<p>Okay... here is possibly the dumbest question asked on this forum, but I really don't know the protocol for college admissions so here goes... my d has made her decision, do we need to notify the other colleges that accepted her or do they just figure out that she won't be attending in the Fall? One school offered a very nice package, so I sort of feel like she should send a letter thanking them then explaining why she has decided to go elsewhere (especially if she ends up not liking her first choice and decides to transfer).</p>
<p>After you stop laughing, please let me know what the proper procedure is.</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>Your question isn't stupid and actually has been asked and answered at least 2 times this spring on other CC boards.</p>
<p>Usually colleges send with their acceptance letters a postcard in which a student should indicate their acceptance/rejection of the acceptance. Just send that back.</p>
<p>The college may send in return a questionaire asking what college your D chose to go to, and what factored into her decision. It is in my opinion courteous to send that back, too. </p>
<p>It is not necessary to send a thank-you while declining a package, but I do think it's a courteous thing to do. After all, there are caring, hard working human beings who work at colleges, and I think that they appreciate those kind of gestures.</p>
<p>In the case of the UCs to which my son was admitted but will not attend, he was told to go to their online admitted students' website and <em>withdraw his applications</em> rather than send back a postcard.</p>
<p>For one school he declined, which had a unique admissions process that meant all admitted students were well known to the admissions staff and faculty at the point of their admission and vice versa, my son wrote a heartfelt letter explaining his decision. For the other two schools where contact was informal and impersonal, he filled out their questionnaire but did not include a separate note.</p>
<p>One of my son's schools had you accept or decline online. The accept button was easy to find - he had to do a search for the decline button.</p>
<p>He also sent back the waitlist card with the decline checked.</p>
<p>I second what Northstar mom said. My D sent short notes with the card to any school she felt personally connected to, as well as schools that offered merit money. It gave her a nice feeling of closure to do so, as well. ( You already feel the obligation with the merit school, so that should be your guide.)</p>