When a student relays a situation to us like,
“A college is telling me I can stay on the waitlist, but I have to promise to go there if they admit me later,” or, “A college told me that if I wait until May 1 to accept the offer of admission, the spot may not still be available,” or anything that sounds unethical or just not right, we do two things.
1. Ask to see the letter/email.
If the confusing message came in writing, we want to see it. Some colleges’ written communications are confusing. Sometimes kids garble the message. Either way, we want to see the piece before we make a counseling judgment.
2. Consult the “Statement of Principles and Good Policies” (SPGP)
The National Association of College Admissions Counseling publishes a Statement of Principles of Good Practice. Colleges that are members of NACAC (most are) agree to adhere to the guidelines.
Usually, #1 clears up any confusion. We’ve yet to see a case where an otherwise reputable college blatantly violated the principles, but we have seen cases where the wording of their communication could have been interpreted that way. If it’s not clear to us, we’ll do #2.
If it appears the school is suggesting something they shouldn’t be, we’ll ask the student to call the college and ask for clarification about the key issue. Our student can then be specific, like, “Am I understanding this email correctly that I need to promise to accept a future offer of admission if I stay on the waitlist?”
The outcome of that call almost always clears it up for the student and for us.