Should I pay my enrollment deposit?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
1

Hi all! So I recently got a likely letter for admission in the ED round and the portal lets me pay my enrollment deposit now. Is there any reason I should pay it earlier rather than later? My mom said she would rather pay it in January but it’s not that much of a hassle to pay it now.

2

I would wait until your get your formal acceptance letter.
And congrats!

3

If paying earlier allows you to choose a specific dorm, I say pay early. Otherwise, there is probably no reason to pay earlier than your mother wants to pay.

4

^ Res hall is by lottery. There is no advantage to paying a deposit early, especially if you are expecting a FA decision with the admission. Congratulations!

5

Thanks! I’ll wait then

6

@shinbr
Do you mind sharing your stats? Are you a hooked applicant/recruited athlete? Congratulations on receiving a likely letter regarding your ED application!

7

I’m a recruited athlete.
GPA: 4.0/4.0 UW, 4.53/5.0W
SAT: 1570, 790 Bio SATII
10 APs, 1 IB HL (2-year course)
Essays: Strong
Recs: Strong
ECs: Strong but not extraordinary… lots of service, NHS Prez, Philosophy Club prez, Model UN
Awards: Nothing extraordinary… Principal’s honors, I have a small scholarship for my school, and a verbal commendation for MUN

8

@shinbr - you may wish to check in with your coach to ensure that waiting for the actual offer of admission is OK. Once you receive it (and any corresponding FA you’ve applied for, if applicable) the ED means you will need to commit reasonably quickly. Usually it’s something like a 2- 3 week turnaround.

9

Congrats! My son was in your shoes two years ago and dorm choice was based on deposit received.

Since, it doesn’t really impact that anymore, it probably doesn’t matter, you are bound with ED and while the deposit isn’t small, you holding it does grow it a little (maybe all of $1 over the next 30 days). For me, though paying it now when it is front of mind is better than the $1 I’d get in interest.

10

^ Is OP full-pay? If not, why commit before getting a FA package? The ED agreement clearly allows you to wait until that time.

11

Congrats! And great stats too.

My son was in the same situation and we deposited in early October. However part was mistakenly due to thinking early deposit led to preferred dorm choice which was changed recently to lottery. It just felt good to get it in though.