“I think dorm living would be a shocker to a homeschooled 17 year old.”
...and possibly quite dangerous. I agree. I lived in a dorm decades ago, and I can only imagine what it must be like now, especially when parents aren’t looking. If there’s a way to avoid putting your kid in a dorm, then DO IT! I nearly failed out because of dorm life. Once I figured out that was the problem (and got an apartment well off campus), I did much, much better. In this case, she has no connection to the high school degenerates that will be populating the dorms, so it’s better if she never steps foot in one.
...and like you (I’m sure) your kid never missed dorm life, not even for a day.
Dangerous indeed. I’m about to turn 50, but my memories of dorm life remain crystal clear. In the room next door to me my freshman year, an idiot was making moonshine at night in his homemade woodfired still. His dad was a congressman, so when he was caught he quietly left rather than being kicked out. There was a bookie who made thousands a week on sports betting. There were dope smoking potheads who watched soaps and played electric guitars non-stop. There were thieves who would steal anything not nailed down or padlocked. Girls were easily snuck in for insane sex parties too filthy to describe. All of that and much more is largely why my daughter is still homeschooled instead of starting college early.