<p>So I've already sent in my SIR to Berkeley, is it really necessary to send statements declining other colleges or can I just not respond and hope they get the point?</p>
<p>Would you like it if only the schools that offered you acceptances, sent you a letter to that effect; and the ones that did not accept you just hoped that you get the point? Or would you be anxious, on the phone to them, spending hours getting answers?</p>
<p>Sit yourself down for 10 minutes, log off CC, ;) and fill out the postcards/forms, politely declining. That would be the right thing to do.</p>
<p>If you have a lot of things to do, then don't send them. They're not going to care anyway. It's not like you're going to be the only one that'll be turning them down.</p>
<p>while the school might not mind, the WL'd student might...
it doesn't take long; have some consideration... it's easy; it's quick!
you know you should; you'll be glad you did!</p>
<p>If you wish to become reflexively a thoughtful, gracious, and responsible person, yes, fill out the "no, I'm not coming" statements and spend a couple of bucks on stamps to send the off.</p>
<p>oh gee. put a stamp on postcard, say no thank you, and if you can post here, you have plenty of time to do the right thing and send in your note saying, thanks but no, i am going here</p>
<p>Don't schools automatically assume their offer have been turned down if they don't receive a deposit by the deadline?</p>
<p>no they don't </p>
<p>what if your check was late in the mail, would you want them to recind your admission- well, I sent in the check two weeks ago, oh gee, too bad its late, we got it Wednesday, goodbye</p>
<p>send in a one line note for heavens sake</p>
<p>Have some manners, some common courtesy, and care about the kids on WLs...</p>
<p>College paperwork is difficult, and for them to read your mind would be difficult</p>
<p>I am frankly appalled that people even have to ask about basic business practices, and manners and courtesy and doing a very simple thing</p>
<p>Did your parents teach you nothing?</p>
<p>No need to be so harsh. I was just wondering about how the process worked. My parents didn't go to college so they wouldn't know even if I asked them.</p>
<p>BTW, there must be some other ways for schools to tell if a kid is not coming. They can't just expect that 100% kids will return the reply postcards.</p>
<p>Eventually they will realize what has happen...</p>
<p>What i'm still wondering is why so many schools stick with the traditional mail method for replies? I mean... there is no such thing as a "fat envelope"</p>
<p>One of the colleges my daughter declined (with a nice note included) responded back and said that not only would her acceptance remain valid for two years, but so would her merit scholarship. Sometimes it pays to show good manners.</p>
<p>Also, consider it therapeutic to "close the door" on the colleges you won't be attending.</p>
<p>"No need to be so harsh. "</p>
<p>I agree with this one. What our children do are not always a reflection of what we as parents have or have not taught them. I think it was a harmless question that CGM totally overreacted to and was rather insulting to the OP -- not the kind of response we would expect on the parent's forum.</p>
<p>My D sent emails to admission people at each office. Most of them she has been corresponding over the year so her declining letters were personal letters of thanks for great help. I believe it is acceptable to communicate via email if thought of going to post office and getting post stamps on your cards is too much ;)
anyway, many colleges do keep your info on file at least for one year and if things do not work out at your present place you might want to transfer in future to one of those colleges you are declining now. It is always pays to close doors gracefully because you just never know when you might stumble into them again.</p>
<p>S sent emails or postcards to the schools he was turning down.</p>
<p>I was pleasantly surprised that he received emails or personal
notes thanking him for responding, wishing him the best, and asking that he reconsider them if he's ever thinking of transferring!</p>
<p>Another gracious living suggestion: our HS college counselor asks that the students contact the teachers who wrote their recs to let them know the results of the college search.</p>
<p>sorry if I sounded harsh, but there are at least 5 threads with this same topic, and common sense seems to be lacking, or is it laziness, or perhaps selfishness that causes people to not bother to do the easy and appropriate thing</p>
<p>the more that respond in a timely fashion, the quicker the process will be for those on the waiting list, the quicker paper work can get done, and the sooner everyone gets their work done</p>
<p>There are deadlines we all follow because we have to and there are others we follow because it is courtesy.</p>
<p>This "harmless" question has been asked numerous times, and to me, shows a lack of awareness of bigger issues outside of the applicants self interest</p>
<p>that is why it irks me so</p>
<p>People say, i am so busy, well, they can post here, they can send a card</p>
<p>People say, well, they will figure it out eventually, (not thinking about the poor waitlisted kids at all)</p>
<p>We talk about sending in thankyou notes for interviews, etc.</p>
<p>But it seems that if it doesn't benefit the person directly, many kids couldn't be bothered to finish up the paperwork, hey, they don't care about that school anymore, even though they wanted to go there at some point</p>
<p>Was I harsh, perhaps, but I am more disappointed that many kids show a laziness and not caring about the process if it doesn't help them</p>
<p>Sorry if that bugs people, but in this world, we need to do what we can to help others, even if it is something as small as saying NO to someone who invited you to join them</p>
<p>ANd if they sent in the SIR, they are prefectly capables of sending in the RSVP-No to those colleges that also wanted them</p>
<p>I don't think it was a bad question..and I am a parent. My son only applied to UCs and as far as I know there are no postcards to send back. Nor is there a wait list. A friends daughter tried to decline a CSU online and couldn't figure out how to do it, finally gave up.</p>
<p>Here is a link to the UC email address, at a minimum, one could send in a UC decline email here, saying, tried to find a better address, but here you are</p>
<p><a href="mailto:ucinfo@ucapplication.net">ucinfo@ucapplication.net</a></p>
<p>Here are some links I found.. maybe not the most efficient systems, but email address and street addresses for a quick note</p>
<p>If the OP were so lazy, selfish, lacking common sense and non-caring, she wouldn't have asked the question in the first place. She would have ignored the issue and gone on her merry way. Give her some credit.</p>
<p>"If you have a lot of things to do, then don't send them. They're not going to care anyway. It's not like you're going to be the only one that'll be turning them down."</p>
<p>that was who my response was to...gee...if you are sooo busy, don't bother yourself with manners</p>