<p>Right, so I've applied to both USF and USC. I've already been accepted to the former, I'm still waiting on the latter.</p>
<p>Problem is, USF needs me to confirm enrollment by May 1. And USC won't even start looking at my apps until May 1, and can only confirm acceptance by June at the latest.</p>
<p>So now I'm stuck. I'd rather go to USC over USF...but if I wait for their response and it's a letter of rejection? I won't even be able to go to my second option, which was USF.</p>
<p>There is no dilemma. Accept USF and give deposit (deposit is usually not that much). Then wait for USC. If USC comes through, then go there. What do you think wait-listed students do? You are just doing what they do.</p>
<p>A 250 dollar deposit isn’t exactly cheap, either.</p>
<p>I’m a little confused though. So even if I pay the deposit and submit the ‘Intent to Enroll’ form, I can still back out of USF and enroll at USC at a later date? How does that work? Sorry if it’s a stupid question.</p>
<p>You may not lose the 250 if you end up there. It is the only way, and pretty cheap way to have a back up plan. Google ‘summer melt’, students that get off waitlists or find out late, like you, are sort of forced to do as awcntdb describes.</p>
<p>Huh. So even with the deposit sent, I’m under no legal obligation to actually attend the university? I’ve read that colleges check where you send your Intent to Enroll forms, and if they found out you’ve already sent to another, they’ll rescind their acceptances?</p>
<p>This happens all the time and colleges know and expect this. You’re not violating anything. Like BrownParent says, double depositin – purposely sending in and taking two spots simultaneously b/c you can’t decide-- now that’s unethical.</p>
<p>This happens all the time and colleges know and expect this. You’re not violating anything. Like BrownParent says, double depositin – purposely sending in and taking two spots simultaneously b/c you can’t decide-- now that’s unethical.</p>
<p>Your confusion may be coming from what you’ve heard correctly about ED (early decision) applications. If you are accepted somewhere ED, you are required to withdraw applications to other schools, and the schools have ways of knowing that you have been accepted ED.</p>
<p>It would be an ethic issue if you were accepted by more than 1 schools and you pay deposit to both by the May1 deadline. It is not an ethic issue if you are on a wait list and got accepted after you’ve paid deposit to another school. Theoretically, when you accept an admission offer, you should decline all other offers. However, you don’t have an offer from the wait list school at that time.</p>