is the decision only mailed to US citizens? What about International students? Will we know our decisions only on the 26th through the portal?
Question: can spring admits defer acceptance for one semester, or only for one year? I was under the impression that you can only defer for one full academic year.
Posting this one more time…Good luck everyone!
Look for packets to go out Tuesday rather than Wednesday (the day they have posted on their FB page). I think they are padding a day for potential technical issues, etc. Of course, no one complains when they are earlier than stated. Also, for the last several years they have gone out on a Tuesday — they will post a picture of the packets in the post office bins when they are leaving USC on the Admissions facebook page. This is what to look for and someone will post on cc the second it happens. Then you are off to the races!
Here’s the summary of what to look for and when:
ACCEPTANCE PACKAGES/REJECTION LETTERS
If they get out Tuesday as anticipated, they will start arriving on Wednesday, March 23, Thursday the 24th, and Friday, the 25th, and portal will be updated at 12:10 am on the 25th (late Thursday night, early Friday morning).
They mail rejections and acceptances at the same time. However, large colorful acceptance envelopes are sent priority mail (faster), while rejections are thin white letter size envelopes sent regular first class mail (slower), and start arriving a day after acceptances. Rejections would start arriving a day after acceptances arrive by area.
PER THE POST OFFICE, THEY ARE REALLY ACCEPTANCES sent in BIG ENVELOPES, NOT A PACKAGE:
Acceptances are sent in a large colorful envelope that is NOT trackable, via USPS. It is NOT considered a package. It is just a large envelope for mailing purposes.
PORTAL UPDATE: Friday the 25th, just after midnight (helpful for those with slow mail).
The portal changes to look like this:
Admission
Admission Decision
Enrollment Commitment Deposit
Withdraw Your Application
Submit Documents
Financial Aid
Apply for Financial Aid
Financial Aid Summary & Tasks (FAST) page
On-Campus Admitted Student Programs
Explore USC
Preview USC
Admitted Student Day
Campus tours
Off-Campus Admitted Student Programs
Apply for Housing
INTERNATIONAL:
Packets go DHL and typically take 3-4 days to central Europe as a frame of reference, rejections letters can take up to two weeks (International only) cause they are sent regular mail. Portal updates long before the rejection letters arrive internationally. Sometimes it seems they get international envelopes out to DHL a day early because I see some internationals posting they get a package in those first couple days as well, but can’t confirm that, just a guess. Do not know about ability to track DHL - not sure if that is option they offer.
Disclaimer -they usually do it the same year after year, this is just what I know having been through it several times in recent years. If anything changes, CC will be all over it. Watch for the FB pic of packets leaving the admission’s office in mailing bins!
Does the portal only change for admitted students? It wouldn’t make sense to offer the latter events to rejected students… @CADREAMIN
Is it possible for students who did not receive a scholarship notification in late January to be accepted with a scholarship now? If so which scholarships are still up for grabs?
I’m so worried that my application not glitching in any way means I didn’t get in. USC is driving its applicants crazy :((
@chukrook I’m sure you’re fine. 
Don’t worry. I would guess glitching probably isn’t a sign of anything.
I had this amazing dream I was accepted. It felt so real I was about to run to tell my mom. :((
@mdorbust Yes, portal only changes for admitted students, then it is updated on Friday with a “new message” when they post rejection letter for those not admitted.
How many from the east coast actually visited USC and contacted the USC guidance? My D applied to the Cinematic Arts program. In Feb, she got a call from a professor in the college. They spoke for a few minutes. It turned out she is amongst the top 5 of the applicants this professor has reviewed. All we know about the process is she wrote her essays and sent in an original short film and script. Everything was fine until I started reading the CC threads. Now, I am stressing that USC might not be interested in her because she didn’t show enough interest in the school. I didn’t think she had a chance for the film program, but, after getting the call from the professor, I think she would be devastated if she didn’t get in. She will only check the portals on decision dates.
@CADREAMIN Thanks for the info! Did you mean to say that the portal will be updated on the 26th? That’s when USC confirmed that their portals are going to update, right?
Does USC really track interest like that?? I heard that it doesn’t matter, but maybe it does more for schools like cinematic arts or the equivalent??
doesnt look good 
@vimyle your financial aid page has a triangle?? Mine says “application in review” and has a clock next to it not a triangle! Ahhh
Anyone applied to Thornton?
@xxhoopsluverxx It’s okay!! It has a triangle like a “warning!!” sign because I have yet to complete the additional documents.
@genibeni yes, my daughter did.
@vimyle hahah ok sorry!!
What did she apply to do? Any news yet?
Nope, no news at all!! I guess USC does things “by the book” as far as notification goes. She applied for the BA in choral music–and you?