Packets are supposed to be sent out today right? Those living in Los Angeles let us know if you receive anything by the end of tomorrow! Thanks!
@jawg2011 @bartsimpson4
your schools are already done with fall semesters?
Our school district will have semester ending at the end of January, and fall grades available in February!
Should hear something mid day tomorrow.
Please post location (area in socal)
And let us know if it identifies a specific scholarship as it always has in the past, or if it is generic invite like we hear they are doing this year for first time ever.
Thanks and good luck all!
So sorry that this question keeps getting asked - but the portal will not be updated until Sunday? I live in FL so doubt I’ll get mail from CA this week.
@gilliangrace correct. As @CADREAMIN said in post # 229:
Packages being sent on Thursday. This means:
- Friday would be Socal
- Saturday would be a lot of the country, particularly major metros.
- Portal will update Sunday (Saturday after midnight) hoping they post time they will update, it may not be till Sunday mid-day.
-Third day is Sunday, but most will have portal update before package at this point.
Those not receiving scholarship will get letter in portal saying thanks for playing, no scholarship, wait till March to see if admitted.
So it could be very early Sunday morning, i.e. just after midnight, or could be later on Sunday.
So who here will be expecting/waiting for it tomorrow?
@gilliangrace It goes priority, so really depends on what part of FL you live in. Here’s a link to USPS priority map - USC’s zip code is 90089.
Seattleites have to wait till portal updates? Phewy
@jawg2011 thank you!! My zipcode is in the priority area so I wonder if that means I’ll get it before the portal update. Thanks again!
A lot of the country (including a lot of Florida and east coast) actually gets it on second day after mailing…but yes, the map above is the best indicator! Never understood why PNW isn’t two day!
Also following along from the PNW. Thanks for all the great info.
My D20 doesn’t have any admissions results yet, so the possibility of hearing from USC soon is quite exciting. Even if the odds of scholarship news are low, it’s something to anticipate while we wait for March results.
@CADREAMIN probably has something to do with shipping logistics like the hub being located in another state…who knows…USC has so much money, they should be sending the 1,000 notifications via priority overnight mail…we are holding out a little bit of hope for our S but we know it is a long shot…good luck to everyone & congrats to those who receive the white packages…Fight On!
I’m in San Diego, but I have a PO Box so packages usually get to me a day later unfortunately.
Is it 100% legit the merit-aid decisions where shipped today and that the portal will update on Sunday, or is it just speculation?
Always speculation till the first box arrives and they don’t post a pic of the packets leaving like they do in March, but this has always been the week over last 10 years. Anytime next week would be way later than the norm. Maybe a birdie will update if they saw them go today.
Just to add to the comments about not trusting the USPS informed delivery for any sort of notification – today my D20 received her welcome packet from another school and this wasn’t even listed in informed delivery as a mail piece they “didn’t have a scan for” like I have seen before. This packet was not listed at all in my informed delivery so I expect that anyone receiving the “white box” may not even get notice that something is coming that USPS can’t scan/show. How fun to just open the mailbox and see! 
When they are sent in bulk and priority like this, up through last year, it has been up to the sender to enable the tracking - they actually pay for that - and USC wants it a surprise so they do not. They have never shown up in USPS except for a couple random pieces sent directly from Thornton (not from general admissions where 99.9% come from) because their timeline can vary occasionally depending on major.
Of course, USPS Informed Delivery keeps evolving, so each year we wonder if they will show up there, and people go crazy checking it, but so far, no.
And besides, the mailbox moment, particular if the students themselves find it there, is spectacular.
I was checking my portal today looking for the dropdown menu to submit Midyear reports, and I saw that there were two options in the dropdown menu I have not seen before: “Spring Grades” and “Gap Year Explanation”. Could this mean anything in terms of my admission?
USC has been really good with not showing hints, and I believe that’s typical for all portals as that’s the portal to submit other documents as well.
Did anyone get a postcard from the USC Financial Aid office?
Does it mean anything?