Whew.
@DiotimaDM That is a good point. My bro and SIL were destined for Condo living (they did buy a condo when they got married 15 years ago) then about 5 years ago, they bought her Mother’s home(duplex) - this grandfathered them in on the property taxes although his mortgage is still astronomical.
Congratulations to you and to your D, @odannyboySF!! Woohoo!
ETA: I love love your avi. It makes me smile every time I see it. 
Yes Prop 13 is very much a mixed blessing for CA. It does a lot to inflate house prices because long time residents aren’t forced to downsize or move out when they retire. In fact they are incentivized to stay and pass the house on to their kids.
If I were boss I’d end the ability to assume your parents’ tax basis. I understand the original motivation for Prop 13 and I don’t understand how or why it should apply to the offspring of homeowners.
Wow, I can’t believe some folks are dorm shopping! I can’t get past decision day here! I am looking forward to help my rising Sophmore furnish his first apartment in Aug. as he moves off campus.He is going “shopping” in my garage first, which I’m hoping will free up some space. Having done the college entrance dance now two years back-to-back, I am looking forward to enjoying the rest of the time together this summer.
@VAMom23 yeah, it is kind of depressing (actually really depressing) to realize we are not that close to a decision and all these people have totally moved on. I kind of feel like I need a different thread, honestly. Still at 3 schools on the table. 8 days left (please PLEASE let him decide before May 1)
DD spent last week visiting her three top choices, as well as her favorite WL school. She eliminated one easily, and is close to deciding between the remaining two. She will pursue the WL as well - it has been her 1st choice throughout this process and after another visit, it still is.
In terms of dorm supplies, DD is at a boarding school so that simplifies things for us! No real worries about dorm shopping because she has all of the bedding basics and already knows her preferences about other items. She will obviously make some adjustments based on the reality of where she ends up & her roommate etc., but we have a good head start. As someone who has BTDT (her boarding school is a plane flight away), buy your sheets, towels & bedding sooner rather than later. The popular styles and twin XL sizes can sell out mid-summer. Also you’ll want to wash everything first, so I wouldn’t recommend picking all of that up at move-in weekend. Everything else CAN be picked up later. We used the BBB shop at home / pick up later near school plan, and it was great. Save your receipts, because you may need to exchange some items that don’t fit/work. Once you’re in the actual room, you may need to make a few adjustments. My daughter’s advice for move-in: bring snacks & unpack the speakers first 
@chercheur I had to pull out our dorm insurance list to confirm, but yes the 3” NovaForm Pure Comfort mattress topper from Costco is what my DS 16 has slept on at school for almost 2 years now. He says it is the best thing we bought for his dorm room and wants another for here at home. Just do not unpack it until you are in the dorm room as it is much easier to transport in the original packaging.
Thanks for checking @Cheeringsection ! That’s great to know!
@TexasMom18 Congrats! Ole Miss is sure showing your DS the love!!
Oh…but we are so close to a decision! I see it in her eyes. You cannot make a wrong choice. Speak, girl! Speak! :!!