College acceptance process

Hi all,
DS has applied to a few colleges and we have heard back from 2 of them. We are waiting to hear back from the rest.

Being a newbie, I would appreciate it if someone could guide me to:
What is the process after a college sends its acceptance letter? Should we register for orientation, housing, etc. or should we wait for responses from the rest?

What signals final acceptance to a college?
Thank you

I think you should wait to hear from all of the schools so she can see what her options are. You can then look at any accepted student events and register for any at schools she wants to consider further. Some schools may have housing shortages and it may be best to register for housing earlier but be cautious about paying deposits that are non refundable.

Generally, paying a deposit lets a college know the student will be enrolling.

IF they wants to live on campus and they are pretty interested in a school they’ve already been accepted to, then I would apply for housing and put down a deposit. If she’s totally undecided then I agree with @helpingmom40

You aren’t committed to any school until you attend your first class. They make you think that, but you’re not. Of course noone would wait that long, but just saying. You may lose deposits or cost of NSC, but that’s it. Take your time to decide. This is basically a 4 year commitment, but that too isn’t necessarily true.

Thank you @helpingmom40 and @AggieMomhelp. That was very useful advice. I think we might start looking at housing options or wait a week or two more.