My D wants to study ‘Health and Humanity’ in Dornsife College of Arts and Science, and study Public Health in graduate school. I wonder Health and Humanity major is strong at USC? The path set by my D would be a good one??
@CollegeOdyssey2001 that’s great! USC is currently my D20’s number 1 choice. She is likely NMF and that combined with TE makes USC an unbelievable value. I’m just crossing my fingers that she gets in and nothing changes.
@VryCnfsd Congratulations to D20 on her likely NMF, which positions her so well at USC for merit and TE. In terms of the stacking, in addition to TE, D19 got Trustees (full tuition) Scholarship, a University Fellowship of another $2K per year, and then a College-based Viterbi Fellows award of another $3K per year. S19 got TE, Dean’s (one-quarter) Scholarship and University Scholarship of $2K. Even though the difference between a full- and quarter-scholarship is about $43K per year, with the TE stacking, there ends up only being about a 5K difference between the D19’s and S19’s Merit Scholarship awards with TE awarded in full first.
For NMF admitted to USC with USC designated as first choice, you are guaranteed at least Presidential (half tuition), so I believe your NMF Scholarship would also be around what D19’s Trustees Scholarship would be below (although adjusted after next year’s inevitable tuition increase). And the extra NMF scholarship would also be added in there.
I am detailing the numbers below to give TE + merit contenders a good indication of what is possible and how USC “stacks” or combines merit + TE awards:
D19 with Trustees’ Scholarship, Viterbi Fellow:
45,804 = Tuition Exchange Scholarship
2,000 = University Fellowship
3,000 = Viterbi Fellowship
19,452 = Trustees Scholarship (reduced from 57,256)
70,256 = Total Gift/Merit Aid
7,653 = Remaining Cost of Attendance
S19 with Dean’s Scholarship:
45,804 = Tuition Exchange
2,000 = University Fellowship
14,314 = Dean’s Scholarship (full quarter tuition awarded)
62,118 = Total Gift/Merit Aid
15,791 = Remaining COA
Given that so few TE institutions stack merit, it is so fortunate for TE families that USC does so, and commits to 80% tuition scholarship, almost $8K more than the 70% or $37,000 this year that TE schools are supposed to offer. No other TE school we applied to and received even came close (other than Pitt, which did offer full tuition as a state school, leaving Room and Board primarily, but our generous merit scholarship was replaced by generous TE, so no stacking there).
Good luck for next year. It was an excruciating wait post-Scholarship award notification in late March to finding out a few weeks later that we got TE. Presumably, USC has to see how many “exports” they get before tendering their TE import offers.
So DD who is a Trustee Scholarship recipient also got accepted into the ivies she applied to and wants to commit to her first choice. But we would like her to go to USC - because we’d like to be able to retire! Any advice from any parents, please. Thanks
@mkate75 I assume then that she has visited USC. If so… and if she still feels a stronger connection to another college or university, I do not envy your dilemma. In my older daughter’s case, USC was firmly in her top three when she applied, and it was the only of the three that she was admitted into. An admission to Yale or Brown might have made her final decision harder, but she did not get admitted to any of the Ivies that she applied to. My younger daughter had the same three colleges in her final three. She did get into one Ivy, Princeton, which made her decision a little harder, but she too chose USC. In our family’s case, the final #s in financial terms to attend were relatively close, so we did not have the component of the decision-making process that you are describing. I am very supportive of all that USC is and offers. I was ecstatic when both of my daughters chose to attend USC, and nothing since then has altered my perception of USC. But it is clearly not the right fit for everyone, and it is hard to overcome that dream school scenario mindset if it leans in another direction.
Good luck with your decision…
@mkate75 If you can afford it, let her choose the one she like the most. Ivies may open up more opportunities…
@WWWard she visited USC twice and the Explore session earlier this year really put USC in her top 3. In fact, after Explore , she crossed out all her other top non-ivies, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, etc. all of which accepted her. She did warn us that USC would have a tough time competing with the ivies. And, I won’t say unfortunately, for us she got accepted into both ivies. She firmly believes she’ll be happier at Penn and as @f2000sa points out, DD also believes that more opportunities will come from Penn. Financially, we hate to leave money on the table and would like to teach her that. But we also want to support her so it’s been difficult, especially for my husband! We can make adjustments financially for Penn, but USC would be easily affordable. My husband also fully believes that USC would offer a superior college experience. So difficult! Thanks so much for your counsel @WWWard.
@Mkate75 If it is helpful, D19 was also admitted to Ivy + top LAC and USC with 90% full ride, and was scheduled to go to Bulldog Days earlier this week immediately followed by Williams Previews. She cancelled Monday morning to my surprise (and disappointment). I did want her to visit all three before deciding, so maybe it’s harder on me than her, but she is confident that USC is the best choice for her.
For D19, her major plays a big role. Viterbi’s Computer Science did such a good job at Explore USC, an area that Yale and LAC’s are not usually that strong (although we heard Williams is very good). Viterbi’s racial and gender diversity in CS was very compelling for D19, who is coming from a very diverse public high school. She also loves hip-hop dance, for which LA is the epicenter and Kaufman has great faculty/classes. So how does your D’s major at Penn compare to USC? And her club/extra-curricular interests?
All these things made it much easier for her to turn down Yale, but she never had any Ivy ambitions. I am fighting the feeling that she might be making a mistake, so I appreciate your posting your dilemma.
@CollegeOdyssey2001 congrats on your daughter’s achievement. I empathize with your feelings about her decision. For my D, I think it’s her high school. All the kids have Ivy ambition and openly state that attending an Ivy is the prize for working hard in high school. My D is interested in journalism/media and politics. We all thought Annenberg’s presentation of their journalism/communication programs and the state of the art facility was amazing and we still believe should play a big role I bet decision. She loves the program, but unfortunately for USC, it is not part of the 8 schools. In her defense, she has reminded us that she had a clear plan when coming up with her college list. She is essentially trading USC Annenberg for ASC Annenberg at Penn. At least still within her area of interest.
@CollegeOdyssey2001 Thanks for the detailed breakdown. I thought the maximum possible from all sources was tuition + 8K, but I see that your D19’s university and Viterbi fellowships stacked on top of that, even! Congratulations to you and your kids on such a wonderful outcome.
@mkate75 You’re welcome.
Well… that really brings to light the differences in subjective opinion and personal impressions. My older daughter applied to Penn even before seeing it. Back in Dec 2013, I took both of my daughters on a road trip north from FL to look at a # of colleges and universities. Once we even approached the outskirts of Philadelphia, we all three were highly suspect and disappointed. None of us liked Philadelphia at all, and we especially did not like Penn’s location and surroundings. The campus itself was nice, but it had a very different vibe (something oddly sterile about it) than some of the other Ivy campuses we visited. In terms of campus/campus setting, Columbia and Penn were their least favorites… and by a large margin… so much so that my younger daughter took both of those Ivies off her list. They each liked Duke, Yale, Princeton and Brown.
There is no doubt that Penn provides a first class education, but I am always a bit surprised when anyone singles it out as their top choice or dream school. I also concur with your husband 100%. I went to Hopkins myself, but in retrospect, I wish I had chosen more wisely… and that is largely due to what it lacked in terms of being able to provide a rich and meaningful overall college experience. My impression of Penn is that it is far too similar to Hopkins in many regards.
I wanted so much more than what I went through for my girls’ college experiences. The totality of what is possible and available at a place like USC vs a place like Penn is dramatically different. Penn has far too many limitations in my opinion. USC is instead a rather unique hybrid… it is an elite private university that often seems more like a banner state university program in terms of all of its offerings (courses, majors and minors), clubs/organizations/activities, school spirit, alumni network globally, greek / social life, etc.
I would recommend that your daughter look at the Niche college rankings and survey results for each school. Niche relies mainly on current students and faculty + alumni to delve into a lot more topic areas and generate survey results that really provide a much more complete sense of what the college experience may be like at a specific college or university.
USC ranks #20 overall on the Niche College Rankings and its grades are: A+ for its Overall Niche Grade… and then by category: Academics A+, Value A+, Diversity A+, Campus A+, Athletics A+, Party Scene A+, Professors A+, Location B+, Dorms A-, Campus Food A-, Student Life A+, Safety B. The items where it ranks in the Top Ten Nationally are: Best Colleges for Design in America 1 of 232, Best Colleges for Film and Photography in America 1 of 153, Best Big Colleges in America 1 of 131, Best Colleges for Business in America 2 of 1,016, Best Colleges for Communications in America 2 of 755, Best Colleges for Student Athletes in America 3 of 1,385, Best Colleges for Art in America 4 of 433, Best Colleges for Performing Arts in America 4 of 247, Best Colleges for International Relations in America 4 of 224, Best Colleges for Architecture in America 4 of 116, Best Colleges for Music in America 5 of 133, Colleges with the Best Student Life in America 7 of 1,542, Best Colleges for Accounting and Finance in America, 9 of 670, Best Colleges for Computer Science in America 9 of 541, Best Colleges for Anthropology and Sociology in America 10 of 532.
Penn is #6… and also A+ for Overall Niche Grade, Academics A+, Value A+, Diversity A, Campus A, Athletics B+, Party Scene A+, Professors A+, Location A+, Dorms B-, Campus Food B, Student Life A+, Safety B. The items where it ranks in the Top Ten nationally are: Best Colleges for Business in America 1 of 1,016, Best Colleges for Accounting and Finance in America 1 of 670, Best Colleges for Nursing in America 1 of 599, Best Colleges for Communications in America 3 of 755, Best Colleges for Film and Photography in America 3 of 153, Best Colleges for Philosophy in America 3 of 113, Best Colleges for Anthropology and Sociology in America 4 of 532, Best Colleges for Political Science in America 4 of 501, Best Colleges that Accept the Common App in America 5 of 555, Best Colleges in America 6 of 1,647, Top Private Universities in America 6 of 975, Best Colleges for International Relations in America 6 of 224, Best Colleges for Psychology in America 7 of 989, Best Colleges for Art in America 7 of 433, Best Colleges for History in America 8 of 627, Best Value Colleges in America 9 of 1,590, Hardest Colleges to Get Into in America 10 of 1,674, Colleges with the Best Academics in America 10 of 1,591, Best Colleges for Economics in America 10 of 378.
@CollegeOdyssey2001 Your post above mirrors what we went through. As a parent, you do sort of have to ask the question… are you sure that you want to turn down the opportunity to attend ____ (insert Yale, Princeton, etc.)? My daughter also went to a very diverse public high school. In her world, very few ever even mentioned the Ivies. When making her final decision, she basically said that Princeton simply failed to check off enough boxes in terms of her top twenty or so goals for college, while USC checked off them all. And simply being able to say, “I am going to Princeton” or “I went to Princeton” is not enough of a reason to overcome all that she felt would be lacking in her overall college experience. Besides, she will still always be able to say that she at least got in to Princeton lol.
@WWWard you’re right about the subjective opinions. My daughter is more attracted to big cities with an urban look/feel so Philadelphia is quite attractive to her. I suppose that is why diversity of thought, experiences, background, etc is valuable to humankind. For me, the USC rankings are quite compelling, and I have seen your post about your daughter’s recent accomplishments so I know that choosing USC was definitely the right move for both of yours. The discussions continue in our household as my daughter has yet to enroll at any school. May 1st is fast approaching so this will have to be resolved, one way or another!
@Mkate75 Indeed. That May 1st deadline is ominous and oh so very crucial to so many. Here’s hoping that whatever her decision, she is thankful for having made it a few years down the road…
Good Luck
@mkate75 One thing I take great pride in as a parent, is that all of my kids were able to attend the college they wanted to go to the most. They followed the fit, not the finances. A lot of money was left on a lot of tables. We are fortunate that we could do that, but it was always a priority for us that we were willing to trade other things for. There are many people that turn down almost full rides to attend the school of their dreams, while others wouldn’t dream of doing that. Everyone is different and it is a very personal choice. I don’t know how she gives up a life long love of the Ivies if it has truly always been that important to her - does she see her life on east coast as well? What is her major and how does the reputation of it compare between the two?
@mkate75 I should add that I know zero about Penn, so I can’t compare majors, just wonder how you all feel about their comparison.
@CADREAMIN yes, she says she wants to live and work on the east cost. There was a brief moment when she was visiting USC when she thought the warm weather would be nice. I have been leaning towards your thinking; trade other things to give her the dream school, which for her has always been Penn. Her major is communications/journalism with a political tilt. It felt as if USC gets her quicker to where she wants to be. But Penn is no slouch and gets her closer to the market she wants be in on the east coast. Thanks @CADREAMIN it’s good to hear the different views but it seems this becomes a very personal decision for the child and the family. We’re trying to get there!
@mkate75 Well if you are on the east coast, you can resolve yourself to thinking that you may not have that new car throughout retirement, but she will be closer to you those four years and there is a better chance she will remain nearby or settle on east coast in the long run. Of course not guaranteed, but where they go to school is often times where they settle. 
I know some people negotiate - student goes to the lower cost school and gets car/cash etc when graduating, or put her on the hook for some of the extra costs - she could take on the Stafford loans that about any student can get - it puts 20-25k on her (5-7k per year is all she can get). Or some other amount you agree on. She can go to the premier choice she wants - but having some skin in the game can be good for them. If you are soaking in cash in 4 years, you can choose to pay them off, and if not, the loans (or some amount) is hers to work through. You lose your negotiating power once you say she can go to either school, so think it through before that!
Great choices, wish you the best - once the decision is made AND the clock strikes midnight to begin May 2nd, and you have the final answer, it feels sooo good! I would give yourself a deadline in the next couple/few days and tell yourselves you are making the “final” decision at your house. And try to really live with it to see how it feels. It’s the back and forth wondering at this point that will make you crazy.
@WWWard Thanks for commiserating. It’s funny. I would have been fully behind her decision to reject Yale/Williams HAD SHE GONE TO VISIT THIS WEEK. But since she cancelled, now I am filled with doubt that it is not an informed decision. I have to somehow let go and trust that if she was smart enough to get into these schools unhooked, with no national/state awards, then she is wise enough to make the decision. It is an odd situation as a parent to be advocating to the child to consider the full pay choice at an Ivy or top LAC.
At her public high school, most students would like to go to an Ivy or top school. However, there is enough of a critical group, of which my daughter is one, that is not at all taken with prestige for prestige’s sake. And I like that. However, I am now worried it may simply be anti-prestige that might be clouding the decision if that makes sense.
In the final equation, I love USC, and cannot express how ecstactic I was both when both kids got their merit scholarship notifications (unfortunately by email–no magical mailbox moment). And how absolutely thrilling it was to be in Bovard Auditorium with the admissions officers greeting the students they admitted by name, followed by the USC Marching Band. I truly appreciate the world-class education it offers.
There is just that lingering “but what if,” now that the trip was cancelled. After reading @Mkate75’s thread, I even texted D19 again to see if she wanted to fly up to New Haven tomorrow, since there was frequent flyer space. She replied in one word, “Nope.” So that’s that. She’s probably happy as a clam while I’m venting to strangers on cc!
@collegeodyssey2001 It’s hard for parents to let a school(s) go too!