The Office of Financial Aid proceeds on a completely separate track… so it is not an indication of anything other than them trying to have all required docs to process your financial aid review.
@WWWard oh ok thank you
Good luck everyone! I only just started submitting some of my financial aid info, so my page doesn’t say they even have anything for me. It blows my mind to think they go through every applicant’s financial aid application, what a waste of time and money.
when do you guys think Admissions decisions will come out?
@allima roughly 1200-1500 of those who applied will be able to know that they were accepted due to merit scholarship offerings or consideration (invited to interview) by late January. The other 54K+ will not learn until late March.
Not so fun fact - I heard from someone who works at USC that applications are up about 5% from last year, so that means they have closer to 58,000 applicants this year.
Blame it partially on the advent of the Common Application, which makes it super-easy to apply to many schools. That new technology combined with the ever dropping admissions rates, and it creates a vicious circle… more and more high school seniors apply & to many more colleges, which drives down the acceptance rates even further… leading to more applications. Managing yield rates becomes an even greater challenge for all but a few colleges. In my day, I applied to 4. In 2013, my older daughter applied to 17. This year, my younger daughter applied to 15. If USC only had an EA or ED option…
I agree. USC really needs an EA option.
They will never have one other than the December 1st option they have always had. And certainly not ED, they already take enough flak for being for the rich.
Any idea when they’ll let us know about merit scholarships?
I heard late January
Probably 27th of January, usually last Friday in January.
The last 3 years they sent out merit acceptances on the 4th Friday of January, which was NEVER the last Friday of the month (1/24/14, 1/23/15, 1/22/16). This year, however, the 4th Friday in January IS the last Friday - 1/27/17. So, it looks like we’re going to have to wait a few days longer than usual. Unless they stick with the “not the last Friday of the month” pattern! [-O<
Is it possible to receive a decision this January without receiving a large merit scholarship?
@mayamurray You will only hear this month of an acceptance if you are being offered an interview for the merits that give you full tuition (Mork, Stamps and Trustee - though I think they just say you are being considered for Trustee) or half tuition (Presidential). You could also hear this month if you are given the one that gives you quarter tuition (Dean’s) which you don’t interview for. Some Dean’s recipients will not hear until April, though, and there are a number of other smaller scholarships that are given at that time, too.
if you get invited for an interview for merit scholarships, does that mean youre basically accepted?
@allima Yes.
@allima It is not even “basically” accepted - if you receive an interview for merit scholarships, it means you have been accepted, even if you do not get the scholarship. The rep that visited my school said that blatantly, which means you could know for sure by the end of this month!
Keep in mind about 1500 will get acceptances/scholarship info at end of January. 55,000 will not and need to wait until March.
It will seem like everyone is getting one because the students that get in tend to post on cc. Kids that don’t get in do not post. But per the above numbers, very few will know at end of January.
I just mention this to prepare yourself mentally, because there are so many broken hearts when scholarship info comes out.
Hey guys, international applicant here! I was wondering, if you are given a merit scholarship which requires an interview, do you need to take the interview on campus or are there other options?