<p>Does USC merit scholarship interview invitation primarily base on 1) SAT/ACT scores; 2) GPA; 3) essay; and 4) ECs? </p>
<p>USC is my son's top choice though he has never been in California (lol). He is really looking forward to the interview so he can finally visit the Golden State. He has competitive SAT score (2340 from one sitting) and ACT score (35), solid GPA (3.89 UW and 4.58 W), National Merit Scholarship semifinalist, AP scholar with distinction, good essay and above average ECs. </p>
<p>What about his chance of getting invited for the merit scholarship interview? </p>
<p>The scholarship invitations may depend on various things not necessarily in the order you posted. My D’s SAT scores were certainly not way up there, but her GPA was, as well as her ECs/awards, and evidently her essays (given a personal note sent to her by Adcom).
USC generally looks for students who stand out in some way, students who they wish to attract and who appear to have the qualifications to be candidates for the tippy top schools.</p>
<p>Good luck to your son, he has a very good chances to be invited.</p>
<p>I will second this, based on what my H has told me. H is on the USC mathematics faculty and has participated on the scholarship interview panels. (I also sneaked a peek at the interview guidelines they gave them recently.)</p>
<p>midwestDad2, your son’s stats are excellent! The criteria for merit scholar consideration heavily weights such academic success, but the adcoms appear to be looking for an additional X factor. That’s where serious awards, special internships, and extraordinary accomplishments come into play. Each of USC’s Schools (Theatre, Cinema, Thornton, Marshall, etc) plus CLAS will be looking for special qualities that make a student stand out in their pool of admittees. For science majors, those who have done remarkable research and been published may be singled out; for arts kids the one invited may have had a play produced off-Broadway or some other big accomplishment. I agree with Sequoia who mentions the importance of the personal statement in communicating a student’s drive and leadership, and I also think those USC Schools that ask for supplemental material and apps, or auditions, weigh those heavily as well.</p>
<p>Each year, we USC parents on CC see many wonderful students get those precious Trustee and Presidential invitations, but also many more with equal-sounding stats who do not. Just as with admittance to an Ivy-level university, there’s a bit of the puzzle we outside viewers will never know.</p>
<p>My S in a Trustee Scholar in the SCA, so I can help with details there if that’s you S’s interest. Otherwise, best of luck and please post here if he does get an invitation!</p>
<p>Even if your S somehow does NOT get an invitation, if he’s a NMF, he will get a 1/2 tuition Presidential scholarship, which really helps make USC much more affordable than otherwise. My S was a NMF who did NOT get an invitation (his essay writing doesn’t do him justice). He still got his Presidential scholarship & will be graduating this spring in EE. </p>
<p>With the current fare wars, it might be worthwhile for your S to fly out to USC regardless for a visit, say for spring break? It might give him a better idea of what CA has to offer & whether he thinks he might be happy there. My S thought he’d be fine anywhere until he saw some snow poles (or whatever they’re called) by the side of the road in Rochester–when he realized how high the snow got & how rural some of the schools were, he decided he is really an urban warm weather student (who enjoys short visits to colder climates).</p>
<p>If he gets invited for interview (and thanks God), then he will visit the campus at the same time. If order to sit in the classes and/or shadow a student, how far ahead does he need to notify USC? He applied to the Marshall school of business. </p>
<p>If he does not get invited for interview (and he will be disapointed, then he will go visit the campus during spring break week. Either way he will be there (lol). </p>
<p>For some strange reason, the Golden State is so near and dear in his heart. Though he was offered close to full ride to other decent schools, USC is still his top choice :-).</p>
<p>If he is invited for a merit scholarship interview, sitting in on a class is part of the program. (It is an expanded version of the admitted student “Explore USC” program.)</p>
<p>After admission he will have the option of signing up for “Explore,” a visit geared specifically toward admitted students. The regular Explore is a one-day program. He could plan to stay in Los Angeles an extra day to sit in on classes. You can make those arrangements after admission with Marshall.</p>
<p>Dear midwestDad2,
Since your son has never seen the campus there is a place where he can find many photos of USC. Go to Facebook. Click on USC Class of 2013. Click on photos. There are three pages of photos posted. Many of these images are of the courtyards, flowering shrubs and fountains which dot the campus. Some of these images were taken in January, so you will see how different it appears from a snowy midwestern scene.</p>
<p>Best wishes to your son on his college journey.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>You need 300 points to get a degree without honours, of which at least 180 must be above Level 1 and, of these, at least 60 must be at Level 3.</p></li>
<li><p>You need 360 points to get an honours degree, of which at least 240 must be above Level 1 and, of these, at least 120 must be at Level 3.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Midwestdad2,
There are many kids at USC tho turned down full-ride offers elsewhere and are happily attending USC. My S is among them; we are grateful he was awarded a NMF Presidential, especially since we’re paying full-freight for our D to attend.</p>
<p>CA does have a lot to offer many students on many levels. It is NOT perfect but it is large enough that most kids can find a nice “niche” there. Good luck!</p>
<p>Daletess, not sure whether you’re on the correct thread, as your post, as your thread doesn’t relate to the OP or most of what has been posted.</p>
<p>^^^ Before you are invited to interview for a merit scholarship, you first receive a letter of admission from USC. Big relief with that early notice, but some get antsy waiting to find out <em>which</em> of the merit awards they are going up for!! In the past, it has taken up to a week to receive the second letter. Best of luck to all.</p>
<p>^ Ah, but in the past there was a little trick to find out which one you were up for, if one was admitted particularly early. Darned if I can remember exactly how but it had to do with logging onto Explore or something and seeing which Explore came up, the one day or two day, and if the latter, it was there.</p>
<p>^ It was the Caravan link to RSVP for Explore. It isn’t operating yet. It might - if they do things the same again this year - become active around the 25th of January. The one I have from last year just displays that admissions events have ended. Good luck to all those waiting to hear!!!</p>
<p>Does anyone know of people who were invited to an interview but did not receive the scholarship? Or is it pretty much set that if you’re interviewing, you probably will get some scholarship?</p>
<p>This is purely speculation and personal opinion:</p>
<p>College Confidential is a VERY small sampling, but in two years I can only remember one, or possibly two, posters saying they interviewed for the Trustee and were “bumped down” to a Dean’s (1/4 tuition). That question was asked when my daughter interviewed, and they gave only a vague answer that “about half” of those interviewed matriculate with the scholarship.</p>
<p>Bearing in mind that the students interviewed are among the top students in the nation who have applealing options at other top schools, and that USC’s overall yield is about 30%, it looks to me as though the majority of those interviewed are awarded the scholarship for which they interview.</p>
<p>A VERY few who interview for the Presidential will be “bumped up” to the Trustee (which is why NMFs invited to interview for Presidential are advised to go to the interview - even though they are guaranteed the Presidential - for the tiny chance they will receive the Trustee instead).</p>
<p>Remember, if you get NMF and are accepted to USC (unless they change their policy), you WILL get 1/2 tuition Presidential Scholarship, even if you’re not interviewed as a Presidential or Trustee Candidate. I know several kids who had that happen, who matriculated at USC.</p>