The weeks between March acceptance letters and the May 1 deposit deadline are when I get the most panicked phone calls of the entire cycle, usually from families who think they need to decide immediately. You don't. Here's how to actually navigate this window.
What to do the moment acceptances arrive
Most schools let you acknowledge receipt of your decision through their applicant portal; this is a courtesy, not a commitment, and it's worth doing so the school knows you're engaged. Beyond that, resist the urge to decide right away. You have until May 1, and that time exists precisely so you can make a genuinely informed choice rather than a reflexive one.
The part that deserves the most attention: comparing financial aid
This is where families most often rush and most often regret it. Calculate true net cost for every offer, total cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships only, never count loans as if they reduce your cost, they're debt, not aid. Lay every offer side by side using the same method. If one package seems genuinely insufficient given your documented financial circumstances, appeal it now, not after you've already committed elsewhere. Appeals are a normal, expected part of the process at most schools, not an act of desperation.
Attend admitted students events if you possibly can
These events reveal things a brochure or virtual tour simply can't: how current students actually talk about the place, what the dining hall food is really like, whether the vibe on a random Tuesday matches the vibe in the promotional video. Several families I've worked with flipped their decision entirely after an admitted students day, in both directions, sometimes falling harder for a school and sometimes realizing it wasn't the fit they'd assumed.
Making the actual decision and paying your deposit
Once you've compared aid and, ideally, visited, commit by submitting your enrollment deposit at your chosen school through their official portal. This deposit typically runs $200 to $500 and is non-refundable; submitting it is your formal, real commitment to attend.
Decline everywhere else, and do it promptly
As soon as you've committed, log into every other school's portal and formally decline your admission there. This step matters more than most families realize: your declined seat gets released to a student on that school's waitlist, someone who is refreshing their email obsessively that same week hoping for exactly this. Do this within a day or two of committing, not on the evening of May 1 when it barely helps anyone.
What to do about waitlists
If you're waitlisted at a school you still genuinely want, formally accept your waitlist position through their portal (this is a separate action from your original application, don't assume it happens automatically), and consider sending a short, specific Letter of Continued Interest. But regardless of a pending waitlist decision, commit to your best confirmed offer by May 1. If the waitlist comes through later with good news, you can typically switch, sometimes forfeiting your original deposit but gaining the school you actually wanted.
The one rule that matters most
Never pay a deposit and commit to more than one school simultaneously. Beyond being a clear ethics violation under NACAC's enrollment guidelines, colleges do communicate with each other and with the Common App about double deposits, and it can result in both offers being rescinded. There's no version of this that benefits you; pick one school and release everything else.
Comparing aid packages and feeling overwhelmed by the numbers?
The Parent's College Finance Cheat Sheet decodes FAFSA, SAI, and every term on your award letters so you can compare offers with real confidence.
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