<p>I just received my acceptance letter a week ago, and I fully intend on enrolling to Harvard. However, before I received my admissions letter, I applied to a few regular schools/safety schools (USC, UC Berkeley/LA/San Diego) for Regular Decision. If I accept the admissions offer, should I also immediately withdraw my applications from the other schools?</p>
<p>Someone please answer this because I'm afraid that if I accept the offer, but don't withdraw the other applications, I might have my admissions offer rescinded.</p>
<p>I am in the same boat! But at the same time, I feel I am yanking the floor from under me by withdrawing my applicaitons. Harvard is my number choice, and I am definitely going!</p>
<p>If you “accept” the admissions offer you should definitely withdraw your other applications.
However you do not need to accept immediately so if you need to compare financial aid or might like the option to change your mind, leave open the apps you would ALSO seriously consider if admitted.</p>
<p>If you are 100% certain that Harvard is your dream school, and if you have been offered a Financial Aid package that you and your parents find acceptable – then yes I would withdraw all of your other applications. What would be the point of not withdrawing?</p>
<p>It is not a requirement that you withdraw all your outstanding applications unless you applied to an ED school and were accepted.</p>
<p>However, it does mean that you need to be honest when you accept an admission. I don’t believe it requires you to withdraw all your applications but it does mean you should not accept a second school if one comes through.</p>
<p>Doesn’t the Harvard acceptance letter tell you that you have until May 1 to respond? Why do you feel such pressure to accept now? Don’t you want to compare FA offers? The only benefit of accepting now (and withdrawing from the other schools) altruistic – you likely are an admit at the other schools and withdrawing permits them to admit someone else who would perhaps not be admitted.</p>
<p>@gibby, The reason I’m hesitant to withdraw my other applications is that, like Quillabee93, I feel like I need some sort of backup in the case that something stupid happens, and I end up with no other options. I may sound a bit paranoid, but I just like the feeling that there’s something to fall back on.</p>
<p>Harvard’s financial aid is generally acknowledged to be one of the best in the country! Except for in-state schools, very few other institutions, outside of Yale and Princeton, might offer a better financial aid without loans.</p>
<p>Some of the other schools I am applying to I know for sure won’t offer aid as acceptable as Harvard’s. It would be WAY more expensive for me to go to school in-state than for me to go to Harvard. Also, I have used Harvard’s financial aid calculator as an estimate and my parents have deemed it is do-able (most of the money on our end comes from me doing a work-study type program). </p>
<p>@HandiCapable–I have no idea if Harvard can “see” where else we have been accepted. But it is one thing to be accepted as compared to replying yes you will be coming.</p>
<p>“backup in the case that something stupid happens” </p>
<p>What does that mean? Do you fear your grades might slip? That your parents might loose their jobs and not be able to afford to send you to Harvard? Are you still in disbelief that you were accepted and can’t believe it’s real? Not sure I understand your reasoning.</p>
<p>@gibby: It is definitely paranoia talking! I am 100% sure my grades won’t slip this semester–it’s my ‘easy’ semester and I don’t have the stress of where I am going to school-- and my parents would sell a kidney on the black market if that is what it would take to pay for Harvard.</p>
<p>Over the next 3 months, the admissions office will start sending you information about the school – courting you, if you will. They will mail you a copy of the Harvard Crimson, you will start receiving phone calls from fellow Harvard students welcoming you to the school. Soon, I imagine your paranoia will melt away.</p>
<p>I was wondering the same question. I am torn between the desire of not interfering with other students’ chance to get admitted while keeping the possibility of choosing among other colleges as I am not 100% set on Harvard. If you choose to wait until april to decide and thus maintain your application to other colleges, how are you affecting other applicants? After all, the yield in most schools is below 50% (even for ivy league colleges except HYP), so there is 50% chance or more that even if you withdrew, your spot would be given to someone who would not attend.</p>
<p>You shouldn’t be affecting other students. It is different if you have already committed to Harvard that you will be coming but choose not to–that is the point of EA acceptance you know early if you get in with the opportunity to shop around and explore your other options.</p>
<p>My earlier posts were just paranoia–gibby and others helped calm my fears. I am withdrawing all of my applications and committing to Harvard. </p>
<p>Putting all the altruism, financial aid, and other stuff aside, what about the RULES regarding this situation? I just need to know if it there’s a rule somewhere stating that we MUST withdraw all other applications if we choose to accept.</p>
<p>If you do ED, you are required to withdraw. There are no rules that govern your Harvard admit.</p>
<p>If you accept the Harvard admit, you do not have a requirement to withdraw. If the others admit you and you don’t respond by May 1st, the offer expires. You are doing something nice for the other applicants by giving one more seat that you won’t be blocking by getting admitted.</p>
<p>People on waitlists do accept a different school in May or June if one comes through.</p>
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