<p>In my D’s case, she waited till the last minute to decide among schools–it was pretty clear to me from the start which she would choose, but she is indecisive by nature and also waited until after she had attended the accepted students events at two “finalists” to be sure she was factoring in everything. (The fact that colleges have those events shows they don’t expect immediate responses.) I think the only downside to waiting is losing priority in housing choices. As far as waitlists are concerned, I don’t think spots are considered available for waitlisted students until after May 1.</p>
<p>I think it’s pretty common to just let May 1 go by without accepting rather than giving a definitive no to a college–although some schools provide a postcard or email process for turning down offers.</p>