Does submitting your application early have a factor on acceptance?
Only in the fact if submitted by December 1st, you are considered for merit scholarships. Otherwise, no.
2 Likes
Thanks @CADREAMIN for acknowledging that COVID and Online vs. in-person is a factor in choosing a school for a tuition paying parent. Any word on if USC is back in person? Reddit is reporting a delay until mid-Feb for in-person classes.
Anyone has issues with the common app tonight ? It keeps showing the sections of the applications are incomplete.
YES!! UNC, USC, Case western, and Spelman weren’t working. it was showing incomplete even though I had all the green checkmarks
Plan is still to go live January 24th. Suppose it could change, but nothing out on that yet. Reddit can be pretty speculative when it comes to USC. (But I also just read something hilarious about Trojan Check there that was spot on.) With LA’s numbers, along with USC’s, it would not be surprising if they do move it out.
1 Like
Totally agree! REALLY don’t want to pay > 75K for online/remote classes!
2 Likes
@lkg4answers @CADREAMIN @WWWard wondering if you can walk through what we might expect in the next week or so? Is there usually a post or some communication on when/how scholarship invitations are sent? Any intel on white boxes vs email? Do notifications typically go out on a certain day of the week?
3 Likes
Here below is a repeat of a post from @cadreamin from a prior January. Hopefully it is still generally accurate. I suspect so.
Here’s some answers to questions about what will be happening in the next week or so, and also to help us experienced parents that try to contribute avoid answering the same question over and over, and rather just link to thread.
Disclaimer - This is what has happened for last 8+ years when I have been through it, they could change it up - they are in charge! The dates are just guesses based on the past, colleges tend to operate like a machine and do the same things each year. Apologies in advance if the do something entirely different!
THE MERIT PROCESS
WHAT?
About 40,000 students apply 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 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. 
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. While the date is a guess, they do tend to stick to that timeframe because of Explore interview schedules that have to be met to flow into March decisions…
People in LA area start receiving the white 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 (they may be different color this year) 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
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 couple people in Thorton did see their packages 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 likes USC intends - 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.
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.
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.
Good luck all!
18 Likes
I don’t think USC offers Mork anymore and I thought there were rumors that they were going to discontinue Stamps as well. Anyone know?
1 Like
Thanks for the info! I went through past posts and found that typically when they have sent boxes, they pack/ship on Wednesday/Thursday and So Cal folks get them Friday. Boxes continue to arrive elsewhere in the country over 2-3 day. Portal updates occur on the weekend.
Does anyone think it could happen this week or is it likely the week after?
3 Likes
Extremely helpful
Thanks a lot!!
you’re welcome… but really thanks to @CADREAMIN
1 Like
For those who applied to USC SCA (film), has anyone received a request for an interview yet?
1 Like
I have not but it does say on the SCA website that no interviews are conducted. I’ve never gone through the SCA process before though so I could be wrong.
1 Like
What about international students, especially this year during covid? Do we get a package or is it just an email?
I’m in the dark as well! Maybe others on the board have heard some details.
Hi, keeping fingers crossed for all of our applicants. In thinking and talking (optimistically) about choosing among colleges in the coming months I have come across the opinion that USC would be a very good place for a student with an undecided major. The view is that the university is more flexible than others (UCs for example) for kids that want to transfer among majors / schools (I will assume that excludes engineering school). Appreciate any thoughts from the more experienced on this board. Thanks!
Yes it is pretty easy to change majors and across different schools at USC. This was huge in our school decision checklist. We didn’t want any of our kids getting stuck with a degree they really didn’t want because changing was impossible/too difficult. College is a time to explore yourself - not everyone goes in at 17 knowing exactly what they want to be when they grow up!
One of mine changed majors 5 times (yes, 5 times) before settling into a double major from two different schools, and they are perfect for her. Even engineering and Marshall are possible to get into, they can be more competitive than say Dornsife majors, and there are some course requirements to meet before you do, but advisors guide you and they have sessions on how to change into them (so a student knows if they can realitstically do it). For example, most wanting to change majors into Marshall should have a 3.8+ USC gpa and have to knock out econ before they do. Frankly, I think Viterbi can be easier to get into than Marshall - it’s a demand thing there - more want to change to Marshall than Viterbi, as engineers usually know they are engineers coming in. 
Schools like Thornton and SCA have very limited spots, so again, possible in certain majors within them (not all), but usually passion shows through for kids wanting to change majors to something in those schools (if it is right) and there are people that help it happen. Most of the Dornsife majors are easy to change to.
Also, there are a zillion minors to choose from - so they can stick with their intended major and add a more fun/interesting minor. And double majors can be done as well. Double majoring is an option for anyone that wants to do it - if they can afford it in terms of time and money. Double majoring across two different schools is a ton of units. So a lot go in thinking they will do this, then realize how many classes it really takes to do it. But it’s an option for all that can.
These were huge factors for us and the flexibility ended up serving mine well.
12 Likes
Thank you @CADREAMIN. Incredibly helpful perspective for us.
1 Like