<p>I always hear people saying that what USC really want is just money,
as long as you got money you'll get in.</p>
<p>So is it true that not applying for financial aid gives you a greater chance of getting in??</p>
<p>That is SO NOT true.</p>
<p>it’s partially true. if you’re waitlisted and not applying for financial aid, USC would definitely take the $50000 a year over someone who is applying. I also live in a very wealthy area of SoCal in which USC represents highly. There hasn’t been a single day where I haven’t seen someone driving with “USC” somewhere on their car in this area. so yeah, I think there is a preference, not a big one though</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m pretty sure it can help your chances in the end. But hopefully not too big a deciding factor…</p>
<p>This is a just a random story that I heard from one of my friends…she said this kid at another rich prep school had gotten rejected from Harvard, and he sent back the rejection letter with the first year’s full tuition, and they accepted him.</p>
<p>Okay, hopefully that was a crazy rumor ;)</p>
<p>USC does say that it is need-blind in its admissions process, so ability to pay is not considered.</p>
<p>luckygirl1791-</p>
<p>I think one benefit of these forums is you learn to discern truth. Think about your random story for one more minute and see if you really think that is possible. Then, don’t ever assume stories like that are anything but a crazy rumor.</p>
<p>It is logical that USC or just about any high ranked school is need-blind. In this competitive world, many schools depend on high rankings to keep their applicant numbers up. This enables them to pick the cream of the crop. Harvard now offers free tuition for families earning less than $60,000.
[The</a> Harvard Crimson :: News :: Harvard: Free Tuition for Families Earning Under $60K](<a href=“http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=512382]The”>http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=512382)
In Harvard’s case, they are very dependent on their endowment. They certainly do not care about tuition money when it comes to admissions and their rankings.</p>
<p>USC has great merit scholarship programs which allows high ranking students to attend when they otherwise might not be able to afford it. They WANT the top students, not just those who can pay.</p>
<p>Can you imagine if USC, Harvard, or any other Ivy granted admittance to anyone who just sent them a check? (Nice how I group USC with Ivies, huh!) </p>
<p>I wouldn’t mind hearing a logical argument from the other side if anyone has one!</p>