Anyone going to Explore USC on February 29th?
I am @glasshours
Tips for those going to USC Explore to interview for Trustee/Presidential Scholarships: business dress, bring copies of resume [not required but helpful], review your application essays because they will ask you about them, be prepared to explain WHY USC.
@sd2016 There is absolutely no reason for USC to hold NMSF status against an applicant. They offer the NMF Presidential scholarship because they choose to as a recruitment tool. They advertise how many NMF choose USC. They could easily make it a competitive scholarship where not every NMF received it, but they choose not to. My guess why the numbers are the way they are is that many of these kids choose top 20 schools or full ride guaranteed offers. Or didn’t get into USC because they applied to difficult schools or the rest of their application wasn’t what USC was looking for.
Please remember that NMSF and F status is a TINY portion of the application. It is really just how the student did on the PSAT relative to their state cutoff. Many states have hard cutoffs while others have much easier ones. Overall, it isn’t very meaningful because of that. It is somewhat surprising that schools even care IMHO.
Hey everyone!
I saw a couple days ago that I was accepted (which I’m ecstatic about!!), and I was curious about visiting USC. Does anyone know if they offer travel waivers to attend an admitted students day if you have financial need? My brother had his travel costs covered by the colleges he was accepted to when he visited, but he didn’t apply to USC so I’m not sure if they do the same thing. Thanks! 
@madbean , this is very helpful – thank you. My son is looking to be a NMF, and he was invited to interview for the Presidential Scholarship. But we are unsure if he will attend Explore USC for the very reason that the Presidential and NMF Presidential are the same amount and our finances (for his travel) are very tight. Does it make sense to you that he would bow out of Explore USC, or am I missing something?
There is the possibility of being bumped up from the Presidential scholarship to a greater one.
Thanks @camomof3, I do agree that NMF status is not terribly meaningful, it just struck me that their numbers seemed very small. I have since researched online and see that 200+ is not an unusual number and that there are many NMFs at schools that do not offer any kind of NMF-specific scholarship. It was just a thought, I’m admittedly anxious right now and worrying about any little thing!
@momofACC If he is already offered acceptance, I would just pass up on the Presidential Scholarship interview in that he’s already in the school, so given that he matriculates, he’s going to get 1/2 tuition regardless. I believe that no more rejection letters for NMF will be sent out so he will likely be a NMF. That way, you don’t need to pay for his travels and have that money go to waste in the event that he doesn’t choose USC later on.
Do you have any information (or even just a general guess) of how often this bumping-up happens?
@momofACC There’s no statistics around, but it’s said that “some” Presidential nominees will be bumped up to Trustee/Mork, given that they have incredible stats and completely rocked the interview. Depending on how your son feels about USC and if he loves it with a burning passion and can convey that to the school, there is a chance that he can be bumped up. If the travel costs aren’t too high then he should give it a shot! Or, you could just stick with the 1/2 tuition and save the travel fare
@sd2016 you ask a good question re: does USC limit the number of NMFs they admit. Every year this question is raised and the answer is really not known. Officially, USC will answer they do NOT discriminate against NMFs and will point out that would be counter-productive to their intention to woo NMFs as this improves the class! I don’t always think USC is exactly forthcoming in explaining the ins and outs of filling their institutional needs, but in this instance I do take them at their word. Here’s why:
- USC is not notified officially that any particular applicant is NMF until AFTER that student officially lists USC as their first choice school. So there is no conclusive way for USC know who's NMF before admission decisions are made.
- USC really does feel having a large number of NMF increases their overall prestige and raises the level of work done at the university.
- But they do not accept students simply because they have received NMF, because NMF in itself is the result of great test results on one test on one day during junior year in HS. Depending on your state, the bar is lower or higher, too. And while that high score is often a true indication of scholastic merit and achievement, USC does not make admission decisions based on any one aspect of the application. Here are some things that may not be in a particular NMF's favor:
–lopsided testing vs. gpa: Some NMF students have less stellar grades and that may raise a red flag to the adcom that this is a very smart, great test-taker who may not have the interest or dedication to buckle down and do the work required in all his classes (not just his area of interest) to get great grades. Or they do the work, but don’t take the most challenging curriculum. So students with disparate test scores/gpas should explain their learning differences, or their difficult family issues, or their need to work, or why exactly their grades do not match the expectation of their test scores in one of their essays. The adcom (all selective universities do this, btw) is trying to figure out what really is going on with each applicant, and they have admitted high testing, low(ish) grade students in the past who simply do not want to work hard and don’t cut it. USC loves having a huge number of NMFs, but they love having a high percentage of students who graduate in 4 / 6 years even more.
–acting like USC isn’t your top choice: Sometimes the issue that produces a rejected NMF applicant is red-flag essays. The way to really alienate an adcom is to make it quite clear you do not want to attend USC in your essays. It seems ridiculous, but some students submit essays that state clearly they want to go to school in the Northeast, or mention they didn’t visit USC so can’t really answer they Why USC essay prompt (hello–look it up on the web!), or give any indication they haven’t paid much attention to this application, like leaving out supplemental requests.
–writing a generic essay that gives Admissions no real idea who the student really is, or worse–reveals undesirable characteristics: Some write essays that reveal biases or anti-social behavior. Some copy old essays out of books and change a few words, details. Some have been told their grammatically correct, 3 para structure essay is “perfect” by English teacher advisors, but there is not a whiff of the real kid and their personality on the page. Even very smart kids may get tired of writing all the essays for 20 college apps and they would tend to put off the schools they are least interested in and dash off the special essays asked for.
So when we hear on CC about an NMF who was not admitted to USC, or a student who scored a perfect 2400 SAT (it does happen–although not a lot), we can’t know how much attention they paid to their app to begin with. And some of USC’s schools (like SCA, SDA, Thornton, Roski, etc) do not care about NMF at all. At all. They make sure their admits show (by gpa, stats) they can do the rigorous college work but beyond that threshold, the portfolio, audition, or supplement is really the only thing that will make a student stand out.
Anecdote to this: A very cool SCA applicant we know (NMF) was admitted to USC, but not in SCA–as undeclared in Dornsife. He had to decide if he felt he could manage an internal transfer to SCA (not easy but possible) or if taking the scholarship at USC was too much of a risk. Ultimately, he attended USC in great part because of the NMF guaranteed 1/2 tuition. Good ending to the story–he changed his major to SCA successfully. Another anecdote: We know another young man who applied to SCA (NMF) and was admitted to SCA–but as a Spring Admit. This was troubling on a whole different plane. But in each case, I don’t think their NMF had anything to do with admissions decisions. SCA has very limited spaces, so great student (whether NMF or not) may still be selected by the USC Admissions office just because they think he/she would be a great fit at USC. However, if that student wrote in their essays or supplements that they would only attend USC as an SCA student, it’s likely the main adcom would figure they won’t come anyway and send out the rejection.
Finally, once all the admissions decisions are mailed, it is quite surprising to me still just how many of the top stat (and NMF) kids do not end up matriculating to USC. If t they get into an ivy, well—there they go! I’m positive that after all these decades, USC understands the yield variables. The fact that their application numbers have exploded is because highly qualified applicants are now applying to 12-25 universities. The common app makes it easy for USC to get checked off on a box, and the lure of a full-tuition Trustee scholarship may make a nice prize, so is worthy of sending out an app. But I wonder if it translates into more students actually taking USC up on the offer. As I post again and again, this award (like the competitive Trustee and Presidential and Deans) is most effective in persuading the middle income family.
For years and years, we’ve observed high-achieving students (and parents, too) worrying and feeling under-appreciated about not getting into the scholarship finals or (really scary) the scary possibility of not being admitted to USC at all! After 4 years of hard work and excellent results in HS, this long drawn out process of applications plus the uncertainty that any “good” college will admit them is intense. In time, nearly everyone gets into really fine schools (including USC) and settles down. However, when nerves are at their most frayed (like now), it’s natural to feel the big impersonal university has a secret agenda. No one who posts on CC is on the inside, so it’s all conjecture at this point. But we have no control over many of the vagaries and variables. It’s safest to have a little hope, but stay realistic. Have good safeties and get excited over all your acceptances. In April, you can look at your choices and their costs. Right now, hang on for the rest of the ride.
Some of the individual schools at SC such as Marshall, Dornsife, Viterbi and Annenberg have smaller scholarships awarded by the school or alumni. These can range between $3000 to $5000. These MAY be given in addition to the NMScholarships, depending on funds available at each school.
Many local scholarships have later deadlines. Check with counselors or online for scholarships/ grants from organizations such as Optimist Club, Kiwanis, Elks, Panhellenic,American Legion, VFW, Rotary and Junior League. Other sources may be religious, business, unions and political groups.
A few years ago, after my son interviewed for and won the presidential, he was awarded a $4,000 University Scholarship and a $15,000 Rath Merit Scholarship from Marshall. Needless to say, a good interview proved very advantageous.
@madbean Thanks very much for your thoughts. You are a very calm, reasonable voice in the face of all the uncertainty and yes, the frayed nerves that I will readily admit to. And I agree, I think for the really selective schools at USC, NMF matters not at all. So, I figured it wasn’t going to really impact my S one way or the other since he applied to SCA. His gpa/test scores are right at their admitted averages and his EC’s and all are pretty good, so I think he will pass that hurdle with no trouble as long as the SCA people want him. So, yes, fingers crossed, trying to hold on for another two months or so. And of course, I’m not objective in the least so I think they should have offered him one of the big scholarships because he’s one great kid! Anyway, thanks again for your thoughtful response.
Hey guys, I was hoping to find someone who may be able to give me an idea about my chances of being accepted! Can anyone help me?
Hey guys Im a finalist for a presidential scholarship. Do you guys how many people they invite and how many people eventually get the scholarship? In other words, how competitive is it really? I really really wanted to go to USC, but that could only happen with the scholarship.
they invite approx 2 times the # that end up actually receiving the scholarships .There are no stats on how many are notified that they are awarded a scholarship, but then decide to enroll elsewhere.
I just received the housing email, and it reads “Admitted students are eligible to apply, even if you have not sent in your $300 enrollment deposit.”
Does this mean I should apply for housing, even if there’s a chance I may not attend USC…?
Also, are all scholarship recipients (including NMFs) guaranteed a spot in Birnkrant?
yes and yes which is why you should grab a place NOW.