I am fortunate to have my offer of admission from Penn personally extended by my admissions officer until next Monday, so I’m still choosing between USC and Penn. As a recipient of the Mork Family scholarship, I was just wondering what are some of the benefits of being named a Mork Scholar besides from the Birnkrant college dorm, professional advisement, priority in picking classes, and everything else specified on the Trojans Scholar Society webpage. Is it actually as prestigious as it sounds? Do employers recognize the rarity of the scholarship, and if so, is there a competitive advantage? If you were a Trustee/Stamps/Mork scholar, can you provide me with some insights about your experiences at SC and the benefits of being named said scholar?
OK so I was in the exact same boat last year – I got a Trustee scholarship from USC, my dream school, but a full ride from Penn. I ended up going with USC (though I have to mention that I study film, and USC is the #1 school for that).
That said, as you wrote in another post, Penn is even cheaper for you, and if you are able to do a dual degree with Wharton, then go for it! Marshall is amazing, but you can’t beat Wharton (Marshall is has a great reputation on the West Coast, but it’s less known on the East Coast – where do you want to work after graduating?).
When it comes to the scholarships, honestly, the most I’ve gotten out of it so far (besides not paying tuition, of course!) is the extra 8 units I can take for free. That, and a trip to the beach. I chose not to live in BK, and I don’t have priority in picking classes or different advisors than everyone else. Honestly, I have never even heard of the last two. Unless you choose to be very involved with TSS, that’s about it.
In terms of employers, a Trustee scholarship certainly looks good on your resume, and I’ve heard that it helps in terms of getting into grad school. But I’m not even a sophomore yet, so don’t quote me on that.
Honestly, go with what you feel would be the best experience. I know that the Ivy name brand is a VERY big deal, but it’s not everything. They’re both amazing schools and you can’t just say that one of them is “better” than the other; names and rankings won’t be that important once you’ve already enrolled.
Thanks for your insights!
I know Penn is cheaper, but I am willing to pay more for SC if it comes down to it. At Penn, a dual degree isn’t guaranteed since admissions for those programs are very competitive.
I think I already made up my mind and am just very, VERY hesitant on letting go an Ivy League.
How do you like SC so far? @LayraSparks
As an employer, it is way more important what you do in college than the scholarship you had coming into it. Until I had college kids (and I have hired many many people in tech over many years) I didn’t know what any of these scholarships meant and could care less. I may have thought you got it for need more than merit. While some may say they impress employers, I don’t think they do. So you did good in high school, who cares four years later? Are you really gonna bring that up at the interview?
I would not choose a school because of some perceived prestige of a Mork scholarship, I don’t think it exists (unless you want to work in an admissions office). Now an Ivy league or Wharton Business school, yes that is actual prestige.
But go where you want to go and what YOU think is best - forget about the rest. You seem to want to be at Penn…hope you sleep well soon.
@TommyD36 I completely understand, it seems to be an unspoken rule that if you get into an Ivy, you have to go. But, truth is, you don’t, and although on it may seem like a better option to choose Penn, the fact that you’re still considering and are even thinking about foregoing an Ivy suggests, to me at least, that you like USC a tiny bit more.
I absolutely love USC! If you read the thread I posted last year & recently updated (Penn vs. USC for Film) you can see all the things I’ve been doing, but in a nutshell, USC is incredible and I’ve been able to do things that I could never have done at Penn, as much as I still love that school as well. Although most of it is film-related, there are so many other aspects of USC that are unique to the school. Our school spirit cannot be beaten. The weather is great. LA has so many internship opportunities and so many places to see. And what really stands out to me is how collaborative everyone’s approach is. I don’t know about Marshall, but for all of my GEs, we’ve been studying in groups and helping each other out and the atmosphere is not cutthroat at all, which is not the vibe I got from Penn. I feel like USC is a lot more laid back, although academics are still everyone’s priority. Also, double majoring, or even getting a dual degree, is encouraged and honestly not that difficult (especially with the free units that come with your scholarship)!
Like I said, you can’t go wrong, but ultimately, college is about so much more than a name to put on your resume. Academics are amazing at both schools. If you feel like your heart is set on one of the schools, go with it, because you don’t want to spend 4 years questioning your decision because the atmosphere/people in one school make you feel miserable (which is of course, the worst case scenario).
Let us know what you decide on! And if you choose USC, I hope to see you next year on campus!
It sounds like something keeps pulling you back to Penn. What is it? If it’s more than just the Ivy name, then really think about what else Penn offers. Is it the people, the academics, the overall experience? If those are part of what’s pulling you back, then I think you have some serious thinking to do.
Although the scholarship sounds nice, what does it offer over what Penn offers? The dorm is nice, but how long will you live there? Priority in picking classes and professional advisors are great, but I’m thinking the smaller size of Penn and their commitment to the undergraduate experience will make them equal to, if not better than USC. All of the Ivies have great advising and lots of opportunities for professor mentorship as well, so you’ll never be without great guidance, academic or otherwise.
While it’s nice to have a fancy named scholarship, YMMV on how employers view it. Local ones may know of it, but nationally that may not be the case. If you’re really into names, I’m guessing the average employer will know the Penn name over a scholarship name any day. Furthermore, college is what you make of it – a scholarship name only gets you so far. What did you do with it? What grades did you get, what opportunities did you take advantage of, where did you show leadership on campus, what internships did you have? In other words – where will you have the most academic and extracurricular opportunities? My guess is at a well-resourced ivy league school, but only you can decide.
Lastly, keep in mind what each school offers in terms of financial aid. I don’t know what Penn or USC is giving you, but think about how much you’ll owe when all is said and done. Student loan debt is no joke, and my friends who are now dealing with loan repayments at their first jobs really wish they hadn’t gone into so much debt for their degrees. If you plan to go to graduate school, it would be great to go as debt free as possible; i.e., not undertaking unnecessary debt so you’re in a better position to pay tuition at the grad school level, where non-loan financial aid is way more sparse than at the undergraduate level.
You’re in a very fortunate position, one others would probably kill to be in, honestly. I’m really surprised Penn extended the deadline for you – they wouldn’t do that for just anyone, so they must really want you!
@infinitysunset I honestly believe I’m holding to Penn because of the prestige. Aside from the superior academics and name brand, I love everything about USC. The difference between USC and Penn is about $17K total which isn’t significant debt in my opinion. Thank you for your detailed comments!
@LayraSparks That sounds so exciting! Do you ever look back and wonder how it would be if you went to Penn?
@TommyD36 You see, when I made my final decision, I was asking the very same question and ultimately, I thought that if I went to Penn, I’d constantly be wondering what it would be like at USC, but if I chose USC, I wouldn’t think about Penn that much. And I was right! I have some friends at Penn and they seem to be having a great time, and it was very painful to let Penn go, but apart from a short period of time during my first semester, I don’t think about Penn at all. I know that at Penn, I wouldn’t have been able to join the marching band, work on an Emmy-nominated TV show, work on student films 24/7, do Thematic Option (an honors GE curriculum and one of my best decisions at USC), study on the quad in December, go to the beach on weekends, experience game day, travel across the country for free, and many, many other things. I know that I would have had equally amazing opportunities, but I wouldn’t trade this past year for anything. None of my classes were easy at all, even at 100-level, but they were all really engaging and I learnt A LOT and managed to maintain a high GPA my first semester, which really motivated me my second semester. GPA is really important for me, since I want to go to grad school, and I don’t know if I could have done as well in an Ivy, where everyone is super-competitive and grading is often harsh, to be honest, which is – like I said – not to say that USC academics are inferior, of course.
Film at USC is a no brainer - that would be an easy decision when looking at Penn v. USC, even the Marching Band at USC is a big lure. @TommyD36, I forget, were you admitted for a certain major at either school? Obviously for business, Wharton wins, not that Marshall isn’t great, but Wharton is renowned. Where do you want to settle, east or west? The power/wealth scenario at each school is pretty even, but different in its demographics.
@LayraSparks: My S will be attending USC in the fall as a Trustee Scholarship recipient. I was aware of most of the benefits that you mentioned but I’m not familiar with the “8 extra units” that you spoke about. Can you explain what you mean by that? Thanks and “fight on”.
@Ljtjrose I was talking about Exceptional Funding. Basically, if you have more than one thing declared (eg. a double major, a major and a minor), you can apply for this award up to 8 units. These must count towards one of your degrees, and you can use them to take up to 20 units, or for summer classes or Maymesters. Fight On!
Have you taken advantage of that yet? It seems like a very nice additional perk of being a scholarship winner at USC.
@Ljtjrose Not yet! I’m saving them for summer classes! I am applying for the Academic Achievement Award though, which is essentially the same thing, just not restricted for scholarship recipients. You can apply for that as many times as you want, as long as your GPA is above 3.75 and you have more than one thing declared, so I want to take advantage of it while my GPA is high enough.
My student took advantage of the AAA taking 21 units at times and could graduate with a CS major with minor in 3 1/2, but is staying to finish another minor, and enjoy life as a college student. If you can handle the load it’s a great help.
@LayraSparks Forgot to tell you that I decided to choose USC! I am beyond excited and thankful for your comments!
As far as AAA, once you get the award during freshmen year, does the 21 units per semester apply to sophomore, junior, and senior years as well?
And for the Exceptional Funding, 8 free units - correct me if I am wrong - can be distributed to 4 semesters with 2 units each. So 18//18 for freshmen year, 18+2//18+2for sophomore, and 18+2//18+2 for junior. What about senior year when have I used up all of my 8 additional units already? Do I have to reapply?
Finally, what happens if you get EF and AAA? Thanks!
@TommyD36 Yaaay, congratulations! You’ll love USC!
They recently changed the application process for the AAA, so you’ll need to have at least 32 units to apply, and since you need USC GPA for it, you’ll probably only be eligible sophomore year (unless you come in with enough college credit). And you have to reapply each semester, but you can apply as many times as you want, provided that your GPA is above 3.75.
For EF, you can distribute it throughout 4 semesters, use it for a Maymester, or use it for summer classes. It’s really up to you, unlike with the AAA. You only get 8 units total, though.
Also, you can use them only if you have more than one thing declared, and only for classes that count towards your major(s), your minor(s), your language requirement if you have one, or GEs.
Hope this helps! Your advisor will probably discuss this with you as well, and I think they talk about it during your merit scholarship orientation.
Fight On!