No the financial package comes out the 27th or there abouts. So kids will be excited to get in 
but sad a few days later when they learn they didn’t get the aid the thought they would. 
Or maybe they do. Yay again!
after ucla, ucsb, and ucsd rejections, anyone else not feeling hopeful for usc??
@ihopeigetintbh lol ME
@WWWard Hi, My daughter is waiting on admissions…like everyone else. When does USC send out the financial information and if you received any scholarships. Also, since both your daughters go to USC, did you ever use the Expected Family Contribution calculator? Did you find it accurate? Thanks!
Question for anyone who is currently attending, or has kids attending USC. How accurate was their EFC calculator to your actual cost of attendance? Ours looks hopeful, as it will cost approx. the same as my daughter going to UCLA (which is now her #1). Just would like some input! Thanks! Good luck to all of you hardworking students and parents.
Scholarships and regular decisions are this week, financial aid is next week.
@CADREAMIN when are the portals updated? saturday at midnight?
I got into ucsb with not the best stats but obviously still super scared/not expecting Usc…but it’s my dream :((
Saturday night/Sunday morning just after midnight if they do as usual in terms of time (they have posted the 25th, so we know that is correct). They posted by noon that day, but they have updated in the wee hours of the morning last few years. Midnight to about 3am PST is the bulk of the updates, but it takes a while. Some are tortured waiting for several hours. Maybe they will get better at getting more out at once someday…
As stated above, the FA packages are revealed a few days after the admission decisions. They will email you and let you know when to check the FA portal.
No… we never used the EFC calculator, but their aid packages were sufficient to allow them to attend. This year, with both of them there at USC simultaneously, it is understandably a bit of a financial challenge… but we are getting through it. Hopefully most of the applicants admitted will also find their FA packages, if applicable, enough to allow them to attend.
But, let’s face it, once this admission phase passes, most families have a tough decision to make by May 1st. The cost to attend a school like USC will be out of reach for many, unfortunately, and it will be a key reason why many choose to attend elsewhere. The tables will soon turn, and the applicants will be in control and get to choose among all of the colleges and universities that admitted them. Some will find that decision easier once they are compelled to calculate the remaining family contribution.
Last year, 5,684 of the 9,042 admitted to USC ended up not enrolling there. The cost to attend was likely a key factor in that decision for many.
Good Luck
does Usc not give out very much aid? I know UC’s don’t
Called USC today and they confirmed that the scholarship/merit decisions will be updated on the portal on Friday, March 23.
And regarding the portal updates on the 25th, I recall how long it took to log-in last year with tens of thousands all trying simultaneously. So be prepared to be a little patient if you plan to stay up for the decision…
@nomorelurker - let’s hope they stick with last years m.o. and do it after mailing on the 22nd. The phone inquiries have not been reliable in the past. Here’s wishing for a day earlier. I’m sure @wwward also remembers people over the last few years given different/inaccurate info when they called and asked. But its safer to prepare mentally for the later date.
Any idea when it’ll arrive in Hawaii?
And best of luck everyone! Just a few more days left.
Indeed @CADREAMIN . Very much so…
@CADREAMIN, you could be right but I think it makes some sense for USC to release the merit decisions at the end of the day Friday so that they won’t have to deal with an influx of calls. Students/parents can settle down over the weekend with the results they get… plus I believe last year the RD packages were mailed on a Friday (24th) with merit results on the portal Friday afternoon, so in a way, they would be sticking to last year’s protocol by doing it on a Friday this year :-). Approximately 1200 students will have to wait another day til Friday, March 23 to know their merit award, in all likelihood.
Also makes sense for USC to send out the RD packages a day earlier on a Thursday so many students will receive them on Friday and Saturday this year and update the portal for those admission decisions over the weekend early Sunday morning.
Should I just be ready to take the L?
UW GPA (9-11): 3.46-3.5 UW (My first semester grades were bad because of circumstances, such as my gradebook not reporting my grades to me correctly, not being able to check grades, illnesses in jr year that left me walking out from 1st semester finals with all B’s after walking in with A’s and 1 B)
ACT: 33
Letters of Rec: Both are from teachers who had liked me as a student and as a person. They were both happy to write my letter of rec and I’m sure they are great.
my counselor’s is probably the best, because i’ve known her since my sophomore year. We have had little side convos about life and other things that she chose to write about in her letter of rec. She had talked about why my grades had dropped in my first semesters (this is easy to back up, because my overall 2nd semester GPA has been a 3.84, a huge increase from my overall first semester where I went 2 for 13 on getting A’s and resulted in a 3.07 overall)
Major: Philosophy
Essays:
Common app: I talked about a situation where I could’ve stayed quiet about something my brothers had done (they had vandalized someone’s yard by throwing rocks into it or something), but after seeing my mom blatantly lie about it, I had told the truth (my tutor told me it was really good, he helped tailor it around me, overall moral was about honesty)
why USC supplement: I discussed specific works of the professors that I had read and connected that to why I chose my major. Connected it to possible law aspirations, or talked about how that could lead into business and that I would possibly choose USC for grad school if considering business. A 8-9/10, that my tutor said would get me in (he had been doing this stuff for 20 years)
What is important about you?: I picked the time where I had to lead a fundraiser to replace a piece of equipment for my sports team that had gotten stolen. Elaborated on how I had to take charge and whatnot, and it wasn’t overly “heroic.”
Other details:
My father graduated from USC Marshall in 2002 and is a director of some department at a popular broadcasting system (i think in accounting). I made sure to mention my dad went there.
Accepted to:
Santa Clara, St. Olaf, Macalester, Chapman, SLO, USD
Rejected by:
UCLA, UCSD, UCD, Boston College, Northeastern
Waitlisted by:
UCSB, Boston University
Deferred by:
University of Michigan
Should I just accept the L at this point?
Seems the closer to Saturday the worse the waiting gets. Just curious if the small amount (4K) scholarship comes with the white package.
When would I expect the package to arrive for NY?