Last year convocation was virtual but they may have it in person this year. @CADREAMIN is convocation normally the day after the general student population moves in?
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Yes, it’s been the second day after general move in (which is a Wed) so convocation is Thursday. McCarthy move in has been on Monday so it’s a long time to hang around when your student has moved on, but I think parents that stick around use the time for some stuff USC and some stuff tourist. There is a pancake breakfast event, welcome talks, and festival type set ups. Of course I don’t know how it will change with covid this year, but USC knows how to throw events, that’s for sure.
Suppose they will repeat this schedule or pretty similiar for McCarthy students:
McCarthy WELCOME WEEK SCHEDULE
Monday
• Move-In Day
• Community Meeting
Tuesday
• McCarthy Honors Retreat
Wednesday
• Residential College Cup Opening
Ceremonies
Thursday
• Welcome BBQ
• Outdoor Movie
Friday
• Residential College Rally
• Welcome Festivities
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Do you know when the applications come out for the BCA program. I emailed them and they haven’t emailed the application yet.
I got a response saying they’ll come out at the end of the month. Due in May, results out in June.
Does financial aid stay consistent…worried it will decrease after freshman year since I heard that happened to some
Anyone else out there still waiting on need-based financial aid? Have been waiting more than 2 weeks now.
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If everything on your FAST portal is checked as received, you still may want to call them to be sure there isn’t something you aren’t aware of that they are waiting on. Calling may give it a bump regardless.
Oh no… really? 
Like a “bait and switch”? I really hope not!
Not a bait and switch, but if your financial picture changes, the FA can change with it in either direction. It is evaluated each year as people have more or less in college one year versus another, make more or less money, etc. it is not a one and done that applies all four years.
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Need based aid can change if your/your parents’ need (employment status, income, etc.) changes. Merit based aid, if awarded for 8 semesters, does not change as long as you continue to meet the requirements of the merit scholarship (GPA, units, etc.).
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RookieTB, exactly the same thing here. Waiting for the need-based FA, which is quite hard. We have very good offers from other schools, but my daughter prefers USC.
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We called. Nothing changed. In a couple of days, additional docs were requested and now again…just waiting.
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This was exactly my reaction when I read Dartmouth on this list. I have had two kids go to Dartmouth (one current)) after growing up in Oakland. They both thought they landed in a Norman Rockwell painting.
Not true at all about them only wanting full-pay students. My DD has her sister there now (no aid, we did not file) had great stats, full IB Diploma, tons of awards and leadership (President) positions, largest public IB school in US, very competitive, but also got TTP option. I think a lot of it comes down to demographics…not just at USC, but at all top schools this year. AOs have a lot of power in their hands.
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Same here. We have heard a lot of good stuff about USC but this experience with their financial aid office has been pretty awful. We are approaching three weeks and they still can’t figure out the price
We have called three times and were told they are really backed up. Every other school was able to give us the financial aid package the same day. Not a good look for USC
I got my aid today and have been seeing many other incoming freshman finally starting to get them as well. They seem to be coming out in waves almost, hope you get yours soon!
I hope the aid looks manageable. We are still waiting. When we called, they told us mid-end Apr.
Scholarships and potential loan amounts stay constant, but university grants and federal grants can vary if the family’s financial situation changes over time. So it really comes down to how you project your family’s financial condition staying constant or altering over the next few years.
Generally speaking, this waiting for FA decisions longer than normal seems like an anomaly this year. In the case of both of my daughters, the FA decisions came within just a few days of being admitted… certainly inside of one week as I recall. Of course it all hinges on the file being fully complete. When so, they are usually quite efficient. Covid and working remotely clearly seems to have impacted their standard of prior efficiency, and they likely should have worked out a better solution. But I would not allow this aberration during these strange times to influence how you view USC. Of course the nature of the FA decision clearly does for many… as the inability to attend after admission based on affordability naturally sours many. Good luck to all those awaiting FA decisions. Hopefully the news is good in nature.