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I am a big fan of not making a decision until all of the cards are on the table. I’ve been on CC long enough to see some pretty surprising results in March and April. You haven’t heard back yet from UW, including any offers of financial or merit aid, and so I would not rush a decision. mom2collegekids is extremely enthusiastic about Alabama, and no doubt others are equally excited about UW, but they won’t be attending either university – you will be. You’ve presumably visited UW. Have you visited Alabama yet? The two are quite different in terms of academic schedule, breadth of course offerings, location, weather, etc. </p>
<p>If you don’t want to miss out on housing at Alabama, you can deposit and apply for housing; if you change your mind, you can notify them of your decision and matriculate at UW instead if/when you are admitted. This is somewhat frowned upon, but it happens often. You’d lose the $200 admissions deposit and $250 housing deposit, however, so I’m not sure I recommend this route.</p>