I'm trying to figure my moving situation too, the only part of going to school that I'm dreading. I plan to sell most of my furniture on craigslist (I bought most of it there originally, so hoping to sell at close to same as I bought it) and just buy new cheap/used furniture when I get there. Most of the smaller household things I will pack in boxes and ship to myself fedex or amtrak like suggested above.
What I'm not sure what to so with is the stuff in the middle, that is too big to put in boxes, but too costly or too sentimental to sell and re-buy (like my 40" tv, some large artwork etc) I don't want to rent a u-haul, no way I'm doing that drive myself and I will still need to hire someone to help me move it in regardless. And all the moving companies have a minimum weight to meet. So then I start thinking well if I can't make the minimum maybe I should just move more of my furniture, it will be easier that selling and rebuying, and then I'm back to square one all over again

At least I'm not bringing my car.
One thing I am trying to work out is possibly sharing a moving van with another student. I met one other person in Scottsdale also going to Booth, we may even live in the same building. I'm not sure what he has to move yet, but if it turns out he is also trying to make a minimum, that could work. Might be a good suggestion for some of you coming from more represented cities and have more people to potentially share with.