<p>So. My mother just called USC because our mail service has not been great recently with all the snow, and she has other travel plans she needs to make for around the same time as the interviews. This plan, for some reason, didn't backfire, and she and the admissions guy she was talking to (not my regional rep) got along famously.</p>
<p>Anyways, I've been on the "preliminary" status for a week or so now, and haven't received anything (including the "sorry, we're not considering you for trustee/presidential" letter). My stats are pretty good, especially my ACT score (33), which is technically in the 99th percentile.</p>
<p>I have not been offered an early admit or an invitation to the Explore/interview program. I am not eligible for one of those Trustee or Presidential scholarships. However (and this is the part that I don't completely understand), if I am accepted (and the admissions guy thinks I will be) and attend USC, I will most likely receive a Presidential scholarship anyways. I guess it's the same thing as the Presidential scholarships for the NMFs (which I am not, I did much more poorly junior year than senior year on my PSATs). I should also apparently hear back in early March?</p>
<p>I hope this information can help other people who are in a similar boat to mine. :)</p>
<p>basic stats:
Applied to School of Theatre for BA Theatre
SAT: 2110 (690 M, 740 CR, 680 W)
ACT: 33
SAT II: 740 French (w/o listening), 710 Lit, 690 Math IIC
GPA: 3.7 uw, 4.03 w
IB Diploma, 2 AP classes, 4 AP scores (4 US Gov, 4 US History, 3 BC Calc, 4 AB Calc)
V strong ECs, good letters of recommendation, good essays
small, suburban public school, sends many grads to top schools
white female
no hook other than that I talked a LOT about theatre in my application.</p>
<p>That is so weird. But it gives me hope since I too have not gotten the letter, yet have decent stats (high gpa, avg test scores), and am on preliminary status. I just wish they would send decisions soon.</p>
<p>I am in the same boat with you, wisdomsomehow, just in the fact that I’ve received nothing so far. I’ve emailed them and have been checking my mail every day :(</p>
<p>wisdom,
This year about 20,000 students applied early for consideration for merit scholarships. SC has invited roughly 1000+ to campus for interviews. These will be interviewed for the top scholarships, Trustee and Presidential.</p>
<p>It is difficult to choose students when nearly every one of the 20,000 has high scores, AP classes, great EC’s and a compelling essay. Unfortunately, not all of these highly qualified students can be invited to the interview.</p>
<p>The USC School of Theatre is highly selective. A theatre student has that rare quality----talent. You should be proud to have the opportunity, if admitted, to be a part of that great tradition. It has produced Tony, Emmy and Academy Award winners year after year.
Perhap there are scholarships available only to students in that particular school. </p>
<p>Remember if your family qualifies, the financial aid packages will be sent later on in the year.</p>
<p>I applied to USC Viterbi school of engineering and I didn’t get ANY letter from USC other than the letter telling me to apply for financial aid.</p>
<p>Oddly enough, I live in socal region and all my friends who applied got their letters regarding scholarship information.</p>
<p>I applied undecided to CLAS and haven’t received the “no scholarship letter” but I received the financial aid letter with the brochure on I think saturday. I live in NY so i’ll wait another couple of days but if I don’t receive a letter by friday I’m assuming I wont receive it either.</p>
<p>I haven’t gotten it but my friends from my school have! I’m hoping it’s a good sign. It could be because I already submitted grades though… i dont know.</p>
<p>Oh no, I’m not really upset that I wasn’t invited to interview, though it would have been nice, I’m not gonna lie. </p>
<p>I really hope I get into USC and the theatre program. I feel like my interview went well, so hopefully that’s a good sign!</p>
<p>My family will probably qualify for some aid, but our EFC is ridiculously high. Grr. </p>
<p>Anyways, sorry I forgot to clarify this, but apparently I would be eligible for the Presidential the same way NMF kids are because of my ACT score. I guess it’s high enough to equate to a(n) NMF score? I don’t know. </p>
<p>I just hope I get in, and it would be even more awesome if I also got some merit aid!</p>
<p>Hmm… don’t think so on the ACT score. My son (who’s now a freshman) had 34 ACT, higher GPA, more APs but no IB. Anyone else ever hear of USC having an ACT version of the NMF award?</p>
<p>Hope it works out for you. Keep us up to date!</p>
<p>Never heard of it. That would be something new. You’ll have to let us know if that pans out. I’m very surprised that admission guy told your mom all that. Very unusual.</p>
<p>My status was stuck on preliminary for about a week and I didn’t get the “paying for college” letter until today. I still have not gotten the “no scholarship” letter. My friend who lives in the same town as me, however, got the “no scholarship” letter last week.</p>
<p>wisdom, you are a wonderful applicant for USC with great prospects for admission, but like the others who have been around here for a while, I have never heard of a NMF-like scholarship based on ACT scores.</p>
<p>Perhaps your mother misunderstood the conversation. Could person she talked to have been saying that some students receive more than the amount of a Presidential scholarship in need-based grants and that you should apply for financial aid?</p>
<p>no, I had her explain it to me a couple times. The way I understand it is that someone (whoever’s in charge of merit scholarships, so the admissions committee I guess?) looks at the profiles of all committed incoming freshmen and then assign Presidential scholarships based on certain stats, like being NMF, or high enough ACT scores, I guess. </p>
<p>This knowledge surprised me as much as anyone else, I’m sure. I hope it pans out!</p>
<p>My mom and the admissions guy got along really well. My mom’s pretty friendly/chatty and she and the guy have a lot in common, I guess.</p>
<p>I would be very surprised to learn if USC does award high ACT scores Presidential merit awards because I would think it would become rather publicized if they did. My S had a 35 ACT and was not told he’d get a Presidential if he attended; he only got his Presidential because he was a NMF. Who knows, perhaps things have changed?</p>
<p>^^ Those Pres scholarships require candidates to attend Explore and interview but OP was talking about non-interview Presidential (like the NMF) so we’re curious. I don’t recall such awards posted on CC before. Perhaps, though, the Associate scholarship is this sort of thing.</p>
<p>We’re all hoping for good news for OP no matter.</p>
<p>There are many merit awards that do not require an interview, only the Presidential (non NMF) & Trustee require the interview. I’d say that there are many with a good chance of some merit funding.</p>