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I recently submitted a LOCI to School 1 that recently waitlisted me outlining the reasons why I wanted to attend, and that if admitted would withdraw my other applications. I was also recently admitted to school 2 (my second choice) with a substantial scholarship that is tempting. I know that if I were to just pay the deposit and withdraw from the waitlist everything would be fine. I do still want to wait it out though, in the interest of exploring all my options.

I was wondering exactly how obligated am I to keep up with the promise of withdrawing if I were to be admitted. In all honesty I would probably attend school number 1 if admitted, but is this going to be like a character and fitness strike against me if I go back on my word?

I know, I know. Shouldnt have made a promise that I had a chance of reneging on.

no dice?

It wasn't the smartest move, promising to enroll. But this is not the same as signing an ED contract. Things change, as they did for you. You got a scholarship, reassessed and realized you needed to go in that direction. They will forget about you in roughly 3-4 seconds. Apologize and move forward.
C&F is less about what you do and more about how you handle it.

kwais wrote:It wasn't the smartest move, promising to enroll. But this is not the same as signing an ED contract. Things change, as they did for you. You got a scholarship, reassessed and realized you needed to go in that direction. They will forget about you in roughly 3-4 seconds. Apologize and move forward.
C&F is less about what you do and more about how you handle it.

Yeah, for posterity, don't say something like that unless you intend to follow through.

Get in touch with the school and let them know the change in status.

kwais wrote:It wasn't the smartest move, promising to enroll. But this is not the same as signing an ED contract. Things change, as they did for you. You got a scholarship, reassessed and realized you needed to go in that direction. They will forget about you in roughly 3-4 seconds. Apologize and move forward.
C&F is less about what you do and more about how you handle it.

Uh... ya, these things happen. And it's a bad call to make that kind of promise. I also slightly disagree without the above... it kind of is the same thing as an ED contract. You've basically sent in a letter that you wrote and on your behalf stating that if the school were to do something, you would do something in return... that's a contract. And breaking it without any type of notice isn't wise. I'd go with Shinners and say that if you don't intend to keep up with that promise, you should let them know... and if you choose to go with choice 2 and don't want to contact the school, withdraw your app - no harm, no foul... or, obviously, if you get into choice 1 and intend to attend choice 1... just sit back and relax and see what happens.

The Dark Kite wrote:

kwais wrote:It wasn't the smartest move, promising to enroll. But this is not the same as signing an ED contract. Things change, as they did for you. You got a scholarship, reassessed and realized you needed to go in that direction. They will forget about you in roughly 3-4 seconds. Apologize and move forward.
C&F is less about what you do and more about how you handle it.

Uh... ya, these things happen. And it's a bad call to make that kind of promise. I also slightly disagree without the above... it kind of is the same thing as an ED contract. You've basically sent in a letter that you wrote and on your behalf stating that if the school were to do something, you would do something in return... that's a contract. And breaking it without any type of notice isn't wise. I'd go with Shinners and say that if you don't intend to keep up with that promise, you should let them know... and if you choose to go with choice 2 and don't want to contact the school, withdraw your app - no harm, no foul... or, obviously, if you get into choice 1 and intend to attend choice 1... just sit back and relax and see what happens.

I think your point is well taken and certainly the safer route, but to nit pick for a moment, schools create real ED contracts and offer them to students. An email from an applicant that attempts to approximate the same contract, is not, in my mind, going to make the school treat it as such. It is what it is, one of hundreds of similarly worded LOCIs that schools get that help them sort through the waitlist. Nothing more.
Your contract analysis is unnecessarily academic, while I am instead trying to focus OP on the reality of the human beings in the admissions office who would likely not dwell on this for a moment. If OP said I'm so sorry but I received a scholarship and I must take it, there is no way the school says "but you created a contract in that email!!" So let's give OP realistic advice.

There is nothing remotely unethical about even withdrawing your acceptance if a better offer comes in. Loss of your deposit is the sole penalty if you have already done that.

How else would Yale (or any school for that matter) get someone offering in late May off the waitlist?

Asha talks about similar here: http://blogs.law.yale.edu/blogs/admissi ... rency.aspx As she says, save the drama for your mama.

kwais wrote:

The Dark Kite wrote:

kwais wrote:It wasn't the smartest move, promising to enroll. But this is not the same as signing an ED contract. Things change, as they did for you. You got a scholarship, reassessed and realized you needed to go in that direction. They will forget about you in roughly 3-4 seconds. Apologize and move forward.
C&F is less about what you do and more about how you handle it.

Uh... ya, these things happen. And it's a bad call to make that kind of promise. I also slightly disagree without the above... it kind of is the same thing as an ED contract. You've basically sent in a letter that you wrote and on your behalf stating that if the school were to do something, you would do something in return... that's a contract. And breaking it without any type of notice isn't wise. I'd go with Shinners and say that if you don't intend to keep up with that promise, you should let them know... and if you choose to go with choice 2 and don't want to contact the school, withdraw your app - no harm, no foul... or, obviously, if you get into choice 1 and intend to attend choice 1... just sit back and relax and see what happens.

I think your point is well taken and certainly the safer route, but to nit pick for a moment, schools create real ED contracts and offer them to students. An email from an applicant that attempts to approximate the same contract, is not, in my mind, going to make the school treat it as such. It is what it is, one of hundreds of similarly worded LOCIs that schools get that help them sort through the waitlist. Nothing more.
Your contract analysis is unnecessarily academic, while I am instead trying to focus OP on the reality of the human beings in the admissions office who would likely not dwell on this for a moment. If OP said I'm so sorry but I received a scholarship and I must take it, there is no way the school says "but you created a contract in that email!!" So let's give OP realistic advice.

You're free to nit pick as you please, it's falling on deaf ears regardless. My last few statements can be chalked up to "realistic advice" so I think we'll all survive. I simply said that to break it would be unwise... not land OP in jail or yield especially deleterious results... and I think we're all in agreement to that extent.

"Unnecessarily academic," was it? That's a new one.

I know this conversation is over, but it seems like such a great tip in being a lawyer, that I can't help but come back to it. Regardless of what you do now, I think the lesson here is that, unless you are writing a contract, you should never say anything so definitively. Non-legal people tend not to notice the difference between:
"It appears you have no legal obligation to the school and can withdraw your application without any reprecussions."
and
"You have no legal obligation to the school and can withdraw your application without reprecussions."
So you should have said something that sounded really definitive, but gave you some wiggle room.
Granted, a law school admin might notice that your language is not definitive, but they also might respect your use of slightly vague language.