USC class of 2023 Applicants Thread

Kkchris · January 1

How many scholarships awards do they give to Canadian students, is it significantly harder than domestic?

jamgolf · January 2

My son applied to Viterbi School and received a letter via US mail dated December 17th. Its pretty generic and says that he is being considered for merit since he applied by the deadline.

Do all applicants get such an acknowledgment letter from USC or Viterbi?

jamgolf · January 2

@CADREAMIN @WWWard

^^^
Just wondering if this type of letter means anything or if it's just an acknowledgment that everyone gets?
Thanks for your input.

CADREAMIN · January 2

It's a generic mass mailing. They have been doing this way too long to tip their hand early about acceptance or merit. They also send out mailings on FA that some think is a hint, but alas, no.

sunnyschool · January 2

@CADREAMIN @jamgolf Do you know if the transcript and teacher recs had to be received by 12/1 to be considered for Merit?

CADREAMIN · January 3

@sunnyschool No, there is leeway with the letters and particularly the transcripts/mid year grades as those aren't ready by December 1st. But I would hope the teacher recs aren't too much after the 1st. Students should have requested those end of junior year or early in senior year and teachers should have been given the deadline. But there is some flexibility there.

WWWard · January 3

@jamgolf

Repeating from page 3...

Unless you were a QuestBridge Finalist matched to USC (and thus admitted with a full ride) in early December, the earliest anyone will learn that they have been admitted to USC will be late January. A select very few of the 60K+ applying to USC (who also applied by December 1st) will receive notice via USPS Priority Mail and a portal update thereafter that they are continuing via the merit scholarship process. That notice also constitutes an admission. No one is rejected though in January.

As to hints... there is only one (see below)...

Any letter received now or prior to then regarding your application or confirming that you have applied for financial aid, etc, is merely a polite acknowledgement via USC. If you also applied by Dec 1st and do not receive such a letter, do not fret about it. USC is very good with all of this. If you applied on time, you will be considered for the merit scholarship process. If not, you will still be considered in the general application pool. Everyone will learn the final admission decision by late March.

Other than being a School of Dramatic Arts applicant and getting invited to an SDA event in the week or so prior to the official admission announcements (which has been a solid hint of admission in years past), no other true hints exist. Every year, many post inquires as to does this email or letter or interview request mean anything?, etc. They do not. I can only recall that one SDA invitation being a true indicator in advance that someone is also being admitted. Anything else remains speculative.

Those final admissions will also come via USPS Priority Mail with a portal update to follow. Those being rejected will learn first via the portal update most likely.

If you are bored or anxious or just what to see what the experience, dates and timing was like last year, feel free to browse through the 5600+ posts in last year's thread on this topic:

https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/2023383-usc-class-of-2022-p1.html

You will see all of the questions and answers from last year and likely gain a lot of insights that hopefully will calm your nerves a bit. It is a process I went though twice before as a parent... with both of my daughters applying to USC, gaining admission and attending. One graduated from SDA in May, and the other is a current SCA sophomore. So I can likely answer most questions for you, should you not find the answer you are seeking via last year's thread. And @CADREAMIN had even more children attend USC, so she is even more experienced than I.

Good Luck

electrichapel9 · January 3

I'm applying to USC right now and need a fee waiver. But when I try to request one on Common App the only options are NAI scholar, child of a faculty member, US veteran, or child of US veteran...none of which I fall under. On their website it says people w/financial hardship can request a fee waiver

Not sure what to do here

ameliorations · January 4

Request it directly on the actual CommonApp, not on the individual school's section maybe? Or email the OOA and see.

romns116 · January 4

@electrichapel9

Try contacting your admissions counselor

kdew01 · January 5

This might be a really dumb question but does anyone know where to find the email addresses of the admissions officers because I feel like I've checked everywhere I can think of and I can't figure out how to get in contact with my regional admission officer.

romns116 · January 5

@kdew01

Not a dumb question. Here you go..

https://admission.usc.edu/find-your-counselor/

kdew01 · January 5

@romns116 Thank you so much! I searched it on my laptop and no email address was showing up but then I searched it on my phone and it did so it must have just been a glitch on my laptop!

Wishmeluck18 · January 6

Hey i’m just wondering will I get my finiancial aid packet earlier if I applied by 12/1... vaguely remember the admission officer talked about it during the meeting in my school.. he stated that “it will come at Mid-February”... again I might remembered it completely wrong so if that’s fake news sorry in advance

romns116 · January 6

@Wishmeluck18

If you applied before 12/1, you’re eligible for merit scholarships. If selected for a merit scholarship you will be notified in late January with a white box in the mail. In this scenario, you’ll receive your FA packet earlier than most.

For those who are accepted but not selected for merit scholarships, they may receive their FA package in March-April.

MissBagLady · January 6

Just got an email for financial aid requesting additional information. Maybe a good sign since we're pretty close to late January...?? (lol it's probably nothing)

sunnyschool · January 6

On the Portal, can you see where the Recommendations are checked off as submitted?

I only see Transcipt checked, and no information on Recs. (ie, there is not even a line for it on the chart; the Transcript is listed under "Documents we have received from you".

Thanks!

romns116 · January 6

@sunnyschool

Our portal only shows 4 green check marks under the checklist items (CA, USC supplement, test score report, and fee waiver). That’s it.

Below, under “documents we’ve received” are a bunch of transcripts and more test scores

Looked the same for atleast two weeks.

sunnyschool · January 6

@romns116 - OK thanks...so seems like they don't list Recs separately. I am assuming counselor sent them along with transcript. Just wanted to check no one is seeing Recs specifically on the Portal.

Thanks!

musiohead · January 6

I'm not sure if anyone can answer this, but the headmaster of my school helped me get my application in with a member of the Board of Trustees (he's looking for African American students). Do you think that will help my chances of a Trustee Scholarship (if at all my admission)?

USC class of 2023 Applicants Thread

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