<p>I don’t know if it is “normal” or not, but none of the public schools my D accepted has a refund policy for deposit. There is a reason to call it a deposit. As far as I know, it is not ethical to accept more than one admission offer. Many schools would have a separated deposit for housing though. That is not a commitment for attending the school. That is different. Nevertheless, there are certain residential programs that one can apply only after accepting the admission offer. That may force you to make decision earlier.</p>