<p>Did you see Binghamton and Towson in person? Any reactions? Is it legal to double deposit?</p>
<p>Mdcissp- I live in Binghamton. We have not been hit hard by snow this year and are only supposed to get 3-5 more inches. Should be fine by this weekend</p>
<p>It is legal to double deposit. Done frequently. You must withdraw before 5/1 or you lose your deposit. Some schools only refund a portion of your deposit.</p>
<p>Do it without worry. you will not be the next Martha Stewart.</p>
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<p>I would draw a distinction between multiple deposits prior to 5/1 and after 5/1. After 5/1 - not cool. But now - especially if the school says it is refundable if you withdraw before 5/1 - I think it is fine. Send the deposit to Towson - and then you can relax and explore Binghamton when time permits.</p>
<p>In any case - double depositing may be an ethical infraction - but it is not a crime. You may lose one of the deposits - but no one is going to come after you in any legal manner.</p>
<p>Towson’s appears to be non-refundable:</p>
<p>"Freshmen admitted to the university and interested in living on-campus may go online starting February 1, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. to apply for housing.</p>
<p>For University Housing you must complete the online process. This includes a $350 non-refundable housing deposit* and agreeing to the terms and conditions of the housing contract."</p>
<p>I still think you should do it.</p>
<p>My two cents is that we definitely will put deposits on anything that could otherwise mean my D would have some awful snafu. We won’t do anything unethical, but I’m very prepared to lose a few hundred dollars doing some sequential depositing if necessary, and paying into housing for schools she doesn’t end up going to. I want her in the school she wants (among her acceptances) and I want her in a good dorm!!!</p>
<p>D has a few schools where I know she’d go on the waitlist if offered. So I can imagine we’d put a deposit here and lose it if a spot comes open there. Hopefully that won’t happen, but I’m ready for it.</p>
<p>Check the housing contract. I remember reading threads that at some schools the deposit means you owe the entire years housing even if you don’t attend. So read the agreement carefully!</p>
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<p>I love having lawyers in our little family here … they come in so handy!</p>
<p>MDCISSP- if you are adament about your attempt to secure “single” housing - and there is an out at both Towson and Bing- I would send the deposit.</p>
<p>mdcissp: Binghamton is the most difficult SUNY to get into these days, so that’s quite an achievement! I hear only raves about it.
It sounds like the fine print on housing at Towson may be a deal-breaker. Do thy guarantee housing for freshmen, or is it only first-come, first-served?</p>
<p>Thanks for all the Pittsburgh info! I need to create a travel schedule for DS and me. How come I already feel like I have no time! Pittsburgh (CMU), Chicago (NU - don’t have to sell me on this - I’m an alum!), St. Louis (Wash U), NOLA (Tulane) - those are the major trips. Then there are the driving trips… I will love the time with DS, but have no idea how we’re going to squeeze them in!</p>
<p>Which ones value the visit most for admissions? I should prioritize those for junior year. The others we can look at if he gets in. (Don’t count NU - we are definitely going there because I want to go to a football game in the fall!)</p>
<p>The procedure at Towson is to commit to Towson first, then send in housing deposit. In our case, the advantages of Towson over Binghamton is location (easier to come home for the week-end) and easier to get into the Business school (son is interested in accounting major, but not 100% decided on accounting), plus the lower in state cost.</p>
<p>Jewish life at Binghamton looks awesome. However, my son is concerned if he decides on accounting, then he may find it difficult to transfer into from Harpur.</p>
<p>I think we need to get to Binghamton ASAP to make a quick decision. If my son does not commit quickly to Towson, he risks not getting a single (and still may not get one anyways).</p>
<p>We also have not heard from all schools.</p>
<p>MD- what would you see at Binghamton that would make a difference? it’s not like visiting is going to change the degree of difficulty in switching to the business school, or make the school closer to home, or even lower the price. So I think I think rushing up there to help you make a decision isn’t necessarily going to do you much good. If your S hates it- then clearly, Towson wins. But if he loves it- you still have all the issues you’ve identified, and a visit won’t make them go away.</p>
<p>I am not familiar with the housing contracts of these two schools, but at the schools I am familiar with, the school does not guarantee a single; you are merely guaranteed preferential treatment during dorm assignments (i.e. you have a better shot at a single then someone lower down on the list. But you can’t sue them if you show up on move in day and your S is in a double.) So if housing is the dealbreaker, make sure you read the fine print on the housing contract before you send in a deposit.</p>
<p>mdcissp, the Towson housing contract is available online. It looks like you would lose the deposit, but wouldn’t be on the hook for the full year housing costs. </p>
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</p>
<p>[Housing</a> Contract Information - Housing & Residence Life - Towson University](<a href=“http://www.towson.edu/housing/movingin/contract.asp]Housing”>http://www.towson.edu/housing/movingin/contract.asp)</p>
<p>If you can afford it, I’d pay the enrollment and housing deposit both so that you don’t have to make a rushed decision. I can’t remember if Bing and Towson are your son’s two top choices. If any of the schools not yet heard from are still in the running, you’ll definitely want to wait to hear from them before making any final decisions. </p>
<p>The enrollment contract isn’t online (or at least I couldn’t find it), but there’s some discussion about withdrawing from the university for fall semester. I think your son is OK both legally and ethically in submitting the deposits, and later choosing to not attend if he goes elsewhere. To double-check, you could call the admissions office and ask.</p>
<p>LINYMOM, when I was figuring out which schools D1 should visit, I looked at the Common Data Set for each school to see if they considered demonstrated interest.</p>
<p>Blossom; You are right. However, I sense some hesitation on my son’s part to commit to Towson. I think he wants to hear from UT Dallas which he likes very much.
I think a visit to Binghamton will make him feel more secure about his decision and not look back. Hesitating on commitment to Towson means lower priority on the housing. It is a difficult decision. I think he should commit to Towson.</p>
<p>Mdcissp: I agree with the others that your best strategy is to send in the Towson admission and housing deposits now, even if you have to foreit them later. That will give you time to visit Binghamton and wait for the other results. Towson still looks like a very good option for your son. Based on some of your concerns about dorm life for him, I think that it is important that he have the option to come home for weekends if he needs a break.</p>
<p>MD, given your understandably strong desire for a single room if possible, the Towson deposit seems smart to increase the chances of a single. I agree with the post that post-5/1 double depositing is unethical, although not illegal.</p>
<p>If this is meant to be the visit which enables your son to decide between Towson and Bing, you need to be sure that Bing’s showing will not be handicapped by the cold weather–every school looks better in warm weather, with kids lolling about; trees in bloom; etc</p>
<p>It is obviously up to you, but UT Dallas would seem to be a distant third choice in terms of what you have said are your top priorities: academics; Jewish life; proximity to home; and cost of attending (especially with airfare factored in).</p>
<p>My son has visited Towson 4 times. I sense some hesitation on his part. On paper, Towson is the correct choice. I think if he saw Binghamton, he might feel more eager to commit to either Towson or Binghamton. I can see my son very happy at Binghamton Chabad with the game room, fitness center, and wholesome feel. We have not visited Towson Hillel or Chabad so it is hard to know what to do. </p>
<p>Anyone here on this forum been in person to Towson Hillel and/or Chabad? Can anyone here tell us more about Towson Business? Feel free to PM me if you are more comfortable. Thanks so much.</p>
<p>mdcissp- one thing I like about Binghamton and that my d will not have at a small LAC…is that they are always closed on the high holidays. so even if he can’t make it home, he can attend services at Hillel, Chabad or one of the local synagogues (we have Conservative within walking distance of campus. Orthodox is downtown and local orthodox families open homes to students who want to walk to services. Reform is also downtown. We belong to Reform and in years past have hosted SUNY students to holiday dinners.</p>
<p>So much on this thread. Just wanted to post a quick note about a B student’s chance for U of MD, College Park, Instate.
Son was admitted but not offered Fall admission, Spring…will have to do Freshman Connection. He is more of a B+ student at a super competitive nationally ranked high school. His ACT score was 27 and SAT 1860, I think. Many of his peers were flat out denied so he feels lucky but so now he’s deciding between UPITT and Penn State.</p>
<p>PITT is a great school and we are going back in Feb. for accepted students day so I will post here on our observations.</p>
<p>He’s on the waitlist for Fall but he won’t find out until June 1st. I am really against him living off campus as freshman. If you do Freshman connection, you cannot get on-campus housing in the fall.</p>
<p>I suggest you re-consider UMCP for the spring admission (congratulations!). Perhaps your son might want to go to Israel for the fall semester or go to community college fall semester and get the least wanted classes out of the way. I also suggest you compare your costs between UMCP spring, UPitt and Penn State.</p>