About this guide

College Bound Life is a reference for parents and guardians sending kids to college - the timeline, the paperwork, the dorm, and the care packages, organized in the order you'll actually need them.

How it's organized

The college send-off isn't one event; it's a long sequence. It starts well before the acceptance letter - the high-school courses that build a transcript, the testing calendar, building and narrowing the list of schools. It runs through the spring deposit, move-in day, and into the first year. This guide follows that arc. Each section covers one part of it, marks which tasks belong to the parent and which only the student can do, and says plainly where the standard advice oversells you.

Editorial standards

What to skip. We try to point you at the things you need most, and to say plainly what isn't worth buying. We make money here too, and the disclosure page explains exactly how. We also enjoy the occasional viral college gadget as much as anyone. It just won't be dressed up as a must-have item.
Monetization is disclosed and never steers the advice. As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases; the details are on the disclosure page.
The most valuable pages sell nothing. The legal paperwork section has nothing to buy on it. That's deliberate.
Verify against your own school. Every university's deadlines and forms differ. This guide gives you the shape of the process; confirm the specifics with your student's school.

Corrections

Found something wrong or out of date? The contact address is in the footer of every page.