<p>Can you hold a spot on more than one waitlist? That doesn't seem immoral at all, compared to double depositing. In fact, there isn't anything wrong with it right?</p>
<p>No, there's nothing wrong with that.</p>
<p>I think this whole issue is pretty clear overall. If you are waitlisted in 10 places, it was not your decision. It was the individual colleges decision to waitlist you. Like sybbie said earlier, this is very different than sending deposits to two different schools that have offered you admission during the RD process. There is a reason for a uniform deadline of MAY 1st in order for us to make our choice. If u get waitlisted, and then admitted, it is different. All colleges know that you may be waitlisted on your first choice, therefore they allow for that switch....except that they keep your money.</p>
<p>It is completely dishonest and unethical to send multiple deposits and both schools are likely to withdraw the admission offer since this reflects a major flow in character.</p>
<p>"Again, like AO said, it's not like you're choosing between spending four years in Tahiti or four years in Alcatraz." stoneybrook admissions officer.</p>
<p>Great line! Geesh...while I understand the problem of picking between two schools and all the variables of financial aid and scholarships and maybe even personal family issues....but goodness...make a decision people! My D turned down a nice scholarship at a safety to attend an expensive match (which gave her less money). So be it. Its where she wants to go. So we respectfully and graciously declined the scholarship and admission offers elsewhere promptly. Even safety schools have wait lists! And some poor kid is just dying to go to college and we feel they should get every opportunity to do so.</p>
<p>Like I have said on other threads, there are plenty of stories of kids going to "dream school" only to find out its a bad fit or the professors in their department arent that good or something. Do your homework and make your choice and move along.</p>
<p>Most of the time, the best fit sticks out like a sore thumb...you know it in your bones. My D was on campus of her "match" school about an hour or less, talked to people and it was VERY obvious this was her best opportunity and best fit. She is delighted.</p>
<p>If you get into a reach and you can afford it, then by all means go.....unless of course you visit and you know in your bones its a bad fit.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>I made a deposit and accepted the financial award from one college. I still have to pay alot of money. Then I got an acceptance letter from another school that I've been waiting for along time and I didn't have to pay as much as the first school. Can I still decline from the first school?</p>
<p>You are free at any time to tell the first college that you have changed your mind, but--since you already paid the deposit--it's unlikely you will ever see that dough again. </p>
<p>Why did the good news from College #2 come so late? Did you just recently apply? </p>
<p>Anyway, you can certainly tell your tale to officials at the first school and see if they'll give you a break on the deposit, but don't be optimistic. Hopefully, your second school is such a good deal that you'll still come out ahead. If you ARE going to attend the second school for sure, do notify the first one right away. Even if you figure you won't get your money back, it's not fair to hold a spot (and financial aid $$) that some other student may be eager to get.</p>
<p>There was some misleading information in post #53 that somehow colleges would share their list of admitted applicants with other colleges by using common software. That is actually incorrect. While many colleges use similar programs such as those developed by ApplyYourself for online tracking of an applications, that does NOT mean that a college administrator can log into another college's system, any more than they could log into the other college's accounting system even though they both used Quickbooks. </p>
<p>Most colleges consider their applicant information as highly proprietary and the last thing they want is share it with other colleges with whom they compete for the candidate. There was actually an FBI probe a few years ago of a hack by a Princeton adcom into Yale's admission system. They are already restricted from the 1992 Consent Decree with the Department of Justice from sharing any financial aid information on candidates. Sharing of other information may also have anticompetitive effects. </p>
<p>Again, this does mean double deposits may not eventually be found out, but it won't come through some information sharing system.</p>
<p>response to #66:
the second college made their decision very late even though I applied very early. I called every week and they kept telling me to call again next week. I finally got a letter of acceptance from them today but I still didn't get the financial aid award letter. This is so frustrating. As long as I can still decline from the first school, then it's ok for them to keep the deposit. Do I have to write a letter to somebody to cancel the stafford loan to the first school?</p>