You're in! Now what? The etiquette of accepting an offer of admission

You have applied to and probably been accepted to more than one college or university.  All colleges must inform candidates by mid-April of their decision.  If, by then, you have not heard from one of your colleges, please see your dean immediately.  After you have received all the information about college acceptances and their financial aid offers, you are ready to make your decision.  Think carefully, consider your priorities, weigh your options, and DECIDE.  Then go through the appropriate steps (outlined below) for informing all colleges of your decision:   

1. After you have made the decision, you need to inform the lucky institution in writing that you accept this offer.  This response needs to be mailed, with a certificate of mailing, by May 1, the official, universal candidate reply deadline.  Usually there is also a required deposit that will hold your place and demonstrate your commitment.  The only exception to the May 1 candidate's reply deadline concerns financial aid candidates whose financial aid information is unavoidably detained.  In these cases, you MUST request an extension from the admissions office.
2. It is highly unethical for any student to accept admission to more than one institution.  This is called "double depositing."  In this computer age, "double deposits are easily discovered.  Candidates who make commitments to and who hold confirmed places at more than one institution concurrently compromise their own integrity and risk being denied admission to both institutions.
3. Next, you need to inform all the other colleges to which you have applied and to which you have been accepted that you have decided to go elsewhere.  Once again, these responses need to be mailed by May 1.
4. It is very important that you inform the other colleges so that they can offer the place they were holding for you to a student on their wait list.  If you do not inform them of your intention, it precludes them from accepting someone who really wants to attend that institution.
5. It is unfair for a student to remain on a wait list unless the student is serious about the college.  It is unethical to stay on the wait list just to see if you will be admitted.