I can wait! I am so incredibly anxious about the decisions being released. USC is my dream school, and I would do almost anything to get in. I'm hoping we'll know within the next 3 weeks!
I am in the same boat. I hate this feeling of nervousness because I know I'm right on the edge of acceptance (28 ACT, 4.11 GPA). The waiting is literally killing me!
Any tricks this year to find out from the website? s2 has applied this year....S1 had applied and gotten accepted 2 years ago and the trick back then had worked
For the early admits, I think there was a trick that if the website let you sign up for ExploreUSC events, that meant you were admitted. I'm not certain how it works though.
My daughter was in the same boat last spring. Dying to get into SCA. (She did and loves it!) I seem to remember that before any acceptance came from USC the financial aid people were asking for more documents. Or, at least, they were looking for clarification on submitted financial documents. Not necessarily you haven't submitted the usual required financial documents, rather they were asking for further documentation (such as monthly spending) This made us hopeful because (as they said) they don't work on anyone's financial aid package (i.e. read through and need clarification or further documentation) until they know that that person has been accepted and they'll therefore need to present a package*. Don't hold me to this, but I THINK I remember that happening last spring.
RedStar17
*BTW they are really really late in presenting FinAid package. Where most schools almost bundle it with the acceptance, USC delivers their's almost at the acceptance cutoff date. Made it real dicey with her other acceptances that she was considering. Also, unfortunately, there FinAid package was horrible and took months of arguing to get a minor bump (but that's for another forum). Hey GOOD LUCK!!!
pixeljig--how is your older S1 doing? Still up in the Bay area working?
good luck to all nervous waiters this year. I think I'm feeling a little vicarious post-traumatic stress this year recalling last year (S2) both for admissions news and, like RedStar17, the final financial picture to see if we could make it happen for S2.
Your message re: the request for additional financial aid documents, gives me hope that my daughter has been accepted. In February, we received a request for tax returns, a copy of my divorce decree, an outside letter confirming that I do not receive child support from her father, etc. In addition, we had to fill out several additional USC financial aid forms - all to be faxed directly to the financial aid office. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but based on your message, and the practicalities, I can't imagine that they would request this kind of additional documentation from 47,000 applicants.
Also, my daughter's grandfather - a UCLA alum (undergraduate & PH.D) has twice in the past week received invitations from USC to attend events for the "Trojan Family." We can't figure out how USC got his name and address - but the fact that my daughter is applying to USC is the only connection to USC that our family has. He is 86 years old and has never received anything from USC previously.
So - we are hoping that taken together, these are signs that she has been accepted. USC is her first choice by far and she will be heartbroken if she doesn't get in.
I received similar requests (Whole divorce agreement, tax returns and such)...can anyone weigh in on this being a sign of acceptance. Is everyone asked for these documents? I hope it does mean acceptance!
Last year people were getting admitted around this time of the month (I think) and then another wave of acceptances went out at the end of march. I don't know if the beginning of the march letters were for finalists for others scholarships? I am guessing we can hear any time now! Good luck to everyone!
I'm curious as to how the financial picture played out with 2 kids at SC. Did your EFC get halved between each son? Did you have just one tution bill? Did there seem to be any kind of "break" --- not an official one, but any kind of noticeable break in having 2 kids enrolled?
Again, at this point, I should be so lucky as to worry about tution. But since your brought it up, I might as well ask.
PalmSprings and KitKat:
I can't speak as an authority. But I remember frantically trying to get to the FinAid people to explain a missed tax document and that I got a general rule of thumb that they work on accepted financials only and that they were aware of our situation. Now, the could have automatic line items that trigger requests for materials, but again they don't get personal unless they were told acceptance.
My D had the marks for USC, but the SCA film major's number of acceptances were too low to hope for in my mature mind because we had no Trojan legacy and knew no one from California to advocater for her. She was very strong in film, but I told her to forget about USC. The financial aid call made me a little somewhat hopeful. In the end she got right in, so see how wrong us parents can be.
PalmSprings... bizzare Trojan Family requests. I dont know your child's qualifications, I'd guess a yes in that why reach out to a non-associated non-Trojan unless you were now family. I'm just a dad from the East guessing with you all.
Best to everyone. I really think that no matter wherever they land there's a great chance that they'll love it. Having said that, my D loves USC.
(Fight On)
Have been harnessing *all available self-discipline* to avoid the 'reading the tea leaves' thing, but here I go, anyway, LOL:
DS applied to SCA in November. In February, we received emails from FA asking for "Additional Information"-- specifically, tax filings for our rental property (Schedule E Federal Tax Return).
We guessed this was an automated follow-up from the Fin Aid Office. Is this 'personal' enough to indicate that perhaps they are processing DS's FA and that he is possibly-admitted-in-a-reading-the-tea-leaves sense?
More likely, it is nothing.
Sigh. This is silly. But it's also a bit fun.
Last edited by gladiatorbird; 03-08-2012 at 12:08 AM.
I applied to USC in December, and while I consider myself a strong applicant, though by no means a guaranteed admit, I received only generic Financial Aid reminders from USC: send your CSS, FAFSA, 2011 tax returns. Just a postcard and an email. Nothing specific.
Long story short, I would take any specific financial aid requests as a positive sign!
