Glad to have official instead of my math, although not too off. 
25% would have got me to 2200. So they are splitting in the middle of 20-25%.
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Thank you. That seems inconsistent with this information from the
Q&A on the admissions website, though, which makes is sound as if submission is optional unless specifically requested:
"Why did I receive a request from USC for mid-year grades? How do I submit them?
Updated 09/16/2022 09:21 AM
We find that an applicant’s senior mid-year grades can help us make better admission decisions. These grades can show how applicants handle some of the most challenging courses of their high school career, and they can further illustrate emerging trends in overall performance.
We send many requests for mid-year reports in January and February to applicants from whom we would like to see additional information. If you receive such a request, you should submit those grades via the USC Applicant Portal as soon as possible, as we will not be able to continue our review of your application without them.
Your school counselor can also submit your mid-year grades to USC via the Mid-Year Report form in the Common Application."
Confusing…
Consensus has always been to send mid-year. And it is on the current applicant checklist as required:
Submit your fall grades (when available): Use the Mid-Year Report Form included in the Common Application or visit your applicant portal to submit your fall grades.
Mid year grades have always been required, but yes, that post you reference is confusing. Frankly, in the competitive environment of USC, a good mid year report is essential to admission. No one is going to sneak in with a sub-par midterm report.
Yeah make sense. Now I view this early round more as for scholarship consideration. Before I thought there is a little advantage applying early for admission, but apparently that is not the case.
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Oh…does this mean if we don’t get request for mid year report, our chance of getting early admission. Is slim?….oh well, only 20 days left so we will soon know…I don’t think we get any request for mid year. We only have semester, so will be available in the middle of Jan.
If I had a strong mid year report (or any for that matter), I would be sending it in since it is on the checklist. If someone doesn’t send in their mid-year I think it could just raise more uncertainty than the certainty sending it in does. Don’t wait to get a request, send it in. Even informally to admissions rep if don’t have advisor/time to send in formal one. My four that were accepted all sent in a mid-year, wasn’t a question.
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Some schools don’t have a mid year report. Our school doesn’t produce mid year reports until mid-Feb, we are still only in our 2nd quarter of school. School starts one week before Labor Day.
Yes, good point, but if you have one, send it.
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I think it’s still advantageous to apply early. Student has a chance through 2 cycles and applying early shows strong interest and the perseverance to get in the app by Nov 1. It’s a good thing! Good luck!
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My D23’s mid year report is due to be released on Jan 23. In the common app if you bring up the Dashboard → USC it says:
Recommendations:
School Report Required
Counselor Recommendation Required
Mid Year Report Required
Final Report Required
Teacher Evaluation(s): 0 Required, 1 Optional
Other Evaluation(s): Not Applicable
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D23’s mid-year senior year report will not be up to her usual standards. It was a rough semester for a couple of reasons. Given that it’s not ready yet (another week or two), I’m tempted to counsel that she wait until the EA decision comes out before sending it. Or do you think, without it, they won’t fully consider her EA application?
Our school counselor automatically sends it without our child having to request it once’s it’s produced - sent to all schools applied to based on the initial transcripts sent. Does your child have the option to withhold it until she requests for it to be sent?
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Same here; the school counselor sent out an email to all students, saying the mid year reports would be automatically sent to all schools in the common app as soon as available.
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not sure – maybe it’s automatic so no point stressing over it…
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Thanks for the backup @voda213. Yes, it has always been required (but open to idea that things may change), sometimes I’m just smh at the inconsistent info given during some of the presentations- online or live. We got really bad advice years ago, and thank goodness we talked to the engineering big kahuna as what we were told at an admissions Q&A presentation was way off. Likely would have made the dif between acceptance and rejection.
Since they are test optional, I couldn’t imagine them letting the mid year report go by the wayside too - together that’s a lot of data. The more and the better the data is that you can give them, the easier (relatively speaking) it is to admit you. I always think of there being a tie - 2 “identical candidates” (in theory)that they are deciding between…which does happen all the time. Something has to break the tie. It could be the great mid-term report, or that test score, or the higher level math class taken, or that essay that just sold it a bit more im a certain way. One tiny little thing can be the tipping point - to the good side.
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I received the same letter addressed to my parents over the weekend. I also received an email to apply for scholarships in Scholarship Universe. I hope that this is a glimpse into whats to come. After reading the letter I felt the same way that you did. Lord, I hope that it’s not a rejection.
We got the same mail a few weeks ago. My DD20 only received “missing FA doc” email but she was accepted before we uploaded them (NMF, presidential scholar, not attending USC) so we opened and ignored.
It could be worse. In late October couple weeks after we submitted the app, DD23 received a formal letter from the dean of admission at SMU (Southern Methodist U in Dallas) “grateful for your interest & excited to learn more about you …” same letter also to our (parents) emails. On the week of EA decision, we got a postcard from her AO saying “Ask me anything! My favorite place on campus is blah blah…” then BAM! She was deferred that Friday. This is my second child and I knew it didn’t mean anything but I was so irritated. What a waste.
Your daughter was accepted ED? If so that gives me hope! My nerves are all over the place! LOL! The email to apply to scholarships is what really gave me hope. Fingers crossed!
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We received this letter and brochure too a few weeks after applying in October but we applied RD.
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Its highly insensitive of these colleges to do this type of hollow promise/marketing. Its just gimmicks. You would think colleges known for the Business programs would atleast do a better job of balancing marketing and being sensitive to theie audience which is hard working 18 year old kids.
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