<p>My daughter applied to six schools, all relative safety/match schools with the exception of one out of state school that accepts very few OOS students. She's received three acceptances and should have the rest of the decisions by January as all were either rolling admissions or EA schools. We also have a pretty good idea of what she can expect in merit from the various schools, so that really won't play into the decision too much - no full rides anticipated! </p>
<p>I think she's already got it narrowed down to two schools she likes best based on availability of her major and likely fit. As we did all of our visits during the summer when students were scarce, I'd love for her to take advantage of at least a few of the accepted student days before making a final choice. However, she's pretty tired of the whole state of uncertainty and just wants to have a decision made, so she can select her preferred dorm, sign up for orientation, and start wearing the sweatshirt!</p>
<p>So - for those who have participated in accepted student days, how important were they in making a decision? Did the visits primarily serve to reinforce existing preferences, or did they learn a lot more about the school climate and environment in a way that actually shifted those preferences?</p>
<p>And is there any cost to waiting until those visits take place (most are in April) to make a decision and put down a deposit (vs. committing in January when her acceptances are all in)? Do the preferred dorms fill up before May 1? Are the optimal summer orientation times filled up as well? Guess I'm just wondering how many students are actually in a position to commit very far in advance of May 1?</p>
<p>Thanks for any wisdom or experience you'd like to share...</p>
<p>I wasn’t able to go to any open days prior to applying due to finances. This was 1998 when I didn’t have the internet let alone know how to use email. My only sources of information were the prospectus (its like an overview catalogue used in the UK) and an ‘unofficial’ guide to all the UK universities- a lovely big tome where each uni had a page with a light hearted summary of life on the ground, traditions and alumni. Again, this was before the internet and the uni was 300 miles away.</p>
<p>Ultimately, I had to go on gut instinct and some black and white photos. The major seemed right and it had the pictures of students studying on the grass in the sun. I only got to visit after I had accepted my conditional offer. It was a major financial undertaking to get myself and my parents on a 1 day return roadtrip. Was very happy with the atmosphere and down to earth fellow applicants I met before our meeting. </p>
<p>Had an amazing 3 years. Fell in love with the town. Made life long friends- just went to wedding of ex-roommate this summer. My best friend has moved back and I visit the town a couple of times a year. </p>
<p>Only gripe is that the wind in the winter is cutting due to the lack of hills. But given that was the only downside, gut instinct worked for me :)</p>
<p>Many state schools with rolling admissions base housing assignments on the date the housing deposit was paid. We did a housing deposit at U MN last year before son was even admitted. We also deposited at 2 other schools (enrollment and housing) as soon as he was admitted. If housing is tight at any of the schools, I would recommend depositing and then backing out later. And yes, at some schools the preferred res halls are gone by December.</p>
<p>The U MN deposit was not refundable but the other one was fully refundable minus a processing fee.</p>
<p>My D found admitted students days very helpful in making a final decision. Her list was down to three…one she eliminated after admitted students day. If she had not gone to the other two I believe she would have chosen school B because she knew she was comfortable there after their admitted day. However, she ended up at school A BECAUSE she went to admitted school day and fell in love, after initially wondering if it might be a stretch for her. She is so happy with her decision, so I say if there is ANY doubt, wait!</p>
<p>Haystack - is it even o.k. to double deposit for enrollment? I thought that put you in jeopardy of both schools rescinding offers?</p>
<p>Rolling admit schools don’t care if you put down multiple deposits. In fact, many encourage it by making the deposit refundable. They tell you up front, if you want first crack at housing, deposit ASAP (at many schools it is a combo deposit…enrollment and housing, you often can’t do a housing deposit without an enrollment deposit). Typically, if you rescind your enrollment by May 1 you get your deposit back minus a processing fee.</p>
<p>It is also why many state schools don’t really know exactly how big their frosh classes will be until fees are actually paid in the fall. They use past data to estimate what percentage of students that paid enrollment deposits will not show up (many are obviously attending another school).</p>
<p>Haystack - how can we find out if housing is tight? If it’s a rolling admission school, do we just assume it’s good to get in line early?</p>
<p>Does anyone have a rough sense of what percentage of kids wait to commit until close to May 1? I’m guessing it’s a majority, but perhaps not true if you take into account the large numbers of students that plan on attending their state U…</p>
<p>You don’t have to wait for admitted students’ day. Have her revisit her top schools while they are in session. Many schools have overnights you can arrange. That would be a better way of seeing the school than a choreographed admitted student day anyways.</p>
<p>Students are always scarce, regardless of the season.
During the fall and spring they’re supposed to be in class or studying or doing homework so you won’t see them anyway.
As I’ve said before, if my daughter were to make her decision based on the number of students we saw during our visits, she wouldn’t be applying anywhere. ;)</p>
<p>Probably the best way to get a sense of the housing situation is to ask current students or contact the housing office. Ask housing for their res hall occupancy rate and if they have people in temporary rooms (dens). My son’s school posts occupancy rates online but everyone in our state knows that you need to deposit for housing early for that school. The other instate flagship doesn’t have near the housing crunch as they aren’t really growing now although an earlier deposit my get you a preferred location.</p>
<p>I would bet that probably 80% of the students know where they are going by March. In my state, about 70% of the hs grads attending a 4 year school go to one of our state schools (all doing rolling admit). Most of the private schools in my state also do rolling admissions(like Luther, a top 100 national LAC). College Confidential gives you a view of the college search process that really doesn’t match reality for the vast majority of the US population. CC tends to be filled with special snowflakes that need special care.</p>
<p>I agree with Redpoint. Don’t wait for admitted student day! I think she may get a more realistic picture of the schools if she goes at another time. She should do her homework ahead of time and not count on her “host” to entertain her. Some of the host students do a wonderful job of including and entertaining the visiting students, some do not. She could sit in on some classes, make appointments with professors in her areas of interest (come prepared with questions!), eat in the cafeteria. I’ve yet to see a college website that doesn’t have a calendar of events posted on their website. I understand her desire to get things settled. Both of my kids applied and were accepted ED. They had a much more pleasant year than their classmates who were sweating it out until spring. Good luck!</p>
<p>I understand why she would not want to wait. Still, I would visit her top 2 schools as soon as the acceptances come in. Call admissions and see what programs they have. See if your D can shadow a student for a day, sit in on a class in her area of interest or something like that. I’d also look online to see if you can find the school newspapers and look through them to see what is happening on campus. Even if you just do the regular tour again, you can get a better sense of the campus when schools is in session. (PS I could be wrong but I do not think you can put multiple deposits in on any schools, even ones with rolling admissions)</p>
<p>It is perfectly acceptable to double deposit for many rolling admit schools because of the way they assign housing…these schools are OK with it…</p>
<p>Say for example…son has applied to Iowa State U (instate), Arizona State U, and U Alabama (honors). All 3 schools state that housing is assigned based upon housing deposit date AND a housing deposit can only be made if you also pay your enrollment deposit. Basically, if you don’t get on the list now (Nov/Dec) you risk not getting honors housing or a poor housing choice. What are you to do? Do like we did and what countless others do, deposit at all three.</p>
<p>Admissions people at rolling admit schools refer to this as ‘summer melt’. Students that pay a deposit and don’t show up. Our state schools even get quite a few people to attend orientation in the summer, register for classes, and then not show up for fall.</p>
<p>Haystack, Sdgal2 is correct, it is not acceptable to commit to more than one school it is completely unethical. The school announcing they will refund your deposit in no way translate to making as many commitments as you want, it is for legitimate reasons you cannot attend, like your financial situation changed. It is also appropriate to withdraw your other applications after you have accepted a school.</p>
<p>It is NOT okay to “enroll” in multiple schools. If you talk with your college counselor at school, they will tell you it is a big No-No. Now, it is okay to put in multiple housing deposits, as long as they don’t requirement enrollment deposits, as well.</p>
<p>We sent housing deposits in as soon as our kids were admitted to their big state u’s. </p>
<p>S2’s freshman class was so big that there was a housing shortage. The last ones to put their money down were housed in off campus apartments until dorm spaces opened up.<br>
S2 was accepted to his rolling admit school in Nov. of senior year. He was a football player so no possibility of going anywhere on weekends in the fall. We toured his univ. early in the Spring semester. It wasn’t a special admitted students day. It was just a regular tour but there were prob. a dozen kids plus parents in the tour group. I don’t think going on admitted students day is a “must do”.</p>
<p>Concerning enrollment deposits, I can confirm there is at least one large state university that requires an enrollment deposit before you can make a housing deposit. If you don’t make an early deposit you could wind up in a less desirable dorm. </p>
<p>This school clearly states it doesn’t care if you pull out at a later date. Since it is the only entity hurt if someone puts down a deposit and does not attend, and it doesn’t care - there is no harm. As this school is an instrumentality of a sovereign government it is not bound by any gentlemen’s agreement developed by New England LAC’s concerning enrollment deposits.</p>
<p>Now it would be nice if they were more like the majority of schools, but no one can force them to change their procedure.</p>
<p>Accepted student days were huge in my D2’s decision process last year. She went to accepted days at what she thought were her #1, #2, and #3 ranked choices. The #1 and #2 visits were quite eye opening, even though she had done day visits to the campuses before where she went to classes, at the cafeteria, toured, went to the info session, etc. The flaws of the schools became clearer in those accepted student overnight visits – 24 hours on campus with a lot of students around is more telling than the typical 4-5 hours we had spent in the previous visits. She ended up picking the school that had been ranked #3 in her mind going into the visits, and is very happy this fall at that school. She also says she “dodged a bullet” by not attending her original #1 choice – it really wouldn’t have been suitable in several ways.</p>
<p>But you cannot ethically put down enrollment deposits at more than one school. It is clearly against the rules, and completely unfair to those who DO follow the rules (apparently unlike Haystack and a few of their friends). Even though the schools expect “melt” for various reasons, this is not an acceptable action. If you want to take your D back for an overnight visit before the actual accepted student days, then do that. And if you can put down a housing deposit without actually placing the enrollment deposit, go ahead.</p>
<p>I don’t agree with this at all. There is always passing time between classes, lunchtime in the cafeteria, etc.</p>
<p>For everyone calling Haystack unethical, how do you feel about students who submit an enrollment deposit at one college and back out if they get a late admit over the summer from a school where they were waitlisted?</p>
<p>@sally305…IMO there is a HUGE difference between putting down two (or more) deposits and switching schools after you have been accepted off a wait list. </p>
<p>In the first case, you are telling two (or more) schools that you will attend when you can only attend one school. You send the deposits in knowing with 100% certainty that you will withdraw from at least one of the schools. This shows a lack of good faith. In addition, by doing this you have locked up more than one spot at one time. </p>
<p>The second case is a different scenario. The student is not assured of a spot at the second school. Students must put a deposit down by May or risk not having a spot in college at all. When a student puts the deposit in May he/she would fully intends to accept a spot in the first college. The deposit is made in good faith and only one spot is taken. If a student is then accepted off of a wait-list from a preferred institution the person should withdraw from the first school simultaneously to taking a spot at the second school. There should be almost no time when the student has two spots taken. This is part of the normal “summer melt” that schools have come to expect.</p>
<p>Yes, true, there is always time between classes.
And we may just have to agree to disagree on this but here are my feelings and observations.</p>
<p>Many posts here have parents expressing regret at having to visit colleges during the summer, lamenting that there are few (or none) students around.</p>
<p>There are always excuses available as to when not to visit … it’s too cold, it’s raining, it’s Spring break, it’s Summer, and on and on.</p>
<p>My advice is: visit when one is able to visit.</p>
<p>Specifically on the students around issue, here are some observations.
The largest number of students my daughter and I observed on a campus visit was U-Va during the summer!</p>
<p>On another visit, to a mid-size mid-Atlantic LAC, we observed a large number of students while pulling into the parking lot.
When we emerged from the Admissions Office a few minutes later to begin the tour, the campus was a ghost town.</p>
<p>And, finally, whether students are around or not matters very little to my daughter anyway (and I agree). All you’ll see is a bunch of young people walking around in jeans, sweatshirts with backpacks.</p>