What is required to “commit”?

Is it as simple as paying the deposit?

We are traveling and decision is coming down to the wire. I assumed we would just have to pay a deposit and then could get home (on May 2) and take care of next steps, but am seeing parents post about all kinds of extra things. I hope they’re just taking next steps and we have more time!

I would ask my student to check the schools still in consideration but it’s 3am and this is currently what’s keeping me up at night ;).

Each school likely has its own particular thing. I know for my S22 college (state U) it involved hitting a radio button on a webpage, and paying a deposit with a credit card. There’s a bunch of “next steps” that appear after that, but they don’t have to be completed before May 1.

I know someone else said that marching band tryouts were before May 1 at one of their kid’s schools. But, I assume that’s rather a special case, and if your kid was in to marching band, they’d be aware of it.

As long as you pay the deposit by May 1, I don’t think there’s any particular urgency to do anything else. But there will be plenty of communication from the college after that. Just tell your kid to check their emails. EVERY day.

I believe there are a number of colleges where the housing deposit needs to be made pretty early to ensure the best selection of rooms, but that’s, again, something that the student should be made aware of. And it sounds like your child hasn’t made a decision yet. Some people pay a housing deposit really early, but it’s school specific.

Once your child decides, check the school website about housing. Other than that, you just pay the deposit and wait for whatever they say happens next.