So here’s my situation. I was admitted to USC and was a finalist for the Presidential scholarship. However, I heard that an interview is required at an ExploreUSC event at the school to win the scholarship. Living overseas, it would be very difficult to travel to California for just two days for the interview.
So my questions are,
is it possible to do this interview online? If so, how would I do that?
if they do not offer interviews online, would that mean I can’t receive a scholarship? (Because to me that would seem really counterproductive on their part)
How many finalists actually win the scholarship awards? Do many get nothing even after being a finalist?
Thanks for reading this and I would appreciate any answers to these questions!!!
P.S. I have tried contacting them but I am still waiting for a response.
From what I’ve heard the interviews have to be in person. However, it’s worth it to go to the Explore session. All finalists receive some type of scholarship, from Director’s to the Mork Family. You must interview in order to receive the scholarship!
When you hear back from the admission office, please reply on this thread. I am also an international finalist for Presidential scholarship and was wondering the same thing.
Personally, unless USC was willing to pay for the trip, I would say it is absurd for them to make an in-person interview a requirement.
With all due respect, interest may have nothing to do with it if the total cost of the trip might be $5,000+. It seems to me that it just isn’t needed these days, with tools like Skype so readily available to most internationals. I would also be interested in what USC says when you ask.
But here in lies the problem, if they don’t “make” you come then how can they make anyone else come? Another kid that could fly two hours may find it just as difficult to pay for that flight. What someone can afford is relative. So then they have to do video for them too. Suddenly no one is coming to campus and they can’t do the big marketing job on campus to you and the parents that are there. And if they let you out of obligation, what about the person that is just too busy…etc. If you don’t set a standard that is the same for everyone, you have no standards.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand the cost, technology available, etc., but they have enough people that would sell their soul to get there without a scholarship, so why bother with someone who won’t make a flight happen when they are offering a ton of money to them?
First and foremost they are a business. They aren’t there to save the world.
I’ll be flying in from Central Europe, and the total cost will be about $2,000, airfare, transportation and hotel stay for one night included. Is it expensive? Yes! Is it worth it? Probably. After all, we’re interviewing for $100,000+ scholarships.
I agree that a Skype interview would be more feasible, but no, it is not the same as an in-person interview. Also, the interview makes up such a small part of Explore USC. You get too see the surroundings, tour the campus, meet students & faculty etc. You’ll actually get to find out whether USC is the right school for you, and USC will also get to find out if you’re seriously interested.
By the way, USC will reimburse airfare up to $200. It’s not a lot of money, but it’s more than nothing.
I’ll turn the argument down a different path. A lot of people apply for the scholarships because it is the only way they can afford USC. They may come from families where money is very tight. So they should be excluded from consideration for this scholarship because of the main reason they need it in the first place? Money isn’t the only issue anyway. Obviously there is a much bigger time away from school commitment for the international (not Canada or Mexico) students. I just think if you are going to open it up to international students you should be prepared to accommodate the possibility of certain hardships being more likely. And yes, I would make the same exception for domestic students that have money issues. Of course, in the case of USC I would open up the pocketbook more than $200. They can definitely afford it. That would solve most cases.
By the way, I just want to point out I’m certainly a US citizen and used to live there, I’m just studying abroad for now if that changes anything. So technically, I am not an international, I just applied from overseas.
Either way, people think a university is there to give them everything they don’t have. USC gives a ton of big scholarships, then people want more. Society has gotten ridiculous with the need for handouts. They aren’t there to fund the world whether in the states or abroad. They could fill the school three times over with people that would interview and/or full pay people, they don’t have to give anything away. So if you are up for a scholarship be grateful, but if it doesn’t work for you, then move on. Do know however, that there is no guarantee for anyone interviewing. Anyone up for a Presidential or Trustee may just get a Director’s for 4k. On cc you only read about the ones that get the big ones because they love to post about it obviously, the ones that interview and don’t get the big scholarship, don’t come back and post.
@blueskies2day I don’t think anyone is asking for a “handout”. I don’t think USC is there to give me everything I don’t have. I just wanted to know if there were other options for earning the scholarship that they themselves said I deserve. Of course, USC wasn’t obligated to award it to me, but I think if they officially offer it to someone they should find a way to make it possible to at least pursue it with the same ability as everyone else they offer it to. Why even offer the scholarship interview to an international without even confirmation they can attend, when admittedly there are people who are more able and equally-deserving and in need of the award? Honestly, I would rather not even be offered this merit-based scholarship if there is no chance I could actually earn it because of my inability to fly to the states to attend a 20-minute interview due to financial reasons, which USC was attempting to help with their offer in the first place.
Okay that’s true. Thanks for the enlightenment on the subject, I’ve learned a lot from what we’ve discussed. Anyway, I’ll let you guys know what USC has to say about it. Thanks for the help guys. If anyone has anymore info on the topic feel free to post
Merit based grants are gifts. The competition to receive them has rules and one of them is an in-person interview. This is stated on their website, so it shouldn’t be a shock, but sometimes a student doesn’t read it clearly or realize they mean what they say with no exceptions. The Explore interview–in person–is just one of the requirements in a highly selective process and since these scholarships (usually worth from $100K - $200K) are NOT based on financial need, the travel costs are the responsibility of the applicant. If a student has USC as their top choice, the prospect of earning $100K + towards tuition is often worth the expense of travel to USC. Attending a private university in the US is indeed expensive–too expensive for many. For students (international) who cannot afford to travel to USC for Explore, how will they manage costs for attending college in the US, where they will have to pay for housing, food, and travel above and beyond a full-tuition merit award?
Okay I understand, so I have to travel to get this award. Based on this, it is unlikely I’ll be getting anything offered by USC, besides financial aid. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity, but personally I wish they hadn’t given what seems to me as false hope. Anyway thanks again for the help.
