Why did we create The Dorm List? 

There are so many college dorm essentials lists on the Internet, but these are static PDF or Word documents. People need a customizable list that can easily be modified and updated. 

• We started this project to allow parents and/or rising college students the ability to build their own customized college essentials list. The key is being able to easily   add, edit, and track items on the fly. 

• How did we know this was needed? We found ourselves spending way too much time scouring the web in fear that we missed some key item as we prepared to send our oldest child to college. It was a serious case of FOMO (fear of missing out). We’ve compiled a “Master List” that includes almost everything imaginable that you might need at dropoff. 

• As this project continues, we will continue to expand this list so you won’t have to waste time on the web thinking that you forgot something important.  
  

Is there a monthly fee?

We only offer a Free lite version and a Premium version that has a one-time fee to use the app for an entire year.

Is there a family-shared plan?

• At this point, we don’t have a family or shared plan. One email/password will gain access to one account. However, we don’t limit access by device so a family can access the same list from multiple devices. 

• The future roadmap will allow editing via list-sharing
  

How did you choose the recommended products?

• We use third-party software to scour Amazon for the highest-ranked and top products for each category.

• During our initial phase, we focused on top products from Amazon. This allows you to order from your account and determine the delivery method/location that best meets your needs.  

• Every day we are looking for new top products from all reputable vendors that people in the industry are talking about. 

• We are building out a feature allowing users to submit recommended products and allow upvoting by other users.

How do you decide which products to recommend?

• Our focus is to provide the top products whether we earn a commission or referral fee or not. 

• Initially, as we ramp up our operations, if any of our recommended products bring affiliate commissions, we’ll use these towards the development of new features and updates to the app. This will help keep the price of the app down as we build new features that benefit the users.

How do I change my account preferences? (email, password, delete account, etc)

• Log into the App from your mobile device, on the bottom right of your screen click on the Profile icon and there you can access your account options.

Do you allow third-party affiliate marketing and/or links to products/services?

We are actively seeking out strategic relationships with companies that could provide value to our users. Aside from strategic partners, we do not allow the promotion of individual affiliate links.

Using The Dorm List

• Overview

• The Dorm List is a mobile app that you can install on your iOS or Android device. It will keep track of your college dorm essentials list.

• Installing

• You can install The Dorm List from the Apple App Store or Google Play on your phone or tablet. 

• On iPhone or iPad, you can find The Dorm List in the App Store. Launch the App Store app and search “Dorm List”.

• On Android, you can find The Dorm List on the Play Store. Launch the Play Store app and search “Dorm List”. You can also click on the graphic below if browsing on your phone.

• We don’t currently have a web version. (Coming Soon)

• Basic use

• When you first launch The Dorm List, you’ll want to create your first list. You’ll be able to start your list using a template or from scratch.

• Adding items

• Adding items is a breeze. When building your list you’ll have the option to add a bundle of items from a premade template or to build your list from scratch. A circle symbol with 3 dots inside allows you to view what items are included in each template. Don’t worry, you can choose a template and later delete individual items.  If you decide to build your list from scratch, the app will take you straight to the Master List which will present all the items sorted by category making it easy for you to add items in a step-by-step manner.

• Once you’re finished, you’ll click Add listed items and your list will be saved and you’ll be taken to the dashboard where you can begin adding, editing, and modifying your list. 

• Status and Timelines

• From the dashboard, you’ll be able to view all of your lists. Click on the list you want to work on and it will take you to a view displaying all the items on that list. 

• Here you can press to change the red status box to reflect whether you still Need, already Have, or if your Roommate Is Bringing the item. 

• You can press the green timeline box to reflect when you need the item by. You can choose the need to get it ASAP, Before Move-In, or as a reminder to get it At Move-In time. 

• Editing item information

• After clicking your list, and to the right of the Status and Timeline boxes, you see 3 icons representing options to Edit, Copy, or Delete the particular item.

• Edit allows you to paste in a link that will take you directly to the product page. This is currently a manual process and you’ll need to copy/paste the URL into the field. You can type in the item’s price, a product tracking URL if already ordered, select a store from the dropdown menu, document where the item is being shipped to, and can include custom notes that you type in yourself. 

• Item notes are used for each item individually and you can store reminders and more detailed information about that product in that field.

• Copy is an easy way to keep track of multiple units of the same product.

• Delete will allow you to delete that particular item. A challenge popup will be presented ensuring that you actually want to proceed with the deletion of the item.

• Product Suggestions

• Most items added from a template or the Master list will include several product suggestions thumbnails below the product viewable in the category view only. These products are compiled by using third party software that yields the highest ranking and top products from Amazon. Also, we manually review products from third party sites and from trending conversations online to make sure the list is accurate and up-to-date. 

• We’ve developed a simple user rating system that allows you to vote up or down a product and to recommend products to us that you feel should be shared. We are also building out the ability to allow more products to be shown by sliding the thumbnails to the left.

• Sharing lists

• We are building out a List Sharing repository allowing users to share their list to others on the app. Your current list will have a share button and you will be able to name it specifically for the shared site so you can keep anonymity. While sharing, optionally you will be prompted to select a university as well as a gender which will allow other people to filter lists accordingly. The list will have a name, school, gender, and will be sorted by category and item just as it appears on your own dashboard. However, it will only include the product URL and no other details from your list (notes will not be shared). 

• Using a shared list

• Enter into the Shared List area and find lists that you are interested in. Here you can copy the entire list into your dashboard. This will help you find items and give you ideas for products that you might not have known about or considered before.

• Deleting lists or items

• You are able to delete an entire list quickly from the dashboard. You will encounter a challenge question making sure you want to delete the entire list. Once deleted, it cannot be restored.

• Also, while editing a list you can individually delete a selected item. 

• Renaming lists

• We’ve added the ability to rename your lists and shared list names.

• Upgrading to the premium version

• We allow you to upgrade to the premium version via a one-time in-app purchase which covers use for an entire year. There are no recurring charges and payment is made via the App or Play store. We will not ask for or store any credit card information.

• Categories

• We quickly realized that some people enjoy categorization for lists more than others. We’ve settled on the current categories as a way to help take users from one area of the dorm room to the next in a logical manner. For people that don’t enjoy categories, we’ve added the ability to search and find items alphabetically instead. 

• Categories currently include bathroom, bedding, cleaning, closet, clothing, desk, electronics, furniture, kitchenette, laundry, medicine cabinet, and more. We are always open for recommendations on additional categories or hearing about your preferred method to categorize items for the list.

• Thumbnail Pictures

• Most items in the Master list will include suggested products. Each of these products will appear after adding the item to your list and when you are viewing your own list. These are not viewable from the Master list itself. Press the thumbnail and you will be taken to the product directly via a web browser or corresponding app. Any purchases or bookmarks for the item will take place from that vendor using the vendor’s site. Be sure to make sure that vendor is secure and use normal web purchasing savvy when ordering online.

• Printing

• Printing is easy. Select the print icon from the top right corner, confirm that you want to print, and typically within a minute you’ll receive an Adobe PDF containing your list in your email.

• Website

• Our website is a place to find the latest material and FAQs about the product. Currently, we do not support a web application which means you will have to use the mobile app to access The Dorm List.

• Exporting Data

• We do not currently support exporting data from the site. Use the print feature which will email your entire list to your email inbox.