A friend of mine said you should inform the schools you were accepted at as soon as possible that you aren’t going there once you have made your decision. This would be a courtesy to them to be able to offer the spot to someone else. I hadn’t heard of that before…has anyone done this or is it common practice?
many colleges request you inform them asap with an email or post card .There are often waitlisted kids just dying to go to that particular college, so to not inform a college as soon as a decision is made is considered selfish.
Yeah, you’re expected to inform the schools you’ve decided not to attend. Many schools have an online system for you to do this, or - as said above - would like an email or post card.
No one can force you to do it but it’s something you should do especially since there are probably lots of people on wait lists wanting your spot lol. Once I make my decision I plan on immediately informing the other colleges that I will not be attending. Think about it this way for every school you turn down your prob making one kid really happy and grateful for that spot.
It’s a good idea to let them know, but thinking that you’re giving your spot to someone on the waiting list is probably wrong. The colleges estimate a certain yield, and admit a lot more students than there are available spots.
Yep, you should so they can give your spot to someone on a waitlist. I just sent emails to mine. However, some colleges will have a small postcard type of thing they sent you in your admissions packet that you check the “yes” or “no” box and send it in to let them know…
I also heard that it doesn’t matter when you inform them as long as it is before May 1. I’ve declined two of my safety schools and they haven’t taken me off their mailing list yet, so have they given my spot away to someone else yet?
as far as the “it doesn’t matter when as long as it’s before May 1st” approach, yeah, technically that’s the deadline but it’s polite to inform the colleges prior to May 1st if you make your decision prior to May 1st because there are waitlisted ppl needing your spot, especially if it’s a college with very competitive admissions.
Acuraman93- Idk if they would have given your spot away. Did you formally decline them? Like with an email, and you received an email back saying “yes, we know you’re not coming and will cancel your admission”- then yeah they probably gave your spot away and just forgot to take you off the mailing list. Check with them to be sure.
^ I clicked a link from one of their emails, and I filled out a form saying where I was going instead. I think that they canceled my admission.
Yes, you should do so if possible.
Did you ever receive anything by email or regular mail saying “Ok…we cancelled your admission” or “sorry to see you leave us…” or something to that effect confirming your decision?
Yes, at least some colleges send out letters acknowledging your decision not to enroll. I can’t speak for every place, but I just recently got letters from University of Maryland and from Emory University after I sent in my decision.
Since May 1st is a Sunday, does that really mean that the schools need to know by Friday, April 29th?
I’ve seen some schools extend their deadline to May 2.
Some college may have required you to let them know by the 29th (yesterday), others may accept just an email sent on May 1st, and some do extend it til May 2nd since May 1st is a Sunday. I know the college I’m going to (I sent in my decision in March) is extending theirs til May 2nd.
No, but they said that they need time to process it.