A physician-reviewed checklist to help Rockville, MD families prepare a student's health, immunizations, medications, and insurance before college move-in.
Sending a student off to college is a good moment to make sure their health needs are organized and that they are ready to manage more of their own care. Here in Rockville and across Montgomery County, late summer means move-in trucks and packing lists — this checklist is meant to be worked through in the weeks before move-in, alongside everything else on that list.
1. Schedule a Checkup If Due
If your student is due for an annual physical, try to book it early in the summer — appointment slots fill quickly. Use the visit to review medications, allergies, and any ongoing health concerns.
- Many colleges require a completed health or physical form signed by a provider before enrollment. Check the deadline and bring the form to the appointment.
- Student-athletes may need a separate sports physical (for example, an NCAA or club-team form).
- Students with conditions such as asthma, diabetes, migraines, ADHD, or severe allergies should leave the visit with a clear written plan for managing their condition while away, and their roommate or resident advisor should know the basics.
2. Review Immunization Records
Colleges often have specific immunization requirements, especially for students living on campus. Check the college's requirements before move-in and make sure your student has an electronic copy of their immunization record.
Vaccines that are especially important for incoming students include:
- Meningococcal vaccine. First-year students living in residence halls are at higher risk. A meningococcal ACWY (MenACWY) dose is recommended, ideally given on or after the 16th birthday; a booster may be needed if the earlier dose was given before age 16. A separate meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine can be discussed with your provider.
- Routine catch-up: MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis), varicella (chickenpox), and the HPV series (recommended regardless of sex).
- Annual influenza vaccine, which matters in close dormitory living, and staying current with COVID-19 vaccination per your college and state.
- International students may need a tuberculosis risk assessment.
3. Make a Medication Plan
If your student takes prescription medications:
- Make sure they have an adequate supply for the start of the semester.
- Check refill dates and whether prescriptions can be transferred to a pharmacy near campus.
- Review medication names, doses, and instructions together.
- Check expiration dates on inhalers, epinephrine auto-injectors, and other rescue medications.
Plan extra time for controlled substances. Stimulants used for ADHD (and certain other medications) generally cannot be phoned in as refills, may not transfer easily across state lines, and often require an in-person or in-state prescriber. If your student is going out of state, arrange for a local prescriber early so treatment is not interrupted. Telehealth rules for these medications also vary by state.
4. Know Where to Get Medical Care
Find out what the college health center provides, its hours, and how to make an appointment. Because campus centers may have limited hours or scope, it also helps to identify a nearby pharmacy, urgent care center, and hospital before they are needed — and, for students with chronic conditions, to establish a local primary care provider.
5. Review Health Insurance
Make sure your student can access their insurance card and knows how to find an in-network doctor, urgent care, pharmacy, and lab — especially if attending college out of state.
- Confirm whether your student stays covered under a parent's plan while out of state; in-network coverage can be narrow far from home. Compare this against the college's student health plan before waiving it.
- Ask whether telehealth visits are covered, particularly across state lines.
- Note that on a parent's plan, billing notices may be sent to the parent, which can affect a young adult's confidentiality; the student health plan and other options send notices directly to the student.
6. Keep Important Medical Information Handy
Your student should have easy access to:
- Current medications and doses
- Medication and food allergies
- Important medical conditions
- Emergency contact information
- Health insurance information
- Contact information for their regular physicians
7. Pack a Basic Health Kit
Consider a thermometer, adhesive bandages, antiseptic, oral rehydration/electrolyte packets, hand hygiene supplies, and familiar over-the-counter medications for common minor illnesses.
- Keep a personal supply of any rescue medication easily accessible, not buried in a suitcase — for example, a spare inhaler or a spare epinephrine auto-injector.
- For students with severe allergies, make sure a roommate or resident advisor knows how and when to use an epinephrine auto-injector.
- Students should know what medications they take and should never share prescription medications with friends or roommates.
8. Talk About Sleep, Stress, and Mental Health
College brings major changes in sleep, workload, social life, and stress. Encourage regular sleep, physical activity, balanced meals, and healthy ways of managing stress.
- Learn what counseling and mental health resources are available on campus before they are needed, and save the numbers for the campus counseling center and campus safety in your student's phone.
- Save the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988), a free, confidential, 24/7 resource for any emotional or mental health crisis — not only for thoughts of suicide.
- Include a brief, honest conversation about alcohol and substance-use safety, as well as consent and sexual health resources.
9. Address Privacy at Age 18 (FERPA and HIPAA)
Once your student turns 18, parents no longer have automatic access to their medical or academic records. If your family wishes, ask about signing optional release-of-information forms, a HIPAA authorization, and — where appropriate — a healthcare proxy so you can help in an emergency.
10. Help Them Take Charge of Their Healthcare
College is a good time for young adults to take greater responsibility for their own care. Encourage your student to practice making appointments, requesting refills, communicating with providers, and keeping track of their medical information. The goal is a confident, self-sufficient young adult who knows how to get help when they need it.
One caveat worth keeping in mind through all of the above: specific immunization mandates, insurance network rules, and controlled-substance prescribing laws vary by state and institution, so confirm details with the college and your own insurer and prescriber.
Getting Started Before Move-In
If you're working through this list, an Aurora visit is a good place to begin — one unhurried appointment to review medications, immunizations, and any ongoing health plan before your student leaves, with time to actually answer questions rather than rush through them. If your family isn't an Aurora member yet, a Meet & Greet is the quickest way to get this checklist started before the move-in deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What immunizations do most colleges require before move-in?
Ans: Requirements vary by school, but commonly include MMR, Tdap, varicella, and — especially for students in residence halls — the meningococcal ACWY vaccine, ideally given on or after age 16. HPV, annual flu, and staying current on COVID-19 vaccination are also recommended. Check your specific college's requirements, since they differ by institution and state.
Q2. My student takes a stimulant medication for ADHD — what should we know before they leave for school?
Ans: Controlled substances like ADHD stimulants generally can't be phoned in as refills and often require an in-person or in-state prescriber, so if your student is attending school out of state, arrange for a local prescriber early to avoid a gap in treatment.
Q3. Does my student stay covered under our family's health insurance while at college?
Ans: Often yes, but in-network coverage can be narrow far from home — especially out of state. Compare staying on a parent's plan against the college's student health plan before waiving either one, and confirm whether telehealth visits are covered across state lines.
Q4. What happens to my access to my child's medical records once they turn 18?
Ans: Parents lose automatic access to a young adult's medical and academic records at 18. If your family wants continued access or the ability to help in an emergency, ask about a HIPAA authorization, a release-of-information form, or a healthcare proxy.
Q5. What mental health resources should our student know about before they leave?
Ans: Have them save the campus counseling center and campus safety numbers, and make sure they know about the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — a free, confidential, 24/7 resource for any emotional or mental health crisis, not only thoughts of suicide.
Q6. When should we start working through this checklist?
Ans: Begin in early summer if possible — physical exam appointments and immunization updates fill up quickly, and controlled-substance prescriber arrangements in particular can take time to set up before a student leaves.
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