MERIT PACKAGES - What? When? How?

Interview are usually later February/early March. USC notifies students of the merit scholarship they have been awarded at the end of March via regular mail envelope.

Decisions are based on the interview, so some students will receive the scholarship they interviewed for, while others will not. The guesstimate posted before is that about 2/3 get the prize they are interviewed for. A small number of Presidential interviewees are moved up to Trustee level, some Trustee interviewees may be awarded the Presidential. There have been instances where the Trustee and Presidential candidates get the Dean’s or other scholarships. While a candidate may go up or down in terms of award, a student does get something and does not leave empty handed from past reports.

If you miss the interview do you get nothing or just 1/4 but still accepted?

@Just4Years , just to clarify, I was not suggesting checking the mail for five days. I agree that would be cruel. Only was following up on the point made by another poster that sometimes the USPS is not reliable (either takes longer than the 2 or 3 days that the USPS site suggests) and that in some cases, they do make mistakes (lose them, deliver to the wrong address) so one might not give up hope if nothing comes in the first couple days. Absolutely agree with @CADREAMIN that the best and possibly least stressful thing to do is to simply check the portal 3 days after the first letters are sent out. Others may “enjoy” the process of checking on this thread, as others mentioned, or the other one which I think is USC Class of 2022, to see when the boxes are being delivered to various states around the country. Good luck to everyone.

I was referring to people that interview leaving with something. I really don’t know what happens if someone misses the interview - think it depends on situation - is it financially unfeasible or do they just not apply for it because they aren’t that interested? Not everyone can make the trip for whatever reason, maybe someone that dealt with that situation can chime in. I know if someone is willing to give you 100K, there is logically some necessity to get there to show interest.

Is the interview weekend usually the first weekend in March? When was it last year? Is there only one weekend option to interview for Presidential or Trustee?

It looks like there are several dates to choose from:
http://explorehost.usc.edu/agenda1.html

@ShrimpBurrito, thanks for posting that. Wow, that first Explore weekend is President’s Day weekend with dates of Feb 15/16. Would make it convenient for out of state students to have that following Monday off…Could also be lucky with Chinese New Year being on Friday!

Having the first potential interview dates in the middle of February makes me think the scholarship letters will be mailed either tomorrow or Monday, January 22. Last year was January 23. If they waited to mail them on Friday, January 26 (something they typically have not done the last Friday of January) that would seem very late. I’m hoping tomorrow, fingers crossed!

@ShrimpBurrito Thanks for posting! I am really nervous for this one. I think if S18 could get the full tuition, he will wind up at USC. But not sure he will want the loans 1/2 tuition would cost him. (He’s virtual lock for NMF, so we are lucky there.) Ugh, so stressful. He doesn’t pay attention, so he doesn’t know this is so close to happening.

@Nomorelurker I only wish we had any of those days off. Our district doesn’t get President’s day; heck, he didn’t even get MLK day off. But we just will absolutely make it work one way or another if he is lucky enough to get an invite. But yeah, I’m assuming by this time next week, we will all have heard something unless they plan the first weekend to be all more local people.

Same situation at our house, @Booajo; full tuition at USC would be really hard for D to turn down. Half tuition would be workable, but probably not the best value available to D.

D couldn’t go to any of the first three time slots, as state swim championships are from mid to late Feb, and she cannot miss it! We would make it work for one of the later times, though. The stakes are too high to not fly her out there should she be invited.

And I agree; with the first event in mid-Feb, those boxes must be going out soon!

Does usc give merit scholarships by major or School? For example, would they give a merit scholarship to someone that applied to a less popular major over someone that applied to a really popular one?

Each school has a certain amount, not necessarily major.

Just a reminder that the link to the explore program was the schedule for the current USC students who want to act as overnight hosts. For the students invited to interview (and their parents), the program starts earlier in the day (possibly around noon) and ends after lunch the second day.

Thanks for that link @ShrimpBurrito . I had the same question. I have 2 S18 that will be in the running. They have a band performance out of state in early March. So, no conflict if they get an invite.

If you check the USC portal, it says "youSC will be unavailable Sunday, January 21st, 2018, from 12:00 AM – 6:00 AM Pacific Time for scheduled maintenance. " I wonder if that’s the time they’ll upload the scholarship results?

Some of the threads from past years indicated that certain explore dates were reserved for trustee candidates and other dates were for presidential. Is that still the case?

I’m excited that the dates are earlier than I had thought. Somewhere I thought I saw they did these interviews in late March. I just want to get it over with, for all of us!

How many people actually get invited to an interview? It seems like a lot of people on this thread think they will get the offer. I’m just curious because some of these people seem very confident

@Ploince USC says that 800 to 1200 people are invited to interview. Sounds like a lot, but less than 5% of applicants will get an interview, depending on how many meet the scholarship application deadline.

I submitted my application on December 1 with the intention of potentially getting merit aid. Was I considered? or did it have to be before dec 1??

If submitted on the 1st it is ok.