I have a similar question about merit scholarships - is there a possibility to be bumped up if you commit to attending usc or something along those lines? or are merit scholarships somewhat set in stone after being awarded. thanks in advance!
Congratulations to your daughter! She has solid choices and a big decision to make.
We hadn’t even heard of Northeastern when our teen added it to their list. But after a lot of research, and great advice from many kind souls here on CC, we now have the same sentiments about the school as you do. I think our teen is going to grow and blossom in Boston.
Good luck to you and all the other parents and kids here, wherever you end up! So exciting!
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I’m not an expert, as I was just admitted a SDA Freshman for BFA Acting, but what I remember from the information sessions I attended last summer was that the School of Dramatic Arts has departmental scholarship for current students only. So I, and any other SDA Freshman, wouldn’t be considered for one until spring semester, and even then, the faculty member I spoke to said the scholarships are given out at the discretion of the department; they aren’t open for application.
I plan to ask about this again during the USC School of Dramatic Arts Admitted Students Session on Tuesday, April 6th. I encourage you to sign up for it as well! You can find it in your portal via the Explore USC link under “Get To Know Your Major.”
Hope this helped! 
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Boston is an amazing town - a great place to spend your college years! Have several friends whose kids loved the internships and experiences they had at NEU. It almost has a more grown up approach with the adapting needed to be done for the internships, people coming in and out. Congrats!
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Thank you for the information, but unfortunately, I’m not a NMF nor would my family be able to afford it, even after a half-tuition scholarship. Financial aid is little as well since we’re upper-middle class.
At this point, I think I’ve made peace with not going to USC. Most likely, I’ll attend UT Austin.
Sorry, but the possibility of being bumped up was during the interview, they are set at this point. All you can do is look for departmental scholarships and sometimes, rarely but sometimes, we have seen financial aid throw something on top that is a surprise, but nothing like going from a pres to trustee. The only thing to close that gap would be a lot of financial aid but even then, the merit comes off that first.
Oh, I appreciate your kindness! I really don’t mean to digress from USC. But you are all so empathetic and helpful. Thank you!!
My teen is a mature, independent, 3rd culture kid with a lot of international life experiences. So I’m excited at everything Boston has to offer.
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You’re welcome, we try to keep it positive over here - it’s a big time in life for these students and particularly new parents with their first to college. You won’t believe what you will know in four years after going through all this and will wish you would have known it at the beginning.
Online forums can be helpful but also totally distracting for those new to this whole college thing. Sometimes the “noise” can influence you when it shouldn’t. You just want to get correct info that helps you make a decision or plan for the future, but have to know to block out a lot of the commentary.
Boston is perfect for an int’l experienced teen. I have one of those so know what you mean. I think they thrive in a “grown up college experience” town of a Boston, LA, NYC kind of thing.
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Sorry if USC can’t work out for you, but UT Austin is a great school, I don’t think I have ever known/heard anyone that didn’t love it there. The spirit - oh that college spirit! Have some friends with athletes there and they are so happy.
I would suggest that your parents call USC financial aid and just be sure there are no other options/money sources for you. You should really get the final word on something this important from USC, so invest the hold time and call them to see if they have any suggestions before you close the deal.
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If I were to ask for more money would I call the scholarship coordinator or the financial aid office?
I said “that is not the case for ALL” - but it is the case for many. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing what you know : ) Very discouraging news tho… seems for sure premier program will be premier price!
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Hey. Is it true that the national-merit-based half tuition waiver goes only to NMF who didn’t get NM Scholar? That is, if you got the NM Scholar, even if you have not claim the prize money, you are out for the half tuition at USC?
@ttowner Being OOS, I too would balk at the idea of sending our child to non-guaranteed housing given the surrounding areas. Not sure I can add much beyond the helpful advice already provided (esp #4755 from @CADREAMIN)
I called the USC Housing office this morning asking direct questions and here’s what I was told:
- Within that last two years, how many SA’s did not receive on campus housing? “None, that I know of. As far as I know, all SA were assigned housing on campus. We prioritize housing for the incoming freshman class.”
- Just to be clear, SA housing isn’t guaranteed but there’s a good chance they will be assigned housing on campus. Is that correct? “Yes, it’s not guaranteed, but I don’t know of any freshman SA’s that weren’t assigned campus housing. Students that leave campus for spring will affect availability, but I’d be very surprised if a freshman wasn’t assigned on campus. Transfers is a different story, I’d say only 10-12% of transfers get housing on campus.”
Quotes may not be verbatim, but its very close to our conversation.
I called the housing office twice this morning, and both times a helpful person answered the phone. For your own peace of mind, I’d suggest any parent/student call them directly with your questions.
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It’s so heartwarming to find that most members understand what new parents are going through (especially at a challenging time like now), and they’re here to freely share what they’ve learned. It’s equal parts information and moral support. When it’s our turn, I’m going to pay the kindness forward!
It truly takes a compassionate village.
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I would start with financial aid because the see your entire picture. They can tell you if calling scholarship coordinator is worthwhile.
Does anyone know if all scholarships were already sent out?
I feel like all my questions have already been asked and answered so I apologize in advance for the repeat but there are so many posts to wade through that I couldn’t find the answers. When does financial aid come out? Have all merit awards been given? If you received the email that you weren’t being considered for merit awards can you still be considered for Dean’s awards? Have those come out yet? (admitted to Marshall) THANK YOU!!! Also - funny side note - I’ve been reading all of these helpful, informative posts from CADREAMIN for weeks and in my mind I was pronouncing it Cadre Ameen - until the other day I was like ohhhhhhh it’s CA Dreaming - boy did I feel silly ; )
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Financial aid is usually 3-7 days after regular decisions come out (if everything is turned in). I would call FA and ask if all the merit awards are out…it’s hard to tell. Haven’t seen any celebratory Trustee posts, at least here, so it’s hard to gauge. There’s also an associates for 18K a year, only 10 so we may not see one here, and the Dean’s are always the wildcard that seem to drop randomly. But FA or scholarship coordinator mentioned above would give a more difinitive answer. Hope you snag something!
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This is very helpful and have help to set my mind at ease. Thank you so much!