<p>It is almost the time now and many students need to choose only one college but decline several. I was wondering what the best approach is to decline a college? Call? Email? or Email to whom? What to say? </p>
<p>Appreciate some advice here. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Most of my son’s schools included a self addressed post card of letter/envelope to indicate whether or not you intend to attend - just check the appropriate box and send it off! Some schools didn’t include that, and I guess we’ll just email them…</p>
<p>There is no requirement to decline an offer of admission. If you choose to do so, use whatever means the school gave you, usually a web link or postcard. If you have corresponded with a particular admission counselor, an email would be considerate. However, again, there is no requirement to decline an offer of admission.
If you do decline, you may still receive spam email or snailmail. That may take extra effort to stop.</p>
<p>If the adcom wrote something personal it would be polite to answer. Otherwise just return the postcard.</p>
<p>For some schools, generally large publics, there is no postcard, in which case you can just e-mail the admissions office. It’s the polite thing to do.</p>
<p>It nice to sent a reply to decline admission but they will know you do not plan to attend when they do not receive your deposit.</p>
<p>I wd send a card or email or note (esp if there had been personal corresponding going on) asap. Because there are kids on the waitlist – and the school does need to fill the class.</p>
<p>I think instilling courtesy & thoughtfulness is part of their educations, and this is a great teaching moment.</p>
<p>I also think that if the reason for the turndown is something like the FA package, that a polite letter saying so is not a bad idea. It might help loosen up aid policies in the future for other families. That is why Princeton adopted the no-loan thing – they realized they were not getting apps from students they wanted because the parents said, “What, Princeton, we can’t afford it.”</p>
<p>My son sent a nice letter in which he said that he really wished he could have attended more than one school. I can’t think of any reason not to do this.</p>
<p>Promptly, briefly, and politely. Return postcard if it is provided, email if not. I don’t think a note is needed or even wanted unless you have established a personal relationship or correspondence with a particular person in the admission office. (I strongly disagree with the poster who said it was not required to respond and that responding in the negative might lead to unwanted mailings. And I strongly agree that basic courtesy is a life skill that people need to have and acquire–and responding to an offer of admission is basic courtesy.)</p>
<p>If a student knows for sure that a college is “off the list”, the thoughtful thing to do is officially decline (by website, postcard, email… .whatever, it varies by school). That will maybe help get things moving more efficiently on the waiting lists. Or maybe not, but at least you know you did your best.</p>
<p>DS recently declined a school using an email link.
He was then taken to a screen that asked where he was going and if and how much (%) scholarship he had gotten.
He was then taken to another screen that told him to click another link if he changed his mind!
So much for opening up another spot.
(8^P</p>
<p>AHVS - That’s funny… was there also a question asking, “how much $ would it take to change your mind?”</p>
<p>colorado_mom: No, but he was asked to pick a % range.
Actually, when DS told us his choice I asked him if that would still be the case if all merit money was the same (his choice did offer the highest). He told me it would stay the same. He really likes the school.</p>
<p>I’m all for professionalism so its a good thing to respond, if only as practice one’s manners. But a minimalist email should suffice. </p>
<p>But I find it remarkable that these same schools that, for the most part, make you pay money to have the privilege of applying, then expect you to give them free marketing information to help their business model the subsequent year. </p>
<p>How about they offer to refund your application fee in return for a detailed survey about how you made your decision and what your different options were?</p>
<p>S applied to about 15 schools, mostly small LACs at which he had had interviews and other in-person contacts with admissions reps and coaches. He ended up applying and being admitted EDII to his top choice in early Feb. Because of the extent of his personal contacts and because we didn’t want the other schools to waste time on his app, he wrote a letter that was sent to each school to notify them he was withdrawing his application. He got a couple of nice, personal letters back (and a couple of acceptances, scholarships, too, that crossed in the mail).</p>
<p>stupid question but… if son sent an email declining admission… is there any need to go into the financial award section and actually decline awards also??</p>
<p>Parent56. No, I don’t think that you have to go to FA, as long as you let admissions know. My D got a merit scholarship at one college and just sent back their official “I’m going somewhere else” card. </p>
<p>In general, for the colleges that didn’t include a return post-card, D just sent an email to admissions, thanking them for their offer of admission and telling them where she will be attending (free marketing info for them, but I think it’s the polite thing to do - but no details). That’s it.</p>
<p>She had met in person and emailed with the dir of admissions at one school she is not attending; I think she really needs to email him directly about her decision to attend elsewhere – but just saying “it was a better fit.”</p>
<p>thanks, he has a few he will have to do more personal decline email, but slowly getting to the decision.</p>