I recently received the scholarship email that said 1200 students were admitted with chance at 4 of the merit scholarships. It said something like I’m sorry but you were not selected for further consideration for these awards. I am definitely above the standards for what USC accepts; however, should I be worried about not getting considered for these awards especially since there’s no way I could pay full tuition considering I won’t receive any financial aid? Or is this maybe just a cursory overview of the candidates and even with near perfect application you can be passed up for someone else even with a less impressive application? Thank you in advance for your replies!
This wasn’t a cursory overview of candidates; USC is handing out millions of precious dollars to these students, and of course it wants the best, most well-deserved students to receive this money. But the amount of money is limited, and so sadly not everyone can receive a scholarship. There are hundreds, maybe even thousands that USC couldn’t give money to simply because of a lack of resources–talented and intelligent people like you. They would in no way give money to someone with a “less impressive application;” that would be a waste of money. USC is trying to build a class of diverse students, and maybe those with impressive superficial stats (GPA and test scores) will be turned down for those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds or those with impressive passions and activities. Honestly don’t get too hung up over it. There’s a lot of luck involved in the college admissions process as well, and maybe just this time the odds weren’t in your favor. And remember that you are not alone; there are thousands upon thousands of students (I think 90%) who weren’t selected this round.
But keep your head up! You should still apply for financial aid, even if you’re sure you won’t get anything–USC may surprise you. And I’m sure there’s other fantastic colleges that you applied to that would be happy to have you and may give you a nice sum of money.
My son applied by the December 1 deadline and did not receive this email nor did he receive anything about a scholarship. Any idea what this could mean?