<p>Congratulations to all of you with acceptances. NOW, you have a responsibility to all those other students who have been placed on waitlists. Please cull your lists down to your top choices, or choice and inform all those other schools that you will not be attending, so other students can find out all their choices and do the same. This will save some students from going all the way into June to find out they have been pulled off a waitlist and avoid major angst! No one needs to keep 4-12 acceptances in the hopper! </p>
<p>And the same with waitlists! I know this will incur argument and resentment, but please don’t stay on a waitlist unless the school is a top consideration, for the same reasons as Christie notes above.</p>
<p>Most of us (even those of us with more acceptances) would completely agree. However, the hardest part about eliminating at this point is that some of us are in the position that we will end up having to choosing based on financial package. Since the schools have not started sending those out that information yet, there are many of us who can’t afford to turn down any school. I know in my house (husband had no job for three years) we truly don’t have the financial ability to just take the school we like the best. I wish it was that easy. I think there are several parents here that are in the same boat. Most of us would love to be at the point of whittling down the choices to one. Two of the schools I have talked to have both said the financial packages will “be out within the month” @-)</p>
<p>We are on both sides of this, a few acceptances and a wait list. So I totally understand. As soon as financial aide is received he will rerank the schools and decline accordingly.</p>
<p>So, most of these schools over-accept by double to yield the class size they are anticipating. People should not feel guilty about taking the time they need to make a decision. </p>
<p>Some do, flossy, but quite a few don’t. Of course we should take the time we need, but what Christie is saying is that it’s smart and considerate to let schools know promptly if you have eliminated them from your consideration, and not to stay on a large number of waitlists just to see if you’ll get in–IF the school is not extremely high on your list and IF you already are confident that you plan to go elsewhere. That’s all. (I knew people would argue with this one, but some schools will make the same request in their acceptance letters, and it’s worth being aware.)</p>
<p>I agree with those who have said DO NOT decline any offers until you have all the FINAL information you need in order for your son or daughter (and parents) to make an informed and complete decision. In some cases, the school you think is not a financial possibility becomes doable by the end of the process, and vice versa. Ultimately (and this may sound crass) your responsibility is to your son or daughter and your family, nobody else. </p>
<p>This is a huge financial committment and you should not feel pressure to make a decision until you have complete and final financial aid packages in hand and you are able to compare them all. That said, if you have acceptances or are on the waitlist for schools that you know you are not going to attend no matter what, then that’s certainly a different story. </p>
<p>One school where my son had an accpetance looked like their financial aid package did not measure up to the others, but towards the end, they made it a good offer. he still ended up elsewhere, but it gave him the option and that was an important piece of the decision making puzzle. </p>
<p>@collegesearchdad is exactly right. This is too big of a decision, and it has long term impact on the families involved. The financial aid package and final offer is the key to our ultimate decision. Perhaps if the schools that are pushing could sweeten the pot a bit…</p>
<p>Of course, I meant that if there were schools you know right know that your student will not attend, regardless of the financial package offered. Or, if you are on waitlists of schools that are out of consideration due to the ones you are accepted at. My daughter went through this process 3 years ago, so I am well aware of the need to weigh all the information before making these decisions. May I also suggest, as I did in another thread, that if you are still considering schools that have asked for an earlier than May 1 deposit to hold a place, that you send them written communication asking for an extension, and get back a written reply that they will hold the place for your student, in the specific program and NOT just the University. In the past couple of years, some students who assumed that their specific program spots would be held until May 1 were very disappointed when they found that their program spots had been given up and they were put onto waitlists! This isn’t a huge practice yet, and is a way around the national guidelines, which state they only have to hold a university place for you. But, it’s always better to be safe . . . .</p>
<p>An excellent reminder.</p>