School acceptance deadlines

[TooBusyByHalf]

The pan london scheme offers (ie state school allocations) are emailed on the evening of 3 march. I've just had an offer for dd for the only private school she applied for with scholarship but the deadline for accepting is 4pm on the 3rd. Is that usual? Seems very unfair that they make you enter a binding contract for the first terms fees before you know what you're choosing between. Another (more competitive) school that we decided not to go for has a deadline a couple of days later.
Do you think we can ask for 24 hours leeway?
If we miss the deadline will be lose the scholarship?
What would you do?

We have had have had indie offers with deadlines ranging from March 3 to March 5th, so not unusual...but asking for a 24 hour extension seems reasonable.

We were in this position a few years ago, and the school (GDST) were willing to give us an extra 24 hours. You can ask.

out of interest, has anyone asked for an extension because they are on the waiting list for another school and are waiting for that school's acceptance deadline to arrive, to see if a place becomes available?

I would assume that the school has set that deadline deliberately, so they could know who was wholeheartedly choosing that school above all others and who was treating them as a safety net against a disappointment from a different preferred choice

Very unfair! They are probably doing it deliberately. Would ask the school if they could give you some time as minesacuppa said.

Thanks yes I think we will ask. I expect it is deliberate but for some us the financial outlay is too much to enter into lightly (3 kids in all so if we do that for dd1 then we're in for huge sums over many years) so I think it's reasonable to consider the state offer before we commit.

It's a money spinner, I asked and got a weekend extension which was enough. Lots of my friends paid up and lost the deposit, just be honest with them. Bet you get an extension for a day or two. They also like to know their firm numbers when the state offers come out as they tend to be inundated with new applicants who are shocked with their state allocation.