Can you accept at two schools at once?

[hashtagDPT]

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So I have offers from my top two schools and at this point I honestly don't know where I would like to attend more. Both of these schools require that I respond in less than two weeks. Am I allowed to write them both back and accept until I figure out which one I want to attend for sure?

 

[mirifical]

Technically you can, but I wouldn't recommend it. Usually that means that you have to put a deposit down at both schools which can be rather expensive and non-refundable at the school that you don't go to. That also means that you are holding a spot up at one of those schools that will eventually have to go to someone else. That person may be waiting to hear back from that school as well and may be forced to put a deposit somewhere else in the meantime.

 

[GMA2013]

Technically you can, but I wouldn't recommend it. Usually that means that you have to put a deposit down at both schools which can be rather expensive and non-refundable at the school that you don't go to. That also means that you are holding a spot up at one of those schools that will eventually have to go to someone else. That person may be waiting to hear back from that school as well and may be forced to put a deposit somewhere else in the meantime.

Completely agree with this ^

 

[hashtagDPT]

It's not like I want forever to think about it. I just want to have time to discuss everything with my family over the holidays. So I'd decide for sure in like January. Thankfully only one of them has a deposit and it's definitely a manageable one in terms of potential money lost

 

[adh28]

As the posts above said, someone else may be waiting patiently as well. It does sound reasonable to me though to make a decision at the beginning of the new year at the latest though! Good luck and congrats

 

[pediatricwannab]

If you happen to be referencing Duke as one of those schools, they did say that the class would not be filled untill probably the february interviews, so you could probably just wait and not put down a deposit, that way you aren't wasting any money.

 

[GatorGrad87]

Also if UF is one of those schools, they don't do the majority of their acceptances until Jan-March. So if you were to decide for sure in January I wouldn't see it being an issue.

 

[monkeykat]

So glad you asked this! I don't think it's wrong to want to strategize like that (or maybe I just want justification for the fact that I'm in a similar situation). It does come down to the amount of money you're willing to part with for peace of mind and level of risk you're willing to take. Hm, sounds like a lot of things in life 🙂

For me, peace of mind usually wins.

 

[spartangal]

I would hold both until you make up your mind. Yes, others may be waiting behind you but YOU are the one who got accepted to both, and if you are willing to pay the fee and make up your mind in a reasonable amount of time I see nothing wrong with it. Waitlist is part of this whole process for those who are waiting. I would do the same thing as you. I will end up doing the same until I talk things over with my family and make an educated decision. Good Luck : )

 

[mirifical]

In this case, if a week or 2 would make your decision easier and you are willing to potentially lose the deposit, I don't think it is unreasonable to hold both spots. It is 2.5-3 years of your life, so you should go where you'll be happier.

I just know a couple people who ended up holding multiple spots at schools for much longer than that which makes it difficult on both the school and people waiting for those spots. Good luck with your decision!

 

[1109]

have you asked the schools if you could have a few more weeks? most schools I dealt with last year were extremely understanding of the process and gave me some extra time to decide