Waitlist and Accepting at Another School

<p>So, I decided to go on the waitlist for Harvard, but then later I was accepted at Princeton. Am I still allowed to accept Princeton's offer by 5/1 or do I have to wait until Harvard releases their waitlist decision?</p>

<p>Yes, you can accept Princeton’s offer, and if you clear a waitlist somewhere else you can accept that and reverse your earlier acceptance. Princeton will probably ask for some sort of deposit and you may loose that if you change your mind.</p>

<p>Do you guys know if it is possible to accept one’s offer (waitlist -> accepted) and then getting the same at a better school.</p>

<p>So you loose 2 deposits but you end up at your favorite school :)</p>

<p>^^ reptil: I think your question is: </p>

<p>– You are on waitlists at two schools (maybe more)
– You get accepted from the waitlist at one of them and you send your deposit to that school
– Then you get accepted off the waitlist from ANOTHER school and you REALLY want to go to that one
– Question: Can you send a deposit to the second school to accept you off of their waitlist, and drop the first school that accepted you from the waitlist?</p>

<p>I believe the answer is YES. Your act of acceptance and deposit at the first waitlist school is essentially the same as if you had been accepted RD without being waitlisted – you agreed to attend and agreed to risk your deposit. </p>

<p>Note: I don’t know this for a 100% true fact, but I can see no reason why it can’t be done like this. Besides, what do you really owe any school that waitlisted you in the first place?</p>

<p>If you decided to be waitlisted and got accepted from that waitlist school, are you obligated to attend?</p>

<p>You can accept positions on as many wait lists as you want. But be sure to commit to at least one school (where you were accepted) and send in your deposit by May 1st so that you will have somewhere to go next fall, just in case you don’t get off any wait lists.</p>

<p>Suppose you are on the wait lists at two schools (A and B). School A finally offers you admission; you accept and send in your deposit. Then a few days (or even weeks) later, School B – which you prefer to School A – offers admission. You can still accept that offer, but you have to notify School A that you changed your mind and will not be enrolling after all. </p>

<p>The general rule is that you can only accept one admissions offer at a time, but taking a place on the wait list is NOT the same as accepting an offer – because you can’t enroll until you come off the wait list.</p>

<p>No, when you are on the wait list, you have the same rights regarding accepting/declining an offer of admission from that school. </p>

<p>There are some schools, however, that have special “priority” wait lists where you do commit to attend if an offer is extended.</p>

<p>Thanks for all great answers! :D</p>

<p>i have a question, if i send my deposit to one school and then change my mind can i lose my money and drop the school and go to the other instead or is that not allowed.??</p>

<p>You can do it. Just, after May 1, don’t have a deposit at more than one school at the same time (except for the short overlap period). Also, make sure School 2 accepts your deposit (if after May 1) before you withdraw from School 1.</p>

<p>If you commit to a school, and decide not to attend, will the school see it as unethical? will it hinder my chances of reapplying to that school later in life for another program? for example if I want to apply for an mba later, will it affect me if I accept the school and then end up going to another school?</p>

<p>

@arturojoao: Colleges aren’t in the business of holding grudges. Do as others in this thread have suggested. After May 1, maintain only one “acceptance” at a time. Don’t worry if you get in off of another school’s wait-list and decide to go there instead. It happens all the time. Schools understand. It’s no big deal.</p>

<p>This is what is considered proper “wait-list” etiquette.</p>

<p>gblob, I have one piece of sincere advice: fall in love with Princeton. There are many reasons to do so; it’s a great school on a beautiful campus. It’s so very important to love the school that you will be attending, and Harvard admits very few students off the waitlist (and seems to put a lot of students on it). You might well be one who is admitted, but meanwhile look for all the positives at Princeton.</p>

<p>gblob331 is probably getting ready to graduate in two months from whichever college he or she decided upon back in 2009 when this thread was originated.</p>

<p>Please DO NOT revive old threads. Use them for reference only.</p>

<p>So embarrassed. I didn’t realize that he had written that in 2009. I hope he’s graduating from a great place!</p>