Does anyone know if National Merit Semifinalists/Finalists are also given notice of scholarship stuff at the end of January?
@CADREAMIN I currently work in ResEd so I have some insight into the “Residential College” situation. Let’s just say that they’re trying. They have a Residential College Cup with all sorts of challenges and points to earn, but at this point, apart from a few, most areas have given up. They also have a lot of free swag (socks, hats, shirts, etc.) with the res college crests.
They’re also making all the village buildings themed. Not sure what the finalized ones are, but RAs got to vote on the themes. The Village is also getting crests and all that, I believe, but to be honest, I don’t think they’re achieving much with the whole “Residential College” (or, for continuing students, Residential Community) craze. They’re just splitting up previous residential areas and redistributing resources, which is annoying.
Also, they’re turning Troy and most of the other standalone buildings north of Jefferson (NUPC) into graduate housing, so it’s kind of an illusion that continuing students will have more options. Also, Webb and Parkside Apartments will be “Second Year Experience” themed, the lottery will probably lock current freshmen out of the village, meaning all current sophomores and juniors will have left is Century, CarGar and Cardinal N’ Gold.
Super interesting @layrasparks, thanks for helping me (us) keep up with things. Ya its a big endeavor, especially at a school that is now the size of UCLA. The Residential Learning Comm for my D at SCU has been outstanding. You not only live in an intellectually themed dorm (and you can be part of that community if you live off campus as well), there are events hosted around it and you take classes like your writing requirements with people in the same theme, so you really build relationships over the years. The Canadian schools also have the residential college systems set up - the bigger ones like U Toronto - to help it feel smaller and personal. I think it would be good for USC to do something along those lines to unite people, because while there is a world of all kinds of folks there, if you don’t find your group, USC can be one heckuva place to feel lonely. I know kids have to join things and get involved themselves, but the school should be supportive of those efforts with efforts of their own. They are taking a lot of great things on in so many directions, but making sure this private school has a personal feel and is supportive of their students welfare is important. I worry about that. Sometimes I think they are approaching the tipping point in that regard.
oh crap it’s 23rd and decisions are still not available. last time my friend go it on 22nd Jan. I think they will release them on the coming Friday. Some say it’s on 23rd Jan. Is that when portals would be updates? i mean is there a probability that the portals would be updated later today?
@slightlymad My friend, the portals are updated after the first packages are received in socal and a few other places.
@Swiper902 thanks! the wait is killin me
@slightlymad Last year your friend got it on Jan. 22, which was a Monday. Jan 23 this year happens to fall on that same Monday as last year. While some found out Jan. 22, a majority found out on Jan. 25, which was Thursday. So, keep your hopes up!
@DreamforIvy are those the portal dates? because i live in india where i will get portal news earlier than mail.
Are these just scholarship decisions or are they acceptance also?
Not sure it helps but we are really tryin’ to adjust our expectations to hear nothing till the decisions come out in late March - the scholarships go to a low percentage of students so many awesome students won’t get good news in the next few days - but are still awesome & many more (tough still only 15-18% of applicants perhaps will get good news in late March. Good luck to all.
@slightlymad Portal dates!
@davisbn a scholarship decision means that you got accepted and are being considered for a scholarship!
Happy Monday everyone, be strong and go on with your life today!
@LayraSparks Thanks. So, to confirm, it is accurate that USC Housing has eliminated the prior apartment living options for freshmen… previously Webb and Cardinal Gardens…? If so… unfortunate.
So no one’s heard anything on scholarships? The wait is killing me.
I am pretty sure that Cardinal Gardens is not an option for freshmen this year.
The USC housing website lists the options for freshman dorms and suite housing for next year.
Suites are available to freshmen in Fluor, McCarthy (honors only) and Parkside. http://housing.usc.edu/index.php/interactive-map/ . Of these, only McCarthy is in the Village. I think they like to keep the freshman within the gated portion of campus.
So it guarantees acceptance to our intended majors?
@jmek15 Yes… that appears to be the case. So, Webb and Cardinal Gardens are gone as apartment options for freshmen… leaving only dorm rooms or suites as options on campus. There goes the dream of Webb for my younger daughter.
If two members of the same family end up going to USC simultaneously (hopefully the case for my 2 daughters next year), I am curious if non-USC housing options - like the Lorenzo Apartments (for example) - may be a more cost-effective solution. I know that the Lorenzo has shuttles to campus and is only a 1/2 mile away, but a freshman living there could in theory be giving up some cool features of living on campus. On the other hand, the apartments at Lorenzo are of course actually apartments (and not just dorm rooms or suites), with more space and nicer. But do complexes like Lorenzo only rent annually or can it be for shorter periods… like by term or the school year (not summer)? If only annually… Lorenzo would be more expensive.
Anyone know anything about Lorenzo? Or is there another complex like it near USC?
I believe part of the long term plan is to tear down Cardinal Gardens now that the Village will be done, and replace it with more updated housing.
@menloparkmom maybe so… eventually. But they do continue to list it as a housing option for non-freshmen for 2017-18… along with La Sorbonne and Century. So that cluster of three USC apartments (Cardinal Gardens, Century, La Sorbonne) seems to be continuing as is in the short term.