<p>I wholeheartedly second MichaelNKat's suggestion. Thank you for so eloquently stating what I was attempting to interpret from my Husband's advice- also wearing an "attorney hat".</p>
<p>I have heard from several online acquaintances about situations where school MT or drama programs were basically trying to force students to commit to those schools well in advance of the National Reply Date. One parent told me that when she called to try to explain that the family needed to wait until all offers (especially financial aid and scholarship offers were in), the person on the other end of the telephone was basically dismissive and quite arrogant and led the parent to believe that the dept could do what it wanted. That puts the parent and kid in a very sticky situation: they don't want to offend the school in question in case that ends up being where the student goes, but they are also being sort of forced to be dishonest by committing to something that they might not do. This is worse, in my opinion, than the schools asking kids where else they are auditioning and so on.</p>
<p>MomOfAPrincess, I did an "all states" Westlaw search on the issue of college acceptances and rescissions. All of the reported cases, interestingly, involved families/students suing schools that rescinded acceptances and in every case the courts held there was no enforceable contract right. The courts' opinions were based on doctrines that would be applicable regardless of who initiated the action. Unfortunately, I did not retain the citations after I no longer needed them for the particular situation and my file has been sent off to outside storage.</p>
<p>This is so confusing to me. I went back through my files. One university my D applied to sent a letter in MID-DECEMBER with an Achievement Scholarship AND a note saying that to accept the award, we needed to sign a copy and return it within 2 weeks or it may result in the award being rescinded! So...we did...we didn't think there was a choice. Then a couple of months later, she auditioned for the BFA program and was accepted, with a scholarship and another letter to return within the month. We did all of that without questioning it, but did not put down any deposit or sign anything that said we were accepting Admittance to the school...just that we accepted the scholarship (I thought maybe it was an agreement that we wouldn't try to renegotiate or anything). Last week we received a letter saying that they are excited my D is joining them in the fall & will send enrollment details. I'm pretty sure she wants to go elsewhere, but we are awaiting financial info from them.</p>
<p>Another university sent an acceptance to the BFA program requiring a response by April 7...this one did mention that if we changed our mind prior to May 1, there is no penalty.</p>
<p>My other D just received a letter from a University requesting an acceptance to a scholarship offer...again, due a week from now. So...it is not just a BFA practice.</p>
<p>I would appreciate advice...should I call those couple of schools to which we already responded to tell them we still are in the process of getting responses from all the schools and will let them know asap...certainly prior to May 1? Or do I just let it go?</p>
<p>Michael- was there one particular reason the colleges used in their defense - like a decline in grades of the final semester? This is an interesting subject for CC. With all the auditions and time off from school my D is petrified she would end up with a "C" in some class and a school would withdraw her acceptance. I told her that just isn't going to happen. </p>
<p>I'm assuming (?) colleges only withdraw acceptances in only a minority of cases. But it would be interesting to know how often and under what premise they do this.</p>
<p>All schools involved in the RD, EA or rolling admissions process know that students have until May 1 to decide where to attend and that a student may change their mind between the time an acceptance is issued and the May 1 cut off date. I don't think there is any reason to say anything. </p>
<p>There's no reason to have a sense of guilt about this. Do schools give students a heads up that their application may not be favorably acted upon and therefore the student should focus their energies elsewhere? In general, they wait until they have all their options (completed applications) available to them and then make decisions. Schools treat the admissions process as a business decision; why shouldn't parents and students?</p>
<p>MomOfAPrincess, now you are really testing my memory :) ! There was a variety of reasons. At this point, it's been so long that the specific fact patterns have leaked out my ears. </p>
<p>I wouldn't worry about a "C" in a class though. None of the cases involved a recision simply because an A and B student got a C in a class. That I would have remembered.</p>
<p>MOAP....generally, colleges do not recind on offer of admission if an A/B student gets a C in second semester of senior year. However, schools WILL recind and have the right to recind if the student's record for the remainder of senior year is not in keeping with the academic record which they accepted the student under. For instance, if a student has been an A/B student and then has two C's, two D's and an F (just making up an example, please don't take it literally), this is very different than the record which they accepted and they can and HAVE recinded some offers when the final year grades differ GREATLY than before. Schools do ask for a final transcript and I advise students to not get a serious case of senioritis, particularly if accepted at more selective schools.</p>
<p>Michael,
Thanks for your insight on the legal side of this issue. I feel assured that I did what I had to do given the circumstances. Schools that strong arm you into an early acceptance decision are only hurting themselves and will find out one way or another that their policy isn't fair. I feel a little less excited about going to this school based on my experience so far, but beggars can't be too choosey. I am just grateful to have a choice, and am keeping a positive outlook that the right opportunity will present itself.</p>
<p>
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So I say, screw 'em
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Nah ... Tell 'em to go sit on a cactus. I hear they have a lot of those around. ;)</p>