Anonymous wrote:A gift certificate for a facial or mani-pedi to de-stress after college apps

Oh for F’s sake???? That will get her ready for reality.

If they’re generic college gifts (not assuming a particular school or locale), it’s a vote of confidence and a lowering of stakes — message is you’re going to college next year and that’s a milestone/cause for celebration no matter where you go. And it’s also a generator of new needs (e.g. things that were shared at home become individualized, your DC’s driving/being driven life is likely to be replaced by more walking/time outdoors, no more locker to grab books from between classes).

So, yeah, take into account stress and don’t make gift choices that depend on/assume specific outcomes, but no reason to ignore the upcoming transition.

Personally, I’d leave decor out of the mix, not just because of the possibility of roommates wanting to coordinate, but also because, for some kids, this is the first relatively unconstrained chance (or a new chance/audience) to experiment with creative control over their own environment/self-representation.

Different families have different approaches to utilitarian vs fun presents. In situations like this, ours tends to do more luxe versions of practical things (e.g. really nice vs utilitarian bed pillows).