Tips, Insights, Observations and Scoop on USC's top merit scholarships

Congratulations @ykk1203 How exciting! Be prepared to be enthusiastic about what you can accomplish at the school, what you would like to participate in (be familiar with the academic opportunities, clubs, leadership, etc that you can learn about on the website) and what your aspirations are-tell how usc can help you achieve your goals. Be prepared to tell more about your application and even your quick takes (what your dream job is, etc.) My daughter was bumped up to Trustee from her Presidential interview and she loves every minute of being a Trojan! Good luck!

I agree completely. Enthusiasm about your future in general and usc in particular is vital. Bring resume. The panel of interviewers will have copy of your application, including essays. So prepare to discuss what you wrote. My ds did not get bumped up from presidential to trustee but soon after interview he was offered a univ scholarship and a generous scholarship from the business school, in addition to presidential. So what happens in that room can be a very big deal. I also encourage parents to attend Explore Usc event for scholarship candidates. Fun evening for parents while kids stay overnight with students. Be prepared to be hugely impressed with USC.

Thank you for your advice!

@ykk1203 Hi! It seems letters have already started coming out and I am very anxious since I also live around the LA area. If you donā€™t mind, would you share your school stats with me? I hope this question isnā€™t rude. Iā€™m just so nervous!

There is a thread for all the stats about three below this one. It is good to look at other threads on the forum when you are new to it, lots of good info here!

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/1732517-fall-2015-class-of-2019-usc-decisions-stats-only-thread.html#latest

@Lshl02 you can check my stat thru the link @CADREAMIN posted above

Are some students awarded scholarships outright and without interviews, or are all finalists with invitations to interview?

I got accepted with no scholarship info, does that mean I got the deanā€™s?

@jmek15
All top scholarships (Stamps, Mork, Trustee, Presidential) require an interview with the exception of NMF Presidential. Smaller scholarships like Deanā€™s or Directorā€™s may be awarded later.

Wait, are people notified separately now from the Trustee candidates in Jan if they are Stamps or Mork candidates? Or are all Trustee candidates ALSO Stamps/Mork candidates?

@bioninjaā€Œ
Stamps and Mork scholars are chosen from the Trustee and Presidential pool of finalists. I was notified in early April that I was in the running for a Stamps scholarship. I then had to interview once again before I received the scholarship-- Iā€™m not entirely familiar with the process of selecting a Mork scholar, but itā€™s also a highly specialized process. Iā€™d be happy to answer any more questions you might have about the interview process!

It seems that the portal is updated, too.

I was accepted to USC but I did not get info about interviewing for a scholarship so I am assuming that I will receive the Deansā€™s Scholarship. Would that stack with a national merit scholarship from USC?

Sorry, the larger scholarships donā€™t stack! (Deanā€™s does count as one of the larger ones)

SCHOLARSHIP RESULTS ARE POSTED NOW!
My twins both got Trustee! WOW! WOW! ā€¦ Best day of our lives so far! WE LOVE USC!!! FIGHT ON!

Does anyone know if the Viterbi fellowship thing is announced separately or with the scholarship decision on the portal?

Congratulations learn2019. Thatā€™s amazing. My son is a freshman and itā€™s been the most exciting year of his life. We love USC too!!!

GOT IT! I guess I know where Iā€™ll be next year. Iā€™ve got some 7 more decisions coming out and I couldnā€™t care less about either of them. I think its finally over.

Probably a dumb questionā€¦are there any scholarships for those who did not get notified back in Jan? I know the big scholarships required and interview and are now being announced. My questions if for still hopeful applicants are there smaller scholarships they might get that are not ā€œneed basedā€?

@RALdad There is a shot to get a Deans scholarship, but those are usually reserved for those who were invited for the big scholarships and got nothing. If youā€™re kids upper middle class like me with no merit aid, you can forget about USC lol. I have.