Interesting about the trial ED program next year in business! Thanks for sharing.
That was the most interesting part to me too! There aren’t all that many direct admit business ED options, so maybe they see it as a competitive advantage to lock those students up (and I assume they believe plenty of students will like that option too)
My daughter would have done that last year as a business major. She is a freshman at Marshall now but I remember last year she was lamenting not being able to show her commitment to USC via ED. But it all worked out so can’t complain. (And as a matter of philosophy I wish the whole ED system would be abandoned entirely but that’s another conversation entirely.)
Side note — where/when did you get this email? I don’t see it anywhere.
ED in business and accounting major can be good and bad at the same time. Good - USC can lock the students up who may also be interested in NYU Stern, UCB Haas, and UPenn Wharton; Bad - students may hesitate to apply its business ED, unless USC is their FIRST choice.
Idk my D26 should apply ED or RD in this case, wait for more info comes out.
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Well to be fair — that’s what ED is for — for people to indicate who their first choice is. Since USC was my daughter’s first choice last year, she would have welcomed the chance to let them know that and let the Wharton and stern ED people not be in the mix.
As it was, she was in the EA pool with plenty of those ED-ing elsewhere and when they didn’t get into their EDs (as statistically most don’t) they were sitting right there in the EA pile next to kids for whom USC was the first choice. All worked out; she was admitted but honestly we would have loved to have ED’ed and been done in December.
So — yes this will benefit kids who want USC most; and be a disadvantage to those for whom USC is second or third choice.
And again I have to add as a general statement that I hope we see ED go away entirely some day.
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Thinking out loud, a trial run of ED for a couple of majors could easily become a trial run for the entire university in another year.
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I don’t know it will become more competitive if it changes to ED though. 
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We actually know a lot of East Coast kids over the last few years who would have used their ED at USC/Marshall. Agree with @evergreen5, it will be a very interesting trial run, and IMO, likely a successful one.
USC finally announced the Marshall ED program yesterday.
It is good that it is considered merit scholarships as EA round:
“Applicants not admitted via Early Decision will be deferred to the Regular Decision round. No matter which pathway application option they choose, all Marshall students will be eligible for the same need-based financial aid support opportunities. In addition, ED and EA applicants will be considered for USC’s merit scholarships.”
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