USC class of 2023 Applicants Thread

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
1041

From 3/22/18 last year;

@chigirl99 - It appears that way. The President of USC recently said the admission rate was 13%. They’ve also indicated 63,000 applications. That’s 8,190 admissions. If 62,000 applications that’s 8,060 admissions. If 64,000 applications that’s 8,320 admissions. Sometimes on admission rates and applications, I think colleges round these numbers down, sometimes up.

We won’t know the actual numbers until they release the final statistics in the next 72 hours. The general numbers dripping out would seem to indicate the admissions rate will be around 12.7% to 13.3 % and students admitted to somewhere between 8,100 to 8,400.

Fall admits last year ended up at 8,339. This year looks even tighter.

Merit/Overall applications last year - 39,000, 64,352
Merit/Overall applications this year - 42,000+ (8% increase), ??? estimated 69,500 (8% increase)
Yield 2016/2017/2018 - 34%/37.1%/40.8%

Class of 2023 estimate (class size 3,024; last year was over enrolled at 3,401)

Applications/Admits/Yield/Rate

69,000/7,200/42%/10.43
69,500/7,200/42%/10.35
70,000/7,200/42%/10.28

I don’t believe USC will dip below 10% admittance rate this year. Likely it will happen next year. Applications and yield continue to increase driving down the number of admitted students.The yield increase from 2016-2018 went from 34% to 40.8%. That is having as dramatic an effect as the increase in applications from 2016-2018; 54,282 to 64,352.

1042

@SlimJim005 @captainronnie This is a tough process, for sure. My D also has a 1560. She does have a 4.0 uw but for her also no acceptances so far. Good (not stellar) EC’s, varsity sports, took all of the hardest classes. It has been a humbling experience. The right school will come along for you/your S. I want to believe however frustrating this process is that the system works! Most importantly, I hope everything is well with your dad @slimjim005

1043

@CADREAMIN Should I send them an email or letter telling them that usc is my number one choice and I’d go definitively if I got in or would they just discard the letter. Also should I tell them that I was picked out of everyone in my school to be a science fair judge. Thank you for any help!

1044

@2023CollegeApplicant! How do you know you are a NMF? Didn’t think Finalists were announced yet.

1045

@CAMother Most NMSFs who do the application make it to NMF status. Also, reject letters have been sent to those who didn’t make it. See the following thread for the latest info:
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/2120941-national-merit-finalist-class-of-2019-rejection-acceptance-letter.html#latest

1046

@s0meUSCkid95
@CADREAMIN

I have been wondering … for selecting applicants for merit scholarships, I suppose all applications are evaluated i.e. essays have to be read etc. so that means admissions committee has already gone through everyone’s file. So, then why can’t they make admission decision too? If the reading/evaluations are sufficient to determine merit awards, are they also not sufficient to determine admission acceptance/denial?

What really happens in this 2 month period?
Are the applications re-evaluated based on a different criteria?

1047

@SlimJim005
@CaptainRonnie
@glasshalffull123

My son (decidedly non-white but non-URM) has almost identical stats to what you have posted and has been experiencing the same fate. Getting denied from almost everywhere even our in-state flagship school. I am at a loss of words and don’t know what to say to him. He is a level headed kid, but it breaks my heart every time I see him get a denial. He has done everything I could have possibly asked him to do and more. He is not one dimensional either.

I really have no idea what it takes to get admission now.

1048

Hello everyone, I was on this thread for s17 but have not been on it very much. My d19 applied to usc and thought I would join this thread - although a bit late to the party. This thread is so helpful and full of so much information and support, just like it was for the hs 17 season.
@jamwolf that is an excellent question and would love to hear an answer to that.

1049

@jamgolf My understanding is that the USC 12/1 merit decision deadline functions like other colleges’ Early Action deadlines - the Admissions Officers review all apps received by that date and decide to defer the majority of them to the regular decision cycle. They will compare them to the apps received by 1/15 (the regular app deadline) before making their final decision. I know the waiting is difficult - what’s different is that USC doesn’t do outright rejections at an earlier stage.

1050

@glasshalfull123 and @CaptainRonnie My dad made it through with a stem cell transplant. Things look very good. We were lucky/blessed.

1051

@jamgolf I agree with @ballerinamom’s post above. The way it’s always been explained to me is that USC doesn’t want to make any final decisions until they’ve read all the applications. And, since about 40% of the entire pool applies after Dec 1, there’s a lot of work yet to be done. I think any truly holistic admission process works more or less this way.

1052

Just curious, do they send the “you may be eligible for other scholarships” email out to all applicants who didn’t get the white box? This may have been covered, and I missed it.

1053

@excitedtobehere @Mkate75 I live in VA and got my white box on saturday

1054

Have all the white boxes come out by now? Is there a second wave in February?

1055

I believe all the white boxes should have been delivered by now. I haven’t heard of a second wave.

1056

Thanks @catova and congrats to you! Box finally arrived in NY today.

1057

Could all accepted students create a separate thread? getting quite a lot of notifications :slight_smile:

  • for non-accepted students, is a LOCI the norm?
1058

Still haven’t gotten my white box - so frustrating. But it’s encouraging to know that people have gotten theirs in the NY area!

1059

@collegemom111111 you’re welcome.

I suggest reading the following excellent article and then taking the advice of the Dean of Admissions himself…

https://news.usc.edu/trojan-family/a-guide-to-uscs-college-admissions-process/

If you are fully committed to USC and would enroll if admitted, then tell them. I would not be overbearing or do so more than once… but one single well-worded email to your assigned admissions counselor with a CC to the School’s admission email just might be the extra push needed to secure admission. I can at least attest that both of my daughters did such… once each. They did so in late Jan or early Feb. They were also each admitted. But of course their actual application packet also demonstrated significant research into all that USC is, and they offered rather compelling Why USC? answers. But if in doubt… tell them. If it is in fact true that is. USC, like many schools, does take into consideration its yield rate. And USC, like all schools, enjoys being wanted/needed. If you do so though, maybe just find an unique and interesting way to make such a declaration.

Good luck…

1060

@mkate75 It is not a hint. FA is proceeding separately for all and not coordinating with admissions.