Should I hold multiple acceptances until April?

[scienceguy95]

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I have been fortunate enough to receive acceptances from more than one medical school and am still awaiting some more decisions. Among my current acceptances, I am certain I would not attend one of the schools.

My question is should I hold on to acceptances until April because schools that have accepted you can see where else you’ve been accepted in February? If I turn down an offer, would other schools not see that I was initially accepted? Most importantly, does this really make any difference in terms of scholarships awarded near the end of the cycle? Or should I start turning down offers as soon as I know I won’t attend.

 

[Saifa]

I mean as far as I'm concerned as soon as I know I'm not going somewhere, I'm dropping it. People are on waitlists, you know.

If you're holding out for scholarships between programs that's cool though.

 

[HomeSkool]

If you know for certain you don't want to go somewhere, decline the acceptance. If there's still any question in your mind, hang onto the it as long as you can. There's no sense burning bridges that you may wish to cross later.

 

[libertyyne]

I would personally wait for financial aid information to come through. But if you wouldnt go to a school even if you got a full ride you should withdraw your application.

 

[lpp06]

I would personally wait for financial aid information to come through. But if you wouldnt go to a school even if you got a full ride you should withdraw your application.

This.

Although a full ride is rare, it's a good test of your desire.

 

[corgicuddler]

I have a similar question. If one of the schools you're holding an acceptance at is below the other in prestige and is unlikely to give you financial aid, will the more prestigious school still consider that when determining your financial aid package (i.e. would they still give you more financial aid to woo you if they know it's no contest)?

 

[libertyyne]

I have a similar question. If one of the schools you're holding an acceptance at is below the other in prestige and is unlikely to give you financial aid, will the more prestigious school still consider that when determining your financial aid package (i.e. would they still give you more financial aid to woo you if they know it's no contest)?

the creation of the financial package is school specific. I do not beleive they look at your acceptances when generating the package. Think of all of these as individual probabilities of getting awarded money. The lower ranking school could offer you nothing, and the higher ranking could offer you a full ride.

 

[scienceguy95]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I’m lucky in the sense that my preferred choice among my acceptances has offered a full-ride, so I really don’t see any situation where I would attend the other school. However, there are still some decisions I am still eagerly waiting for. I’m not sure if this changes how I should respond...

 

[lpp06]

I have a similar question. If one of the schools you're holding an acceptance at is below the other in prestige and is unlikely to give you financial aid, will the more prestigious school still consider that when determining your financial aid package (i.e. would they still give you more financial aid to woo you if they know it's no contest)?

Adding to the above, merit based scholarships are pretty rare as I understand, and most school's FinAid packages will mostly consist of need-based aid - so this should be dependent only on your FAFSA and school funds, and not your status elsewhere.

 

[libertyyne]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I’m lucky in the sense that my preferred choice among my acceptances has offered a full-ride, so I really don’t see any situation where I would attend the other school. However, there are still some decisions I am still eagerly waiting for. I’m not sure if this changes how I should respond...

yeah, I would turn down the schools you have no interest in attending at this point considering you are recieving a full ride to a school you like.

 

[Welshman]

I highly doubt any financial aid committee looks at where you've been accepted and then offers you more because of that. First, that would take a ton of time and lead to a few students getting most of the aid and second I don't think they would even know where to begin. What is an Emory acceptance worth from Wake Forest's perspective? especially considering there are many identical applicants who would attend regardless fin aid offered.

 

[calivianya]

I would only keep acceptances to your full ride school and schools you like better than that at this point. After all, you have a zero percent chance of matriculating to somewhere you like less than where you got your full ride, right?

 

[scienceguy95]

Quick question for adcoms or anyone else who knows how this process works: If you receive an acceptance but turn it down before the multiple acceptance report is released to schools that have accepted you, does the acceptance you declined show up? In other words, is the report contingent upon acceptance from the school or the applicant’s response to said acceptance?

 

[libertyyne]

Quick question for adcoms or anyone else who knows how this process works: If you receive an acceptance but turn it down before the multiple acceptance report is released to schools that have accepted you, does the acceptance you declined show up? In other words, is the report contingent upon acceptance from the school or the applicant’s response to said acceptance?

I am unsure how it would be pertinent for anything.

 

[lpp06]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I’m lucky in the sense that my preferred choice among my acceptances has offered a full-ride, so I really don’t see any situation where I would attend the other school. However, there are still some decisions I am still eagerly waiting for. I’m not sure if this changes how I should respond...

Way to bury the lead

 

[3toedsloth]

Also remember schools are not required to issue any financial aid information prior to the April 30th deadline. You may have to make a decision with no FA info.

Two of my schools wait to give FA info, and it seems dumb. I'm more inclined to choose other schools where I have a clear image of what I'll be paying rather than take a gamble, and I'd imagine other applicants would do the same.

Can you help me understand why would a school choose to give FA info after the April 30 deadline?

 

[precisiongraphic]

The concept that schools will offer additionally aid to those with multiple acceptances is mostly a myth for most acceptees. First of all, just under half of all acceptees get a single acceptance. Second, most schools do not have the time or staff to compare acceptees. Third, schools have plenty of people on the waitlist ready to take your place. Fourth, you have to be a "superstar" or an acceptee that the school really wants to do this. Also remember schools are not required to issue any financial aid information prior to the April 30th deadline. You may have to make a decision with no FA info.

Not to be a contrarian but the OP did get a full ride and has multiple offers, thus the question. I think he wants to know if turning down a school might keep another school from offering a full ride/scholarship. It may be a neurotic question but not entirely unreasonable. This is one applicant who might get multiple free-ride offers.

OP I think you should turn down the one school that you definitely wouldn't attend over your free-ride school and not worry about other schools potentially seeing that turn down.

 

[ADSigMel]

Can you help me understand why would a school choose to give FA info after the April 30 deadline?

I’ve been wondering this as well. I’m holding five acceptances right now, and I feel like a jerk for doing it when there are so many people on waitlists who want the spots I’m going to give up. But only one of my schools has offered a scholarship so far, so I’m waiting to see what the others are going to do before I give up any seats. I know that January is very early still, but I can’t imagine why ANY school would insist on waiting until after 4/30 to give accepted students all the information they need to make an informed decision.

 

[3toedsloth]

1) Because they dont want you making a decision based on cost; they want you to go there because its that school
2) Doing financial aid analysis and preparing offers takes time, effort and staff. why should a school do all that for students who may not attend

Hm...
That's annoying. I'd love to make a fully informed decision.

 

[MedScat]

I’ve been wondering this as well. I’m holding five acceptances right now, and I feel like a jerk for doing it when there are so many people on waitlists who want the spots I’m going to give up. But only one of my schools has offered a scholarship so far, so I’m waiting to see what the others are going to do before I give up any seats. I know that January is very early still, but I can’t imagine why ANY school would insist on waiting until after 4/30 to give accepted students all the information they need to make an informed decision.

Those people will still be on the waitlist in April so don't worry, when you make your selection and decline 4 schools, you'll still be making 4 other applicants very happy (just, a little later)

 

[Med Ed]

Hm...
That's annoying. I'd love to make a fully informed decision.

We'd love to provide one. The culmination of each cycle is when the last person gets locked in place and we can move forward with a stable class roster. Unfortunately there are some people who collect acceptances like hunting trophies, and sit on them until the last possible second.

 

[libertyyne]

We'd love to provide one. The culmination of each cycle is when the last person gets locked in place and we can move forward with a stable class roster. Unfortunately there are some people who collect acceptances like hunting trophies, and sit on them until the last possible second.

I sat on acceptances till the last possible second, however I received the financial aid information the last possible second as well.

 

[Med Ed]

I sat on acceptances till the last possible second, however I received the financial aid information the last possible second as well.

I don't begrudge anyone making a hard decision between schools and wanting complete information to do so. I do begrudge people who have zero contact with our school post-acceptance.

 

[PreMedMissteps]

I don't begrudge anyone making a hard decision between schools and wanting complete information to do so. I do begrudge people who have zero contact with our school post-acceptance.

Curious. What type of contact do you think is appropriate? A thank you? What else?

 

[Med Ed]

Curious. What type of contact do you think is appropriate? A thank you? What else?

It’s not a matter of a appropriate. To matriculate requires a fair amount of additional paperwork and coordination. Think FAFSA and immunization records, for starters. When a student accepts a seat but then has no follow through with the bureaucratic stuff that person clearly has no intention of actually being here in the Fall. But that doesn’t always stop them from holding the slot until 11:59 pm on April 29.

 

[SpoiledMilk]

An applicant has every right to hold on to multiple acceptances until the last possible second because they have worked hard to achieve such accomplishments. However, withdrawing from schools within a reasonable amount of time that they absolutely know they will not be attending regardless of how much scholarship $$ or financial aid will be provided is just common courtesy not only for other qualified applicants waiting, but also for the school.

 

[ADSigMel]

I don't begrudge anyone making a hard decision between schools and wanting complete information to do so. I do begrudge people who have zero contact with our school post-acceptance.

Fair enough. Would your school, for example, like to hear things like “I’ve been offered a full ride elsewhere and wonder if you will be offering merit-based assistance as well?” I’m in the same boat as the OP and I absolutely don’t want to come across as money-grubby, but I also don’t want to waste a school’s time and administrative efforts and a spot on the class roster if I’m not going to get financial incentive to go there.

Not that it’s all about the money, but I didn’t apply to any schools I didn’t want to go to, so I am literally holding acceptances at five schools that I loved, and I would joyfully matriculate at any one of them. So, as callous as it may sound, it really is all about the money for me at this point.

 

[BombsAway]

Fair enough. Would your school, for example, like to hear things like “I’ve been offered a full ride elsewhere and wonder if you will be offering merit-based assistance as well?” I’m in the same boat as the OP and I absolutely don’t want to come across as money-grubby, but I also don’t want to waste a school’s time and administrative efforts and a spot on the class roster if I’m not going to get financial incentive to go there.

Not that it’s all about the money, but I didn’t apply to any schools I didn’t want to go to, so I am literally holding acceptances at five schools that I loved, and I would joyfully matriculate at any one of them. So, as callous as it may sound, it really is all about the money for me at this point.

I decided to withdraw a couple acceptances pre-financial aid consideration. At the time I didn't think it would matter, but now i wonder if that texas acceptance might have worked in my favor. However, I would not attend there over my other options, even with a full ride, so I cut it loose.

I think the best policy in our situation is, as always, to be honest and transparent. If you find yourself in a situation where you'd prefer to attend school A, but the money from school B is tipping the scales... tell them exactly that. If they want you bad enough, they'll reconsider. If they don't want you that bad, then you're right where you started with nothing lost. If you don't have any fin-aid info to go off as april 30th looms closer, tell them.