My oldest at UCD was sent a similar email regarding P/NP being extended. I think it is a learning curve for everyone - the students as well as the teachers.
@repaul We’re still waiting on the financial package too. :neutral:
@repaul My family has had no issues over the last 6 years involving two students regaridng FA. They have always been quick and efficient in our case. But I also fully acknowledge that this is only our impression based on the results in our specific circumstances. Hopefully such is the case for most. But as @CADREAMIN has pointed out, each family’s financial situation is different, and the aid offerings are likely not feasible for many families’ situations. That is of course the unfortunate reality of things at many colleges and universities across the nation… USC included.
For the person asking about the financial aid considerations re: being a homeowner. The announcement made in Feb stated that USC would not take home ownership into consideration when determining if you qualify for the 80K and under income bracket for free tuition. Here’s an article. Wonder if this is still true??https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/free-usc-tuition-students-80k-family-income-69104028
@lkg4answers my oldest also got a similar email from UCSD for this quarter.
is there any accepted students snapchat or facebook group?
@VivienL Yes, correct on the home ownership, and that is a big deal (after decades of including it), forgot that started this fall, thanks for correcting. Of course, still using CCS, which is a very in-depth form, asking for records of untaxed income and benefits, assets (all seen as something that can be pulled from), and bank statements, etc. Many students don’t really know the details of their parents business/finances in all those things, so they may not have a full picture to know what should their expected aid will be.
Yes log onto your acceptance and their is a link to the USC FB page. It is called “USC Fall 2020 First-Year Admits (Official)”
about housing…
I have had kids living in 5 different dorms at USC, been there done that as they say…so for what it’s worth…as always, take it or leave it 
imo, housing is all about a tradeoff of physical comfort for social opportunities - there is no question that a traditional dorm is more social and has more opportunities to meet more people than a closed door suite style. To me, who you live with and around (having ability to meet people) is more important than the physical aspects of building, but some may feel otherwise. No choice is a wrong choice, there really isn’t bad housing, just different choices. The kids know what is important to them, listen to what they want, then should be responsible for the decision, as it should be in college. Us parents are old and less tolerable of inconvenience or discomfort, some kids don’t care so much. After sending four to college, I know a toxic suite with drama, or intolerable suite mate/room mate is much more disruptive than how many share a bathroom. But if you have other friends/peeps, a weird room mate isn’t a crisis either. Luckily USC does a really good job matching room mates. If I was a first time parent of a college student, it would be hard to not persuade them to the shiny new Village or push them to what appears to have the best physical amenities, so I have certainly changed my tune with experience. I have come to realize that meeting people freshman year can be the single most important aspect in determining the happiness over the next four years. You can cover an ugly wall with a poster, but you can’t change the vibe and social atmosphere you live in. Bottom line is they (the student) should pick what checks their boxes. Parents should try to avoid putting their priorities (and old people preferences) on the housing checklist, let them make decisions and own them, it’s time! And if it isn’t perfect, well college is about a little discomfort, it is how they grow, it’s ok, really it is.
Here’s a rundown of housing choices…of course individual experiences vary and room mates can certainly impact an experience. If you don’t care about AC and want social aspect (not saying party dorm, just super friendly atmosphere with lots of activities and ways to meet people) then Birnkrant, Pardee, Marks Tower are all great and part of the freshman quad. All three of the towers are popular choices. New North is definitely known as the fun dorm. But keep in mind the academic level of USC nowadays, no dorm is Animal House. Birnkrant kept it’s honors reputation (it was honors dorm prior to Village) and there is a Starbucks in the bottom of it. It is known as “8 floors of open doors.” I haven’t known anyone that didn’t love living there. Not fancy, older and a traditional dorm set up, but its academic/social balance remains strong. One has a fitness center, but that’s not a big deal, most use the real gym so it’s sorta a meh feature. Any of these in the freshman quad - the towers (Birkrant Pardee & Marks), New North and Marks Hall - make a very special community.
If you want AC (for some it’s a must) and suite set up, then Village, Parkside or Fluor are super nice, just offer a different social experience than the dorms since they are suites or apartments. Let’s face it, the Village is gorgeous - some prefer all the newness this provides, others find the closed door suites limiting socially, depends on the individual. The kids will be fine in any of them, they only know what they have and if it’s not great socially, physically or otherwise, they will find another place to hang out (we are adaptable beings afterall). Some never study in their room regardless, they find what works for them. Fluor is more central than Parkside, it is just outside the freshman quad, but less social as apartments. Parkside is on the far side of campus, but newer building (relative to some others) and nice suites, close to engineering, it feels more like a dorm than apartments even if suites. Lots of study/conference rooms to use in the building. Parkside has always had it’s own community feel which is nice since it is over on the one side of campus more to itself.
Do not only list Village for your choices if not a scholarship recipient - or you will be surprised when you are stuck “wherever” because you don’t list enough choices building wise. If not in McCarthy honors, Village is filled with sophomores and upperclassman and only sometimes used as an outlier of random/leftover spots for freshman. Sophomores fill it up with early assignment that has been done already. There are other places on campus where freshman living is focused. I get AC is huge or a must for some people, but I would suggest adding additional factors to that as the highest priority of your USC living experience if you can. Although there can be a couple periods of heat, it is California, not the south, no humidity. There is a reason shacks go for millions here.
Do not put all five configurations in one building because if full, then they get to make your “second choice” and will put you wherever they want. Give them some choices.
From being around a lot of students over the years, what I have heard consistently is the entire freshman quad area (Birnkrant, Pardee, Marks, etc.) is one of the best places you can live, even without AC. It is where you do the most as a freshman and can meet the most freshman. USC is a HUGE school with 40,000 people, a lot of them graduate students. In the freshman quad area it is great to be grabbing coffee at that Starbucks or sitting out by the pond with other freshman. If you are throwing frisbee in the lawn, or studying at a table outside, it is freshman sitting next to you and walking by. Anyone in that area is a freshman - all those buildings might as well be considered one building, they way everyone interacts. So if you choose or end up in the freshman quad area it will be great too. It is so easy to make friends over there. Parkside has it’s own little community on it’s side (although a lot of Parkside kids come over and socialize at freshman quad side too) and is known to have great food.
As mentioned, sophomores are given housing priority in the Village, so if you don’t live in the Village as a freshman (most don’t), you have a really good chance of living there as a sophomore (but there are some that don’t get it). If you do, you get to experience two different types of housing in college. It all works out!
Kids that are interested in going Greek tend to live in New North. It has been known that way for years. It has a big sorority/fraternity contingency that chooses to live there.
Don’t worry about living by your “major” school, as freshman you will likely be all over campus with GEs and activities. It’s not that big a campus, everything is pretty close really.
You can absolutely change anything on your housing application - preferences, survey etc, up until the moment they close the application without it affecting your original time stamp priority.
There is a place for everyone and there really isn’t a bad living arrangement at USC, truly.
^^^ Excellent recap. Not much to add. My FL kiddos placed two priorities over everything else: air conditioning and private bathrooms. But that’s how your thinking is when you grow up with severe heat and excessive humidity. Luckily, as described above, USC offers a large variety of freshmen housing options. I agree though… let the actual students decide what is important to them.
Hi Brisap02! My daughter Annika was admitted as an Animation & Digital Arts major for Fall 2020. Very pleasantly surprised! She has an excellent but not perfect GPA. I guess they liked her portfolio and essays, she worked very hard on them. However, we are really torn about her attending. The cost is high (duh) and as a native of Los Angeles I have a LOT of concerns about her living downtown. We live in a semi rural part of Northern California and Annika isn’t really versed in city life. Chapman has offered her a half tuition scholarship (over $100k) and we love the campus. It’s hard to think about turning down USC but there’s a lot pushing us to Chapman. Would love to hear how you’ve made your decision!
@brisap02 ^^^ Please see message above.
@CADREAMIN and @WWWard Re: housing, do you know if NMF who were just admitted and therefore just designated USC as #1 with NMSC will be able to request McCarthy Honors dorm when housing opens on April 6? I know it takes some time for NMSC to notify USC and for USC to update as a Presidential Scholar, and wondering if students have to wait until that is done to be able to request McCarthy?
And I know the 1,000 admits from the January merit round have already been able to submit housing apps for McCarthy or other dorms (knowing that not all will ultimately accept USC), and wondering if there is generally capacity for March Honors admits to also get McCarthy?
Did anyone get a request for more financial aid information - such as 2018 tax returns? And then gave no way of submitting requested material? confused…
@VivienL We received the request too. When I logged into the portal, the only action required was an electronic consent on the use of Title IV funds. However, we are not expecting any financial aid due to generous merit, so YMMV. Much earlier in the year (daughter was an early scholarship admit), we did have to submit 2018 tax returns, and we received a Veri-Tax request.
Thx @RoboticsDad! I figured it out. I had to scroll down to see ‘next’ and the page where I’d upload the returns. Yeah, this has been pretty probing (which is what we expected) but how many different ways can we give them our tax returns? We basically connected our returns directly from IRS to the school, then we filled out a detailed profit and loss and now a new request. I guess we’ll find out soon…hopefully!
@VivienL Did you go Applicant Portal → link to FAST (upper right) → Document library → required documents? If there’s nothing there I’d call the financial aid office. I’ve done it twice now. You have to wait a few minutes, but once you’re on the call they’re very efficient.
@VivienL We have gotten requests for more documents as well. We also received an email from USC last week saying to expect an email from Veritax, but that email hasn’t arrived. When I called FA office last week they said they had everything they needed, and then yesterday a new requirement popped up in the portal for another document. I have found the process to be a bit frustrating so far, as one would think we could have ironed out all of the missing pieces months ago. I know they have a ton of files to go through and to process, but it just feels disorganized to me.
@saltyandpeppery I believe so. As for timing and procedure, I would ask USC Housing directly… housing@usc.edu or T: (800) 872-4632
@saltyandpeppery Yes NMF = Presidential = McCarthy prioirity. Dean’s do not unless something changed. Timing is fine, you are just signing up on April 6th - you are just getting in the queue - placement and notification comes later.