My daughter was accepted early decision nov 8. USC has been her first choice for as long as I can remember. Yesterday we received a letter saying she will receive a merit scholarship but we won’t know which one until mid March via USPS. We are thrilled, but I was wondering has anyone else received this letter now before mid March? She is very qualified for a scholarship, it just caught us off guard because everywhere I have read says notification will come out in mid March.
The mid March letter gives you all the official details, including specific scholarship (other than Leiber) and money amounts. Your letter is not unusual. USC probably wants to be sure highly qualified students like your D are keeping them in mind.
Thank you so much for your response, that makes sense.
My S received the same letter. Many times they say that you will receive " at least X amount".
My daughter received her acceptance letter to USC in December along with the in state tuition plus a bit more offer. She hasn’t heard yet from the Honors College. Does this letter mean she is likely to get accepted to the Honors College or not? She has a 30 ACT with 31 superscore and a 4.3 GPA, also a classically trained ballet dancer for what it’s worth!
I’m pretty sure that scholarship awards are totally separate from Honors College acceptances. Certainly many students who are not in the HC (some of whom did not even apply to the HC) receive merit awards and are given an " at least" figure soon after acceptance to the University.
Thanks for the info! That makes sense! We will just wait a bit more like everyone else!
@Georgia52, I hope your daughter gets happy results. It’s hard to wait, but she already knows that she’s accepted to the university, and she’ll know about Honors well before a lot of her friends even find out where they’ve been admitted.
My son received his acceptance letter back in Nov. Did not apply to the HC (with an ACT score of 29 did not think he could get in). His acceptance letter did not mention a scholarship but in Jan he did receive a letter stating that he does qualify for merit aid and will be notified in March. Anyone else in the same boat?
If scholarships are being handled the way they were 2 years ago when my daughter applied, we will all be notified in March. It is all given out at the same time. The only thing people have received so far are letters saying they would receive “at least” X amount.
Yes my D also received her acceptance back in begining of November. She also received a letter in January saying she is getting a Merit scholarship and would be notified in March as to which one she is receiving.
Thanks for the info@SALSRL our letter didn’t say an at least amount… Just that she will be receiving a merit scholarship. We are OOS so I am assuming whichever they feels she qualifies for. Just waiting anxiously.
You may have seen this already, but here’s the link to descriptions of OOS merit awards and what the stats typically are for each one: http://www.sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/undergraduate_admissions/tuition_scholarships/scholarships/nonresidents/index.php.
You’ll know for sure in a few weeks, but this might be helpful in the meantime.
Thank you I have seen it… We are waiting anxiously!
What happens if your SAT is 1460/ACT 33 but your gpa is 4.30?
@TechITnow The amounts shown are based on what the prior year’s class received and are just an estimate. Each year, scholarships are given out based on the current pool of admitted students. If you are on the cusp, it can go either way.
@SALSRL What I meant is in case the SAT/ACT is above the cut-off (whatever it turns out to be for this year) but the GPA is below the cut-off…which way would the school lean? Probably to the lower award…and if EC/or other talents are given any weight?
@TechITnow Depends on the year. The numbers are just averages. I believe they only look at the numbers and not EC’s or talents. Go to the website and search “Money Matters” . The PDF gives you all of the details for merit money.
Is the school recalculating GPA’s? My daughter will likely apply next year. She has a solid GPA that puts her in the top 2 percent of her class and may climb into top 1 percent after spring semester. No one at her school has a 4.8…it isn’t mathematically possible.
^ I understand that they do, at least for OOS (instate SC has uniform grading scale that can go above 5.0 for AP/IB) but I don’t know if specifics are on website. I would call and ask an admissions counselor about how it works so that you will have an idea for when you apply next year.