<p>It wouldn’t be the same if you already had been notified! Berkeley, for example, does that - she got online notification and a very nice package about a week later. There was no excitement attached to the arrival of the package at all - she knew what was inside. It was just set aside for later (and she didn’t ultimately choose Berkeley 
… so maybe USC has something here… ). I would suggest the opposite - mail the packages first and then provide mass online notification ~1 week later.</p>
<p>I think this depends on the person. After all, some people like to know what they are getting for Christmas/birthday in advance, find out the sex of their babies before they are born, etc… (count me in that group). </p>
<p>My D was just as excited to receive online results as mail ones. Her first acceptance online caused screaming and tears (me again). The amazing package that showed up a couple of days later was still opened and read multiple times. Finding out online just took the anxiety away faster. </p>
<p>IMHO, the USC package is wonderful and packaged exceptionally well. However, I don’t think this in any way outweighs the problems reported here with mail notification. Going to an email/portal system with CLEAR dates and expectations might help numerous applicants and their parents, and this might make a better impression by USC to them than any package would. Again, this is from a person who doesn’t like surprises and likes to plan ahead, though.</p>
<p>"It wouldn’t be the same if you already had been notified! "
That is not what ANY current applicants and parents are asking for. Most seem to want to KNOW the status of their applications at the same time as all other applicants.
Students and parents have different ways of getting “excited” about admissions decisions. And most are willing to trade off “excitement” for information. There IS a reason that every other “elite” college or U in the US has gone to online notifications . Our reactions [ shrieking, OMG’s!!!’, etc, etc] to the multiple “yes” decisions that we read online was NO different from when DS received the big package from USC. YMMV.</p>
<p>As parent of someone who waited 2 weeks to get the hold notification, I suggested instant notification. There were 26000 of us as opposed to 1000 positive notifications that had to wait an extra two weeks and wondering what it held or whether things got lost in the mail. Since we have already withdrawn, it is not relevant but I am hoping for a better solution for 2013 applicants.</p>
<p>
Exactly. And for at least one of USC scholarship candidates (my daughter), their current notification system had an impact on her choosing USC. As USC’s Trustee and Presidential scholarships are all about recruiting students who are admitted to other highly ranked universities, it may be that there is a method to the early admit madness, and setting themselves apart may be a factor in the way they do things.</p>
<p>I would agree that, since only a very small percentage of all applicants are admitted in the early round, “most” applicants who were aware of the early admit system were recently disappointed. However I think the major change they would like to see would be that they DID receive an early admit regardless of the notification system.</p>
<p>None of that changes the impact the early admit package + scholarship letter may have had on the students USC is working so hard to recruit. As I said, the current system had a part in gaining them at least one of their early admits.</p>
<p>When my son received his USC package, he was so thrilled that he scanned his Admittance Certificate and posted it on FB.</p>
<p>Still waiting for any kind of notice at all, needless to say I agree with menloparkmom.</p>
<p>I’m a bit stumped. Son loved that he received a “surprise” package from USC and it definitely brought the school to the top of the list. But- I knew he was in before we received the mail due to his USConnect showing “admitted students” box. If that shows up - and it only took an extra 24hrs for Deans recipients to show- why go on wondering after that 24 hr time period?
When my older D applied a few years back - same sequence of events- just a different look to the portal. After 24-48 hrs we knew she was not an early admit and went on about our business- the letter came about 2 weeks later - and life moved on.</p>
<p>Personally- the kids that are admitted early are ecstatic and those not are sad- but it all moves on - this happens at all schools every year. </p>
<p>As a parent who can compare USC applications 3 years ago to the current format. MUCH better as part of the common app. S only applied to 2 common app schools but it did make it easier to manage.</p>
<p>It would probably be safe to say that those who get the news they are hoping for are in general satisfied with the system, and those who do not get the news they wanted are not satisfied - so ultimately, more than 35,000 applicants will be unhappy with the notice they receive regardless of the way it is delivered.</p>
<p>Snowdog, if you are unable to log in to reserve a spot at Explore at this point, your student has not been selected to interview for a scholarship and is still being considered for admission and the many other scholarships USC offers to December 1st applicants. You will hear by April 1st. That information was posted on the admissions blog on the 3rd of February. <a href=“http://admissionblog.usc.edu/2012/02/03/admission-decisions-part-1/[/url]”>http://admissionblog.usc.edu/2012/02/03/admission-decisions-part-1/</a></p>
<p>About the ‘letter:’ Our son never expected a presidential or trustee scholarship.from USC. He knew that those went to very few. He was just pleased as punch to have submitted a fabulous app and happy to wait; he did not expect to hear anything until March. So when the ‘Mysterious Letter of Nothing’ (as another poster called it) arrived, he was stumped. </p>
<p>The wording was poor. It noted the highly competitive numbers and stated that only a small group “will proceed to the next phase for consideration.” This sentence seemed almost designed to build <em>positive</em> anticipation in the reader (even for those who never expected the scholarships). The next sentence says: “DS, I am sorry to say you were <em>not</em> selected for further consideration…” </p>
<p>Huh? Then why send the letter? </p>
<p>It read as a strange rejection, though we know that was not the intent. As a result, DS went from being very-satisfied-to-wait-until-March, to feeling oddly punked by USC. He knows that nothing has changed and that he will hear in March, but I honestly think he’s not as excited now–not because he wasn’t selected for something he never expected in the first place, but because the tone of the letter was (unintentionally) off-putting. </p>
<p>We have received no letters from other schools saying SORRY, BUT YOU WERE NOT SELECTED FOR OUR TRUSTEE SCHOLARSHIP. What is a point of sending such a letter to 20,000 kids? It seemed gratuitous. If they wanted to provide an update, they could have simply done as other schools do: send a thank you for the application and tell them to hold on until March. They could provide the ‘sorry you didn’t make the cut’ info with mention (lower on the page) that a select few were already chosen for possible pres/trustee, but that DS would still be considered for all remaining scholarships (should he be accepted) in March. It would have had a very different tone if the ‘you failed to make the cut’ info was at bottom, instead of leading the letter. </p>
<p>We still love everything about USC, of course! It’s not a big deal to DS–he’s shrugging it off and has some nice EAs with merit $ in the bag elsewhere. I am posting here only in hopes that maybe USC can do a little better by the kids next year. </p>
<p>Good luck everyone and congrats to all of you who were admitted early. :)</p>
<p>The mysterious letter of nothing could have been phrased better and they should send it out at the same time as the scholarship letters.</p>
<p>I also think USC would benefit from different response to the NMSF not receiving an interview invitation. If these students exceed the standards for regular admission. Send a letter saying “Congratulations!!, You have been admitted to USC and if chosen as a NMS, you will be receiving a Presidential Scholarship.” USC would neither be admitting any additional students or giving any additional scholarships. What is now being viewed a a rejection by this talented group of students, would turn into a positive experience.</p>
<p>^ But NMSF status is NOT a guarantee of admission or auto-admit. The standards for admission include a holistic review of the entire application, ECs, and essays - USC does not use a simple GPA + test score system. The notification of admission for those not admitted in the first group will be in the last week of March.</p>
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<p>Right I figured that part out (no interview) awhile ago…also on the blog on Feb 3 it was written that everyone who applied by Dec 1 got a letter of some sort, that’s the point of irritation. Indeed, waiting now for April 1.</p>
<p>Is it even remotely possible that the irritation of not receiving a letter could be more properly directed at the USPS? Even remotely?</p>
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<p>It seemed too good to be true.</p>
<p>Haha! Feel free to rant underthesun, but when a poster states that they are going to send a link to this thread to USC admissions, I feel it is perfectly appropriate to offer my opinion on the matter and point out that I do not agree and to offer what I think is wrong and how I would fix it - my suggestion being that the early packages go out first and a mass email a week later - which would inform all those not selected simultaneously AND save significantly on postage. Why would my opinion be any less valuable than another?</p>
<p>To sum up what we have heard so far, </p>
<p>-posters who received the “no scholarship” letter are upset that they received it.</p>
<p>-posters who did not receive a “no-scholarship” letter are upset that they did not receive it.</p>
<p>It seems the common thread is the “no-scholarship” factor. I am not sure there is any way to notify scholarship applicants that they have not been selected for a scholarship that will make them say, “Hooray!” It is the nature of the news that is upsetting whether it arrives by letter, by admissions blog or by email. </p>
<p>And as a “heads-up” for March, if the same pattern of the last several years is followed, the acceptances packages will go out before the rejections, and because the acceptances are Priority Mail while the rejections are First-Class, many will have to wait a week or more for the bad news after others post acceptances. Maybe now is the time to get your opinion in on how you would like that to be handled - if you were to be rejected, how would you most like to hear the news? Is there really a way that that type of news could be delivered that would make it palatable? As with the scholarship invites, I tend to think it will not matter how those who are rejected are notified - they will still be upset.</p>
<p>Hi alamemom and all,
^^^I respectfully disagree. We are not upset to have received the letter. We are offering a suggestion for the future. And I stated clearly that the ‘no scholarship’ part of the letter was a non-issue for DS and family. I mean that! Our son never expected the early scholarships–he was very well-informed from the get-go about those probablities and knew he would not be up in the first round. This was <em>not</em> the issue. </p>
<p>It was simply not a well-written letter. It hit the wrong tone and I think they could do much better, with minor changes. That was the point–not whining about getting no scholarship. </p>
<p>It’s not a huge deal, but perhaps USC will want to note that the notification read a bit like a rejection letter, though it certainly was not intended that way. I am sure that DS is not the only Eagle Scout, 2300-SAT-single-sitting, 4.3 GPA kid who saw it as clunky, plain and simple. We know that USC can do better. :)</p>
<p><<<to sum="" up="" what="" we="" have="" heard="" so="" far,="" -posters="" who="" received="" the="" “no=”" scholarship"="" letter="" are="" upset="" that="" they="" it.="" did="" not="" receive="" a="" “no-scholarship”="" it="" seems="" common="" thread="" is="" factor.="">>></to></p>
<p>Since the scholarship interviews are coming up, I’ll add a complaint I have had for the last 4 years - as there is both the possibility of being “bumped up” and “bumped down” after the interviews, I think it would lead to more positive feelings for those on the “bumped down” side of the equation if candidates were invited to interview for “a scholarship ranging from $4,000/year to full tuition” rather than for a specific (Trustee and Presidential) scholarship.</p>
<p>In my observations it has seemed that the major factor in being bumped down is not the qualifications of the candidate or how “well” the interview goes, rather it has seemed to hinge on the number of invited students who accept the invitation to interview for that particular school or department - each of which has a set number of Trustee and Presidential scholarships they can offer.</p>
<p>It is just plain cruel to invite a kid to interview for the Trustee scholarship, have them attend Explore, have a great interview, get all excited about attending and then send a letter saying they had been awarded a Director’s ($4,000/year) scholarship - as happened to a couple of our favorite posters last year. Those students understandably were very disappointed and chose another school - if they had not been told they were interviewing specifically for Trustee and then were awarded a scholarship worth $152,000 LESS, it might not have stung so much.</p>
<hr>
<p>So my suggestion is to not specify the scholarship for which candidates are interviewing OR eliminate the possibility of being “bumped down.”</p>
<p>Still no letter in down here in Florida. Honestly, I don’t believe letters were sent to everyone. There are way too many early applicants who did not receive any notification. I don’t see the point of even sending letters to anyone other than he small amount of applicants who were accepted early and being considered for scholarship. Our original understanding was that ONLY those invited for interviews would receive notification in January. It wasn’t until reading posts on these boards and seeing USC’s blog post that we realized a letter should have been received.
Now USC is supposedly regenerating all those letters and resending?? That is ridiculous! I cannot believe how behind the times USC is! What a waste of school funds for postage not to mention paper! I do not think USPS is to blame. I think USC has serious flaws in communication methods and all letters weren’t generated to begin with. For same reasons some applicants never received letters last March! This makes me nervous about how registration, course selection and housing procedures might be at USC. Not making a great impression on us.</p>
<p>“This makes me nervous about how registration, course selection and housing procedures might be at USC.”</p>
<p>no need to worry about those operations. they do work fine.</p>