Hello!
I am currently a junior interested in USC. My plan is to just get into USC there and do all the changes to my major (if I get in) after I get in. I am currently planning on applying as a Music Industry BS major with Journalism as my second major, if the music industry major doesn’t work out. Most of my ECs are all geared towards music and journalism. However, I do not have any “musician” ECs, its just that my ECs revolve around the topic of music and I have DJing under my belt.
However, the bottom line is that I am aiming to get a merit scholarship by applying by the deadline. Does thornton give out merit scholarships to the Music Industry BS major? I’ve read on the USC website that the admissions team-- not the individual schools-- give out the scholarships.
Is this true?
I am low income too so hopefully USC financial aid is generous lol
Hey! I too am a Junior hoping to attend USC for music. As far as I know the Thornton application deadline is the same as the merit scholarship consideration deadline (Dec 1) so it’s not like you could apply later anyway.
What I have heard on this website is that the merit scholarships are given out by school and each school gets a certain number of awards to allocate. Also, a piece of relevant info for you is that you can only select one major when you apply, but you can declare a second major later. So, even though I would like to do choral music and math (BA), I would have to enter as a choral music major and later declare math.
USC gives out a TON of financial aid so don’t worry about the cost upfront - really. But you have to be wary of the details on the back end - the devil is in the details. Do your homework on the opportunities available to you in terms of grants and scholarships and avoid loans as much as you can. College has to be a business decision these days with all of the costs but if you get in USC will meet you halfway in terms of paying for your education.
The thing you just have to remember as an applicant is that people are applying from all over the world and that includes people with Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates money for whom $70,000-80,000 a year is a drop in the bucket. Then, ahem, there’s the rest of us. But the whole point of the insane sticker price (not my idea but this is the logic) is that it provides universities with extra money to be able to support students who otherwise couldn’t attend. It’s stressful, but in your case - music and journalism - USC is a great, great, great fit for you.
BTW if you’re low income also look into scholarship matching services like Questbridge that pair high achieving kids from lower income backgrounds with top colleges and universities. I don’t know much about that but there the Internet is your friend.
Good luck! 
@Racingfan53 For the major, I meant when applying to USC so I can just get into the school. I’ve read that when reviewing applications, USC chooses to admit you based on the fit to that major. If I don’t get into the Music Industry program, I at least have a shot into journalism
It is FAR easier to be accepted to Dornsife than to Thornton. You can game the system by applying to an underpopulated major (Religion, Philosophy, foreign language, etc.), get in, then switch schools. BUT, if you are up for a presidential or trustee scholarship, you will likely fail to get the scholarship unless you are a superb liar. A dean’s scholarship would evaporate if you left Dornsife for Thornton.
Switching into Thornton from another school at USC is not easy, by the way. You would have to audition for performance majors, just like a freshman. Music Industry is a big major, the biggest in Thornton, so competition for the few scholarships Thornton has is intense.
I don’t remember the numbers exactly, but Thornton has single digit trustee scholarships and maybe 10-12 presidentials. And like all “arts” schools at USC (Dramatic Arts, Cinematic Arts, Roski, Kaufman), they favor BFA candidates over BA or BS students.
@ttrojan thanks for your response. I’m very interested in this as well because while USC is definitely my #1 at this point it’s contingent on a full scholarship AND acceptance to Thornton… which I know is a giant longshot, but I might as well shoot my shot
@ttrojan I am not interested in performing, but I am interesting as applying into the BS major. I understand that they would favor BFA candidates, but I feel like I have a fair shot at getting a scholarship, considering I am the owner of my own music journalism blog, founder and director of a music-based club at my school, DJ, and interning at a local media organization in the arts & culture department.
I guess based on that, do you think I have a fair chance?
And what do you mean by “evaporate”? I don’t want a potential scholarship to go away if I enter a new school. I am kinda worried there.
" I feel like I have a fair shot at getting a scholarship, considering I am the owner of my own music journalism blog, founder and director of a music-based club at my school, DJ, and interning at a local media organization in the arts & culture department."
Just so you know the odds are against you- big time. As they are with all students hoping for a big scholarship.
the chances of winning a full scholarship at USC are 50% less than the chance of being accepted at Harvard or Stanford.
First of all, you have to have top grades and test scores in order to even be considered, as well as very impressive EC’s in the area of your intended major. A Blog and DJ’ing and interning at a media company, are not going to be impressive to Thorton, which offer their small quota of top scholarships to incredibly accomplished musicians-many of whom plan on a career in Music. They may be more impressive to the School of Journalism. Which means you have to apply as a Journalism major.
Second, only those invited to interview for a scholarship- which number fewer than 1000 out of 45,000 kids- have a chance of getting a scholarship. And only about 200 of them are actually offered a full tuition scholarship.
Third- the interview itself is done by a committee of 3 persons from the college indicated in your application.
Gettiing into Thorton after you are at USC requires an audition, as mentioned above. The following is also true-"And like all “arts” schools at USC (Dramatic Arts, Cinematic Arts, Roski, Kaufman), they favor BFA candidates over BA or BS students. "
USC’s financial aid is generous- run their NPC to see how much FA you are likely to be awarded.
@menloparkmom … What do you think my strategy should be? I’m really just aiming to get into the school first.
On the common app I am planning to put music industry as my first major to consider me by, and if I don’t get in then journalism as my second major to consider me. If I am not accepted as a music industry major, and I am considered for to the journalism major, can I still get the scholarship??
@ISawKanyeLive You are not listening to the info right in front of you - do the math - roughly speaking, 200 students out of 65,000 that apply get a full tuition scholarship. Thornton has maybe 10 of those. So that is 10 out of 65,000. Do you think your stats and ECs are better than 64,990 other people that apply? There are people that are tops/world class/elite in the not only the US, but the world, in performance and other music based fields, or just plain unique and cool bringing in other great characterstics when they apply to the Thornton and the Music Industry major. You need to look beyond the little circle you live in, and take in the ECs that people around the world bring in to one of the best music schools in the country.
Your strategy should be to present yourself the best you can, be true to yourself, don’t count on or plan on a scholarship and have other schools you want to attend on your application list. Then hope for the best.
@blueskies2day I do not want a full tuition scholarship. My ACTs are not good enough for that. I just want a merit scholarship, but thank you for responding to me.
If ACTs aren’t stellar, there will be no merit scholarship of any kind. Again as menloparkmom mentioned above, statistically, you have a better chance getting into Harvard than a merit scholarship at USC. There are very very few scholarships compared to the number applying. Thousands are turned away with perfect gpa’s and scores in the 99 percentile. They aren’t getting in, yet getting a scholarship. Not saying it isn’t possible, just keeping it real. Every year a zillion kids are stunned they don’t get accepted or get money, etc. Be informed, understand that these days at USC, less than 2% of those applying get a scholarship of any amount. Look at the big picture - see all the facts. Apply accordingly.
@ISawKanyeLive
USC offers the big merit scholarships to students who have the stats to be accepted at HYPS, etc- in other words, the top colleges in the US.
If your stats are not tippy top- i.e good enough for those U’s , then I suggest you spread a MUCH wider net in applying to colleges. Look for those who DO give merit scholarships to students with your st
If you still want to apply to USC, your strategy should be to apply to the college where you have the greatest chance of acceptance - Journalism.
Stop thinking you can slide into Thorton after you get into USC.
that is magical thinking and wont get you anywhere…
@blueskies2day’s post tells it like it is…
“If ACTs aren’t stellar, there will be no merit scholarship of any kind.”
This is usually true, but not necessarily with arts schools like Thornton, SCA, SDA, or Kaufman. I’m not sure how exactly Thornton evaluates its applications (especially for Music Industry, which is definitely more business than art), but for many of the arts schools overall, there is a heavy focus on the supplement. When I interviewed with SCA, my interviewer had only seen my supplement, and had no idea what my SAT score was.
HOWEVER, I will say that while the few Thornton merit scholars I know might not have had stellar SAT/ACTs, they are world-class musicians who have won international competitions.
@LayraSparks I totally agree with you, I was answering the question for the OP who is not an art/performance major of any kind. In their case, scores will matter for a merit scholarship, particularly without extraordinary ECs.
I think if we’re assuming Thornton has 10 full scholarships, you’re not competing with a full 65k other students for those. You’re competing with the other applicants for Thornton. So, the odds are really steep, but not as impossible as @menloparkmom was suggesting.
USC is also a Stamps-associated school–pretty sure Stamps and Mork scholarships are not awarded by school, although more selective, since you are competing against the other students for those.
"USC is also a Stamps-associated school–pretty sure Stamps and Mork scholarships are not awarded by school although more selective, since you are competing against the other students for those.
MORE Selective? that’s an understatement…
They are awarded to ONLY the most incredible applicants to USC .Regardless of the college they apply to.
.There are only 6 Stamps and 10 Mork scholarships given out at USC- a University that receives over 65000 applicants.
You want to talk really, really steep odds? 16 out of 65000= 0.00024% chance of being offered on of the most prestigious scholarships offered not just at USC,but in the nation.
Racingfan53
How old are you? Do you go to USC? Have you followed how competitive admission has become at USC in the past 10 years? I have. Which is why I am trying to instill some sense of reality, instead of blind wishful thinking , into the OP’s application plans.
Giving false hope to someone about their chances of acceptance at a University that is a reach for everyone these days does them no favor.
@menloparkmom I’m a junior in high school and USC hopeful. 2 of the graduating seniors at my school (class of 25) are attending USC in the fall. A girl from my choir outside of school is attending Thornton in the fall–she is far more talented than I am.
I don’t think OP exhibited at any point blind wishful thinking. I think they were asking a legitimate question to try to get to know the process at USC a little better, and I was interested in the answer to their question as well. Thanks for your answers and your insight.
I don’t think numbers reflect exactly what the situation is at any university though. Of course, I am a high school student, so my understanding of the process might be limited. However my older sister was awarded the Trustee scholarship less than five years back (Dornsife) with very high test scores and GPA, but lackluster ECs by many standards. She was also rejected from Stanford. I think that different schools are going to vary widely when it comes to what they look for in an applicant. For example, I have a friend who got in to Stanford but was waitlisted at Kenyon College. Single-digit versus 25% acceptance rate. To everyone who encourages me to apply to an Ivy League I reply that “USC is my Ivy” because I think I might as well shoot my shot. I think OP should too.
@Racingfan53 ,
those who have not even applied to colleges are not in a position to give meaningfull advise to others.
Your DSisters’s admissions results at USC and Stanford are but one data point.
my DSon was also a Trustee scholar at USC, and was/is a talented musician and tip top scholar and was turned down by Stanford as well.
But his admissions history is totally irrelevant these days. As is your sisters.
Sorry to be harsh but I have been here on CC for 14 years. Students without exceptional STATS and/ or EC’s are highly unlikely to be accepted at USC these days.The OP has neither- only a “desire” to get into USC and into Thorton, without the EC’s, talent in music or the qualifications.
He really needs to find safety schools where he is likely to be accepted instead of being given false hope.