Alright, so I submitted my application to the University of Southern California on Dec 1st around 6pm ET. The deadline for merit scholarship consideration was 11:59pm ET Dec 1st, so I submitted 6 hours before the deadline. Directly after submitting my application and writing supplement, I received conformation emails saying I had successfully applied to USC.
At this point I thought all was good, until today, Dec 2nd, I received a conformation email from USC. It linked me to my application portal. When I logged into my portal, I was shocked to see that they officially received my application on Dec 2nd, one day after the deadline. Will I still be considered for merit scholarships if they received my application a day late, despite me submitting before the deadline? To make matters worse, on my common app account, it says “Downloaded - December 2, 2018 ET”. I have the emails as proof of my application, but I want to make sure the admissions department knows when I actually submitted.
Thanks
Same thing happened to me. I’ve been asking around and searching around and I found on a thread in 2011 someone said as long as you at least submitted by December 1st you’d be fine, but I’m skeptical. I’ve emailed my admissions counselor but haven’t gotten a reply yet. If I do get a reply, I’ll update the reply.
Thank you so much!!
You will be fine. Last year, my kid submitted at 11:54 PT on 12/1 (deadline is actually 11:59 PT IIRC), got a note the next day that his app was received on Dec 2, and was still considered for the merit scholarships.
Just checked the portal of my daughter the same thing it’s showing application received on dec. 2nd, I was also worried.
Same thing happened to me LOL. If anyone finds out any info please update! I hope we are still considered for merit scholarships!
It will be fine, it was submitted on the 1st but downloaded by them/to them on the 2nd. You are all good.
Also on their website it says they go by the time zone you’re in as long as it’s submitted by 11:59. I received the transaction confirmation for my daughter’s app just before 11:00pm CST (we wanted to make sure it was still in before 12am EST, when she signed her name it showed Dec 2 for the timestamp since it was Eastern and she is nervous because she has yet to even receive the email saying they received her application and they have not even downloaded it yet.
I do at least have the confirm email with proving it went in before 11, but it is nerve wrecking nonetheless.
Has anyone else not had their downloaded yet but know they made the deadline? Also, how do you ultimately know you are indeed in consideration for the merit scholarships since they don’t officially have an EA date?
The easiest way to know, just to ease your mind, is to call admissions. But I’m sure dozens will be calling on Monday asking the same question.
You’ll know by mid to late January whether you’re a scholarship winner or not.
From FAQs on USC website:
What time does my undergraduate application need to be submitted?
Updated 12/02/2018 03:55 AM
Though the Common Application uses Eastern Time, please be assured that the University of Southern California will consider your application on time if it is submitted by 11:59 pm in the time zone where you currently reside.
@MadisonWI Yeah we saw this, however, everyone seems to have gotten an email that their application was accepted along with login information for their portal and their application was downloaded off of the Common App website. None of that has happened for my daughter. She will be hearing from her ED school shortly, so she may just wait to see if she is rejected before reaching out to USC on this issue, especially if she then wants to add any questions to the admissions person to throw in.
"You’ll know by mid to late January whether you’re a scholarship winner or not. "
@ProfessorPlum168
You’ll know by then if you have been ACCEPTED and also invited to interview for one of the big scholarships. Less than 5% of Dec 1 applicants make that first cut.
That interview is mandatory in order to be considered for a Presidential or Trustee scholarship. Some students who have less than impressive interviews are bumped down to the 1/4 Deans scholarship.
@menloparkmom I got a note on the USC portal on Jan 26, 2018 that the 1200 scholarships had already been allocated and blah blah blah. So sure, semantics.