<p>Our waitlist letter at one school specifically tells us to go ahead and make a deposit at another school while waiting to hear if a waitlist spot opens up. If this well-regarded school is putting it in writing explicitly, then that's ok. If I were a student on a waitlist dying for a spot to open up, however, it would really tweak me off to find out someone had double deposited because they couldn't make up their mind by May 1!</p>
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Paying deposits at two schools to buy decision-making time?
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<p>Agreed with above poster...you CAN put a deposit down at a school AND accept a place on a waitlist. </p>
<p>What you are NOT supposed to do is put a deposit down at TWO schools...(enrollment deposits)...not for any reason. Sure, I suppose you could do this but really...it's a MONTH until May 1...just make a decision.</p>
<p>Ok...I've got a good one for you.....Xschool does not waitlist, but rather offers Spring admits.(basically a waitlist for fall)..often, those spring admits are moved to fall if there is "room"......What is the politically correct position on double depositing in this case? One deposit for fall at School #1 and one deposit at School #2 for spring? then if you get moved to fall, drop school #1? Just curious.....we did not do this last year, but it did occur to us that it might have made sense (although spring school did not make it clear that there might be room for fall....)</p>
<p>If colleges really feel it is unethical to double deposit, their acceptance letter should spell that out unequivocally. I don't believe my daughter or her classmates are aware of any college or guidance counselor telling them to beware...</p>
<p>rodney, my daughter's spring admit lets her wait till November to make a deposit so she wouldn't have to decide by May 1 anyway. I don't know if they're all that way.</p>
<p>muffy: The spring admit school from last year started admitted some of the people who accepted it for fall AFTER the May 1 deadline (and after they already deposited for the spring...)...it actually wasn't even made clear that there was a possibility of that happening....does your daughter's spring admit school make that evident to you? that your D can possibly be moved to fall if the yield for fall doesn't hit their target? You should definitely find that out BEFORE depositing elsewhere (or before making a decision if the spring school is at the top of her list)....</p>
<p>Spring admit? Well your child has BEEN admitted...not waitlisted. You can either decide to accept the spring admittance OR accept a fall admittance elsewhere. At least that is my understanding. MANY schools are doing these spring admits these days...not uncommon.</p>
<p>thumper: doesn't the student have the option to attend one school for fall and then enter the other for Spring? ....yes, it's common, but not very clear as to the deposit policies....and it certainly wasn't clear last year when we were in the throws of the process.....all worked out for the best in the end, but thought this should be brought up....</p>
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doesn't the student have the option to attend one school for fall and then enter the other for Spring?
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<p>No, the student/family needs to make a choice. Either attend school "A", which begins in the fall or attend school "B", knowing that it begins in the spring term (if s/he gets pulled in and is able to in the fall instead of the spring then it is gravy).</p>
<p>the scenario you present is double depositing.</p>
<p>School B, probably would not allow the student to attend if s/he attended school "A" in the fall, because now the student would be considered a transfer having begun their freshman year elsewhere.</p>
<p>Lots of spring admits are expected to go to another college in the fall. My daughter may attend one school in the fall and then go to her spring admit. That's perfectly fine with the spring admit; they encourage community college for the fall but any college or no college in the fall is okay. It isn't double depositing.</p>
<p>Private colleges usually say explicitly that no other enrollment may be made. Most public schools don't seem to mention it. The gatekeeper for these rules is the high school counselor. High schools will only send out a final transcript report to one college. Furthermore, high school counselors are often on the phone with college admission people, so double enrollment could be discovered then.</p>
<p>We were given an extension on the enrollment date from an Ivy because they took until mid-June to finalize financial aid after an appeal. We certainly went ahead and made a deposit elsewhere in the meantime. This wasn't a wait list situation, and maybe it was "illegal" but I couldn't care less, especially after having to pay for expensive last-minute flights to both coasts. In our case, the Ivy was obviously willing to extend their deadline, but why in the world would the other school (our financial safety) have agreed to extend their's? We just didn't mention it and in the end it didn't matter because she ended up at the financial safety anyway.</p>
<p>Financial aid is often not finalized until well into April or later, meaning the student may have 2 weeks or less to visit schools. For those depending on financial aid, enrollment decisions cannot always be made by May 1st, especially if visits need to be scheduled. The rules are made for the benefit of the colleges and are not necessarily sensible for everyone. My advice is to do what you need to; I don't consider this to be a moral issue.</p>
<p>For spring admits...if the student accepts the spring admission offer, they CANNOT matriculate at another college for the fall. BUT they can (if the spring school allows this) take courses at another college as a non-matriculated student (not enrolled for a degree) and many students do this. They take the spring offer and take...oh say an English or other general ed requirement at a community college or other school near their home. They are not enrolled as matriculated students at another school...don't live in the dorms, etc. No deposit...just taking courses.</p>
<p>I do want to make something clear here. Just because your kid is accepted to a college or colleges does not mean that the offer cannot be rescinded, really for ANY reason. Yes, you can sue and protest it and maybe win, but what it comes down to, is that they still can rescind an offer if something bothers them too much. Just because I have never heard of anyone getting an offer rescinded for double dipping does not mean it has not happened. Any time you do something that is not considered along acceptable lines, you do take a risk of unusual consequences. I DO NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE giving multiple acceptances just because the kid can't make up his mind. This is not a trivial thing.</p>
<p>However, if you are in a real bind about something that the May1 deadline is making even more difficult, it is an option with its risks to consider. In my opinion it's like breaking ED contracts, even if there is not a explicit contract involved. There can be consequences if someone finds out and takes issue. Your high school counselors are not going to like it, nor are the colleges. People are going to get ticked off at you. So it is not something to do lightly or to advertise or to advise doing. That's all I am going to say about this topic.</p>
<p>thumper1, the college D is into for spring said she can do whatever she wants to fall semester, including going to another residential college and she doesn't have to decide or put down a deposit at the spring school until November. I guess she will be "matriculating" at the fall college since she'll be living there and enrolled full time. I just know the policy for that one college but I know other kids have gotten spring admits and gone to another residential college for the fall.</p>
<p>D's acceptance letter from Rice specifically addressed this issue of double enrollment and listed all of the schools in 2 different organiations that agree to rescind admission to BOTH schools if they receive more than 1 deposit. This is very easy for schools to keep track of electronically. There were many schools on that list that D was accepted to besides Rice.
Yea, I think they can find out and probably take it seriously.
It was already mentioned by other posters that the school GC can only send ONE transcript.</p>
<p>Forget waitlists. What about when you were accepted in January to a school high on your list, let's say your number 2 choice, that clealry has a first come, first served policy for housing but you can't apply for housing unless you accept the offer of admission with a deposit? Then two or three months later, in March or April, you find out you've been admitted to your dream school. It's early April. Three weeks to go before May 1st. What is wrong about putting down a deposit to your dream school and withdrawing from your #2 before May 1st, even if you wait a couple of weeks to do it?</p>
<p>I don't see where there is any unethicality. You changed your mind -BEFORE May 1st- and are willing to eat the 1st deposit. Anyone disagree with me?</p>
<p>My D is still waiting for final financial aid decisions from both schools, but she got her deposit in to the first school, just in case, not knowing the outcome of seven other schools that would not report their decision until the end of March. What's wrong with that?</p>
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In our case, the Ivy was obviously willing to extend their deadline, but why in the world would the other school (our financial safety) have agreed to extend their's?
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<p>I think most admisions officers are decent, caring people, who want students to wind up at schools where they fit, will be happy, can afford the cost, and have made a fully informed decision. I'd find it nearly inconceivable that a request for an extension to be turned down in a situation like the one described (and it would speak volumes about the institution to me if they did refuse).</p>
<p>On the broader question, even if there were no ethical dimension to this, the risk-benefit analysis favors asking for an extension over double depositing in my mind. (I do know of a case where students' admission was rescinded for double enrolling, though the case was discovered because it also involved playing the FA offers against one another, so maybe that colors my perspective.)</p>
<p>I don't know how much of a problem this is in actual life for colleges. I think if it were a common enough problem they would probably raise the amount of the deposit up from about $100 to at least $1000.</p>
<p>I think if it was important enough, the send back the deposit card or the online deposit site would make it very clear that you're making a commitment to only attend that school and no other and you'd have to affirmatively agree. A lot of kids could be putting two deposits down with absolutely no knowledge it is "wrong" since they figure the college they don't go to makes $$ off the forfeited deposit.</p>
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In our case, the Ivy was obviously willing to extend their deadline, but why in the world would the other school (our financial safety) have agreed to extend their's?
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I'd find it nearly inconceivable that a request for an extension to be turned down in a situation like the one described (and it would speak volumes about the institution to me if they did refuse).
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I find it both conceivable and highly likely that a large state flagship would not take too kindly to a request that their enrollment deadline and generous scholarship offer be extended for 6 weeks while a student waits for a revised financial aid decision from an Ivy. Anecdotal evidence and common sense tell me we were wise to remain silent . I would also like to point out that the Ivy must have assumed that an enrollment deposit had been made elsewhere by May 1st, and apparently they had no qualms about the fact that we could have ended up rescinding that other enrollment.</p>
<p>FWIW, just came across this quote attributed to a former Ivy League admissions officer on the subject of paying two deposits.
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We offered a spot to a student off the waitlist a few years ago only to find hed made deposits at two other Ivy League schools before May 1 as placeholders. Before May 1, double deposits are unethical and illegal. Its also stupid. We ended up rescinding our offer, and I heard the other schools did as well. former Ivy League admissions officer
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<p>Dirty</a> Secrets of College Waitlists - The Daily Beast</p>