***USC Class of 2021 Discussion/Results Thread***

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
301

20th seems early, 27th seems late, so not sure. Let’s hope 20th. Here’s some stats from last 3 years to ponder:

(General consensus is that NMF scholarships are within Presidential total, but not confirmed.)

2016 Actual Scholarships:

New students 3,068
USC Mork Family Scholars (full tuition + stipend) 9
Stamps Leadership Scholars (full tuition + stipend) 3
USC Trustee Scholars (full tuition) 117
USC Presidential Scholars (half tuition) 370
USC Dean’s Scholars (quarter tuition) 99
Recipients of other USC merit scholarships
44 National Merit Scholars 229

2015 Actual Scholarships:

2,949 New Freshman
USC Mork Family Scholars (full tuition + stipend) 10
Stamps Leadership Scholars (full tuition + stipend) 5
USC Trustee Scholars (full tuition) 105
USC Presidential Scholars (half tuition) 351
USC Dean’s Scholars (quarter tuition) 123
Recipients of other USC merit scholarships 51
National Merit Scholars 211

2014 Actual Scholarships:

3,098 New Freshman
USC Mork Family Scholars (full tuition + stipend) 10
Stamps Leadership Scholars (full tuition + stipend) 5
USC Trustee Scholars (full tuition) 120
USC Presidential Scholars (half tuition) 351
USC Dean’s Scholars (quarter tuition) 80
Recipients of other USC merit scholarships 58
National Merit Scholars 230

302

Remember, statistically very few get the info they want at the end of January. For those that do, it seems like they all post on CC. So there will be a lot of great news here, but also some heartbreak. Good luck all!

Here’s some info I can pass on based on experience over last several years:

Scholarship Selection
Over 30,000 students apply in time to be considered for merit scholarships. Approximately 1,200 students are invited to proceed to the next phase of consideration for the top awards: the Mork Family, Stamps Leadership, Trustee, and Presidential scholarships. About 100 are given Dean’s (1/4) and do not interview for bigger one.

Please know the 28,000+ will not get news in January and will have to wait until March with the other 20,000+ students that applied after December 1st. Big numbers. So don’t be discouraged, but it is a long haul for most.

Scholarship boxes (white box last year) were sent Friday and started arriving the next day (Saturday Jan 23) in SoCal. Reached northeast and FLA on Monday the 25th, with some trickling later. Most done by Tuesday. So maybe they will be sent January 20th but don’t hold me to that - just a guess. It would be brutal if it wasn’t until the 27th, but it could be. Let’s hope for 20th.

The scholarship packages were sent in white boxes last year.

It is sent United States Postal Service - the mailman. It is not UPS. IT CANNOT BE TRACKED through MyUSPS or anything like that. Don’t waste your time.

It includes an acceptance letter and tells you what major you got into and which scholarship. Some will also include invitations to interview for a higher level scholarship with brochures like “Explore USC/Trustee’s Finalist”

If you DO NOT get scholarship info but did get the JANUARY white box/acceptance package, in the past it has always meant that yes, you are accepted, and with the Dean’s which is 1/4 tuition.

You will not interview for higher scholarship if there isn’t an invite to do so included in your package.

Your you.usc.edu portal updates after midnight on Monday night/Tuesday morning about 4 days after packages are sent between 1-4am. Portal update would be 24th or 31st depending on when pkgs sent.

Good luck all and Fight On!

303

When do national merit scholarship winners find out about decisions then since we don’t hear back about finalist until after January?

304

NMF can be accepted in the regular cycle in March and from what I have seen, info on NMF is not included in that regular acceptance and the info comes later, sometimes first week in April has been reported, still plenty of time to make USC #1 choice (by May 1st). But if you are accepted and are NMF, you do get the 1/2 tuition. Some NMF may also get accepted and be part of the the other scholarships in late Jan since they are a highly qualified bunch - and these bigger scholarships do not stack, just fyi.

305

Thanks for this @CADREAMIN, very helpful. Finding out in April, though, doesn’t feel like plenty of time, especially when far away and have yet to visit (USC only came on our radar with the possibility of NMF and now my kid is really intrigued). We just can’t afford a trip without acceptance first. It will be a tight timeline deciding. I had no idea there would be still so much to think about that late in year!

306

@binky17 Completely understand, ya just plenty of time to choose it to get the money, but the decision itself and potential travel is brutal on planning and budget, especially since it is last minute and seniors are still busy students! It is insane to have several schools to see in April, but many do it that way. It can be so expensive and stressful, but believe me a lot of people have no idea till just before May 1st, so there is a lot of buzzing around come April. If you can have it narrowed down to just one necessary trip that is great.

But yours may get admitted in the January round with another scholarship and if NMF, you will just get that confirmed later. That would be wonderful! A lot of NMF can be found within Presidential, Stamps, Mork, Trustrees, etc. If admitted in January with Dean’s they would get bumped up to the NMF 1/2 tuition.

307

Just as a disclaimer so I don’t take an internet beating and you guys don’t have a nervous breakdown…USC has always posted that scholarship info will be released in early February, but then releases it one of the last two Friday’s in January. It has been this way the last 5 years. But they could change it up this year and be later, no one is sure until it happens! They are in charge, those of us that have been through it many times do our best to guess based on previous behaviors. (I think I am apologizing in advance if I am wrong about anything :slight_smile: )

Be careful following CC too closely over the next couple weeks, it will make you nuts. Go be seniors and enjoy your time - you can’t change anything at this point, so savor the fact that first semester senior year is behind you, your apps are in and you can breathe a bit better and step lighter.

308

@binky17 Three years ago, my older daughter was in the same boat. After she had all of her acceptances in hand, she was actually able to use online virtual tours to rule out some schools and narrow the trips down to only two. USC was the last school that she visited, and she knew while there that she had found her home for college. We posted her deposit while there on campus.

Thankfully D2 has already visited. If accepted to USC, she will confirm immediately (as it is her top choice) and no extra trips will be needed.

Good Luck…

309

@CADREAMIN and @WWWard you are so kind! Thanks for your responses. April may in fact be the wildest month. Cheers!

310

Question re mid-year grades: on my daughter’s portal, there is a tab that says Submit your Mid-Year Grades. In it, there is space to self-report the courses taken first semester senior year and the grades received. It also says along the side “You must send, under separate cover, a copy of your official report card” and they give an address. I mentioned it to our GC and she said she’d not heard of the student having to send a copy of their report card and that she intends to send a mid-year grade report to all the schools that request it, including USC. She thought we should call admissions to check but it says it right there on the portal and I don’t want to bug them unnecessarily. Have others sent in their report card or their child’s?

311

Maybe they are using the terms “report card” and “mid-year grade report” interchangeably. Thinking back 2 years ago, we only sent in the school’s mid-year grade report. Plus if the student sent a copy of the report card it wouldn’t be considered official.

312

^^^True dat. The report card is just the mid year report/transcript. They are using it interchangeably as jmek15 mentioned.

313

I recalled my son reporting his score and sending mid year report and not report card. After he was accepted, we sent his school transcript via email and by parcel to USC Admission office.?

314

Is a mid year report just an updated transcript with semester grades (our transcript only has semester grades)? Or does it have like quarter grades and final exam grades?

315

@zblue17 The mid year report is an updated transcript with final grades for the most recent semester or quarter that was not included on your original transcript sent in the fall. Most midyear reports also provide counselors with the opportunity to bring colleges up-to-date on additional achievements, scores, or distinctions since the original application was filed. Many times they include an “Is there anything else we should know?” prompt that the counselor can fill out.

316

I am! Its my top choice

317

Update: we called to double-check and the Admissions Office confirmed that they did not want students to send their own copy of the report card they got in the mail. They want students to input their grades from first semester in the space provided on the portal and then either have the counselor send the first semester grades (mid-year report I guess) electronically (their first preference) or if that is not possible, they’d want you to get an official updated transcript from your school in a sealed envelope and then send that to USC in another envelope so they can see it has not been opened or tampered with. But definitely their preference was to have the GC send it. Thanks for the input.

318

Also, in regards to scholarship notification, the date when scholarships will most likely be announced is January 20th because interviews start in early February, and families will need ample time to plan traveling and such (according to a parent whose kid goes to USC).

319

Do we need to turn in financial aid information to be in consideration for scholarships? The deadline is February 14th for all applicants

320

@therealdeal23 Probably not, because merit scholarships are awarded based on merit, and not any other external factor! Someone with a $40k household income could win one, or someone with a $400k income.
Would definitely get financial aid information turned in ASAP anyway though, if you’re planning to apply for need-based aid. Feb. 14 will be here before you know it!