If double-depositing is wrong, what about this situation?

<p>I was following with interest the conversation about submitting deposits to two schools, since son was undecided until the last minute. But he did decide and on April 30 we submitted the deposit to his chosen school. He has not yet notified the other two schools that as of this week he was still considering. In today's mail was a letter from one of the not-chosen but not-yet-notified schools offering son an additional $5,000 per year merit scholarship and also offering to extend the notification/acceptance deadline. This school was already the last expensive of his choices and son's initial reaction was that he is still committed to the school he chose. But what if the $5,000 did change things so significantly that my son now wanted to chose this school? Would it be unethical for my son to now tell the school he accepted on Thursday, "Sorry, changed my mind/got a better offer?"</p>

<p>I am of the opinion that double-depositing is not unequivocally wrong–it can be ethical in many cases. For instance, I read a case on CC recently where a girl was deciding between two schools and due to a paperwork issue, one school was still in the process of revising its financial aid estimate. If neither or only one of the two schools offers an extension on the deadline, is it ethical to double-deposit? The girl definitely preferred the FA-limbo school over her second choice (I think it was Oberlin v. flagship? Or something comparable).</p>

<p>No, it’s not double depositing, it would be akin to getting off a waitlist. Interesting strategy employed by that college. Wonder if many are trying this. $5K would change some minds and $10K would change many!</p>

<p>For $20K over the 4 years I wouldn’t have a problem saying he got an offer too good to pass up. This assumes he’s willing to go to that one or that $20K is significant to you. Maybe the other school would then match it. The other school will manage okay without your S.</p>

<p>“Would it be unethical for my son to now tell the school he accepted on Thursday, “Sorry, changed my mind/got a better offer?””</p>

<p>Nothing unethical about that. Colleges expect things like this due to, for instance, students getting acceptances off waitlists. There’s even a term for this: “summer melt”.</p>

<p>Your S just needs to withdraw his acceptance and accept the school that gave him the better financial deal. All that will happen is that he’ll lose his deposit.</p>

<p>And that is the point of a deposit. They hold your spot in exchange for your dough. If you change your mind you forfeit the money.
Before you withdraw though, I’d recommend you go to school 1 and tell them of school 2’s late offer. Give them a chance to match it. And, be prepared to document school 2’s offer. School 1 may want to see it to know you aren’t merely bluffing.</p>

<p>Check the language of the new and improved draft of the 2009-2010 Common Application </p>

<p><a href=“https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/Docs/2009-10CommonApp_highlightedUpdates.pdf[/url]”>https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/Docs/2009-10CommonApp_highlightedUpdates.pdf&lt;/a&gt; </p>

<p>for what applicants will promise to do and not to do as of next year. That’s a guide to what conduct is considered unethical and against NACAC rules about depositing.</p>

<p>^</p>

<p>Tokenadult, I interpret that clause as meaning within a reasonable close time proximity. Technically, it is a “violation” if you accepted an RD admission in January from one school and paid the deposit but did not hear from other schools until the end of March and one offered a much better financial aid deal. Now you’ve changed your mind. Nothing wrong with withdrawing your admission at the early notifying school (they keep your deposit) and submitting a deposit to the late notifying school. There is no way in practice you would be held accountable or punished. </p>

<p>But if on March the traditional March 31 notification date for Common App schools you submitted multiple deposits around the same time, that’s not a good thing. That’s exactly what that clause is designed to guard against.</p>

<p>In my D’s case, she was accepted at a non-Common App college early in the year. It was an RD admission but on a rolling basis. Housing is distributed first come, first served, so if you wait until May 1st you’ll wind up in a camper. Also, she actually thinks she wants to go to this college because all of her other schools are reaches. </p>

<p>But months later, things change. She receives an acceptance to one of her dream LACs, a real reach school that does use the Common App. Is she bound to the first school like it was an ED acceptance or something? I don’t think that’s enforceable at all. If she changes her mind because of this later unexpected acceptance, that’s entirely her right.</p>

<p>I guess it’s all moot anyway because the link you sent is for next year’s form not this year’s.</p>