<p>Do they notify you after May 1st? (The deadline of enrollment notification for most school)</p>
<p>Depends on the school. Some notify a little after the deadline, others can drag into the summer.</p>
<p>then what if you commit to enroll at one school then get in (via the waitlist) at your top school?</p>
<p>You just lose the deposit.</p>
<p>But you're still allowed to change colleges after May 1st?</p>
<p>eternal: all the colleges know how the Waitlists work. They know that they might lose a few students. That's just a feature of the admissions terrain.</p>
<p>A common situation could be this: choice 2 school accepts you, choices 1 & 3 ask you if you want to be placed on their wait list. You outright decline 3 and accept a spot on 1's WL. You go ahead and accept your offer from school 2, and send in your deposit. Come end of July, school 1 contacts you and makes an offer. Then it's up to you. You can decline that offer (and stick with school 2) or take the new offer. You immediately contact school 2: thank them but withdraw your initial acceptance. School 2 understands (and actually fills your spot w/someone off THEIR waitlist). </p>
<p>that's how it goes. Problem is that WL situations have funky FA awards and offers. That may come into play as well.</p>