<p>It is an acceptable practice to take a spot on waitlists of multiple schools. It would demonstrate a lack of personal integrity to tell each of the schools that it is your first choice, but you need not to do that because accepting a spot on a waitlist simply means that, at the moment, you would prefer to go to that school over the one you have selected. You are also free to change your mind later and go to your selected school, in which case you should ask to be removed from whatever waitlists you are on.</p>
<p>If you do get a call offering admission from a waitlist you will be given a short period of time (a day or so) to commit to the offer. A waitlist spot is not an absolute commitment to the school, but they do need to move on if you don’t want the spot. You should, of course, notify the school to which you previously committed ASAP if you accept an offer of admission while on a waitlist. Commitments are understood to have an exception for subsequent waitlist-admissions.</p>