Does "Pay By May 1st" Mean on or Before May 1st? Quick response please!

Applying to College
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<p>I'm freaking out because I still don't know where I want to go to college. My schools have said to pay the deposit BY May 1st. Does that mean its due by midnight tonight or midnight tomorrow? What happens if I miss the deadline?? </p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

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<p>I called an admissions office about this today. As long as it is postmarked by may 1st, you’re good. It also wouldn’t hurt to call the admissions office of the school you choose and let them know verbally.</p>

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<p>“By” usually means “before.” On the other hand, if it’s “no later than,” payment can be made on the “no later than” date.</p>

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<p>Different schools may do it differently. Don’t assume that one size fits all. Good luck on finding a post office at this hour that will give you an April 30 postmark.</p>

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<p>By May 1 means at the latest May 1. </p>

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<p>I don’t think so, unless there’s some kind of qualification. For instance, “by close of business on May 1,” or “by the end of the day on May 1.” If it’s just “by May 1,” that means before the start of May 1. But this is splitting hairs. If the school really said “by May 1” and your deposit is postmarked on May 1 or your online acceptance comes in on May 1, I doubt that the school will say “too late.”</p>

<p>But come on, make your decision already.</p>

1 Like
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<p>" But come on, make your decision already"</p>

<p>Now I agree with that. Even my son who can’t make up his mind about anything, made up his mind well in advance of May 1.</p>

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<p>I know guys…I seriously have a problem with indecision >_<. But how can I possibly decide in half an hour?? If both schools say it’s fine to postmark by May 1st, does that mean it’s fine to submit online by May 1st too?</p>

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<p>Easy - flip a coin. If the schools are on the east coat, you have 17 minutes to accept online.</p>

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<p>Flip the coin to understand where your desires really lie. </p>

<p>If you are disappointed with the results of the coin flip, that will tell you where you actually want to go.</p>

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<p>If you don’t reply that can be taken as the same as declining – a lot of students don’t bother to formally decline…You don’t just have 1/2 hour to decide, presumably you got your acceptances awhile ago. Time to pull the trigger. They need an answer or you lose your spot.</p>