Making your final college choice by May 1st is not easy especially if you have been waitlisted by other colleges you are also considering. Some choose to “double deposit” and send deposits to several institutions where they have been accepted. In fact, if you do this, you are telling two or more colleges that you plan on attending in the fall. If you send in several enrollment forms with non-refundable deposits, you are taking a serious risk. This is not appropriate and could potentially mean that your top choice schools would rescind your admission.
If you choose to double deposit, you are taking a spot away from a student who has definitely decided to attend that college and perhaps taking a spot away from a student on the current waitlist. Colleges, too, will reserve housing and hire faculty based on the students they expect to attend in the fall.
Morally, double depositing is wrong and dishonest. Some may view this as a way to protect a student. However, this does lead colleges into thinking a student will attend when in fact they have no plan to do so.
Character is one of the most difficult things for admission officers to measure when evaluating applicants. Should they discover that a student is partaking in this scheme, their sense of honor would be at stake. Colleges do reserve their right to rescind an admissions decision and would most likely do so should they discover a dishonest act such as double depositing.
You may wonder how colleges will know if you double deposit. High school counselors may report this and at times, colleges may share information with other colleges. It is not worth the risk.
If you have been waitlisted at a college in which you are still interested, do notify that college of your continued interest. But, get your one deposit submitted to your college of choice by May 1st. If you do this right, you will know that you will be attending one of your top choices and not taking a spot away from another student.
As a fellow educational consultant, I appreciate your honest approach to the issue of double depositing. By May 1 students need to be able to make a final decision.
Keep up the good work with your blog!