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so I just got an email from as school telling me that my app is up for review from the WL and that if admitted I will need to submit the deposit within 24 hours of the admission offer. They're asking me for an LOCI. My problem is that I don't want to commit to this school just yet as I have other waitlists that I want to see through. I also don't want to pay the deposit for this school if admitted because it's ridiculously expensive. I'm thinking of writing an LOCI asking them to keep me in the waitlist, basically being honest and tell them that I'm waiting to hear from my top choice and I'm currently unable to commit to their school right at this moment.

is this wishful thinking? am i asking for a rejection here? any recommendation?

btw, i'm above the 75th percentile in both lsat and gpa at this school.

How much is the deposit? In the scheme of things (overall debt) it is likely to be miniscule. I'd pay the deposit and ride the first choice waitlist out. You shouldn't have to withdraw from the WL at your first choice. If that's not the case it's another story, but you typically can stay on it. (Also, did the first choice put you on the waitlist, or simply have they not yet responded?)

deposit is $900 - absurd

WL at first choice

Damn. $900!?!?

Too bad. B/c if you want to play your options, you're probably gonna have to pay up. As already mentioned, if they require you pull all other apps (some schools do this; Emory, for one, unless I'm wrong), then ... that's way harder.

Since the school will have 100s of kids right behind you (who likewise will help the school maintain/improve their numbers or whatever else) begging for the call, it pretty much holds all the cards here.

peeker82 wrote:so I just got an email from as school telling me that my app is up for review from the WL and that if admitted I will need to submit the deposit within 24 hours of the admission offer. They're asking me for an LOCI. My problem is that I don't want to commit to this school just yet as I have other waitlists that I want to see through. I also don't want to pay the deposit for this school if admitted because it's ridiculously expensive. I'm thinking of writing an LOCI asking them to keep me in the waitlist, basically being honest and tell them that I'm waiting to hear from my top choice and I'm currently unable to commit to their school right at this moment.

is this wishful thinking? am i asking for a rejection here? any recommendation?

btw, i'm above the 75th percentile in both lsat and gpa at this school.

You'd be asking for rejection.

Is this school your best choice compared to where you have already gotten admitted? If so bitch the bullet and pay it.

If you have a school you want to go to more, then withdraw.

Yes, $900 is a bit absurd, but miniscule in the scheme of things. If there's any chance you're blowing your chance at the second choice and the first choice doesn't come through, I'd pay it for peace of mind. $150000 vs $150900...? (even with significant scholarships $20900 vs $20000 is such a minor difference).

I put down (admittedly less) $400 at a school I may not even attend if I don't get off any waitlists, just for the peace of mind.

$900 is rapacious this early, but think about what you could be costing yourself if you pass on this opportunity...

I'd send a normal loci and if accepted, pay the deposit, assuming that this is your second choice and you are still able to remain on the waitlist at your top choice. In the loci I would explain why you'd really like to go to this school, but refrain from saying anything implying you'd definitely attend or withdraw from other schools.

I think if you ask to remain on the WL you will be rejected outright. $900 is a lot of money to walk away from, but as posters above noted, not much in the grand scheme of things. How long would you reasonably need to wait? They may be open to giving you an extension on the deposit deadline.

yea, so this is not really even my second choice. i'm just on a bunch of waitlists and don't want to burn any bridges right now. I'd definitely go there if my other waitlists don't come through, which there's a decent chance of. $900 for a deposit is just so absurd it makes me almost not wanna go there. but it's true that in the grand scheme of things it's insignificant.

thanks guys, i think i'll send a normal loci and hope i just get waitlisted again. otherwise may have to take the $900 devastating blow

jks289 wrote:I think if you ask to remain on the WL you will be rejected outright. $900 is a lot of money to walk away from, but as posters above noted, not much in the grand scheme of things. How long would you reasonably need to wait? They may be open to giving you an extension on the deposit deadline.

do schools do that? extend deposit deadlines?? i'd definitely ask for that if it's an option. thing is i'm really not sure how long it's going to take for me to find out from the other WL's. but i guess any extension would help.

peeker82 wrote:

jks289 wrote:I think if you ask to remain on the WL you will be rejected outright. $900 is a lot of money to walk away from, but as posters above noted, not much in the grand scheme of things. How long would you reasonably need to wait? They may be open to giving you an extension on the deposit deadline.

do schools do that? extend deposit deadlines?? i'd definitely ask for that if it's an option. thing is i'm really not sure how long it's going to take for me to find out from the other WL's. but i guess any extension would help.

Schools certainly routinely extend deposits deadlines. I have no idea if they would in your case, but it is done fairly routinely with normal deposit deadlines. Can't hurt to ask (if they let you in).

Would the school in question be American? Sounds like them...

thanks everyone!

gdane5 wrote:Would the school in question be American? Sounds like them...

That's what I was wondering...

Also, not everyone can come up with $900 in 24 hours. Seems too much for too little notice -- I guess they expect you to start saving for it as soon as they tell you you've been WL'd?

yes, it's American. anyone know why their deposit is more than double the average deposit amount? bastards...

Well as someone that would take that waitlist review and subsequent acceptance with no hesitation, I say do the right thing. Do you intend on going to AU at all? Would you rather take the sure thing or wait out the other school and have nothing? The $900 is the amount of what would have been two deposits and the 24 hours is a courtesy to the other people on the waitlist.

Its a tough call. It really is.

from my experience, if American want to gauge your interest, they will accept you. I received an email asking if I was still interested. I responded yes, and got a call that day.

skamike wrote:from my experience, if American want to gauge your interest, they will accept you. I received an email asking if I was still interested. I responded yes, and got a call that day.

skamike, did you accept and submit your $900? you going there for sure or are waiting on others?

Did you not get into a better school than AU? I find it hard to believe if you are > 163/3.5 you didn't get into at least a T1...Don't go to American with those numbers unless you would be really happy there, and you seem to have other wait lists you care about more. I would just scrap American.

peeker82 wrote:

skamike wrote:from my experience, if American want to gauge your interest, they will accept you. I received an email asking if I was still interested. I responded yes, and got a call that day.

skamike, did you accept and submit your $900? you going there for sure or are waiting on others?

it was actually an interested chain of events. They called me, I told them I was interested, and then they said I was accepted, and that I needed to come up with $900. But...30 min later an apologetic admissions lady called back saying that I do not qualify for the PT program because I'd be on a student Visa. So I went from WL -> Accepted -> rejected PT -> WL F/T

nevertheless, I have narrowed down my choices to a few schools, and pending money from American off the WL, I will not be going to school in Washington

Matteliszt wrote:Did you not get into a better school than AU? I find it hard to believe if you are > 163/3.5 you didn't get into at least a T1...Don't go to American with those numbers unless you would be really happy there, and you seem to have other wait lists you care about more. I would just scrap American.

165/3.5, hispanic (non-urm) and 4 yrs of solid WE. I got into wake, and I have about 8 waitlists still open, anywhere from nyu to william and mary. in the eventuality that all my waitlists fall through, i'd be making the choice between wake and american. considering american because of their strength in international law. their list of courses in IL is massively larger than wake. they're also in DC. that's why i'm not ready to burn that bridge just yet.

skamike wrote:

peeker82 wrote:

skamike wrote:from my experience, if American want to gauge your interest, they will accept you. I received an email asking if I was still interested. I responded yes, and got a call that day.

skamike, did you accept and submit your $900? you going there for sure or are waiting on others?

it was actually an interested chain of events. They called me, I told them I was interested, and then they said I was accepted, and that I needed to come up with $900. But...30 min later an apologetic admissions lady called back saying that I do not qualify for the PT program because I'd be on a student Visa. So I went from WL -> Accepted -> rejected PT -> WL F/T

nevertheless, I have narrowed down my choices to a few schools, and pending money from American off the WL, I will not be going to school in Washington

oh my god, that's brutal skamike, i'm sorry man. good luck!

alright, sent in my response saying I'm still interested in attending. we'll see what happens. I honestly hope they waitlist me again. Not sure that I'm ready to fork out $900 in the next 24 hours. If i do get that call, it's gonna be a stressful rest of the day.

well, so that backfired... just got a call from American with the offer and the demand for $900 with 24 hours to go and NO extension, even tho i asked for one. dammit. what's funny is that the letter says that they wanted to gauge my interest BEFORE sending it to committee for review. I doubt they sent it to committee and approved it in the last 57 minutes since I sent my LOCI.

the positive is that she actually did tell me that if I can't come up with the $900 right now, she'll withdraw my acceptance, but if i come up with it at a later time she'll resubmit my file for another review. although she can't assure that I will be offered admission again.

thoughts??? plunge with the $900 or take my chances?

this is so ghetto tho. no letter of acceptance congratulating me for being awesome or anything. just an emotionless email with a link for the $900 deposit. i want my letter telling me i'm awesome!