Should I wait to apply?

Hey everyone, I’m interested in applying to USC through QB RD if I don’t get matched (not expecting to). I did not rank them for the match. Their scholarship deadline is Dec 1 (Match Day) and I was wondering if it would be a good idea to miss the scholarship deadline to make sure that my supplements and personal essay are good enough to be admitted.

On one hand, I need the merit scholarship money. On the other hand, I need to make sure that I can even get into the school lol. On top of that, getting the scholarship is another battle.

On QB’s and USC’s website it says that they meet 100% demonstrated financial need. I used their NPC and my estimated net price is 10,000. Is USC worth being 40k in debt? Will my net price be lower since I’m applying through QB?

Basically what I’m asking is should I apply on Dec 1 with weaker supplements for the chance at a scholarship or should I submit on their January date with stronger supplements and hope their financial aid is generous enough that I don’t get into a lot of debt?

Hopefully I get matched on Friday so I don’t even have to worry about this.

In regards to whether or not USC is worth 40k in debt: what major are you looking at? Is the average starting salary of your career capable of managing this? Are you interested in USC because it excels in your prospective area of study, or are you basing your interest purely on name recognition?

There are a lot of factors to consider here.