USC Class of 2022

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
2221

^^^ they do not pay to make it so. This comes up every cycle. USC does not opt in for tracking exactly because they are old school and want those admitted to be surprised and have that “mailbox moment”. As a family that dealt with a package arriving two days late last year, I am not a fan of them clinging to this practice. But USC does not enable tracking. So… if informed delivery suggests something from 90089, it may unfortunately be the rejection letter coming first class mail vs the USPS priority mail “white box”. This has at least always been the case in prior years…

Repeating CADREAMIN’s wealth of information…

WHAT? Regular Decision is coming and they are being mailed TODAY!
Over 63,000 students have applied and acceptance rate is down to 13% per statements made at recent USC events by the AD.

WHEN? Mailing is THURSDAY THE 22nd. We saw the instagram of the stuffing, they should post a photo of them going to the trucks tomorrow with the entire staff smiling (cause they are done). They will start arriving in Socal between 10:30am-11:30am on Friday. Obviously depends on your mail time. Much of Socal receives first day, but a lot in San Diego don’t get theirs until second day so don’t freak out there. Norcal is always second day so will arrive there on the Saturday. The surprise is how fast these things move and how they reach a great part of the country on the second day after mailing including major metros, the east coast and FLA - all on the second day. So the majority around the country do receive them the second day after mailing, but that said, there are plenty of folks that don’t get them until after the portal update that night at about 12:01am PST March 25th - so Saturday late night/early Sunday morning. For the last couple years portals start updating right after midnight. The portal process has been painful, with it staggering throughout the morning, but most acceptances come within the first 2-3 hours. Late night, at least its a weekend! They say by noon on the 25th, but have always started between midnight and 1:30am, depending on how fast their CS folks press “go.”

THE PACKAGE The packages are white boxes that fit in most mailboxes, some are left on porches if not. They are a little bigger than a piece of paper and about a half inch thick. They are impressive and beautiful packages that are gorgeous on the inside.

The package includes an acceptance letter, a certificate of acceptance, and tells you which major/school you were admitted. It also includes some general school/housing/marketing pamphlets.

YELLOW Package - In recent years they have used a light yellow box to indicate a spring acceptance.

HOW? It is sent United States Postal Service - the good ol’ mailman. It is not UPS (the brown trucks). Since they come USPS, meaning postal service, and in your mailbox, setting up a My UPS account won’t get you anything here. INTERNATIONAL packets are sent DHL, some of those arrive quickly (areas of China reports early, sometimes on day 2) but some take weeks (reports of some places in India). Internationals should plan on portal update.

USC does not enable tracking on these packages, so you cannot track it. The SENDER (USC) has to enable tracking. But ahhh some of you think - “we have have Informed Delivery Daily Digest” - the postal service that tells tells you what is coming in your mail that day. HOWEVER - these packages are not scanned into that system, because USC doesn’t want them to be. This was again tested during the scholarship period in January, no one saw it in the Informed Delivery Daily Digest. There will be many conspiracy theories on findings ways to beat the system and find out early. It never works or hasn’t so far.

SHOW ME THE MONEY Folks awaiting scholarship news - last year, the portals updated with scholarship interview results the same day as packages were mailed, at 4:02pm. If they stick to last years model it will be the tomorrow. Some have spoken to admissions and they are saying Friday, but if you have been on here for years, you know they say one thing when people call then do another. They usually don’t want scholarships decisions getting entangled with regular decision conversation so I am still guessing tomorrow. I apologize in advance if wrong, been pretty good at guesses so far so I hope I have some credit to burn here.

MERIT & FINANCIAL AID AWARDS - Financial Aid comes out March 27 per USC Instagram. It is usually within a week or so of decisions so this fits. It is not with your acceptance package, so some will be very excited to get in then have the big downer when they find they can’t attend because they don’t get the aid they thought they would. So if you interview for let’s say Presidential, you will find out if you get that scholarship (yay) with the regular decisions, and you will not know until April what your financial aid award is (if you applied for FA). So this process is complex, and final answers about merit $$ vs FA will come through separately.

DO THEY SEND A LETTER IF DENIED? Last year they still sent letters with the news that a student is not being admitted. They go out same day as packages, but they are sent first class which is slower than the priority mail of packages. However, they tend to catch up with the packages and some in Socal do get it the first day, the same day packages start arriving. Is it possible to see the rejection letter in the informed digest? Maybe. That service wasn’t up and running so not sure. But one more time, THE ACCEPTANCE PACKAGES CANNOT BE TRACKED.

2222

@kd6410 I agree. If USC really wants all their accepted freshman to have the same special USC mail experience, mail the areas in the 2 and 3 day zones a day or two earlier. It seems like such a simple fix.

The benefit to USC…It would definitely make for more social media moments. USC freshman would flood the Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc trying to get all 50 state represented. Would also connect the USC class of 2022 early.

2223

@WWWard - regarding your post #2213, I wonder if it is different for fine arts programs, i.e. Thornton, SDA, dance etc. It seems more logical that those departments would get to have first shot to view all of the applicants to their school (and their auditions, portfolios) and then they choose from that talent pool and let main admissions office know who they are interested in. Don’t you think? If it were to work the other way as you stated, then main admissions decided first who they wanted to accept and then sent those applicants and their applications/auditions/portfolios out to each of the fine arts schools, then the fine arts schools could be missing out on some great talent that main admissions missed by simply looking at stats and essays of the entire pool of 66k applicants. Thank you for all of your helpful information!

2224

Just a heads up for those of waiting anxiously for delivery…we in the Midwest (Minnesota here) are anticipating a snow storm starting on Friday and continuing through Saturday, so have the chances of weather-related delays for USPS increased? Potentially yes…we are expecting that the portal is how we learn of S’s USC fate. Good luck to all!

2225

@SOoverthis As I understand it… for applicants to the fine arts & creative programs, they are likely both evaluating the applications simultaneously (USC Admissions overall and also the specific School within USC). They then likely compare notes. Anyone that is a clear yes for both is admitted. Anyone that is only a yes from USC may get in Undeclared (or possibly to their 2nd choice major - if for another School).

But if USC is inclined to say No, and the School is inclined to say Yes… I just doubt that SDA, SCA, etc. can simply override. They have to then persuade USC Admissions… and they then likely have to choose their battles carefully… arguing for a select group. Clearly exceptions for talent are often made… whether for athletics or creative artists, performance artists, etc. But USC has a set of standards, and not all that Thornton, SDA, SCA, Dance, etc. want are also going to get in. Some may be urged to try again via external transfer, etc.

2226

What time did they release merit last year? I think I saw 4 pm somewhere in this thread. What timezone is that? Just trying to get prepared in case it is released today lol.

2227

Agree with @WWWard I’d be overjoyed even if I was a spring admit. There’s nothing I want more than to go to USC…GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!! FIGHT ON!!

2228

I think 4pm PST @carmen00

2229

When do you all think decisions were finalized? I put additional info on my USC Portal on February 10th. Do you think that was considered in my application?

2230

Same @NightAtTheRox USC is my top choice and an admission in spring would still be great. Where I live, its unlikely I’ll get a real letter before the portal update though. So I’ll be refreshing nonstop on Sunday

2231

It kind of sucks to be international because either way, I’d find out through the portal update.
Was rejected from UCLA but screw that, fight on USC! Class of 2022 hopeful here.

2232

I’m so scared for Sunday. USC is my dream school. I applied engineering and have a 1510 SAT and 3.77 GPA. My high school is really hard and at least 15 percent of my class has above a 1500 lmao

2233

USC just posted on their snapchat story (lol) that merit scholarship decisions will be on the portal tomorrow!!

2234

Did anyone see the post on instagram? She said “dropping off around 8000 of these today?”
Shouldn’t it be around 7000 since they already accepted 1200 student before?

2235

On the USC Admission Instagram story, one of the admissions reps said they are dropping around 8,000 acceptance packages in the mail today… does this mean they are now only accepting 8,000 applicants instead of 9,000? Or do you think they are only sending out 8,000 packages today because they already sent out 1,000 acceptance packages to those who were nominated for a merit scholarship in January?

2236

@chigirl99 Unless I am mistaken they also already mailed out he international packages yesterday.

2237

Yeah that’s why I asked? The scholarship should be posted and sent out

2238

How do they ship the international packages?
Because they usually take a month to arrive if sent by USPS

2239

I really like the imagery of your User ID @dancinginastorm

To all applicants… some of the real storms this week will likely play havoc on the USPS deliveries (International via DHL), causing even more unwarranted angst and anxiety. Good luck to all of you in terms of managing the stress that comes from waiting.

If you do receive the “white box”, congrats and relish in your achievement. You are among the fortunate 8200-8300 admits this cycle. If it does not arrive in the expected time frame, just realize that nothing is official until the portal updates reflect your individual decision, beginning at 12am pacific time on the 25th. It is unfortunate, but many find out that way first… due to delays in deliveries.

And to the 56K or so who will eventually be disappointed by not hearing the hoped for news from USC, do not take the loss too hard. No single admission decision is a reflection on you, your accomplishments to date or your future prospects. It is simply a #s game… with way too many qualified applicants applying for a set # of positions.

USC said no to Steven Spielberg a whopping three times, for example. And he is just one of many who have faced such rejection and gone on to greatness via another path to success.

Over the past five years, I have seen so many teens disappointed here on CC by rejections to ____________ (enter any dream school name). But no single college or university is the sole avenue toward your future. There are many ways to make it. Even admission to your dream school is no guarantee unless you apply yourself effectively thereafter and make the most of your individual opportunity. And all such pathways to success hinge solely on you and your efforts once you are at the college or university you ultimately enroll at. USC is a great university in my opinion… and both of my daughters are happy to be there… but it is realistically also just one of scores and scores of great options among America’s best colleges and universities. Hopefully you will each find the right place for you… and regardless of whether that is USC or not.

Good Luck…

2240

And yes… they seem to have misspoken. 13% of 64K is 8320… so that is the likely max being admitted. 1200 already heard in January, so only 7000-7100 or so should be gaining admission this week.