This thread has the nicest and most knowledgeable group of people! Thanks so much for the replies with thoughts on getting in with Presidential interview offer for NMSF (presumed NMF) students.
I understand that 1/2 tuition is guaranteed now with admission yesterday (thank you USC!) and that the reasons to interview for the Presidential is not that the scholarships can stack but to gain familiarity with the school and that on occasion a Presidential might get bumped up to a Trustee. I can see the dates for the upcoming interviews and the 2-day visit required to interview in So Cal.
I totally understand why it would be advantageous to spend more time on the campus, but ack, are we insane for thinking D might not do it? Our thought being that it is likely she’ll end up with the same result regardless – 1/2 off tuition – and that it turns out the dates and logistics may be difficult. Even though the 3 dates to choose in are in March, unbelievably Ds AP Lit final is the Saturday after the first option (always on a SAT so there’s time to do a mock AP exam) and the following week is full of 2nd semester midterms. She would have to go alone as neither parent can go due to work and younger siblings and for her missing 2 days of school is raising the anxiety factor like crazy, We are in Nor Cal and the cost is also a small factor (but nothing compared to just figuring out how to make it work) – have her fly down super early of day 1, etc.
OTOH, even with the 1/2 tuition USC Is going to be a real stretch and we are hoping for some need-based aid on top of it (our EFC is far lower than the remainder), so it could be that we aren’t looking big picture enough if there’s a chance for a higher scholarship. D feels like there are plenty of great Trustee interviewees that likely have better stats and greater accomplishments than her though and that hoping for a bump up is just not realistic and time might be better spent finishing out HS and just hoping for a need-based offer.
Last question, if she does not attend Explore USC days, do you think she can attend Preview USC (I’m sure she can attend Admitted Student Days.) Preview USC does not show up as an option via the portal, but since it is a half day vs. 2 days it seems like it might be a lot easier to schedule.
Thanks for any thoughts for anyone who has been there. Again, thanks so much for all the thoughtful and knowledgeable responses – if this is any indication of the Trojan population I’m so hopeful this is where D ends up!
If she still considers USC with half tuition I would recommend attending. My D16 was NMF as well and she was offered Presidential. She found an interview to be very difficult. She did not get bumped to Trustee and we scratched USC all together, but one of her friends did. Another very talented kid who was interviewed for Trustee got Deans instead so you never know.
My D is not a great interviewer (well, she is probably ok, but it’s not something she’s that comfortable with…yet), but our thought was luckily she’s guaranteed 1/2 tuition so we aren’t sure it’s worth it going through with everything since it’s not that likely she’d be bumped up. I would imagine there are far more impressive kids applying for Presidentil or Trustee already and some of them aren’t going to get it. It’s interesting that USC even puts NMSFs in the Presidential category as there’s such overlap. She might like to do it but we are just concerned about cost, logistics, and missing 2 days of school. If she decides the experience is important we’ll figure it out, just wondering how huge of a deal it was.
Not knowing if you are accepted until April even with NMF status really puts a damper on the idea of an expensive trip to check out USC. USC’s timeline is not great for NMFs who need to choose their college earlier for other potential college sponsors. It’s too bad because it’s a great school, but people need to plan!
@CalDreamin you have a pretty good view on what the decision points are for your daughter. The strongest reasons to attend (for a NMFer like her with the guarantee 1/2 tuition) is to meet people in her major/School and get an even better sense if this is the school she would like to attend after she gets all her admission and FA results in April. USC really puts on a fabulous presentation for these invitees and parents and kids will meet with current students in their School/major as well. The deciding factor (as far as we can tell) in who gets bumped up or down is no longer about stats and resume, but all about if they see this student fitting well into their School, if the student feels authentic (not pre-packaged and slick) and really loves USC/this particular major field, and if they are hesitant or gung-ho about life. In other words, it’s a mix of qualities that may connect with the interviewers who come from the major/School. After all, up to this point, all the adcom knows about any kid is what’s in their application, their stats, and their essays. And, alas, not every kid writes their own essays all alone. In person, the interviewers will try to see if this kid matches the great application. But also, some kids who apply to USC early are hedging their bets on an ivy or other top school that they frankly prefer. It is very clear in the interview that they consider USC a back-up, and those kids are not likely to get the full award they interview for. I see it as a great chance for the student to give it a try. The cost (a few days and some $$) is a wager against perhaps a bump up of over $100K, and that’s just so much money.
OTOH, if you are pretty confident in getting a large FA award (larger than 1/2 tuition from NMF), then your situation is a little different. Frankly, your family doesn’t even need the NMF Presidential award–as that will be subtracted from the (larger) FA grant aid. But FA is so tricky, I would suggest that you call USC’s FA office (how can this hurt? Your D is an admitted student!) and explain your need to get a sense of what to expect in FA grant aid in order to make this decision.
Best of luck.
I second what madbean said. Though my S was a NMF (last year), he wasn’t invited for the Presidential Scholarship interview. Your D really has nothing to lose, and even a slight chance to bump up to Trustee is worth a shot. Plus, I think USC will subsidize a small part of your flight ($200?). This is also the only time when the students will get to sleep in a dorm or get to see one. She will most likely stay at Birnkrant (bring a sleeping bag since she will likely sleep on the floor) with last year’s scholarship kids. This is a great opportunity for her to learn more about USC and her intended major from other scholarship students.
We couldn’t swing the fees with just the ½ tuition. He wasn’t bumped to Trustee.
So he went elsewhere. We had three in school and couldn’t do it.
Thanks so much @madbean and others for focusing us on it being more of an opportunity to really experience USC than a scholarship interview. D has said she wants to do it even though it’s going to be hell on her schedule b/c she really wants to explore USC during explore USC, LOL! I have no idea how much FA we may/may get in the end other than the 1/2 tuition, but at least this way she’ll know the school atmosphere pretty well.
@madbean I thought I knew the answer to this but had a moment of hesitation while looking at the USC merit scholarship site. If a student has not been selected for a scholarship interview but is ultimately admitted to USC, is a NMF and designates USC as their first choice by the published deadline are they guaranteed the half tuition scholarship? I see frequent references to “guarantee” on CC. In reference to the presendential scholarship the USC site says “entering first-year students are considered if they have been designated National Merit Finalists and name USC as their first-choice college.”
@RelocatedYankee All admitted first-year NMF students who formally indicate to National Merit that USC is their first choice will receive a Presidential Scholarship (half-tuition), regardless of whether the student was selected to visit campus and interview for a Presidential.
@s0meUSCkid95 Thank you! That scholarship is the difference between whether or not our daughter can consider an admission offer from USC, so I am over analyzing every word. The reference to “considered” gave me pause. Even with the scholarship we will be eating ramen noodles by candlelight for the next several years…
Does anyone know by what date an accepted NMF student needs to list USC as first choice in order obtain the 1/2 tuition scholarship?
@RelocatedYankee, you got the straight scoop from s0meUSCkid95 (btw, thanks for adding your input). The student must list USC as their first choice with NM by May 1. So no worries. Student will have time to consider all their admissions results before they need to commit. And good luck to all.