<p>I helped interview potential Trustee recipients last year, so maybe I can shed some light on the process. 
I can tell you that numbers (GPA, SAT scores) are certainly taken into consideration, but fantastic essays and extracurricular activities put people into the “Trustee interview” category. Interviewees who make good overall impressions are recommended for the Trustee scholarship, though the final decisions are ultimately decided by a separate scholarship committee, not the interviewers themselves.</p>
<p>It’s possible to interview for a Presidential scholarship and be bumped up to Trustee, especially if you have a stellar interview. (That’s what happened to one of my friends.) However, it is also possible to interview for the Trustee scholarship and be awarded the Presidential or Dean’s scholarship (1/4 tuition). I don’t know what ultimately bumps someone up/down, but having a good interview certainly doesn’t hurt.</p>
<p>The applicants I interviewed had SAT’s in the 2150-2300 range, but some things that they all had in common were GREAT essays and unique EC’s. As for myself, I had a GPA and SAT scores a little higher than those of the OP, good recs, great essays, and some EC’s (nothing too outstanding), and I interviewed for/received the trustee scholarship in the CLAS (arts and sciences). I don’t know how the interview process for schools other than CLAS works, but I imagine that it is very similar.</p>
<p>Good luck! If you are chosen as a potential scholarship recipient, you should hear back from USC in late January or early February. If anyone has general questions, I’d be happy to answer them on the board or through PM :)</p>