Costly extreme dorm makeovers redefine back-to-school shopping

Sending a freshman off to college is almost always an expensive endeavor, but the latest viral trend is taking back-to-school shopping to the next level

Sending a freshman off to college is almost always an expensive endeavor, but the latest viral trend is taking back-to-school shopping to the next level.

Extreme dorm makeovers are becoming increasingly popular, with some parents shelling out tens of thousands of dollars and hiring professional interior designers to transform their kids’ humble abodes into the dorm rooms of their dreams.

Far removed from the beat-up mini-fridges and crooked posters of the past, the dramatic transformations are unnecessary, some say, and reflect the widening line between the haves and have-nots in the U.S.

“Wealth disparity just becomes obvious on a college campus, because suddenly your lifestyle is either funded by you or it’s not,” said Mya Mendola, who graduated from the University of Minnesota last year.

Mya Mendola and her dorm room at the University of Minnesota.Courtesy Mya MendolaNevertheless, transformation videos are all over TikTok, showing drab, undecorated freshman dorms elevated into luxurious oases. Crystal chandeliers, plush bedding and monogrammed pillows overflow in the small spaces.