 Sometimes they want a wait list deposit. They want to know that you are serious about being on the wait list. And some places might have like a $500 deposit. You might leave a check with them. A lot of times they'll just hold the check. It's refundable. If you should choose to not go there or you go somewhere else or for any reason you don't go there, they'll hand your check back, send it back, or shred it.