Housing Deposit Pressure

[Teacher Mom]

Okay, let me set the scene. My dd applied Early Decision to a Reach School. They announce middle-to-late December. She is being really, really pressured (3 written letters so far) to put down housing deposits at other schools to which she has been admitted. Is it permissible to put a housing deposit down given that she signed an ED contract? 

 

She applied to a number of schools because she did not go the AP and Dual Enrollment route. We thought that because she didn't have "paper" she would be a very hard admit. So far, she has been accepted at all the colleges that have admissions already out. They all want housing deposits and, in some cases, don't really differentiate between housing deposit and just deposit. What do we do?

 

[Reefgazer]

I have not had a child graduate graduate yet, so take this with a grain of salt. If she has formally been admitted, find out (in writing) the deadline for her to put her housing deposit or attendance deposit down and use that deadline to decide when you will do so.

[JanetC]

First, only tuition deposit once.

 

For a housing deposit, look at the school's housing policy website and try to determine:

 

1. Is it refundable? When does she need to notify them to be eligible for a full or partial refund?

 

2. Is there a deadline for priority consideration? For one of DD's state schools, all housing deposits received before the priority deadline of Feb 1st have equal weight.

 

3. Is there a housing shortage, or do they guarantee a space for all admitted freshmen? For a huge state school, sometimes you have to put in a housing deposit before you even know you're admitted to make sure you have a space. Continuing my example, the priority application deadline is Jan 15th. If she waits to the last minute to apply, she won't know for sure if she's admitted before the housing priority deposit deadline Feb 1st. However, it is partially refundable.

 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Given that some of the Early Decision deadlines aren't even until the end of this month, putting pressure on students to put down housing deposits now seems premature.  

 

If this were the student's first choice, then maybe, particularly if this got them priority in requesting particular dorms.  

 

I guess you have to investigate what you would lose if you put in a deposit (ie, can you get it back) and what you lose if you wait (priority in housing assignments, access to dorms).

[Mom22ns]

All the schools my kids have looked at so far (a small sample but both private and public) have wanted housing deposits early, but state that it is fully refundable until May or June. Look at the college's policy. If it is refundable, they expect changes. Non-refundable housing deposits would say to me that they are looking at it as a serious commitment.

[Teacher Mom]

So a housing deposit would not invalidate the ED contract?

[katilac]

So a housing deposit would not invalidate the ED contract?

 

I wouldn't think so, unless her specific contract mentions it in particular.

 

Someone posted about a school that included a housing deposit in the application fee, applicants can hardly avoid that one! 

 

However, I wouldn't worry about sending it in no matter how many times they ask, unless they have a first come, first served policy. If all deposits sent in by a certain date get equal consideration, then wait until that date. 

 

We are getting all kinds of crazy requests - housing, orientation, all kinds of stuff. Back in my selling days, we called this an assumptive close. 

[creekland]

However, I wouldn't worry about sending it in no matter how many times they ask, unless they have a first come, first served policy. If all deposits sent in by a certain date get equal consideration, then wait until that date. 

 

We are getting all kinds of crazy requests - housing, orientation, all kinds of stuff. Back in my selling days, we called this an assumptive close. 

 

:iagree:   Many colleges use this sort of pressure to get students to commit early and quit looking at other places.  It's pretty meaningless.

 

There are a few that are short on housing and it's first come, first served.  For those, if they are her back up school or would be if finances worked out better, it's probably a good idea, esp if her ED school is highly selective making her odds low regardless of what's on her app, but I'd definitely be checking to see if it's refundable first.

 

If the school was an "also applied to" school she seriously doesn't expect to attend since she has other acceptances, she can either not worry or let them know she's attending elsewhere.  

[Hoggirl]

So a housing deposit would not invalidate the ED contract?

My ds's most desired reach school was not ED, but REA. Thus, no contract. After looking at your list of acceptances, I'm going to speculate that your biggest challenge is the University of Alabama. It was a safety school for my ds. At the time (fall of 2013), their housing deposit and enrollment deposit were one in the same, and it was was pricey ($400) and NOT refundable. Not sure if that has changed. Because of the rule against not making more than one ENROLLMENT deposit, I was extremely stressed out as Alabama did not at that time guarantee Honors housing for all Honors students. I don't know if this is still the case or not. I finally broke down and did something that I had never planned on doing - I e-mailed the admissions office at the REA reach school to ask specifically about Alabama (which seems to be the only school in the country that does this combined housing and enrollment deposit :/ )I received a very sympathetic e-mail from the regional admissions officer at the REA reach school who told me that it was fine.

 

FWIW, we had housing deposits at all three of ds's safeties which were all Big State U's and all of which have housing crunches to various degrees. We lost the entire deposit on two of them, but did receive a partial refund on one. They were expensive insurance policies. Only you can decide if it's worth it to you. At all three of ds's, the deposit gave you a spot in the queue once actual housing draws actually began. The sooner you pay the deposit, the higher your number and the more likely you will get the housing you want. I did NOT want ds in some cr@p dorm at a safety school because he had to wait until April 1 to hear from all his schools.

 

If you feel comfortable contacting the reach school (or having your dd do it), I would ask just to be sure. I think putting down a housing deposit is probably fine. At most places, housing and enrollment deposits are distinct. As another poster said, the big (huge) no-no is putting down more than one enrollment deposit. But many places are first-come, first-serve when it comes to housing.

[katilac]

  Because of the rule against not making more than one ENROLLMENT deposit, I was extremely stressed out as Alabama did not at that time guarantee Honors housing for all Honors students. I don't know if this is still the case or not.  

 

It is, we were just there a few months ago. 

 

They have a severe housing shortage. 

[Heather in VA]

All of my daughter's school choices have housing shortages so we will be doing multiple housing deposits. They are only $250 and refundable as long as you tell them before May 1 which is the national 'you have to tell the school you are coming' day anyway.  I figure we need to make sure she gets housing and we get the money back so why not.

[FaithManor]

It is, we were just there a few months ago. 

 

They have a severe housing shortage. 

This concerns me quite a bit for our youngest. He is a sophomore now, but planning on going into robotics engineering so U of A is on his list. We have friends in Huntsville that are willing to let him live with them if he were attend in Huntsville, we don't have a soul in Tuscaloosa.