<p>Just wondering : as an international student, do I really have any chance of making it to the international freshman scholshp / pres / trustee scholshp , given that my SAT 1 Reasoning superscore is a 2270 ? i do have a 2400 in my SAT Subjects though (Physics, Math 2C, Chem). Oh, and my TOEFL iBT is a 116.
Er...our school doesn't really follow the GPA system, nor does it award grades. But just as a piece of info, my absolute aggregate has been 92% plus throughout my schooling years. Oh yeah, I do know that scores and academics aren't the only factors... i'm currently upto my neck in water with writing my essays, fetching recommendations and trying to present a complete picture of myself as a serious applicant through the different components of the application. But i really can't help foster the nagging thought - is it really worth it ? i mean, given California's current economic situation, would USC be willing to grant admission to average international students like myself instead of a local resident, let alone award a scholarship?</p>
<p>And if i do get through (by some miracle), i'll probably be asking this later to all those experienced CCers out here : how good really is the mechanical engg. u-grad program at USC ? how would you rate it to, say, vanderbilt or u.virginia ? and what about an Aerospace BS major from USC ?</p>
USC is a private university not affiliated with the UC system, the CSU system, or the state of California. As such, USC does not give an admissions advantage to “local” residents, so this part is not a concern.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>P.S. - Who do you imagine the award the “International” Freshman scholarship to, if not an international applicant?</p>
<p>^ Alright… thanks very much. Er…I admit that that sentence of mine had implied otherwise, but I certainly was not referring to the international scholarship when I voiced my concerns about earning an award from USC. You see, as with most foreign nationals, an amount of $20K, which is of course quite substantial, doesn’t really cause much of a dent in the whopping $56K required from my side. Hence, I was basically talking about my chances of getting the Presidential. </p>
<p>Thanks anyway for that clarification about USC’s policy regarding in-state and foreign applicants. </p>
<p>Could anyone be kind enough to reply to the other issues ? </p>
The Presidential is approximately $20,000/year as well, and cannot be combined with the International Freshman Scholarship. You probably are referring to the Trustee, which is approximately $40,000/year.</p>
<p>To address other questions/issues:</p>
<p>In past years, about 800 - 1,000 of the 20,000+ December 1st applicants have been invited to interview for the Trustee or Presidential scholarships. The interview is mandatory, even for International applicants. (All the official information says this is an absolute, but we have had a couple of examples of candidates allowed to interview by Skype.) About 130 applicants will eventually matriculate with the Trustee scholarship, and about 250 with the Presidential.</p>
<p>As Arctic92 points out, it isn’t neccessarily high “stats” and test scores that earn USC’s top scholarships. The only way to find out if you will be selected for a scholarship is to apply by December 1st.</p>
<p>An additional note:
As an International applicant, you are required to provide proof of ability to pay tuition and living expenses before a letter of admission can be sent (this isn’t MY rule, so please do not get angry with me for mentioning it):
<p>Yes, I was aware about the policy of providing sufficient proof of funding for the first year for international students. It’s just that if I don’t secure a proper scholarship, it would simply be impossible to submit such a document !
Um…in the event that I manage to make the cut for the Trustee (I’m not going to get any names wrong again :-), you say that I would be required to arrange a trip all the way to California to attend the interview, unless Skype comes to the rescue ? uh oh…
Anyway, I’d better remain focused on the application for the moment… </p>
<p>Thank you very much, alamemom and Arctic92 for your time… </p>
<p>Oh, and heartiest congratulations, Arctic92, for winning the Trustee !</p>
<p>Yes, officially scholarship candidates are required to come to USC in late February or early March to interview for the scholarship. It is part of USC’s desire (and strategy) to award their top scholarships to applicants who sincerely are considering attending USC. Making the trip implies that USC is a school they are seriously considering.</p>
<p>There have been individuals here on College Confidential who have contacted USC and managed to communicate both their desire to attend USC and their inability to attend the interview sufficiently to be allowed a Skype interview, but there have also been individuals who asked for that and were not allowed to do so. It depends on the reasons you cannot attend. (A bridge to cross when and if it becomes an issue.)</p>
<p>As for the financial document, I recommend you contact USC in early January to discuss that. It is not required when you submit everything else on December 1st, but is required before a letter of admission can be sent, and the scholarship interview invitations are sent AFTER the letters of admission. I know that other International students have faced the same issue, and USC can guide in how to approach the issue. It will have to be submitted by mid-January in order to be invited to interview, so DO get it done.</p>