在經歷了托福、GMAT、GRE考場上的較量之后，希望出國深造的學子們可沒閑著，為申請到好學校，他們又開始不停地填表格、四處咨詢。原本，2月份是他們剛剛可以松一口氣、等待錄取通知書的好時光，可近幾年卻偏又要面對美國多家大學聯合制定的“4?15協議”。往往，先到手的錄取通知書成了燙手的山芋，不接受吧，怕失去難得的機會；接受了，又怕以后拿到更好的學校通知書。

　　什么是"4.15"協議

　　1999年，美國多家大學聯合制定并實施針對外國學生的“4?15協議”，主要內容為：申請赴美留學、已拿到多個學校錄取通知書的學生，必須在4月15日前決定一所你要去的學校，否則，所有錄取通知書將都被視作無效。這個“協議”的用意，是約束某個申請人同時接受多個學校的錄取，但直到開學前才通知其中一些學校“無法按時就讀”的不當行為。申請人的這一做法將大大影響學校正常的招生、教學秩序，也讓美國每年白白放空大筆獎學金。當然，他們還損害了本國申請者的形象，為后來的申請者帶來麻煩。

　　“4?15協議”主要內容

　　在每年的4月15日之前，申請者可以在已錄取他的學校中任意選擇一家就讀，但明確答復所選大學的時間應不晚于4月15日，還應盡可能早地把自己的決定通知別的學校。留足時間，將已經收到錄取通知書但決定拒絕的學校的各類錄取資料，包括I-20表格，在4月15日之前寄回（材料不一定要在4月15日之前到達被拒學校，但事先必須用電子郵件通知學校）。如果在接受一所學校的錄取之后反悔，受損害的學校有權請求所有簽署“4?15協議”的其他大學拒收該生。

　　"4.15"協議原文以及學校列表（官方網站公布）

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 hrough 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 organizations subscribing to the above Resolution that a copy of this Resolution should accompany every scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, and assistantship offer.

The following list includes CGS member institutions that indicated their support of the Resolution.

　　Abilene Christian University

　　Air Force Institute of Technology

　　Alcorn State University

　　Alfred University

　　American University

　　Andrews University

　　Angelo State University

　　Appalachian State University

　　Arizona State University

　　Arkansas State University

　　Auburn University

　　Austin Peay State University

　　Ball State University

　　Baylor College of Medicine

　　Baylor University

　　Bloomsburg University of Penn.

　　Boise State University

　　Boston College

　　Boston University

　　Bowling Green State University

　　Bradley University

　　Brandeis University

　　Brigham Young University

　　Brown University

　　Bryn Mawr College

　　Caldwell College

　　California Institute of Technology

　　California State Polytechnic

　　University, Pomona

　　California State University, Bakersfield

　　California State University, Stanislaus

　　California State University, Fresno

　　California State University, Fullerton

　　California State University, Hayward

　　California State University,

　　Long Beach

　　California State University,

　　Los Angeles

　　California State University, Northridge

　　California State University,

　　Sacramento

　　California State University,

　　Stanislaus

　　California University of Pennsylvania

　　Case Western Reserve University

　　Catholic University of America

　　Central Michigan University

　　Central Missouri State University

　　Central Washington University

　　City University of New York

　　Graduate Center

　　Claremont Graduate University

　　Clark Atlanta University

　　Clark University

　　Clemson University

　　Cleveland State University

　　College of New Jersey

　　College of Saint Rose

　　College of William and Mary

　　Colorado School of Mines

　　Columbia University

　　Concordia University, River Forest

　　Coppin State College

　　Cornell University

　　Creighton University

　　Dartmouth College

　　Drew University

　　Drexel University

　　Duke University

　　Duquesne University

　　East Carolina University

　　East Central Oklahoma State

　　East Tennessee State University

　　Eastern Illinois University

　　Eastern Kentucky University

　　Eastern Michigan University

　　Eastern Washington University

　　Emerson College

　　Emory University

　　Emporia State University

　　Fayetteville State University

　　Fielding Graduate Institute

　　Fitchburg State College

　　Florida A & M University

　　Florida Atlantic University

　　Florida International University

　　Florida State University

　　Fordham University

　　Fort Hays State University

　　Gallaudet University

　　George Mason University

　　George Washington University

　　Georgetown University

　　Georgia Institute of Technology

　　Georgia Southern University