<p>I have been accepted into numerous colleges, and want to take a gap year. Is it possible for me to defer enrollment to multiple schools, thereby leaving me options when it comes time to decide next year? Since I am not technically enrolling in any of them, shouldn't this be allowed?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I don't see why not, unless you've signed a contract with a school promising to attend their school. (EA/ED, and the like)</p>
<p>I have been accepted into numerous colleges, and want to take a gap year. Is it possible for me to defer enrollment to multiple schools, thereby leaving me options when it comes time to decide next year? Since I am not technically enrolling in any of them, shouldn't this be allowed?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Check with the schools, but I'm pretty sure you have to accept an offer of admission--ONE offer of admission--before you can defer enrolling.</p>
<p>um, how are you "technically not enrolling" when you accept a guaranteed place in the class one year out? You're just kidding yourself here.</p>
<p>You can't accept admission offers from two school, and "technically not enrolling" sounds like the sort of self-serving double-talk that political candidates engage in.</p>
<p>uh, no.
I hate the 10 char thing.</p>
<p>I do have a follow up question to this......What happens if you have a "spring admit" to 2 schools? What if, come summer, you are moved to a fall enrollment at one of them? How would a student handle this? Would they have to commit to one by May 1st and "guess" which one could possibly change to fall? We are not in this situation, but do know someone who is.....</p>
<p>... Colleges make admission offers to students knowing that some will turn them down ( a la overbooking flights) so that the Colleges can fill their required enrollment. Additionally, some students bounce one College's financial aid offer against another in order to (sometimes) get a better offer.</p>
<p>So why should a student, knowing that he is deferring for a year do it at two schools, in order to have options? I understand that, given that it is a rule that you cannot accept at two schools, the offering school depends on the ethics of the enrollee to NOT do so since the schools do not share their lists of enrolled students. </p>
<p>Also, I wonder if some students, knowing that schools do not share lists, DO accept at two schools or more (regardless of deferrment), spend the summer pondering their choices and then go to one.</p>
<p>This is a dog-eat-dog, it-is-a-competitive-world-out-there perspective, admittedly (pun intended) but why NOT???? There is a slippery slope here, I realize, but given that someone is genuinely undecided, why not have the options and get some more time to decide - at the cost of crossing-the-ethics line?</p>
<p>hmmm if I understand your post correctly, NotIndPk, i see one flaw... you take up spaces which could be used by someone on the waitlist, aka someone who really wants to attend one of the schools you "enrolled" at. Again we are talking ethics here, but think for a second. How would you feel if you were the one loosing the spot in your "dream" school just because someone decided they need more time to "ponder their choices"?</p>
<p>rusty and others: Interesting ethical question: What if the school involved does not have a waitlist? (yes, I am thinking of a couple.....) What is the ethical dilemma then? Is there one? In that case, no harm, no foul??? Who is being hurt by the double deposit?</p>
<p>Rusty: Unfortunately, here goes the slipplery slope: Suppose I was turned down by my dream school because someone else got in because say, they needed more women (men) represented - there could be numerous scenarios where waitlisting at more than one can be justified.</p>
<p>Here is what I think is the bottom line:
-I did not get into X because of Y, now I need more time to decide amongst a couple of schools that were my safeties, so I will cross the ethical line (whether it exists or not is a separate question)and waitlist at both;
-so what if I am "screwing" some body else out of a dream school - I got screwed out of my dream school to!;</p>
<p>Alas, this is what a competitive environment does - pushing the lines and establishing new rules of the game. E.g. people use to apply to 3-5 schools now 10-12 is not unheard of - all because of competition!!!</p>
<p>@rodney: Indeed an interesting question. But lets again look at it from another perspective. What if a school cant decide between two equally good students and sends them both an acceptance letter mentioning the fact that it hasnt really decided between the two, but kindly ensuring them it will choose no later then end of July?</p>
<p>now from a more realistic point of view.. By sending your deposit to a school you declare that you will be attending, right? Doesn't this start a whole lot of other procedures (eg pairing you with a roommate, choosing a dorm for you etc etc).I am not really aware of the way this things are handled in the States so excuse me if the point I make is not really applicable to the situation described by rodney.</p>
<p>@NotIndPk: I think you illustrated a very common mentality, which has led humanity to its present state. Today ethics have pretty much faded in a society governed by personal interests and disrespect to others. Unfortunately there is only so much one can do to alter something so deeply carved in people's psyche.</p>
<p>you guys are forgetting one very important fact- you HS counselor is required to send your FINAL HS transcript to the one college you have mailed your deposit to. Counselors won't send them to 2 colleges.
If you do get off the wait list, even at the end of August, you are allowed to enroll at that college should you choose to. You just lose your deposit at the other college.</p>
<p>Most private colleges accept deferrals, but some state colleges will ask you to to write appeal letter to the admission explaining why you want to defer your admission. And they wont let you know about their decision. that is my story :)</p>