<p>Limabeans - I don’t have a problem “helping” these other schools by revealing that they lost to an ED decision at school X. I don’t bear the other schools any Ill will and it’s not a zero sum game in which helping them will somehow hurt the ED school.</p>
<p>It’s also to your benefit to notify schools to stop the barrage of mail, email, and phone calls. We did this for all schools where application materials had been sent even though my daughter had not technically applied to them. It only too a few minutes to send emails and it seemed to be appreciated on the other end.</p>
<p>If you have a younger sibling who might be applying to those schools, that’s another reason to be as gracious as possible about it as possible. My son sent a note saying that he really wished he could attend more than one school.</p>
<p>-Pizzagirl, No I’m not “a kid”. I think if you withdraw your app the school should be legally required to refund the application fee. Those $25-$45 app fees so many schools have add up. If I make a dinner reservation, then cancel it, I’m not still going to pay for a meal, am I? Trust me, no one is staying up late at a college to work on applications, and its not like the majority of schools have good ‘customer’ service. We are customers, and too many colleges think they can treat students like their personal piggy banks and don’t need to provide good service. If they are slightly inconvenienced by running an application(that’s been payed for!) then so be it. They should be happy to have the business.</p>
<p>As far as stopping all the mailings, phone calls, and emails, THAT sounds like a good and valid reason to rescind applications.</p>
<p>To follow up on my prior post, another reason to withdraw your applications promptly and politely, even if you don’t have a sibling coming along, is that it helps other people in your high school, by not annoying the admissions officers at the colleges.</p>
<p>My d had applied EA at one school, so after her ED acceptance I called this school during the day and left a message (no one picked up the phone – only voice mail was available).</p>
<p>I was surprised that they didn’t call back to confirm, but she didn’t receive an e-mail of notification when other EA students at this school did, so I guess they got the message!</p>
<p>It is a bit disconcerting to learn how easy it could be for someone to withdraw someone’s application without their permission.</p>
<p>
[/quote]
I think if you withdraw your app the school should be legally required to refund the application fee. Those $25-$45 app fees so many schools have add up. If I make a dinner reservation, then cancel it, I’m not still going to pay for a meal, am I? Trust me, no one is staying up late at a college to work on applications, and its not like the majority of schools have good ‘customer’ service.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I feel pretty confident that the majority of adcoms take their work quite seriously, and lug around those folders to their homes, stay up reading them, etc. That’s how professionals in any area roll. I see no reason to make them go through the reading of a file that isn’t going to happen because the student is already heading elsewhere. I don’t think that’s a nice way to be. </p>
<p>It takes zero time and energy to send off an email saying, “I’ve been accepted ED at XXX and therefore I’m withdrawing my application, but I really enjoyed meeting you / touring your campus / learning about your school (whatever is applicable), and have a nice holiday season.” Boom. Copy and paste and repeat. </p>
<p>BTW, when my son got his email at his new u, the address was <a href=“mailto:xx.xx4@xxxx.edu”>xx.xx4@xxxx.edu</a>, which told me that there were likely other students with that name who had enrolled there over the years. His name is common enough that it’s possible. Therefore, when he sent his emails, I suggested that he not just sign his name, but also include his address and high school so that the school could make sure that they withdraw the correct application. Wouldn’t want them to go pulling the file of some other kid with the same name!</p>
<p>Your ED contract requires you to withdraw from RD applications, in not doing so you would be in violation of your contract, and possibly be rescinded from your ED acceptance. That is why you must notify other schools, how gracious you want to be is really up to you.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>When you sign an ED contract, you are OBLIGATED to. That’s the bottom line. I don’t have any worries that my kids’ schools are sharing lists or plotting to rescind, but it doesn’t matter - you honor a contract you signed. </p>
<p>You ARE a kid, smooth23 - why aren’t you copping to it?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That implies that NOT informing the name of the ED college is is the ]i]wrong* thing to do…and that IS just wrong. The ONLY right thing to do is to inform the other colleges to which applied and withdraw the app. In can be completed in one sentence, two, or even three. There is absolutely zero justification to say ‘why’. Right/Wrong have nothing to do with it. </p>
<p>Now, if the student made a particular acquaintance with an adcom at non-preferred school, another line with a comment about their meeting/visit would be appropriate. Alternatively, if withdrawing bcos of merit money somewhere else, then it is worth noting to where and that $$ talks.</p>
<p>But beyond that…way overthinking, IMO. If withdrawing from Safety U, what’s the point? Safety U does not care.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>May all of the admissions folks out there who will read applications into the wee hours of the morning; who will spend their weekends and holidays pouring over files; who will have our four-year-old sons ask us when we will be done “with the appli-ca-jations” so we can play with them again; who will spend December 30 sitting at their desk late into the evening in the admissions office to answer applicants’ panicked phone calls – may we all be more gracious and kind and thoughtful when reading this poster’s child’s application than his/her opinion of us.</p>
<p>Another teeny reason to withdraw apps promptly and politely is to benefit other students at your high school, present and future, who will be applying to those same schools. Write a polite note, the adcom thinks kindly of you, and might carry over that goodwill to another applicant from your (child’s) school. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The easy solution is to wait to submit applications until after hearing from an ED (or EA) school. D1’s apps were ready to go, but we figured there was no need to pay until seeing if she actually needed to submit RD applications. Especially as some of those applications are in the $50-$70 range! :eek: The exception was our state school, where the application deadline came before the ED notification. I look on those application fees as an insurance premium.</p>
<p>Not quite the same thing as withdrawing an outstanding application, but UNC-Chapel Hill did ask where my son was going when he declined their offer of admission. They wanted to know who their competition was.</p>
<p>Be courteous. Withdraw gracefully. Pay it forward for another student who really DOES want to attend.</p>
<p>Never burn bridges. That’s an important real world lesson, IMO.</p>
<p>The REASON to withdraw other pending applications is because you are obligated to do so by the terms of the ED commitment. When my D was admitted ED, she had to send back an acceptance and sign her name under a statement that said “I plan to attend xxx in the fall and I have withdrawn any other pending applications.” (more or less). She would not sign that card and send it back with the deposit until she had first put all her letters asking to have her applications withdrawn elsewhere into the mail. That was a bit literal, I suppose, but it was consistent with the arrangement.</p>
<p>HOW to do those withdrawals is a personal choice. I would recommend politely and courteously - choice of phone, email, or snail mail probably dependent on relationship with school.</p>
<p>Interesting - my kids have not had to actually certify their intention to attend ED (other than by sending in the deposit).</p>
<p>Pizzagirl, I think the envelope for your d’s deposit did have a place for the student to sign saying that she was withdrawing other apps?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I had the same thought while withdrawing my applications. A letter addressed to a college with the student’s home address on it would be all it takes.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Now that I think about it, I think you’re right … on the back of the envelope, where the flap would cover? I was too concerned with the actual writing of the check!</p>