"4.15"协议在一九九九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、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四月十五日之前，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作出最后的答复，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四月十五日，并应当尽可能早地提先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，包括I-20表格，在四月十五日之前寄回（当然，material可能不一定必要在四月十五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。
应该说"4.15"协议的实施对学校与申请人双方都是有利的，对学校而言避免了因被录取人突然反悔造成的混乱，对多数申请人而言这意味着更加平等的竞争及比以前更大的录取机会，因为有在学校明确获悉被录取者的拒绝答复后才会将该入学机会转给其它人。
4.15 RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION REGARDING GRADUATE SCHOLARS,FELLOWS,TRAINEES,AND ASSISTANTS
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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 expert 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 commitments 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 Resolution that a copy of the Resolution should accompany every scholarship,fellowship,traineeship, and assistantship offer.
The following list includes CGS members and those institutions that indicated their support of the Resolution as of August 1997 with additions through July 1999.
