Can giving a deposit hurt my chances at other schools Forum

[hyr006]

I was given a full scholarship to a school outside of the top 50 late in the application process. I am considering waiting a year to apply to some top 20 schools. Could I try to defer the scholarship until next year, and still apply to top 20 schools. If so would that hurt my chances of getting in.

The other option would be to turn the scholarship down, and reapply to the same school along with the other top twenty schools next year. There is also the option of giving my seat deposit tomorrow which would give me some extra time to make my decision, but i'm not sure how that would be perceived in the event I decide not to go this summer, which is looking more and more likely.

Hoping someone could shed some light on my situation. Thx

[Sangiovese]

Deferring is essentially accepting their offer and agreeing to attend at a specified future date (1 or 2 years). It may or may not be binding, but it is certainly morally sketchy to defer with the intent to have that as your fallback while you apply to other schools.

Putting down a seat deposit is not the same sort of commitment. You're paying to hold your place, but you have not yet committed to attend. I doubt that any school would hold it against you if you get a better offer and withdraw after paying a seat deposit.

[holybartender]

If you defer with the intent of applying other places, you're a shmuck.

[hyr006]

I thought deferring would basically just move my application to next years group of applications, after which I would basically pick up where i left off and have the option to send in a deposit or give up my seat next april. In some ways that seems more ethical than putting in a deposit now and holding up someone's chances of getting my offer earlier in the process.

[newyorker88]

I was given a full scholarship to a school outside of the top 50 late in the application process. I am considering waiting a year to apply to some top 20 schools. Could I try to defer the scholarship until next year, and still apply to top 20 schools. If so would that hurt my chances of getting in.

The other option would be to turn the scholarship down, and reapply to the same school along with the other top twenty schools next year. There is also the option of giving my seat deposit tomorrow which would give me some extra time to make my decision, but i'm not sure how that would be perceived in the event I decide not to go this summer, which is looking more and more likely.

Hoping someone could shed some light on my situation. Thx

St. John's?

[98234872348]

I was given a full scholarship to a school outside of the top 50 late in the application process. I am considering waiting a year to apply to some top 20 schools. Could I try to defer the scholarship until next year, and still apply to top 20 schools. If so would that hurt my chances of getting in.

The other option would be to turn the scholarship down, and reapply to the same school along with the other top twenty schools next year. There is also the option of giving my seat deposit tomorrow which would give me some extra time to make my decision, but i'm not sure how that would be perceived in the event I decide not to go this summer, which is looking more and more likely.

Hoping someone could shed some light on my situation. Thx

As long as your deferral isn't binding, this is perfectly acceptable to do.

[98234872348]

If you defer with the intent of applying other places, you're a shmuck.

Not really. That's like saying "if you apply to a safety, you're a shmuck"

It's just playing it safe.

[Sangiovese]

If you defer with the intent of applying other places, you're a shmuck.

Not really. That's like saying "if you apply to a safety, you're a shmuck"

It's just playing it safe.

No.

When you defer, you are accepting the school's offer of enrollment and they are postponing (deferring) your first semester. Binding or not, it is an agreement to attend that school. Breaking that agreement is, to quote a previous poster, a schmuck move.