USC Class of 2024 Applicants Thread

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
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@WWWard thats slightly relieving to hear!!!

Idk if anyone on this thread is on the east coast like me but i was looking at the envelope i got from the annenberg admissions office (the brochure thing) and I got it 3 days from the postmark date which means any east coasters who receive a scholarship package will receive news within three days of the parcel being sent.

just a few more days and I’m nauseous constantly… I’m trying not to get my hopes up but it’s so hard not to when this is my dream school, anyone else in the same boat?

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I’m in California, very close to the school, so I’ll get it very quickly and I literally want to throw up everyday.

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@CindyLeuWho let’s be friends lol

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Me too. Also applying to SCA @CindyLeuWho
The stress is freaking unbelievable. I’m just praying that I am one of the lucky 2% getting into Film and TV Production, and then one of the 10% of the 2% that get a scholarship.

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Here’s some answers to questions about what will be happening in the next week or so, and also to help us experienced parents that try to contribute avoid answering the same question over and over, and rather just link to thread.

Disclaimer - This is what has happened for last 8+ years when I have been through it, they could change it up - they are in charge! The dates are just guesses based on the past, colleges tend to operate like a machine and do the same things each year. Apologies in advance if the do something entirely different!

THE MERIT PROCESS

WHAT?
About 40,000 students apply in time to be considered for USC merit scholarships. Around January 23ish they will offer admission to approximately 1,200 students who will proceed to the next phase of consideration for the top awards: the Mork Family (10), Stamps (5), Trustee (100), and Presidential (200) scholarships.
It is good to understand that approximately 38,000+ will NOT get a scholarship in January and will have to wait until March with the other 20,000+ students that applied after December 1st. Big numbers. So don’t be discouraged, but it is a long haul for most. A letter is added to your portal if you did not receive a scholarship when portals are updated for all 3-4 days after packages are mailed, this tells you that you are still being considered for admission, will hear in March, but no soup (scholarship) for you. :frowning:

NMF 1/2 tuition award - These are not part of the January process.

WHEN?
I would guess (only a guess people!) that they will be sent the week of January 21st, usually arriving later in the week, around the 23rd or 24th. Again, totally a guess based on the last several years, it could be the following week. One year, due to some bad weather in LA they were sent on a Monday, but typical behavior has been mid-week. While the date is a guess, they do tend to stick to that timeframe because of Explore interview schedules that have to be met to flow into March decisions…

People in LA area start receiving the white boxes the day after they are sent, many in the country including major metro areas get it the second day. The rest (aside from delays - talking to you @WWWard) get it the third day, but by then the portals have updated just after midnight that same day.

HOW?
The scholarship packages have been sent in white boxes (they may be different color this year) that fit in most mailboxes, some are left on porches if not. They are a little bigger than a piece of paper and little less than an inch thick. They are impressive and beautiful packages as are the “regular” acceptances in March.

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

Mail technology has really evolved that last couple years, but note these are packages, and it has been (note, has been) up to the sender to enable the tracking on a package. 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. In the past and including last year, USC did not enable tracking on these package, so it could not be tracked. A couple people in Thorton did see their packages because they were sent independently of the main group, but it was literally one person that reported that. So the merit/admission packages from the postal service have NOT been included in the Informed Delivery Daily Digest, but technology keeps changing and varies by areas. So we will see what happens this year. I am sure many will have their conspiracy theories on findings ways to beat the system and find out early. It hasn’t worked so far.

While I understand the anxiety, imo I would stay off of the USPS site and sit back and let it happen likes USC intends - see if it comes to your mailbox! Seeing it online in some mail program defeats the mailbox moment which can be spectacular. This is why USC doesn’t just handle it online, a bit old school and torturous for sure, but incredible for those who are lucky enough to get the package.

WHAT’S INSIDE?
First, if you get the package, you are accepted. The package includes an acceptance letter and tells you what major/school you got into and which scholarship. Some will also include invitations to interview for a higher level scholarship with brochures like “Explore USC/Trustee’s Finalist” or other info relative to your specific scholarship.

You will not interview for higher scholarship if there isn’t an invite to do so included in your package.

If you DO NOT get scholarship info within your package but did get the JANUARY white box/acceptance package, in the past it has always meant that yes, you are accepted, and with the Dean’s which is 1/4 tuition.

Good luck all!

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@CADREAMIN thank you so much for the info!!! I hope all of us are part of the elite group who receive this early letter!!!

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@CADREAMIN Thank you for always coming on and telling the same story year after year. My kids are done with the process, but I know kids applying so I always like to see your wonderful comments and help to others! A few things - I am not sure that the acceptance letter tells what scholarship you are applying for. At least it did not 2 years ago. You had to look at the Brochure that you got in the acceptance package and that would give you the clue! Something like what you said above - a brochure that says “Explore USC/Trustee Finalist.” Also, last year, from my recollection, no one received an acceptance earlier (January) that received the Dean’s scholarship. I think it was the first year that Dean’s was given out only in March. So, the only packages that went out were for students that were accepted and invited to interview for the Mork, Stamps, Trustee and Presidential. Correct me if I am wrong! Thanks for always helping :slight_smile: It is an exciting time for USC hopefuls!

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@hcmom65 Sorry if this didn’t say it clearly…"The package includes an acceptance letter and tells you what major/school you got into and which scholarship. "

What I meant is the package has a letter, and the package will tell you what scholarship you received/interviewing for. I know it can be hard to find and figure out the scholarship info! It’s such a long post I didn’t want to put too much detail/description in there. Plus that panic and frantic search for the scholarship info is part of the fun!

Actually, there were some Deans given out last January (a friend got one as did a couple that messaged me here asking why there was no info in the package), but they did give more (maybe most?) in March. You just don’t hear about them on here hardly at all any year. It was always odd that a package with no mention of scholarship meant Dean’s… and remains confusing. To Dean’s or not to Dean’s in January, that is always the question and we will soon know the answer to!

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Thanks @CADREAMIN - looking forward to next week and seeing when the first package arrives!!!

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does anyone know if people who do not receive a scholarship get a notification about it? or does usc just not send anything?

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Mentioned above… A letter is added to your portal if you did not receive a scholarship when portals are updated for all 3-4 days after packages are mailed, this tells you that you are still being considered for admission, will hear in March, but no soup (scholarship) for you.

192

We have a letter from USC Financial Aid office showing up in informed delivery today. Seems like thin letter so not sure what it is and is addressed to parents so may be asking for info

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According to a 2005 thread, the scholarship comes in waves according to your SAT score. 1600-1500 first, then 1500-1400, and finally 1400-1300. Usually nothing is given merit wise to anything below 1300. I don’t know if this is also a criteria of what scholarship you receive (like trustees are only given to 1500+) or just how they distribute the information, but either way I highly doubt we will be receiving all of the information by the end of next week. Most are given by Feb. 1st, if you received a merit scholarship.

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Cindy, that’s interesting. I’m having parental anxiety that my daughter won’t get into any of the schools she applied to and her only safety is UWashington. She has a 36 ACT and 4.0 IB Diploma and decent ECs and we hope her essays were good, but that seems so subjective. USC merit would be a canary in the gold mine and it would be great to get merit so at least we have a school acceptance before March. CS is such a popular major, it probably doesn’t help her case. I’m with you all in terms of eager to get this communication, or not.

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There is nothing we can do for the subjectiveness of the whole process; and with her scores (provided that her ECs are meaningful and her essays are well written), I highly doubt she won’t get into at least one of her schools. Of course, schools also consider things we often forget hold weight such as race, gender, and letters of rec (although they vary in importance), and because she chose CS, it should mean a tiny bit that she is a female (going into a male dominated field).

Everyone has to remember that the process involves so many elements: that it is impossible to know your own applicancy. It depends on who is reviewing your app, what their mood is, their personal beliefs, what the school needs that year, the political standards some schools feel obligated to meet, what they believe would make a good/diverse class, Who else is applying and how their applications stand, etc etc. so no matter what, know that everyone has done all that they can to get accepted, and what ever happens happens not just because of the student’s profile, but because of many uncontrollable variables. Variability and unpredictability is sadly inevitable, but remember to keep hope and stay positive during this stressful time.

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Our situation was a little different so I wanted to throw it in the mix if it’s helpful. My daughter (currently a sophomore) applied for the Iovine and Young Academy, which requires a Dec. 1 deadline (therefore scholarship is also considered) and if selected, an interview for the program in February. She got the interview and in the excitement of passing even that step, we forgot all about the scholarship component. We didn’t know anything until the box arrived in March — she got into IYA with a Trustee Scholarship. There was no indication before this that she was up for any kind of merit — all the good news came at once in March. She LOVES the program, USC (she’s even a tour guide!) and as a parent, I can’t say enough good things about the school. We are in round two with my younger D applying this year to Thornton School of Music (audition in Feb). So, more nail-biting and more college confidential to calm me down and hype me up all at once. Thanks for being here and supporting each other — Fight On!

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@CindyLeuWho

If you are referring to USC, this is absolutely incorrect. They do not mail or even give scholarships based on SAT scores. USC is holistic, perhaps you are thinking of another school altogether? They want an interesting student all around, just not a skilled test taker.

They are all mailed at same time, in bulk, sent priority mail, hitting socal on first day after mailing, a lot of the country on second day and rest on third when portals are updated. Sometimes Thornton has a few outliers sent separately, or IYA kind of special situations/programs, but in general they all go out at once. Everyone will have the scholarhip information and portals will update third day after mailing.

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@CindyLeuWho
During our visit to USC just before Christmass in December, we had a sit-together with the Engineering admission person (not a student guide, but an actual employee). She told us that all these scholarship boxes go to the post office all at once.

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Odd then why the thread said that, it was most definitely USC 2005

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2005 was 15 years ago - maybe they did things differently then? In any case, I would most definitely listen to @CADREAMIN who has had several children go to USC much more recently than 2005 and has been closely following how this all works in the past 8 years.