will dollies work with stairs / tips for moving large items up stairs of dorm

The exact circumstances of move-in depend on the campus. But at many schools, you will only be allowed to park near the dorm for a very short time while you (with or without student helpers) unload the car. Then, someone will have to drive the car to a distant parking lot and walk back.

While this is happening, there may be a wait before your kid (with or without student helpers) can bring stuff to her room. During that time, be sure that the pile of stuff isn’t left unattended. At some colleges, there is a risk of theft on move-in day. If the student needs to go sign in to the dorm and get her key, one of the parents should stay with the stuff while she does it (while the other parent moves the car). If only one parent is available (not your family’s situation, but it might apply to other people here), one person stays with the stuff while the other moves the car, and then the parent stays with the stuff while the student checks in. Obviously, this takes a lot longer than doing it with three people, but it’s better than leaving the pile unattended.

If there are student helpers, use them, of course. But anything that’s particularly valuable or fragile (laptop, musical instruments, etc.) should be hand-carried by the student or parents because the helpers may handle things roughly. And absolutely every container should have the student’s name, dorm, and room number on it.