<li><p>Can I put my name on 2 waitlists? For example, I was waitlisted at both Barnard and Claremont Mckenna College–can I put my name on both of their waitlists?</p></li>
<li><p>If a college (for example, either Barnard or CMC) at which I am waitlisted at accepts me, am I obliged to attend that college? For me, money is an issue, and even if I am eventually accepted from the waitlist, if the financial package is not enough, I probably will not attend…</p></li>
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<li><p>You can put your name on two wait lists, but here’s the caveat: Most top schools won’t consider you to be officially on the wait list until you have affirmed through a letter and/or call (ideally both) that they are your first choice school. I wouldn’t tell more than one school that they are you first choice. Chances are they won’t find out, but sometimes they do – confidentiality is notoriously brittle in college admissions – and then you’d be screwed.</p></li>
<li><p>Most colleges require a deposition by May 1st or so. Unless the school specifically notes that your deposit is refundable, then they will not refund your deposit if you attend another school. On the bright side, most schools start taking people from off their wait list before May 1st.</p></li>
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<p>I’ve never heard that you need to tell the school that they are your first choice - I thought you just indicate whether or not you want to accept a place on the waiting list. </p>
<p>And most acceptances off the wait list happen well after May 1st - after the school has a chance to see how big their class is. Typically 4 or 5 kids at our school will end up going to a different school than the one on the graduation program (May 30th)</p>
<p>Most acceptances do happen after May 1st, you’re absolutely right, but a number of students will receive offers off the waitlist throughout April. Most doesn’t mean all, and trying to stay positive never hurt. Still, it’s probably more accurate to say “many” instead of “most,” but there are definitely top tier schools that will pull from the waitlist in April. I know of someone who got into Emory off the waitlist in mid-April last year, for example, and another who got into University of Chicago in the third week of April.</p>
<p>No school, as far as I know, has an official policy that you must tell them that they are your first choice school, but good luck getting in off a waitlist at a selective school without doing so. I work in the industry, but if you don’t believe me, reference:</p>