<p>I am getting the Fall 2012 STATS ONLY DECISIONS thread up today (Jan 21) - don't panic, as far as I know no decisions have been received yet. In years past, the scholarship invitations started arriving around the 22nd-25th, and I want to be ready. I work all week, so if they start coming in next week I wouldn't have time to get it up and running (it takes about 17 previews to get it right!!!).</p>
<p>Good luck to all, and I hope to see acceptance posts from all our College Confidential posters in the scholarship round. Fingers crossed :) But remember, only 3 or 4 percent of applicants will hear in late January and early February. More than 95% of acceptances will arrive in March, and HUNDREDS of scholarships will be awarded to those accepted in March. Also remember that USC provides financial aid that has made it possible for many students who never thought they could afford USC to attend - so don't lose hope if you felt you needed a Trustee or Presidential to attend and the news does not arrive.</p>
<p>And remember,* NO DISCUSSION on the STATS thread!** Use this thread, the link thread, start a new thread or PM the poster for whom you have questions instead. Keep the stats thread clean, easy to follow, and discussion-free!</p>
<p>I don’t know - they have traditionally refused to give any email notification or to give decisions by phone, and they have guarded against the clever applicants who have in years past discovered secret links that announced scholarship candidacy - this is the first year they have managed to keep that info secret this long! ( no “caravan” link this year )</p>
<p>USC also has presented a beautiful acceptance package that has been a part of their overall recruitment efforts aimed at the amazing applicants they accept - it would be a bit sad if this year’s applicants don’t get a chance to feel the excitement of opening that!</p>
<p>But the BIG change to The Common Application may signal changes in other areas - so many of the other top universities DO notify by email or online - time will tell.</p>
<p>Last year most of those who were not invited for scholarship interviews received a letter in mid-February saying that they had not been selected to interview for the Trustee or Presidential, but that they were still being considered for the many other USC scholarships. The letter noted that they would receive an admissions decision by April 1st and that they should submit mid-year grades as soon as possible.</p>
<p>DadInNeb: VERY good idea! I was in your shoes 4 years ago and did the same. I was a “lurker” on College Confidential back then and was very surprised to see that applicants were posting that they had been accepted in January - everything on the website said “April 1st” and my daughter had no idea scholarship candidates were notified early. I too kept it to myself - the application season is already stressful enough, and there is SO much potential for disappointment, I did NOT want to add to that!</p>
<p>P.S. It was as a college confidential lurker back in 2008 that I followed the infamous “caravan” link and discovered that my daughter was a scholarship candidate . Again, I kept the info to myself and had the opportunity to ask her to grab the mail for me and watch her confusion of finding an unexpected package from USC turn to excitement and then to joy. I am hoping all of you parents out there get the same experience!</p>
<p>alamemom, I’ve been lurking here since summer after he visited LA & decided SC was his #1. I wished I would’ve been lurking a lot sooner to understand how important the ECs are! If, only gpa & test scores alone mattered, I/he wouldn’t be worrying…</p>
<p>I always figured that he would go to UNL or Wazzu, where we’re from originally, and that the EC’s wouldn’t matter that much.</p>
<p>We were at USC today… speaking with some of the kids in the dorms. My son wants to be here so badly…it is far and away his top choice. I think it will be a nail biting ride for us in the next few weeks. The friend he met with today is a trustee scholar and loves every thing about USC. She lives down the hall from the cinema hall and to see his face light up at being able to talk with all the SCA kids… I really hope he gets that fat envelope! He does know that scholarship candidates will be notified soon, and the anxiety for both of us is palpable.</p>
<p>maddenmd, my fingers are crossed for you and your S.</p>
<p>I’ll add my story to alamemom’s. 4 years ago when my older son was an applicant, I hadn’t heard of CC (imagine that!). One Saturday in January I was away on a speaking event and I had turned my cell off. I drove home, still not aware that my phone had been left off. When I arrived home, I found my stunned S who had been trying to reach me for a while. His dad got the mail that morning and found a large envelope from USC. The return address said: Office of Admissions and Financial Aid. He gave it to S who tossed it aside. After all, he figured, it was just a bunch of FinAid forms or something.</p>
<p>A few hours later, H saw the envelope and suggested S open it, figuring H would take the FinAid forms and file them.</p>
<p>Imagine their surprise! </p>
<p>We had not heard a word about early notifications for scholarship applicants. D’oh. And when they found themselves staring at that wonderful admissions packet, there was no note about scholarships. So… wha???</p>
<p>It was then that I googled around and found CC, where a lively discussion had been in progress for weeks (months?) about all these details. And, well, I stuck around for it all.</p>
<p>Hope you all get the good news soon. And I know you will be way less clueless than we were.</p>
<p>We toured them last time we were there. Agreed! Fabulous. My son is shooting a short film in LA in April and was here putting together the details. The visit today was to see a friend from his high school that is a current freshman. We are from Maryland- and this amazing weather in January was also fabulous, although the locals were complaining because it rained last night! Today it is in the 60’s and gorgeous. What’s not to love about that?</p>
Stay calm until then, and NO DISCUSSION ON THE STATS THREAD!!!</p>