I know it is a hotly debated topic and I am not trying to pick sides. My DD was accepted to one of her top schools which has already opened housing but requires an enrollment deposit. I know that we cannot have two deposits at once. My question is - will having an enrollment deposit in place affect college acceptances for other universities? She has applied EA for the rest of them but we will not find out about those until mid-December. Would those schools know that she already has a deposit down and use that against her?
The ethical issue is when someone has two enrollment deposits with the intention of deciding later. Here she only has one deposit. If she gets into a school she likes better then she simply notifies this one she isn’t enrolling after all and likely loses the deposit.
The only issue here is the unethical behavior of the colleges that utilize this propaganda.
It’s ridiculous - you have til May 1 - yet a school like UF, FSU, and UGA - you have to make housing payments, even before you get admitted if you want the be early in line.
The enrollment deposit is another scam.
If you were enrolled at more than one, it would suck that you’ll lose money - but that’s all that’s going to happen.
Both schools will assume you are coming and when you flake, they’ll keep your money - that’s all.
Agreed. I recall reading in a college group somewhere that many applicants to UF submit a housing deposit at the same time as the application for admission - before even knowing if they’ll get in (although UF refunds most of it if they decide to go elsewhere). Not sure if that’s an urban legend. FSU’s housing scramble opens up a couple of days after their admissions decisions go out (they’ll also refund most of it if the applicant goes elsewhere).
Totally agree. Schools asking for housing deposits before an acceptance is more unethical than double depositing.
FYI …if you deposit at a school and put it on your credit card- you may get a refund from your credit card company. The deposit is to enroll, so if you are not enrolling - you may get it back.
I didn’t double deposit, but I sent $500 to Lehigh and planned to attend. I was later called from Tufts wait list. I accepted Tufts and declined Lehigh. My credit card company negotiated a refund!
@galaura check to make sure this is an enrollment deposit. It might not be. It could be a housing deposit and there are schools that ask for that early on to guarantee housing. We paid three of them. All were fully refundable.
So check and see. If this is a housing deposit, just do it.
There is actually an enrollment deposit and then a housing deposit. I am not worried about the money. I am worried about whether or not it will affect her chances of admission to other schools.
(although UF refunds most of it if they decide to go elsewhere). Not sure if that’s an urban legend. FSU’s housing scramble opens up a couple of days after their admissions decisions go out (they’ll also refund most of it if the applicant goes elsewhere).