^^^ Yes… it is super hard getting into SCA and with merit in January. Only 20 out of 2K+ accomplished such last year.
I encourage all who did not move forward in the merit offering process this week… and there were 37,800 or so of you, so take heart and be proud to be among the 97% who didn’t (only 1200 of 39K did so)… to review the following article online. It will provide some insights into the overall USC admission process and also offer potential tips for maybe swaying admissions your way between now and late March…
And good luck in March. Remember that 89% of everyone at USC (including my two daughters) now were admitted in March. Only 11% get in during January. So keep the faith… and Fight On!
Well I guess this is goodbye to USC for me. I live in the bay so the cost of living is huge so I don’t qualify for financial aid but my parents can’t afford usc. It sucks cuz it was my top choice…
@DDHH2017 some other posters have said merit is still available in March. Maybe you will have a great surprise the. That is what we are hoping for with our S18.
Daughter got a white box here in NorCal. Accepted to Dornsife Applied Math with Presidential consideration.
With the acceptance and the anticipated NMF, 50% tuition is automatic.
Wondering if I should $50 for housing application. They say it is first come first serve. @CADREAMIN Even if rejected for Presidential, does the NMF award still qualify for housing in the McCarthy Honors college?
@CADREAMIN S is a NMSF so as far as I understand he would get half tuition automatically with that anyway, whereas this interview offer is only a chance of getting the same amount. I think it is unrealistic to expect students to make financial investment in a “chance” for an award–many families are not in a position to do that. Not to mention that the majority of the kids invited have many other options on the table, including concrete financial offers and funded visits.
We weren’t expecting a box, and its really too bad that it didn’t go to someone who’s heart is set on USC.
FYI - neither of my S18x2 got any notification from USC. They checked the portal and had the “not being considered” letter. We will see what March holds.
@Caliban My daughter is Dornsife Applied Math with NMF Presidentail scholarship. She lives in McCarthy. She applied housing in Feb on the first day application open. A few weeks later she started to message/communicate with other girls to look for roommates and suitemates. So I would recommend pay $55 non-refundable housing deposit and start the process. Congratulations!
@18emeryn my daughter actually is a biological sciences major as well and interviewed/received the presidential scholarship last year. There is a great thread on what to expect during the interview process along with tips on the process if you review the ‘home’ page links for USC on college confidential. I think the only thing that was really new to her was the panel interview atmosphere. She had done quite a few one-on-one style interviews but never in front of a panel. Having said that the best advice she got was to know your application well and be ready to speak to and support every aspect of it.
Remember that USC, like many colleges these days, is very expensive to attend, at $72K per year. Students particularly need to be aware of this and their particular situation. If a plane ride is tough, 1/2 tuition is just a dent in the overall cost. There is another $45k per year to come up with. So unless you are getting a lot of financial aid it may be unrealistic. 1/2 tuition is great, but it leaves a lot to pay as well. If someone can’t travel for the chance at full tuition, frankly, I am not sure USC is the right school, just sayin. Finding another school may be the better choice that dealing with such struggle.
Accepted! Says I am being considered for a full-tuition scholarship (Trustee). Does anyone know if I interview for USC and don’t get the Trustee scholarship, can I still get a different scholarship ? Or, is it Trustee or no scholarship?
@admishort, some have reported that in past years approximately 2/3 who interview may get what they interviewed for, as long as one is prepared and the interview goes well. I have no way of knowing if that is true or not. It has also been posted by some that it is possible to be bumped down to the next level Presidential (half tuition).
Maybe less common, one can be bumped further down to 1/4 tuition discount (Dean’s Scholarship). In more rare scenarios, one can get as little as $4,000 (Director’s Scholarship). Congrats and good luck to you.
Got accepted to Marshall School of Business under the Business Administration major and being considered as a finalist for the Presidential Scholarship! I’m so happy as this is my dream school.
No white box for my D, even with perfect scores on the SAT, Subject tests, 5-7s on the AP and IB tests, and a 4.6 GPA. She’s in good company though, as the top two students in her class didn’t get boxes either. The girl who did get a box and an invitation to interview for full tuition is in most of my D’s classes, and my D helped tutor her throughout high school. I’m happy for her, as she’s a very sweet girl and would do great at USC. She’s also an excellent writer and likely caught their attention with her essays. It’s also interesting to note that the three students who did not get boxes are all NMSF, and my daughter’s friend is not. We’re still hopeful for March, as USC is in my D’s top three.
@caliban - I don’t think NMF is part of honors housing or considered honors for other perks unless they also get a Presidential in this most recent round. And I think it is why they recently separated the NMF from the Presidential in terms of quantity, because it use to be one total for both on the scholarship site (350 Presidential included use to include the NMFs, breaks down to 200/150ish). Per the site, "The McCarthy Honors College is a unique living and learning environment for freshman honors students holding either the Mork Family, Stamps Leadership, Trustee or Presidential scholarships.’
Students don’t have to declare NMF until May 1 so I think timing is off as well, since honors kids would have already put housing app in (done soon).
But I suggest calling housing to confirm, and if you find out anything different, please let us know! Thanks.
No worries @planner03 there’s a lot of reasons kids don’t interview including affordability, other school choices, location, etc, etc, etc. That’s why they give out way more, to weed out the people that aren’t that interested. There are plenty that will jump at the chance, so if heart or wallet isn’t in it, no worries. With such a low acceptance rate and all the applicants, there are plenty to fill a full pay or scholarship spot these days. It all works out for both sides. Best of luck in the process and finding the one!
We are looking at tickets to fly in. just plan to send DD alone as she has yet to visit a college she might attend. The online Explore USC program shows 530 pm event first day and ends with a morning activity the second day.
What time should she fly in by and what time is appropriate to fly out? Any suggestions?
I assume getting from LAX to USC is no problem…both ways, right?
@sekere62 , @techinerd is right that the schedule you saw about start time 5:30pm first day was put out for students who will host other students.That is not the schedule for visiting scholars who will be interviewing. The formal programmed events of day one start at 2:30pm of the first day, I believe, but there are other informal presentations and tours available earlier in the day, starting at 10am.
There is a schedule of the 2 days available for download from the you.usc.edu site. Also, there may be some discounts by booking through USC Travel that they recommend, which of course you do not have to do. Also, they provide a discounted rate for the Radisson hotel across the street from campus. There is a link to book the first night hotel when you register for Explore USC from your portal, unless she has a relative or friend to stay with the first night. The second night will be sleep in student host’s room, although it is no required if she prefers a hotel. I think the rate including tax at the Radisson was $200 per night including tax.