Do you notify the colleges that your dc decided NOT to attend?

[Tiramisu]

We've been wondering about this. One college sent us a note asking to let them know.

[PuddleJumper1]

We've been wondering about this. One college sent us a note asking to let them know.

The school ds will be attending in the fall always puts a note at the bottom of each communication asking him to let them know if he won't be attending so they can offer his place to someone else. From what we're seeing it's common practice to notify schools you've been accepted to but chosen not to attend.

[In The Great White North]

We did (except for the one we back up we have to string out as long as possible in case dc got hurt in Beast).

 

I figured it was just common courtesy.

[creekland]

We did. As soon as my guys made their decisions we let all the other schools know - common courtesy and letting them offer their spots to someone else if they had a waitlist. A couple offered more money, but the decisions had already been made by that point. Most wished them well and told them they'd still be interested if they changed their mind. Neither changed their minds.

[Candid]

Politeness dictates that you let them know.

[Tullia]

Yes; ds sent letters to admissions and department contacts.

[Kareni]

Yes, my daughter did. (We thought it might enable another student to get an acceptance from the waitlist.) Now that she's graduating from college, one of those colleges is now sending her mail about their graduate programs!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Tullia]

Yes, my daughter did. (We thought it might enable another student to get an acceptance from the waitlist.) Now that she's graduating from college, one of those colleges is now sending her mail about their graduate programs!

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

This is one of the reasons ds sent letters to department heads as well as admissions because a college he decided not to attend is still on his list for grad school.

 

ETA: My take is that someone spent part of their working day processing the application, making contacts, answering questions, etc. so notification is not optional.

[TravelingChris]

Yes, my kids did that. I thought it was the courteous thing to do. Now my dd did not decide between her two final choices until April 27th of that year she was deciding, so one got notice after the deadline. But still, she did notify all the other schools earlier as they fell off the consideration list.

[Tiramisu]

Thank you for all of the responses. I guess it's time we start writing letters!

[Laura in CA]

I was just wondering about this ... in the "old days" (pre-Internet), it was obvious -- they'd send you a reply card (kind of like wedding ones, IIRC), and you either checked "yes" or "no," and sometimes they asked you, as a courtesy, if you'd tell them where you *were* going to attend. Now it's not so obvious! All the schools seem to kind of assume you're coming, all enthusiastic and stuff, and since my son was going to reject San Jose State, I thought it only good manners to let them know (even though I had read that many large state schools will assume you are NOT coming if you don't send in a Statement of Intent to Register (along with housing deposits, etc.)). Well, it was annoyingly hard to figure out how to do this ... at one point I was afraid we'd have to create a "MySJSU" account first (which I didn't want to do -- one more password, username, etc., that we wouldn't be using -- GRRRR!). All the instructions were for creating an account so you could do all the things you'd have to do if you WERE coming -- sign up for orientation, housing, etc. ...

 

I finally realized you could do the first step in this MySJSU jazz just using your ID number they'd sent him, plus his birthdate ... So we did that, and it was actually kind of cute ... yes, one option was to say "I'm not coming," and up popped a box saying "Reconsider?" and some text about "are you sure?" :huh: I actually felt kind of bad, LOL ... although my son is set on another school :)

Anyway, it was definitely the right thing to do, and I'm glad we did it ... I just wish it had been more obvious!

 

... I'm sure that's too much detail, haha ... :)

 

Anyway, writing letters sounds like a good idea, if there is no online mechanism.

[Jane in NC]

Not only common courtesy here. What if School #1 doesn't work out? We wanted to leave doors open in case my son felt the need to transfer.

[LBS]

Good manners dictate that you notify them each, with thanks. The sooner you confirm that that space is free, other kids may be accepted. You may take the time to write an extra nice note, to leave a good memory....in case you wish to consider that school for grad work or transfer.