<p>I'm in a bit of a pickle. Not only have I applied to several elite private institutions and Ivies, but I also have applied to a mid-range private school (Howard) and a highly respected public school (UNC). While both of these institutions are great, they are not my first choice. However, they are still respectable and I know I can get in (my stats are above and beyond the average accepted student). Now this is where I run into a problem: these schools start mailing out decisions around mid-April and deadlines for accepting/declining their offers are around early May. However, the Ivies don't start mailing decisions until mid-May, all the way up to early June! (Yale, Eli Whitney Program). So what am I to do? Can I just accept the offers at Howard and UNC and pay the deposits? And, if I am accepted to a better school, simply renege on the offer? Or, am I legally bound to attend a school once I send in a deposit?</p>
<p>I really need help on this one guys. I would hate to have to turn down these two great schools and simply ending up being OL if I get denied by all the ivies I've applied to and UofChicago. (In this day in age, most Ivies and elite privates are crap-shoots, even the best applicants get turned down simply because of lack of space.) If this were to happen to me, I would simply have no where to go.</p>
<p>Good-luck everyone and thank you in advance for your help!</p>