Do people ever put down more than one security deposit if they are still undecided by May 1?
You can put down housing deposits but do not accept two schools.
That is not allowed and can get you rescinded from all schools involved. You can only have one deposit down at a time.
As of May 1, you must have only one deposit. If a school finds out you are double deposited, they may rescind you. Your GC has to send year end reports, so the GC will find out. Do NOT do this.
Make a decision by May 1st. It’s not as if this process has been short-lived…plenty of time to rank them after acceptances and then rerank them after finaid is given. I’ve always imagined the kids that can’t’ make a decision grow up to be the people I work with who can’t make a decision. Think of it as making a decision about which college is like making one decision when the kid is all grown up and in the working world!
That is called double depositing and is not allowed. You risk being rescinded at both schools if it is discovered. You absolutely need to make a decision before the deadline.
“What she said…and she said…and…”
Don’t do this. You must make a decision.
It’s also really not morally, ethically or any way to live. There are students on waitlists who want to go to those schools. Sending in two deposits will hurt them. Many people are waiting to make decisions. Please don’t be selfish. Decide.
The only possible exception I( can think of is if you deposit at one school then get off the waitlist at another and choose that one. Then you tell the first school you are not coming and most likely lose your deposit.
Or if your kid chooses a service academy (for which there is no security deposit). The academies recommend keeping the Plan B right up until the day the kid reports for basic training because injuries and medical issues end up keeping some appointees from starting basic. Some keep their Plan B until successfully completing basic training prior to the start of the academic year. There are plenty of turnbacks due to injuries during basic training. Civilian colleges seem to be OK with this, especially if it’s discussed up front. Many colleges will refund the deposit to a student who chooses to serve. Some don’t, but it’s a small price to pay for not having to scramble for a seat somewhere at the end of August.
Not really an exception since you still only have on deposit on May 1st. And if/ when you accept the position off the waitlist you are taking yourself off the other school. Perfectly acceptable.
There are occasional rare circumstances when double depositing is considered justifiable by some people. Two that I recall seeing discussed here in past years were a family member or student with severe health issues and a family financial situation that would not be resolved until after May 1.
If it is just that the student is feeling indecisive, then there are a number of ways for that student to get to a decision (spend a day imagining that they are at A, and another imagining that they are at B, etc.). If they truly can’t get to a decison, then it is time for the parent to ask if they would just like to take a year off from the academic rat race because indecision may be a sign that the student truly doesn’t know what to do and gap year is more in order.
No one should double deposit without talking to schools. If you truly have an exceptional situation, take it to the school and ask for an extension past May 1. There is no excuse to mislead the schools. I have no sympathy for an unsure financial situation — if that is the case, go to the school you know is affordable.
There are a handful of schools that ask for deposits earlier than May 1, to get in line for housing or a scholarship. I’d have no problem double depositing with one of those as they aren’t playing by the rules so IMO a student isn’t bound to them either.
But I doubt that’s what OP is asking about.
@OHmomto2, yes. It gets tricky when some schools have priority dorm deposits-like the earlier you deposit, the more choice you have for your dorm. Seems very unfair. Ga Tech does this. They still guarantee housing, but what’s left might be crummy.
If there’s not guaranteed housing, I would say it’s actually critical that a student deposit early, and I might say it’s not unethical to double deposit in this case if there are two schools on a student’s list that don’t guarantee housing.
We deposited at a school for housing the day it became available. It was a school without guaranteed housing, and my d had not even heard back from everyone yet. I was okay with losing the money if she went elsewhere, she ended up going there and getting “the best” freshman housing.
A dorm deposit is not a seat deposit. You can make a housing deposit which in most cases is refundable if you request it before May 1. Many students make multiple room deposits.
Schools can not force you to make a seat deposit before May 1. if you make a seat deposit at GA and a seat deposit someplace else you are double dipping.
Depositing for housing is completely different than telling two colleges you are attending. In the huge university systems I doubt admissions even knows who put a housing deposit in with that department.
Some Us that want the early housing deposit to guarantee housing require an attendance deposit first. And as I said, both are breaking the letter and spirit of NACAC rules so IMO do what you want with those.
There were some specific examples in this older thread, I’ve seen more in the past few months.
Which schools are you choosing between? If you tell us your concerns, maybe we can help. Does your daughter still want health sciences and tv/film? Those are pretty different programs.