did anyone else get an email about dornslife freshman science honors program?
Do you have a sense of how many spring admits there are? I read an article from a couple of years ago that it had been about 650, but that they slashed that number in half.
Reading that link about double depositing being unethical…the wrong words and examples are used.
Ethics is a societal norm (moral principles) and there logic doesn’t apply when it relates to this. This is not unethical but rather a contract violation. When you apply RD or even non restrictive EA to multiple schools your contract on the application allows it. When you apply under scea or REA, the contract doesn’t. Ethics has nothing to do to with this it’s a contract between the school and the student. Violate the contract and the offer can (and no doubt will) be withdrawn.
For that reason this logic below is written by someone that has no understanding of contract law or ethics.
Deceitful? Not if the rules allow it. For example, you can put offers in on several houses and deposit. There are damages specified. Unfair to the college? Seriously? Because they will have to enlarge the wait list?
USC chose to make double depositing a contract violation for their own purposes. It’s not an ethics issues but rather how they want to run their business. Apply knowing that or don’t. Let’s not say that it’s because it violates a moral principle just follow the contract. As unfair as it might be.
“ Why is double depositing unethical?
It’s deceitful. Students know they can only attend one college, so they are essentially lying when they notify more than one that they intend to enroll.
It’s unfair to the college. If the practice continues, colleges may find they can’t predict the size of the incoming class with any accuracy. They may take actions such as enlarging the waiting list or increasing deposit amounts (both of which will impact future applicants).
It’s unfair to other applicants. The double depositor is taking up a spot that could go to another student, who will instead be put on a waiting list or turned down. … “
Is it necessary to include a cover page for my appeal letter? i’ve seen places that said i should and others that i said i didn’t have to
OK @SoCalEsq - so the one difference I now see for USC is that they don’t require a deposit/commitment until August? (as opposed to May 1 like the rest of the free world?). If that is the case, then problem solved and no ethics breaches there… just an extremely anxious student who has to wait even more between May 1 and fall before getting fired up about college (not unlike any other waitlist candidate).
However, if you’re expecting students to commit (ie deposit) on May 1 for a spring term admission like many of them do (ie Northeastern, American, Miami, Tulane, etc), then the argument steers back into the “cake and eat it too” camp. The bottom line is, kids need to make a rational decision by May 1 what their going to do for fall…many can’t envision not starting with the rest of their class.
P.S. By depositing on May 1 at choice #2, and then getting off the waitlist in late summer at choice #1 and then withdrawing, are we being unethical to choice #2? Weren’t they planning on tuition from this student for their “commitment” on May 1?
I keep up with the USC posts but never reply. However, some of these responses and uninformed posts have made me feel that I should. First, I have a junior who was a spring admit and a freshman who was a fall admit so I know the difference between the two. @Goldikova, being a spring admit is not the schools way of having a “glorified waitlist”. If you commit in May 1, you are considered a USC student whether you start in fall or spring. So, no, you can not accept at two schools. Also, very few students get moved to fall since the school admits way more than accept and can can predict the yield based on past years. @hmmnotsure1 I disagree that it is a “money grab” as you stated in another post. USC has great financial packages that are based on parent income. If you are a spring admit, you are 100% a USC student once you begin and will qualify for financial aid. Also, many other universities have spring admits like NYU and Tulane so this not just a USC thing. There is just not enough room on campus to have everyone first semester. Many students graduate in December and many others go abroad in January so USC brings news students to campus in January.
@maya77, there are advantages and disadvantages to being a spring admit. The school has amazing abroad programs that spring admits can attend with other spring admits. Then, they come to campus and have a already formed group of friends in January. My son chose to live at Gateway first semester and take cc classes at Santa Monica. Many other springs admits do this so there were lots of them at Gateway. He didn’t want to miss a semester at campus or a football season. The university advisors will meet with all spring admits to be sure they are taking the correct classes that will transfer regardless of where they are. Another benefit, is saving a half a year tuition. Also, some students are just not ready to go away In August and benefit from starting later and having an opportunity to work or do something els. In my opinion, the negatives are not living in a dorm and being unable to rush until sophomore year because you need 12 USC hours to rush. Some won’t care about this and rushing as a sophomore was a great experience for my son.
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thanks @joetsa - i’m mostly in agreement with you about the inner workings of the spring admission programs as a way for the school to manage yield, resources on campus (as I stated in my post above). I was reluctant to use “money grab” because I couldn’t articulate the right words, the fact is that most schools will NOT offer ANY financial aid to spring scholars. I know Tulane VERY well, have a sophomore there now who has FA, and my daughter who was offered admission to spring, with no FA, and must now commit by May 1 to somewhere. Not going to work for us, so we move on to other choices. (BTW - no horse in this race, was rejected from USC). And that’s all OK…
Somebody mentioned commitment wasn’t until August, so that would solve the ethical dilemma, however if May 1, aren’t you forcing the student to weigh the risk of depositing $500 in the chance that good news comes along in August? As opposed to saying “it’s spring or nothing”. I truly think their creating their own ethical dilemma. They shouldn’t force anyone to make a decision in May that can be made in August…
so did anyone get this email too
I agree re school #2. But it’s a Catch 22 because a student needs to commit to “a” school by May 1, but no school pulls from its waitlist until after that date. So if May 1 were binding, either ethically or contractually, there would be no point in having waitlists. Almost no student would take the risk of not committing anywhere on May 1 in the hope that they would get off a waitlist after that date.
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@joetsa @Goldikova and others, it is completely unethical to make a deposit to two colleges where you have been offered admission. However, USC has put kids in a situation that is out of the norm and the exact reason of the debate here. It is also interesting to see how folks who have kids at a university become an advocate for that university and do not really see the student’s interest :). If USC is your top choice then spring admit is an excellent option and its not a glorified waitlist since you’re guaranteed a spot. However, if USC is one of your few top options, and the student is not interested in spring semester for whatever reasons, then that’s where the dilemma is. In that case the fall option becomes a waitlist option and its not unethical at that point. The student should have the most flexibility to make the best decision for them and not in the interest of a university. USC can easily provide that flexibility by stating that if you absolutely must not attend in Spring then please let us know within 2-3 days of our fall waiting list decision from spring admits of offer/no offer so we can make offers to other students. This would in the students’ best interest not the universities and will provide most flexibility.
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@emmithegoat - 100% agree, and thank for articulating what I couldn’t! Solves everyone’s problem (student and school) and requires simply that USC allow that flexibility to spring admits and requires little compromise. Why can’t USC manage it’s yield on a small cohort for spring (ie 250 kids) by September 1 when every student would have made that decision?
@NJ08809 Our son took Fall GE course at a local CC that USC has never heard of. They asked for links to the GE course descriptions he chose for Fall. He did his best to match what the USC GE requirements, and the counselors would confirm it would count or suggest another course. This ensured that there were no problems transferring credits.
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@joetsa Thanks for bringing some clarity and real life experience the topic at hand. It is always great to get information from those that have been through a process and actually have students at the school with no other agenda than to be helfpul.
There’s a lot of posters that spend a great amount of time trying to help and inform, with the best interest of the students/parents in mind, not with the purpose of advocating for the school. I am concerned by those without first hand experience with a school that just show up on any site to disparage it, because it just clouds things up for families new to the process.
Each person has to own and determine their own situation and desires to see if the options before them really work for them. Spring for example, is not a one size fits all. It is a great option for some, but not for others. TTP is the same - some are thrilled and it works for them, but others see it as a year long hostage situation full of angst.
This is a big day of celebration for many, there are many applicants thrilled with spring admit - they have always wanted to attend USC and they get to because spots open from the many that go abroad and the December graduates. Maybe they will get bumped to fall, maybe not, but in the end they will have gone to USC and if that is their main goal then hooray, it works for them.
This is your student and your situation, don’t get jumbled and clouded up in biases, grievances or what others think politically about why a school does this or that. Get the facts on how it works. Then ask, Is this good for my student? Will it work for my student? How will this work for my student? What are the pros and cons? Is this what they want?
What works for one family/student doesn’t work for another. Determine your own prioirities and go from there.
Good luck to all those awaiting results on Ivy Day!
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@emmithegoat . I just don’t understand your thinking. There is no waitlist. Stop using that term. There are two options- fall or spring admit. If you are not interested in spring admit, than take USC off your list. If you are hoping to get moved to fall, than do not accept at USC. That is what you were accepted for. Either you accept it or accept at another school. Make the decision that is best for you but USC is not going to change their policy because some people can’t decide what to do and would have liked to be admitted for fall rather then spring. Good luck to you wherever you end up and congrats on your USC acceptance.
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@maya77 You’re very welcome. The people on this USC forum were (and continue to be) extremely helpful. They went out of their way to help us, so we’re grateful to provide any help back to this community.
re: Housing - the guaranteed housing might have changed for Spring admits, but we’ve found the housing dept to be very helpful in answering our questions. When the pandemic started, he left campus with his room still occupied (thinking he’d be back soon). When he realized he wasn’t going back, housing packed his belongings (while he was on FaceTime) and kept them in storage until he returns in the Fall.
The Spring 2020 convocation had ~310 new students. As far as I know, each had housing assigned on campus. With a similar acceptance rate for Spring 2022, I’d be surprised if it wasn’t the same case.
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Thank you so much for the reply. I agree with you 100 percent on the positives you stated as well as the 2 negatives. The USC welcome page states that some fraternities do not accept Fall admits. Did your son find that to be true for many fraternities? Also, one of the other posters above stated as a spring admit their kid missed a football season. Was your son able to attend USC football games in the Fall before starting in the Spring? Thank you!
Did you just get it? My daughter is at school so idk if she did. She didn’t last night.
I agree there is no waitlist. My context of using waitlist was for those who would be offered a seat in fall from spring admits. So yes in true sense it is not a waitlist as you are guaranteed a spot. On the other hand, the fall spots can be viewed as waitlist for spring admits for those who would not prefer to start school in spring for whatever reasons. As an example, a kid would have been accepted to UCLA and USC and both schools are in his/her top 2 choices with USC a slight more preferred. However, a spring start at USC may not be favored over fall start in UCLA for a given reason to that student. In that case a fall offer from spring admit at USC is an “equivalent” of a waitlist. If I get fall offer I’ll go to USC, if I don’t UCLA is pretty good option for me cause I do not want to start my college education late even if it is one semester 
I believe they consistently admit about 600 spring each year. Obviously not all those attend, and depending on commits and which majors have space open up, some get bumped to fall. Generally speaking, about 300 end up spring admits as @romns116 confirms.