Should D Notify Other Colleges? When?

<p>tom
send an e-mail
they will appreciate it</p>

<p>No exceptions and excuses, the answer is yes.</p>

<p>I am trying to write an email to a school I am not going to be enrolled in. I spent the last half an hour trying to find an email that I can write to, and found none.</p>

<p>Most of my acceptance envelopes came with a return slip to fill out. The only one I didn’t respond to was Boston College because their online form was broken.</p>

<p>Most of my acceptance envelopes came with a return slip to fill out. The only one I didn’t respond to was Boston College because their online form was broken. I’d also like to add that it’s not that big of a deal. I sent my “no thanks” thing to Carnegie Mellon on like April 7th, and I got a student phone call on the 29th or 30th. So, it’s a nice thing to do, but not necessary. Besides, how could they punish you if you don’t?</p>

<p>DS and I have devoted much time to trying to figure out how to notify the other schools this week. In all cases except one (1 out of 6), there were no instructions in the acceptance letter, nothing to check off on the card, no option available on-line, etc. One college said that it was not necessary to respond (State U.). Another said that he should go to some spot on the website and “withdraw his application” (large State U. in another state). If this is so important and expected, could the schools give us a hint on how to do it and not make it like finding a needle in a haystack? I realize it’s good form and manners, but what’s the point of sending an email into some general mailbox that someone may or may not read or deal with? I’m venting a bit here, but if someone can help the parents who want to encourage their children to do this by letting us know how it should be done, that would be helpful. If the terminology is “withdrawing your application” rather than declining the acceptance, it would be helpful to know.</p>

<p>I just wrote a general “thank you for the opportunity” letter. I just used the e-mail address of the admissions office at the schools I was not going to attend.</p>

<p>Most of the prepared reply cards were addressed to the admissions office. For those colleges that didn’t provide envelopes or cards, S sent responses to the regular admissions address. Same for e-mail correspondence. Use the e-mail addy for admissions provided at the college website.</p>

<p>I called the admissions office at one of the schools my son decided not to attend. They advised me to have him send an email. Less than 30 minutes after the email was sent in he received thank you’s from two offices on campus. They now had two scholarships of my son’s they could offer to two other students. I’m a firm believer in good karma and it’s nice to know that two families received a big surprise that day.</p>

<p>One school that my D declined wrote back thank you and we will keep your file. The other didnt write back to us.</p>

<p>hi everyone. I am an international student and received admit packages later than most people. I did not make a college decision until the last possible moment and I had to go overseas for a tournament as I represent my country at international level. I sent an e-mail to the admissions offices on the 3rd of May 2009 (the day i returned from my tournament) that I would not be attending their colleges. Although this is slightly after the deadline, will I be penalized?</p>

<p>“I sent an e-mail to the admissions offices on the 3rd of May 2009 (the day i returned from my tournament) that I would not be attending their colleges. Although this is slightly after the deadline, will I be penalized?”</p>

<p>Penalized how? What are they going to do to you – not admit you?</p>

<p>No. There would only be a penalty if you didn’t turn in the deposit by 11:59 PM on May 1st. Even in that situation there is some leg room if you call the admissions office to extend the deposit due date by a couple of days. One of my schools gave me an extension even without me asking. So for declining, you won’t be penalized, asking for an extension for a desposit though has some leg room.</p>

<p>I find it interesting that the parents on this thread all think in terms of how replying not only reflects good manners, but creates opportunity for waiting list kids, while some of the kids on this thread appear to think only in terms of what penalty is there for me if I don’t do it. I would bet a lot of money that these same kids discussed in their interviews and essays how concerned they were for the less fortunate–apparently that does not extend to spending a few minutes so that kids hoping to get in off a waiting list can get their wish before sending in their deposit elsewhere.</p>

<p>Students don’t only think of penalties. If you’re responding to my reply I was only trying to quell jums worries. Many of us do think about the “good manners” aspect, the “opportunities for the wait listed”, and the “reallocation of financial aid” but the purpose of my post was to quell jums concern. As of right now students are all on the edge about making the right decision and we have the right to worry about the penalties, yet that doesn’t mean that we’re selfish or two-faced in any way.</p>

<p>I was not thinking of your reply, with which I take no issue.
I do not, however, understand why students who have already made a decision and communicated with the winning school would not notify the other schools promptly, which takes only a few minutes and will benefit fellow students. I do not see why any imagined penalty should be needed as a incentive.</p>

<p>Ah! Thank you for the clarification. May be for some it’s just confusion or miscommunication. For many of my schools, they didn’t give me a decline card, so just to clear the air I sent an e-mail. Some students may see this as a “oh, if I don’t respond they’ll get the message” situation. Unfortunately, this creates more confusion and prolongs the process for those schools. Hopefully this thread helps those students who have yet to communicate with those colleges.</p>

<p>I wish you a very successful and happy college career.</p>