Same here, our primary bank is BofA and whole family has accounts in it 
2 Likes
Also take this with a large grain of salt, as most colleges say they do a great job with roommate matching, and in my experience roommate compatibility can be hit or miss whether randomly matched, self chosen or whatever the process is. My advice to my second kid has been something along the lines of āyou donāt need to be best friends with your roommate, but clear communication and mutual respect go a long way towards making a happy living situation.ā
12 Likes
Weāve had nothing but positive experiences with Chase, from credit cards to personal banking. They have great student account options and a āstarterā low-limit credit card, which S24 just got (with minimal effort because he already had the aforementioned student account). So for those not already committed to a bank or looking for good options for kids, itās worth checking out.
4 Likes
DS has a high school checking account with Chase that we need to convert. I think what is most important is to look for a bank that is convenient to your childās school and doesnāt charge fees.
Agree, Chaseās ubiquity is part of why we chose it.
2 Likes
Well, once again chiming in with our experience (sample size=1 
). My rising senior in college just kept her credit union account (where I have an account as well) that sheād had since elementary or middle school. Checking and savings accounts. Venmo attached to the checking. We live 2 states and 800 miles away and sheās never needed a brick and mortar bank in her 3 years at college. Younger kid will do the same. I can easily deposit/transfer funds into their accounts if needed (common), and they can Venmo me if needed (unfortunately less common! 
) . No B of A or Chase or other big bank needed.
1 Like
I think weāre going to recommend to D24 that she apply for a credit card w/USAA, which has a secured credit card option where you deposit a set amount of $$ in a interest-earning CD. USAAās website also says that with āresponsible use,ā one could get an automatic upgrade to an unsecured card with a much lower rate. Weāve always had good luck w/USAAās credit card, so I think weāll recommend that one to The Child instead of Discover, Chase, or a different credit card company.
1 Like
Yup S24 is at technology free music program and is allowed to check the shared computer once a week so if a room mate was waiting for him it would be q logn wait
One of the schools we visited said they tried letting students find their own roommates but went back to matching because the success rate was much higher.
2 Likes
B of A bank account has now been opened. Kid should receive her debit card in the mail in 7-10 days. Her health insurance card and HSA card arrived in the mail today. Couple of steps closer to āready to launchā mode!
Learned that the bank employee who helped us has a rising 12th grader, so I told her about the Your College Bound Kid podcast and about Modern States. D24 laughed at me while I was doing so. LOL. I told D24 in front of the bank employee, āHey, us moms and dads need all the help we can get! Weāre figuring all this out as we go along! It takes a village!ā Bank employee laughed and said, āThatās right!ā 
1 Like
S22 barely communicated with his roommate and they both ended up renting huge fridge/microwave combos that they kept in the room all year. It all worked out!
2 Likes
This is the case for S24. He wonāt meet his roommate until they move inā¦
2 Likes
Hi all- quick roommate etiquette question as Iāve been reading lots of posts about room decor and appliancesā¦ S24 is an International student (UK) so obviously summer storage is a major issue as heāll be travelling back and forth every year with probably just 1 suitcase, and at Richmond thereās no free on-campus storage facilities. Also, culturally UK students donāt particularly care about room decor (rugs, lights etc) stuff and heās definitely not interested in TVs (hardly uses it at home) or fridge/microwave. Do you think that might be a little of a bad starting point with his roomate or will it be okay? I guess a little explaining might be needed when the room is assignedā¦ TY
1 Like
Agree. My sons both had random roommates their first years, and they were practically polar opposites in both cases. Never became friends, but had good communication and respect and it all worked out. They both went the RA route starting second year so they have had single rooms since.
Mt. Holyoke does random assignments as well and I donāt think they receive any contact info before move-in day, so Iām hoping D24 gets someone compatible. She qualifies for accommodations including a single room, but opted not to exercise that option (which made me very proud, actually).
3 Likes
The extra stuff like rug and fridge wonāt matter. If the roommate wants those, the roommate can get them. At some colleges, fridges are rented. If your S might want to share a rented fridge, anticipate the roommate asking him to pay half.
Your student should plan to store dorm belongings in a storage facility over the summer, as will most students who live far away. At some colleges there are services that will pick up in May and deliver to new dorm in August, tend to be a little pricey but super convenient. At other colleges, he may need to figure out the storage himself. My kids have uber-ed and/or borrowed cars, usually 2 trips if the car/uber is small, to get stuff to a storage facility - thatās the hard part. Some kids share larger storage rooms to save money, though a single room just large enough for one kid probably runs around $60/month; price varies by room size and location.
Summer storage is an example of a topic you might search for in the parent FB group, if there is one. Parents who have BTDT at that particular college will have useful info on that topic. As far as Iām aware, most universities have no on-campus storage facilities, so this question is super common. Read reviews of specific storage facilities; one summer my kid had a bad experience, as the facility had rodents.
There are links at the bottom of this U Richmond page, one of which is to this business which appears to pick up, store, and deliver. Iād still search and/or ask in the parent FB group about summer storage options and experiences.
4 Likes
Thanks so much for the detailed reply! Weāll probably use the StSch site for the first summer, then as he builds up possessions hopefully he can get himself organised with some shared local facilities to save some $$!
1 Like
Mine is just keeping her credit union account as well. The debit card will work at a lot of credit union ATMs, so likely she can use it there if needed. But S22 has never needed an ATM or a branch in 2 years and heās fine. He has about $100 cash to start the year and seems good with that. Plus, Iām joint on their adult accounts and can move money as needed. My son pays his bill himself and I reimburse him by moving money. Itās easier than me sending him a check, I think.
3 Likes
Never occurred to us that D22 wouldnāt just keep her local credit union account. She uses her debit card or Venmo. Only time it was an issue is when they sent new debit cards and her old one stopped working - we are close enough I just took it to her (and got a bonus lunch with her!); otherwise I would have just mailed it.
3 Likes
I donāt think this will be an issue at allā¦there are also plenty of non-international students who donāt care about dorm decor! I do think he may find a fridge is a nice thing to have, so he may want to consider splitting the cost of a fridge if the roomie is able to provide one, but either way, I dont think this will start your son off on the wrong foot at all. Just have him be honest and upfront when he communicates with his roomie.
5 Likes
lol I doubt my daughter has ever taken out cash from an atm. Guess we should find her PIN number. Itās always debit, Apple Pay or Venmo.
2 Likes