与收到多个录取offer相关的4.15协议
对于申请美国留学的学生，同时申请多个学校是很正常的，收到多个offer也是正常的。
当你手上拿到了多个Offer的时候，在纠结取舍的同时，提醒这些准留学生们，要及时作出选择，不要错过最后的决定时间，延误美国留学。本文主要介绍美国研究生院的4.15协议：
4.15协议是在1999年的招生录取过程中正式实施的，它是由多数美国大学联合制定，并用于约束某个申请人同时接受多个学校录取但在开学前很短的时间内才通知其中的一些学校无法按时就读情况的协约。毫无疑问，申请人的这种作法会大大地影响学校的正常招生与教学秩序，并损害本国后来申请者的形象。
4.15协议的主要内容是在每年的4月15日之前，申请者可以在已被录取的学校中任意选择，或干脆不对学校的录取通知做出最后的答复，在这期间申请者任何的接受学校录取的承诺或保持的缄默都不承担任何责任，但明确答复接受何所大学的录取的时间应当不超过4月15日，并应当尽可能早的通知各个学校自己的决定、留足时间将已经收到但决定拒绝的学校的各类录取资料在4月15日之前寄回(当然，材料可能不一定必要在4月15日之前到达被拒学校，但电子邮件通知一定在事先进行)。如果在这之后反悔，受损害的学校有权请求所有签署该协议的其它大学拒绝该生，从而将破坏协议的申请人排除在协议缔结的学校联盟之外。
4.15协议原文如下：
Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees, and Assistants Acceptance of an offer of financial support (such as a graduate scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, or assistantship) for the next academic year by a prospective or enrolled graduate student completes an agreement that both student and graduate school expect to honor. In that context, the conditions affecting such offers and their acceptance must be defined carefully and understood by all parties. Students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15; earlier deadlines for acceptance of such offers violate the intent of this Resolution. In those instances in which a student accepts an offer before April 15, and subsequently desires to withdraw that acceptance, the student may submit in writing a resignation of the appointment at any time through April 15. However, an acceptance given or left in force after April 15 commits the student not to accept another offer without first obtaining a written release from the institution to which a commitment has been made. Similarly, an offer by an institution after April 15 is conditional on presentation by the student of the written release from any previously accepted offer. It is further agreed by the institutions and organization subscribing to the above Resolution that a copy of this Resolution should accompany every scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, and assistantship offer.
适用对象
研究生项目的带奖学金的录取结果，本科录取和研究生普通无奖AD不受此限制；
执行对象
美国的部分学校和加拿大的部分高校，文末有部分高校的名单。
主要内容
对于4月15日之前收到的带有奖学金的录取决定，如果学生选择接受，必须在4月15日之前做出承诺，否则将被视为放弃。当然，在这之前，学生没有义务提前答复。如果学校强制要求提前答复，则违反协议。如果学生在4月15日之前已答应入学，其后又想撤销决定，应该在4月15日之前书面进行申请并得到学校同意，方可接受其他学校的录取。4月15日之后，在没有原学校允许的情况下，学生不能擅自接受其他学校的录取，否则原学校有权通知所有遵循4.15协议的大学都拒绝你入学。
制约目的
从学校的角度来看，如果所录取的学生在开学前很短的时间内才通知校方无法按时就读，将会给学校招生和教学工作的正常进行带来极大的不便，同时也剥夺了其他申请者可能具有的入学机会。可以说，该协议是美国人重视信用的一个表现。
执行力度
415是协议，没有法律效力，在实际执行中有一定的弹性空间。不同的学校、院系在不同的时间内政策可能不同，对于违反该协议的行为也有不同的处理态度。学校可能不予追究，也有可能导致学生无法出国。此外，即便有些学校加入了该协议，也可以通过与学校的协商对做出决定的日期进行更改。
额外建议
对于申请者来说，要时刻谨记自己代表了一名国际学生，特别是中国学生的形象。学校不合理的规定应该据理力争，而自己留学决定的选择也应该及时与学校进行友好的商讨，避免双方的损失。此外，在拒绝学校后，建议把收到的录取资料（包括I-20表格）寄回。
当然，很有可能到了4月15日还有学校没有给你答复，于是被迫答应了一个offer，但是4月15日后来了一个好的offer，这时你可能很想反悔去好一点的学校，那一定要先和答应的大学商量，得到大学的谅解和同意后才可以再去答应另一个的学校的。这就要看人家大学的态度，如果大学放你一马，说反悔就算了，那就什么事都没有，放心的去另一个学校；但是如果他们不答应的话，你就不能反悔，坚持反悔会导致他们通知所有4.15协议里的学校，这些学校都会拒绝你入学。所以，反悔关键是看该大学对你反悔的态度，也许因为你的态度较好或说辞感人，人家就放你了。
实际上，很多学校的教授还是很nice的，他们对于这种情况也比较熟悉，知道你选择一个好的学校对于你将来的人生发展的影响有多么大。只要你言辞合情合理，一般他们都能理解，不会故意刁难你的。
4.15协议的官方网站是：www.cgsnet.org。这里可以查询大签署4.15协议的院校名单。强调一下，到4月15日不答复offer视为放弃，实在是要等几天再答复，要先和对方学校联系，征得对方学校同意才行。另外，4.15协议对admission没有限制。也就是说，如果你没有奖学金，不是必须在4.15前答复的，学校会给你一个要求答复的deadline，在那之前答复就行。如果没有deadline，你可以耐心的等等看看有没有其它的offer，而不用急于答复。以上协议仅适用于美国加入协议的大学，不在其中的不受约束。也就是说，如果你同时答应几个不同国家的offer是没有什么必然的惩罚措施的。但是，请记住这是一个人信用的体现，你既然答应了大学的offer却又因为主观因素反悔，会使大学对我们以后的申请者，比如师弟师妹，乃至所有的中国申请者产生不良印象，尽量不要为了个人私欲做这种事情。
4.15协议部分高校名单：
中西部
Air Force Institute of Technology
Andrews University
Argosy University
Ashland University
Baker College
Ball State University
Bowling Green State University
Bradley University
Capella University
Case Western Reserve University
Central Michigan University
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Cleveland State University
College of Mount Saint Joseph
Concordia University
Concordia University, St. Paul
Creighton University
Dakota State University
Eastern Illinois University
Eastern Michigan University
Emporia State University
Ferris State University
Fort Hays State University
Governors State University
Grand Valley State University
Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois State University
Indiana State University
Indiana University
Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne
Institute for Clinical Social Work
Iowa State University
John Carroll University
Kansas State University
Kaplan University
Kent State University
Lourdes College
Loyola University of Chicago
Marian College of Fond du Lac
Marquette University
Medical College of Wisconsin
Miami University
Michigan State University
Michigan Technological University
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Missouri State University
Montana State University
Mount Mary College
North Dakota State University
Northeastern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University
Northern Michigan University
Northwestern University
Oakland University
The Ohio State University
Ohio University
Park University
Pittsburg State University
Purdue University
Rockhurst University
Roosevelt University
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Rush University
Saint Louis University
South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
South Dakota State University
Southeast Missouri State University
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
St. Cloud State University
Truman State University
The University of Akron
University of Central Missouri
The University of Chicago
University of Cincinnati
University of Dayton
The University of Findlay
University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois at Springfield
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Iowa
The University of Kansas
University of Michigan
University of Michigan-Flint
University of Minnesota
University of Missouri, Columbia
University of Missouri, Kansas City
University of Missouri-St. Louis
The University of Montana
University of Nebraska at Kearney
University of Nebraska at Omaha
University of Nebraska Medical Center
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
University of North Dakota
The University of Northern Iowa
University of Notre Dame
University of Southern Indiana
The University of Toledo
University of Toledo – Health Science Campus
University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
University of Wisconsin – River Falls
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Walden University
Washburn University
Washington University
Wayne State College
Wayne State University
Western Illinois University
Western Michigan University
Wichita State University
Wright State University
Youngstown State University
东北地区
Alfred University
The American University
Arcadia University
Assumption College
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Boston College
Boston University
Bowie State University
Bridgewater State College
Brown University
Bryn Mawr College
Buffalo State College
Cabrini College
Caldwell College
California University of Pennsylvania
Carnegie-Mellon University
The Catholic University of America
Central Connecticut State University
Chatham University
Chestnut Hill College
City University of New York Graduate Center
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Clark University
The College of New Rochelle
College of Saint Rose
Columbia University
Coppin State University
Cornell University
Dartmouth College
Drew University
Drexel University
Duquesne University
East Stroudsburg University
Emerson College
Fordham University
Gallaudet University
The George Washington University
Georgetown University
Goucher College
Harvard University
Hofstra University
Hood College
Howard University
Immaculata University
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Ithaca College
The Johns Hopkins University
Kean University
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Lehigh University
Lesley University
Loyola College of Maryland
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mercy College
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Montclair State University
Morgan State University
New Jersey Institute of Technology
New York Institute of Technology
New York Medical College
New York University
Northeastern University
Pace University
The Pennsylvania State University
Polytechnic University
Princeton University
Queens College of the City University of New York
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
Rochester Institute of Technology
The Rockefeller University
Rowan University
Rutgers – New Brunswick
Rutgers University, Newark Campus
Salem State College
Sarah Lawrence College
Seton Hall University
Shippensburg University
Southern Connecticut State University
St. Bonaventure University
St. John’s University
State University of New York at Binghamton
State University of New York at Oswego
State University of New York Upstate Medical University
State University of New York, College at Brockport
State University of New York, Fredonia
Stevens Institute of Technology
Stony Brook University
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Syracuse University
Temple University
The College of New Jersey
Thomas Edison State College
Thomas Jefferson University
Towson University
Tufts University
The University at Albany, State University of New York
The University at Buffalo, SUNY
University of Bridgeport
University of Connecticut
University of Delaware
University of Hartford
University of Maine
University of Maryland at Baltimore
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, Eastern Shore
University of Maryland, University College
University of Massachusetts – Worcester
University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Boston
University of Massachusetts Lowell
University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey
University of New Hampshire
University of New Haven
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Rhode Island
The University of Rochester
University of Scranton
University of Southern Maine
University of the District of Columbia
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
University of Vermont
Villanova University
Wesleyan University
West Chester University
Western Connecticut State University
Widener University
Wilkes University
The William Paterson University
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Yale University
Yeshiva University
南部地区
Abilene Christian University
Alabama A&M University
Albany State University
Alcorn State University
Angelo State University
Appalachian State University
Arkansas State University
Auburn University
Austin Peay State University
Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor University
Clark Atlanta University
Clemson University
College of William and Mary
Duke University
East Carolina University
East Central University
East Tennessee State University
Eastern Kentucky University
Elon University
Emory University
Fairmont State University
Fayetteville State University
Florida A & M University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida International University
Florida State University
George Mason University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Southern University
Georgia State University
Grambling State University
Hampton University
Henderson State University
High Point University
Inter American University of Puerto Rico
Jackson State University
James Madison University
Kennesaw State University
Lamar University
Langston University
Lipscomb University
Longwood University
Louisiana State University and A & M College
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
Marshall University
Marymount University
Medical College of Georgia
Medical University of South Carolina
Meharry Medical College
Middle Tennessee State University
Mississippi State University
Murray State University
Norfolk State University
North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Northern Kentucky University
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Nova Southeastern University
Oklahoma State University
Old Dominion University
Piedmont College
Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico
Radford University
Regent University
Rice University
Sam Houston State University
Savannah College of Art and Design
South Carolina State University
Southern Methodist University
Southern University A & M College
Spalding University
Tennessee State University
Tennessee Technological University
Texas A & M University
Texas A & M University – Commerce
Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi
Texas A&M University at Galveston
Texas Christian University
Texas Southern University
Texas State University – San Marcos
Texas Tech University
Texas Woman’s University
Trinity University
Tulane University
The University of Alabama
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
The University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
University of Central Arkansas
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Oklahoma
University of Charleston, South Carolina
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Houston
University of Houston-Clear Lake
University of Kentucky
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisville
University of Memphis
University of Miami
University of Mississippi
University of New Orleans
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
University of North Texas
University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma – Tulsa
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus
University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus
University of Saint Thomas
University of South Alabama
University of South Carolina
University of South Florida
University of Southern Mississippi
University of Tampa
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
The University of Texas – Pan American
The University of Texas at Arlington
The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Brownsville
The University of Texas at Dallas
The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at San Antonio
The University of Texas at Tyler
University of Texas Grad School of Biomedical Sci at Galveston
The University of Texas Grad School of Biomedical Sci at Houston
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
The University of Tulsa
University of Virginia
University of West Florida
University of West Georgia
Valdosta State University
Vanderbilt University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Wake Forest University
West Virginia University
Western Carolina University
Western Kentucky University
Winston-Salem State University
Xavier University of Louisiana
西部地区
Arizona State University
Azusa Pacific University
Boise State University
Brigham Young University
California Institute of Integral Studies
California Institute of Technology
California Lutheran University
California Polytechnic State University
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State University, Bakersfield
California State University, Chico
California State University, Dominguez Hills
California State University, East Bay
California State University, Fresno
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Northridge
California State University, Sacramento
California State University, San Bernardino
California State University, San Marcos
California State University, Stanislaus
Central Washington University
The Claremont Graduate University
Colorado School of Mines
Colorado State University
Eastern New Mexico University
Eastern Washington University
Fielding Graduate University
Humboldt State University
Idaho State University
Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Science
La Sierra University
Loma Linda University
Loyola Marymount University
National University
Naval Postgraduate School
New Mexico Highlands University
New Mexico State University
Northern Arizona University
Northwest Nazarene University
Oregon State University
Pepperdine University
Portland State University
San Diego State University
San Francisco State University
San Jose State University
Santa Clara University
Stanford University
University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Arizona
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Riverside
University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Francisco
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado Denver
University of Denver
University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Idaho
University of Nevada, Reno
University of Nevada-Las Vegas
The University of New Mexico
University of Northern Colorado
University of Oregon
University of Phoenix
University of San Diego
University of Southern California
University of the Pacific
University of Utah
University of Washington
University of Wyoming
Utah State University
Washington State University
Western Washington University
加拿大
McGill University
McMaster University
Ryerson University
Simon Fraser University
The University of British Columbia
Universite de Montreal
Universite du Quebec
University of Alberta
University of Calgary
University of Ottawa
University of Toronto
University of Waterloo