<p>RE: PLEASE notify schools if you've made a final decision. </p>
<p>Done! :D</p>
<p>Notified all schools last week once we received financial packages from all her schools, and she was able to commit to her dream school---Elon!!! We still have not heard from Ithaca with a decision, but she doesn't care since it was very near the bottom of her list (weak dance training).
Hope that helps someone! Good luck to all who are still making decisions or waiting for results!</p>
<p>NYDancersMom, </p>
<pre><code> Thank you very much! Congratulations on your D's marvelous success in this process. I know that this was a joint venture & you can be really proud of all the hard work that you've done to help your D reach this place in her adventure. You've been a wonderful support for me and a knowledgable resource on this board. I really appreciate all of the encouragement that you've given me and hope that your D will have a wonderful year at Elon!
</code></pre>
<p>Kate</p>
<p>Yes! Please notify schools if you've made a decision. I've been waitlisted at a few, and I'm dying here.</p>
<p>Also, I don't know what's going on with Ithaca since I haven't heard either, but it's my top choice, and I don't know if they're holding my application till people respond. If you aren't going to Ithaca and you got in, PLEASE RESPOND NOW. Thanks!!!</p>
<p>While it is very important to notify schools where you are declining the offer, I have to say that in most cases, people will not hear of any waitlist offers until past May 1 because that is the National Reply Date and so most schools will have to wait until they get back all their responses to accept the offer of admissions, along with the deposits, before they even know if they will need to utilize their waitlist and how many openings they may have.</p>
<p>There are a few schools where it could happen sooner. For instance, CMU and Otterbein do not accept more applicants than slots available and so if someone says, "I'm not coming," this already opens up a slot even before May 1. But at most other schools, they accept more students than slots available because not everyone is going to enroll because most people have more than one offer of admission. So, there are already "extras" built into the process. They only need to go to the waitlist if they do not YIELD the number they hope to enroll. This can't be determined in most cases until after May 1. </p>
<p>So, yes, let schools know. But for those on a waitlist, please realize that it likely will be after May 1 before any waitlist movement. Even if someone says no to an offer NOW, there are extras built in to still take the spot. That spot will NOT be given to someone on the waitlist at this juncture. The true situation will evolve after May 1 at most schools and could continue into June if they utilize the waitlist (AND there is summer melt at some schools.....this refers to kids who put down a deposit to enroll and later back out). Again, at places like CMU or Otterbein, if you have an offer of acceptance that you already know you will not take, let them know ASAP as it will open up a slot sooner, rather than later, because they didn't accept "extras" to begin with. But if you have more than one acceptance and need time to revisit, weigh financial aid offers, or decide where to matriculate, you do have until May 1 to do so. As soon as you decide, do let all your schools know.</p>
<p>It would seem that at this point waitlist means...waitlist and not deferred. Last year my d was "waitlisted" for MT at Elon, but the letter said she would be notified my March 15 about her acceptance. She was indeed notified by then, and offered the BFA Acting track. Sarahsmom42, did your waitlist letter state anything about a date of notification? If not, I don't think your waitlist was the same as ours...and that probably does mean a later notification than May 1.
Your D still has the option of committing to a school and holding her spot (albeit possibly losing her deposit) and then changing her mind if the offer she prefers comes in later. I know it is probably difficult to shift gears when she is resigned to going to choice B, but it's not as difficult as transferring to Choice "A" after she finds out she isn't happy with choice "B."</p>
<p>Melsmom, do you know if anyone was admitted to the MT major at Elon last year after being on the wait list? They said they would notify by the 15th.</p>
<p>Melsmom brings up the important point that anyone on a waitlist must enroll in a college with deposit by May 1 even though in all likelihood, they will not hear from the waitlist schools until after May 1 if they were to get off the waitlist. In fact, a student should psychologically move on and get psyched about their school where they are putting down the deposit to enroll and that if a more favored school's waitlist comes through in May or June, deal with it then. </p>
<p>I also want to comment that the terms deferral and waitlist are entirely different. From my observations, those who apply to Elon who are told in winter or early spring that they are "waitlisted" and before all decisions come out, are not truly waitlisted in the way that that term is meant to be used. I gather Elon uses the term (based on postings, including the one by Melsmom above), but that is really a DEFERRAL. </p>
<p>The issue with Ithaca for those who have yet to receive decisions, is neither a waitlist or a deferral but simply they have yet to be notified. </p>
<p>When decisions come out and you get a waitlist, then you must wait until after May 1 (in most cases) and if there is room at a college and they utilize the waitlist, you might be the one chosen but the chances are often not that great (it CAN happen) and vary from year to year at each college depending on the yield.</p>
<p>Melsmom, I don't think Sarahsmom42's D has a waitlist at Ithaca. I believe she has posted elsewhere that she called today and found out she was denied. The others who are posting that they haven't yet heard from Ithaca are not waitlisted or deferred but simply Ithaca is notifying late as their final notification date is April 15 (oddly!). </p>
<p>For future reference to those who go through this next year....</p>
<p>Definition of Deferral:A disappointing outcome of Early Decision and Early Action applications where the acceptance decision on the applicant is not made early but "deferred" to be made with all RD applicants in the spring (in the case of BFA admissions, after all auditions are completed as well). Deferral does not mean rejection and in many cases merely delays acceptance from Dec/Jan to March/April. But these applicants do find out whether they were accepted, rejected or waitlisted usually by April 1 (not talking Ithaca!).</p>
<p>Definition of Wait list: These applicants are neigther accepted or rejected. Applicants are assigned to the wait list when final acceptance and rejection letters go out. By the way, as a general rule, waitlisted applicants at more highly selective colleges have a relatively lower chance of acceptance than waitlisted applicants at less highly selective colleges. (this doesn't apply to a program like the BFA at CMU which only accepts the number they wish to take and no extras and so would have to use the waitilst if someone doesn't accept the offer....though their yield is likely a decent one as not a lot of people turn down that offer, but occasionally SOME do).</p>
<p>SoozieVT,
I know Sarahsmom42's D is still waiting on Elon for MT. It looks as though BruceWayne was told that he would hear by Apr. 15, which would mean that "waitlist" may still mean deferred until then. FYI BruceWayne, my daughter mentioned that many in her Acting class actually auditioned for MT, but offered the acting BFA, and that they are all very versatile performers. I know this year you were supposed to choose which you wanted to audition for, so I don't know if that will still be the case. To answer your question about acceptances for MT after the date given, I only know of another girl who was also on the waitlist and then not given a BFA at all. Sorry.</p>
<p>Melsmom....sorry....I was just posting a response to BruceWayne and my response included a portion from another source that was cut and pasted and CC has a problem truncating posts that have certain "characters" and the quote had bullet points and that erases the entire rest of the post when I went to post and so I lost the second half of my post to cyberspace and will recreate it in a moment (and remember to remove the bullet points!)</p>
<p>In the meantime, you have posted again and I want to apologize that I misunderstood something in your earlier post about Sarahsmom42's D and her waitlist. I thought you were referring to ITHACA (she has posted today about that school) but I now see you were referring to a waitlist she has at Elon. Sorry about misunderstanding that reference!</p>
<p>No offense taken! I am just all too aware of Sarahsmom's position, having been there myself last year, though not this late in the game. It's all rather heartbreaking, even though I know it comes with the territory! Waiting is hell at this point of the game, and I want you all to know that at this time next year, you are going to be in SUCH a better place after living through your ( or your child's) first year of school...Believe!</p>
<p>BruceWayne, the reason that Elon is saying they will notify waitlisted people by the 15th is because ELON seems to require BFA accepted students to put down a deposit and give notification of intentions to enroll in the BFA program by April 10, not MAY 1 (I don't believe in this practice, even though Elon is a fantastic school.....it goes against national policy). That is why they will know before May 1 (which is not what I have posted as to when other schools will know if they must go to their waitlists). </p>
<p>With Elon, they are asking accepted BFA candidates to notify them of their intentions to accept the offer of admission to the BFA by April 10 (even though, as they say, you have until May 1 to tell Elon, the university, if you are going to enroll). But basically, this is forcing a decision as to whether to attend Elon (basically IF an accepted BFA student attends, I am pretty sure they are going to want to do the BFA or they wouldn't have tried for the program!) before the National Reply Date which the program should not do. </p>
<p>If you visit the website for the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and look up Students Rights and Responsibilities you will find the following:</p>
<pre><code>
[quote]
You have the right to wait until May 1 to respond to an offer of admission and/or financial aid.
</code></pre>
<p>Colleges that request commitments to offers of admission and/or financial assistance prior to May 1 must clearly offer you the opportunity to request (in writing) an extension until May 1. They must grant you this extension and your request may not jeopardize your status for admission and/or financial aid. </p>
<pre><code> If you think your rights have been denied, you should contact the college or university immediately to request additional information or the extension of a reply date. In addition, you should ask your counselor to notify the president of the state or regional affiliate of the National Association for College Admission counseling in your area. If you need further assistance, send a copy of any correspondence you have had with the college or university and a copy of your letter of admission to:
</code></pre>
<p>National Association for College Admissions Counseling
1631 Prince Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-2818
Phone: 703-836-2222
800-822-6285
Fax: 703-836-8015
<a href="http://www.nacacnet.org%5B/url%5D%5B/quote%5D">www.nacacnet.org
[/quote]
</a></p>
<p>I have heard some folks discuss how Point Park wants a deposit to hold a place in the BFA program WAY earlier than this, before most students have even heard from their other schools. This goes against the agreed upon practice between colleges of the policy to give students until May 1 to send in their intentions to matriculate, and that is the National Reply Date. The only personal experience I have had with anything like this was with Penn State's BFA in MT program, which my daughter was admitted to. She heard from them while other college admissions decisions were still pending. However, with regard to their SCHOLARSHIP (which incidentally, was by far the smallest of all the ones she was offered at all her schools), they wanted a reply very soon (I forget when, but around April 1) and she hadn't even heard from all her schools yet. This reminds me of Elon a bit because telling a school whether you will accept the scholarship (or in the case of Elon, the BFA) is akin to saying whether or not you will attend because IF you are going to attend, you are not going to turn down the scholarship (or the BFA offer) and it is a way of getting around the National Reply Date of May 1. What I told to Penn State is that we needed more time as my daughter had to have all her cards on the table and several schools hadn't notified yet of acceptance (or aid for that matter) as it wasn't April 1 yet, and I got an extension (granted, not all the way to May 1, which she was entitled to, but I felt her own decision was pending sooner anyway, and it was made as soon as she got all of her college decision letters in hand at the beginning of April). </p>
<p>Unrelated to this point, she was Priority Waitlisted at CMU, but moved on to enroll at another BFA school by May 1, as waitlists, if they ever come through, generally do not until past May 1. But in the case of Elon, because they are making accepted BFA students put a deposit down by April 10, the waitlist (if needed) can be gone to earlier (even though this goes against national policy of a May 1 reply date).</p>
<p>Melsmom wrote:
[quote]
Waiting is hell at this point of the game, and I want you all to know that at this time next year, you are going to be in SUCH a better place after living through your ( or your child's) first year of school...Believe!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>This is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo true! Once the angst of college admissions decisions are past and you decide on a school.....this stuff is gonna be a distant memory and you won't be caught up in it and it'll be over and your child will be happily at college. I can't wait until you guys get to the "other side". It'll happen. </p>
<p>Then, of course, there are auditions for shows, summers, internships, what have you. It never really ends.....</p>
<p>S's offer from Elon came with a request that we indicate by 4/10. Soozievt has indicated that supposedly they can't request a decision before 5/1. In re-reading the letter, it was carefully worded. Basically they were asking if you to indicate you were going to pursue the MT program IF you chose to attend Elon or to decline if you had other plans. In essence I suppose you could say "Yes" and then come 5/1 decide you didn't want to attend the school and still back out.</p>
<p>In our case we had a decision made by last Monday and put the form in the mail with a "NO" in plenty of time for them to have it.</p>
<p>I presume that if they have enough of those in hand by 4/10 then they might well be able to notify the waitlisted by 4/15.</p>
<p>But to follow up on one of soozie's earlier comments this afternoon, it is my understanding from another (I guess that makes it hearsay?) that they made 23 offers for 16 positions. That would imply they'd need a pretty good attrit before the waitlist could kick in.</p>
<p>We did our part though in giving notice early. And I wish the very best for those still biting their mails, er nails. It's a scary time, to be sure!</p>
<p>WMonMTsDad, yeah I think Elon will let you get a refund on the deposit prior to May 1 (so that way it is in compliance) because I have a client who was admitted this year and so I have heard about this :D. </p>
<p>The way Penn State asked my D to commit to the scholarship before April 1 and before she had gotten all her admissions decisions wasn't right in my view, because obviously if one accepts the scholarship it is cause they are going to attend. Nobody is going to turn down the scholarship and then later decide to attend. It was forcing an earlier decision to matriculate. When I asked for an extension to reply to the scholarship until all college decisions came out (which is in most cases by the first few days of April), they said fine (they really had to because I could bring up the May 1 date). I didn't ask for May 1 because I knew my D would know sooner. As soon as she had her offers in hand, she already made up her mind where to attend because she was fortunate to get into a first choice. Otherwise, she was entitled to decide by May 1.</p>
<p>Last year we only had to pay the deposit to Elon in order to attend Spring Weekend. If we were not going to attend, we could have waited until May 1. If we had changed our minds after attending the weekend, the money would have been refunded (prior to May 1.) I'm not aware of them requiring money to hold an MT spot as we did not have to. Are you sure there's money involved, or just a promise form with a "yes or no" answer? Edit: I reread and see that you are talking precisely of the "yes or no" answer. Can't remember if we got that...we did get one while waitlisted to indicate if we were still interested.</p>
<p>
[quote]
April 13-14
Spring Orientation Weekend II: The same exciting schedule as the March 9-10 weekend designed for Final Decision admitted students who have paid the $400 enrollment deposit. More than two-thirds of the incoming freshmen will attend one of these weekends. They are highly recommended for all students who can come to campus.
May 1
Freshman enrollment deposits ($400) must be paid by this date in order to guarantee enrollment. (Pay online with a credit card at <a href="http://www.elon.edu/admissions/deposit%5B/url%5D">www.elon.edu/admissions/deposit</a>. You will need your university-issued username and password.) After May 1, deposits are accepted on a space-available basis only.</p>
<p>Refund policy: May 1 is the last day for full refund of enrollment deposits. After that date, $100 is refundable until June 15. The deposit is not refundable after this date except for medical emergencies.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Melsmom, yes, this year, according to the person I am working with who was offered a BFA acceptance at Elon, a deposit for the BFA is due by April 10 but can be refunded by May 1.</p>
<p>The deposit is $400.</p>
<p>I don't think this person will be attending the Spring Weekend either.</p>
<p>Could it be she's mistaken & that's the cut off for Spring Weekend? WMonMTDad? Did they ask you for money in order to hold your BFA spot or just a yes or no committment (albeit carefully worded!) LOL</p>
<p>Melsmom, I would have to ask the client. I only have a copy of this person's acceptance letter that asks for notification of intention to accept the BFA program by April 10. The parent told me of the deposit and of the refund policy. I haven't seen that copy.</p>
<p>In my view, the applicant should have until May 1 to accept the BFA program itself. I realize the deposit is refundable but it becomes a bit of a game that way. Most schools request intentions and deposit by May 1 and then see if they need to use the waitlist.</p>
<p>I'd rather not see families commit to enroll and then back out. This process at Elon, I suppose, allows for that but most schools do not do it that way.</p>
<p>EDIT...in rereading an email, I see that the deposit may be tied to attending the spring weekend like you say. I'm not sure this person will be able to attend that event so that mixed me up. But I know they have to reply about intentions to accept the BFA by April 10 and that is truly the issue I am talking about, not the deposit itself. By accepting a BFA, that is like deciding to matriculate at the college and someone should have until May 1 for that. Granted, Elon seems to allow you to back out by May 1. I'd rather there not be a back out option as most schools don't do it this way. The National Reply Date is the norm.</p>
<p>Let me clarify that my own child never applied to Elon and so I have NO DIRECT experience with them, only observations. I want to reiterate that I think well of Elon and recommend the school all the time to clients. This discussion isn't meant to be negative about the school but more to explain the usual policy with replying to offers of admission and the couple of "exceptions" I have come across (as explained with Penn State, Point Park and Elon).</p>
<p>I would have no problem with the verbal, it's the money that would bother me! I know we did have to pay to hold the spot at Point Park, though it was refunded. The deal with Penn State is: if you don't pay to hold your spot early...you won't have a dorm! Last year was a nightmare for the Freshmen who waited till the last minute to send it. Scary stuff, and worth losing a couple of months interest!</p>