@livelifelove - the article regarding Stanford admissions which you referenced was a satirical piece.
Those who are jumping through hoops or spending money on admissions guidance are getting poor advice.
SAT: 2100 and GPA: 4.0 (UW) I did a lot of EC’s involving music and sports but still waitlisted 
@Themclos Of course the Stanford article is satirical and silly! It just shows again how the whole college admissions process has gotten out of hand and for many it feels like a crapshoot. Look back, see the poor students worry at meeting the app deadlines and then on the edge of their seats waiting for admissions to come out. Students on here identified that the portal was accessible before the mailed acceptances. When others wondered why they couldn’t access their portal and became concerned, of course they called admissions. Those that bucked the mail system posted their annoyance at those that called admissions and blamed them for the portals shutdown. Can you blame them for calling admissions? In reference to the admissions guidance, I have heard (hate to use that word) that most students that use these services get into most if not all of the schools applied. They help them do the app, write the essay…
How do I go about declining my offer of admission?
@SuzySnowflake I just don’t get it. Either AU rejects/wait list students with your stats or they accept students like my daughter who applied test optional (4.16 W GPA w/full IB high school curriculum) and give no merit (which is tantamount to ensuring the student does not attend). She was accepted into SIS-Global Scholars.
@gonewiththeair I emailed the admissions officer for our state. My daughter was removed from the admitted students list. Are you considering GW?!?!
@SuzySnowflake and @HappyFace2018 - I don’t get it either.
@livelifelove @HappyFace2018 I had a Skype interview and assumed it went fairly well… I did think it was a bit odd that the interview was only 15 minutes. Honestly I thought I would’ve had American as a good option.
@HappyFace2018 Will do that, thank you very much! Yes, I just committed to GW 
Where is your daughter considering?
@gonewiththeair She just committed to GW! She’ll be heading to the Elliott School and University Honors Program (Presidential Scholar!!).
@gonewiththeair Here’s what’s interesting, when I shared with the admissions officer that my daughter was accepted to GW, Elliott, Honors and Presidential scholarship she was ecstatic…almost like she was relieved…hmmm
@gonewiththeair @HappyFace2018 Committed to GW as well!!!
Every school has their reasons for why they accept, reject and waitlist people. Every school has something different that they are looking for. We just understand what that is at any school. Obviously, GW was looking for something different than American. Also, this experience of waiting for admission etc, is only a small percentage of actual college students. Most students attend state schools or community colleges and get in with no waiting.
@HappyFace2018 @SuzySnowflake That’s awesome!! Very excited to head back to GW for orientation
Did anyone RSVP for freshman day because its not showing up on my prospective student portal???
does anyone know how to decline the offer?
^^
I don’t really understand these types of posts. Are you just trying to show the board that you’ve made a decision to go in another direction? If you don’t submit a confirmation by May 1, the offer just expires on it’s own, yes? Perhaps you try an email? Telephone call? Check the website?
You will need your AU ID handy…
My daughter was waitlisted at American University and found out today she was accepted.
My younger daughter wanted to decline her offer as she knew she was interested elsewhere and wanted to free up the slot for someone else but unlike at other schools she applied to, we couldn’t find anything on the website or any emails explaining how. We finally wrote to her admissions counselor to let her know. Surprised they make it so difficult.