<p>I was waitlisted to Harvard 2016, and I am accepting the waitlist offer. But in the meantime, my next best option wants a reply of "I plan on attending" or "I do not plan on attending" with a signature by May 1.</p>
<p>The page to my backup says that it can withdraw admissions "if you are holding beyond May 1 a place in the freshman class of more than one college"</p>
<p>But I won't find out about Harvard until well after that date.</p>
<p>I don't want to lose my spot at the back up if I do not make it to Harvard, but if I say yes to the back up, isn't it essentially violating a contract if I reneg on saying yes? How do I come about doing this? How do I legally say yes to the first school so that I can go to Harvard if I make it?</p>
<p>It is acceptable practice for you to be on waitlist while you accept another admission. The only reason the spots open up at any school is because people decide on one school and let go of their other spots. </p>
<p>It is considered unethical to pay deposit at more than one school (you are losing them anyway if you dont join) but not unethical to be on a waitlist.</p>
<p>This is how wait lists work. You go ahead and commit to another school by replying that you plan to attend and paying any deposits that they may require. Then, if you are selected off of the H wait list and wish to enroll there, you withdraw from the first school. You will be forfeiting any deposit that you paid them, but there is no other legal ramification.</p>
<p>Renomamma - no, that happens all the time. In our area a kid got into HU off the waitlist a couple of years back but didn’t take the spot because she’d already agreed to a full DI athletic scholarship elsewhere.</p>