Pressured to make decision to attend - What are my options? Forum

[xpiamchris]

Hey guys,

I'm off the waitlist for 2 schools. Both of them are offering scholarship money but are saying they need an answer by Friday or at the very latest Monday. If I tell them that I do want to attend, how binding of a commitment is it?

I have yet to hear back from my dream school, so if by chance I'm offered admission a few weeks later, but I tell the current schools I am interested, what are the ramifications?

Any advice on how to approach all of this?

Thanks guys!

[pterodactyls]

When you commit to a school, you may have to decline any current offers you have (any schools that have accepted you thus far). But you can stay on any waitlists and keep any pending applications under consideration.

So for example,
School A - accepts you
School B - accepts you
School C - application is pending, no decision yet

If you commit to school A, they can require you to decline your offer at school B (and vice versa). But you can stay under consideration at school C. If school C later accepts you, you can tell school A (to which you've committed) that you're no longer coming. Though you will likely forfeit your seat deposit (which, depending on the school, can range from $250 to $1,000).

Edit: corrected

[lymenheimer]

The above isn't applicable in all cases. It depends on the schools. Just read what the seat deposit information says.

[pterodactyls]

I thought that according to LSAC rules, a school cannot force you to withdraw pending applications and waitlists?

[lymenheimer]

Some schools don't require you to withdraw other consideration/acceptances at all.

[pterodactyls]

Some schools don't require you to withdraw other consideration/acceptances at all.

Oh that's true, I guess I was thinking of worst-case scenario what a school could force you to do. Thanks!

[jambone]

How do they know whether you've withdrawn applications that are still being reviewed? Through LSAC?

[Tiago Splitter]

How do they know whether you've withdrawn applications that are still being reviewed? Through LSAC?

No, they won't know unless you have deposited. LSAC sends a report of double depositors out after some date which I believe is May 15th.