if you applied before december 1st (for scholarship consideration) then you will hear back like late january, i don’t think there’s an exact date but it’s usually late january
You’ll only hear back in late January if they want you to interview for scholarships. You don’t hear either way otherwise until March.
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Those who applied by December 1st should hear around Jauary 24th - you will either be notified of scholarship consideration (acceptance) and everyone else will get a letter uploaded to say that while you are not receiveing a scholarship, you are still being considered and will hear in March, usually around March 24th as well. There are sometimes smaller scholarships awarded in March like the Dean’s (1/4), and a few lucky ones (about 10) are awarded the Associates for 18k in March as well.
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Just so I’m clear, if you hear in January that they want you to interview for scholarships or are under consideration for scholarships, that means you have been accepted? If so, do you actually receive an acceptance letter at that time?
yes and yes (idk how it will work with corona currently, they may be sending out the packages this year but most likely). if they want you to interview then you’re automatically accepted
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@StrogMedicine It is a combo acceptance and scholarship invitation package sent in January, which may just be an email notification this year rather than a package (they didn’t sent acceptance packages in March which is sad cause they are fantastic). But yes, it is an acceptance letter accompanied by information on the scholarship you are up for. Either way you are in - even if you tank an interview. You won’t get as much money, but you are in regardless.
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Hey there everyone! Former thread stalker and poster from last year’s group but now current USC student here! I’m on this thread mainly because I’ve been keeping track of it for some family members who have applied this year (super exciting) but I noticed y’alls discussion on the admissions packages. So I did not get one as @CADREAMIN pointed out, this March, however, us freshman have recently been told that USC will finally be mailing our packages out sometime in January! So I’d say there’s a good chance that you guys will get that magical experience I wish I was able to have! Good luck everyone 
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To save @CADREAMIN time in repeating herself multiple times, here is her post from last January about everything Merit Scholarship…
"THE MERIT PROCESS
WHAT?
This year, about 40,000 students applied 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 package 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. 
There just aren’t enough scholarships for all the great kids out there!
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.
People in LA area start receiving the acceptance/merit 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 last few years (they could be different color this year, they have been red and gold packages in the past) 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. They seem to send these out ahead, so some will get there pretty timely, others seem to take weeks, but the portal will update for all on the third day after sent.
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 Thorton applicant did see their package 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 as intended - 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. (Frankly, drawn out and not so great for those that don’t get one.)
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. Sign up for Explore USC and interviews open up after the portal updates and everyone knows their status.
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.
RANDOM SUGGESTION
I have been through this four times with great success, but it is nice to be just watching this year. The one thing I learned for us (and each family has their own dynamic so take it or leave it) - it is fantastic to let your kids own the moment. Whether in January or March, let them find the box - you may pay for the education, but they own it - they worked hard. You don’t accept the trophy for them at t-ball, let them find the package. Of course they want to know asap, but I would avoid texting them at school that they got in -you miss the moment, they miss the mailbox/porch moment, and it defeats the purpose of all this planning by USC. Finding it themselves really can be like those emotional commercials.
If you have to peek ahead cause you are losing your mind (it happens) try to hold it in until they find it, or make a fun plan with it (I have seen some put it in the fridge, etc). We are rural and have the advantage of that mailbox at the end of a long driveway and mine had no idea if/when anything was coming (which is great). Coming home from school pickup, I vividly remember stopping at the mailbox and having him check the mail as usual (I started having him do it months before college decisions so it wouldn’t be an obvious ploy). I can still see his face as he looked in and saw the USC box, then looked up and back at me in the car with the look of a 4 year old on Christmas morning. That moment is etched in my mind, no cuteness for the camera, just pure wonder and joy. Then pulling it out of the mailbox like he had just found a treasure.
My other one knew they were coming and whether she had got one or not, she wanted to walk to the mailbox on her own, so I got to enjoy watching her return with it. She still thanks me for letting her have that moment to herself for just a little while. But that’s her personality, do what works for you - you might give it some thought in advance on how to handle good news from any college if you get it first, it is a once in a lifetime event for them. Of course, do what works for your student and family, sometimes it is best if they are blissfully unaware of all of this, but let’s face it, most (including parents) are on edge from here on. Keep busy and enjoy this time with them! Wishing you all the best through these next anxious weeks and months.
Again, best guesses from experience and I apologize in advance if they change it up! "
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Since admission at USC is not binding, when scholarship awardees decide to move to other school, will the scholarship be pass on to other incoming students?
Just a minor clarification. This past year they did not indicate which scholarship you were up for.
Last year the students received a letter of admission a “Welcome to USC” booklet and an “Experience USC” booklet. The first page in the Experience USC booklet said,
"Congratulations! You have been selected from many thousands of outstanding applicants as a finalist to receive one of USC’s prestigious merit-based scholarships. These include the Mork Family and Trustee full tuition scholarships, worth nearly $58,000 each year, and the Presidential half tuition scholarship worth approximately $29,000 each year.
Your next step is to complete a scholarship interview, which will be conducted during the Explore USC program. Last year, nearly two-thirds of those interviewed received either a full or half tuition scholarship."
It went on to talk about honors housing and Thematic Options. The rest of the brochure had info about Explore USC, Admitted Student Day, campus tours, etc.
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@lemonlulu No. They give out a certain amount of scholarships knowing and planning on only a certain percentage actually taking them. They are not re-allocated.
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@onlyworthypotato Thanks for the update! I am so happy to hear that they are finally getting the packages to the freshman that missed them. I wondered why it took so long and thought they would send it around the time of your orientation, but at least they are getting out there now. Not that they will have the impact, but a nice keepsake (until it is replaced with that diploma)!
They really should do packages again since the mail is not an issue - they didn’t know enough last spring so I get the decision at the time, but still a missed event for some. Others love the online update, but the packages are just a tradition, whether waiting for them is painful or not. 
Happy holidays!
@CADREAMIN Thanks for all of the great information. It’s very helpful.
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Does anyone have any guesses or information sugessting when the decision date for the scholarship application deadline arrive? I know last year it was January 26th (right?), but given the circumstances this year, do you guys think they will be released earlier or later? For all my Early Action school’s decisions I’ve recieved so far, either they’ve been released earlier than prior years (USF, SCU for example), or a lot later than usual (Pepperdine) within the context of COVID transpiring application changes. I know Early Action differs immensly from USC’s strategy, but I’d imagine there’s still some correlation that will cause USC to release decision’s earlier or later, so that’s why I’m asking.
@ veenturejunkie I still suspect that it will be the last week of January. I cannot recall it being any other week. Good luck…
does anyone know what day they are usually released ?
Typically they are mailed (the white boxes) I think on Thurs (? maybe Wed) so that they are received over the weekend - that would be 1/ 27 or 28. What ends up happening is that there are waves of people finding out based on how far you live from SoCal. The portal update has happened on Sunday. Hopefully they have a good plan to counter-act the mail lag that some of the country is still experiencing (we just received an Xmas card that was mailed on 12/21 and another from 12/26). This is just the info I’ve gleaned from others’ experiences from past years on this site so other people may have better info.
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and it gets a bit crazy on here. 
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I know we are assuming merit scholarship announcements will come out during the last week of January but with COVID and other delays this application year, do you think we might actually hear mid-Feb(what they put on their website)?
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