@CindyLeuWho Congratulations! That’s exciting! Best of luck with USC as well!
can everyone see the update on the portal about not sending out mail and releasing decisions on the 26th?
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I opened a veri-tax thread. For those who received the email or have any input, can you please add to that thread? Much appreciated!
since it’s been established and confirmed that admission and financial aid are two separate operations veritax Notifications does not have any correlation with admission…
@foxfox you are so lucky!
@oliviafoxyyy i’m guessing that isn’t an early indicator, and here’s my thinking on why. i follow a ton of USC affiliated accounts and i have received follow requests from some other USC affiliated accounts- all of this has occurred on my private finsta account that can not be linked to my actual identity or my application by anyone who does not know me IRL. of course i have rejected all the follow requests just in case lol
USC affiliated accounts trying to grow their following probably just follow people who are following other USC accounts in hopes of gaining follow-backs in return. possibly if the follow request was coming from THE actual annenberg account it might mean something (i highly doubt USC would allow that tho since they keep things under the wraps w admissions so well), but i’m guessing that, assuming u have interacted with USC in some capacity on social media (this could include: liking/commenting on a USC related post, following a USC affiliated account, etc.), the account likely found you through that interaction and followed you because they thought you might be interested in their USC related content too. someone who just goes to/works at USC and runs a USC affiliated account is likely not connected to admissions at all considering the sheer # of people in USC’s community and USC’s tendency to really try and keep admissions results a secret until decisions are posted/mailed.
idk, i could be wrong because i might be missing details or something, but that’s my interpretation!
I was admitted in January, the only recent update to my portal has been a notice that in person events are cancelled due to COVID 19. There is nothing about results being available March 26. Is it likely this means merit scholarship info will be released at a different time?
I remember during early admits that there was an early indication of acceptance that seemed pretty accurate, and that was the signature allowing them to audit you if needed disappearing before decisions are out.
I wonder if that remains true for normal admits.
While we wait for decisions, I was wondering if any current students or alumni could provide any (unbiased) insight into the differences between USC and UCLA. I understand the two schools have a really intense rivalry. Often times, in rivalries like theirs, there is usually a school that is pretty much better in most ways. (Not to offend anyone, but take Michigan State v. University of Michigan for example…U of M is clearly the better school in any way I can think of. Same for Virginia Tech. and University of Virginia. Not many people would choose Tech. over UVA if they had a choice).
As an outsider to the two schools (no legacy or affiliation), I can’t seem to see a clear winner to the rivalry. From what I’ve gathered, UCLA seems like the more renowned school (when you think LA, you think of UCLA and not USC), but USC seems like the more fun, “cooler” school. I also understand UCLA is better academically, but to be honest their rankings are so close I don’t put much weight in that. I also know USC is in a really bad area and UCLA isn’t.
Anyways, if anyone could provide some insight into the differences academically, culturally, socially, physically (on campus), etc., I’d really appreciate it.
Best of luck next week everyone! We will all end up exactly where we are meant to be.
@CindyLeuWho Which signature? Was it separate from the application affirmation form? My bad, I don’t remember seeing talk of an early indicator.
@eugenie554 I believe it was a consent form. It is an electronic signature that is there about your list of application requirements.
@cowboysfan2001 While I don’t have any personal experience with either school, I can say that they both offer an excellent education. Being a resident of Southern California, I would say some obvious differences are that UCLA is a very large state school with 45k+ students vs. USC is a smaller 20k private school, so whatever your personal preference would be there. I would say that looking at your major at each school and see where the rankings are could be helpful. There is also a large price difference, with USC being considerably more. My son attended a summer program at USC and it was all first class and very impressive. I attended a UC myself many years ago and experienced very large class sizes and many classes taught by TA’s, not sure if that is still the case at UC’s but also something to consider.
@CindyLeuWho Huh, I was under the impression everybody got that! I just checked and I got the email about it 4 days after I submitted my app, which seems soon for it to be indicative of acceptance (I submitted only a few days before the Dec. 1 deadline so it was likely a hectic time for admissions staff too). Did anybody not get it? Thanks for clarifying!
Everyone gets the consent form guys…
I think you misunderstood what I meant. Everyone gets the form, however it seemed like a lot of people who were accepted had their form gone from their portal before decisions were officially released. Does that make sense?
USC and UCLA are both elite universities in Los Angeles. USC is private and has far fewer undergraduates. UCLA is public and has far more undergraduates. They both have very nice campuses, but UCLA is in a nicer area of Los Angeles.
Many - even just taking one major at UCLA - find that it takes 5 years to finish a Bachelor’s Degree due to the extra required GEs and distribution requirements and trouble coordinating classes, etc. Plus the class sizes tend to be larger. Many are primarily taught by TAs.
Meanwhile, at USC, it is very common to be able to accomplish double majoring or having 2-3 minors while still graduating on time.
While you state that UCLA seems like the more renowned school, that is certainly not the impression that I get in Florida or in the Eastern U.S. generally. Here, the opposite is true.
Neither of my daughters or any of their friends applied to UCLA or even considered it. UCLA’s reputation seems far stronger in California or out west.
I also disagree with the contention that UCLA is better academically.
Personally, I had very little interest in sending my daughters to any state university. UVa would have been the only potential exception. To me, there are just far too many advantages at private universities. Of course, if a California resident and not receiving merit or financial aid from USC, the financial appeal of UCLA would be greater. As OOS, we never even considered UCLA.
As I have mentioned on this thread before, I would suggest taking a look at the Niche College Rankings… comparing USC and other colleges and universities using some of their rankings, metrics and measurements. The Niche Rankings and Grades are mainly based on survey results from past and current students and faculty, and they delve into a number of areas that really highlight the topics that will most impact you once there as an actual student on campus.
For those curious… USC ranks #19 overall on the Niche College Rankings and its grades are: A+ for its Overall Niche Grade… and then by category: Academics A+, Value A+, Diversity A+, Campus A+, Athletics A+, Party Scene A+, Professors A+, Location B+, Dorms A-, Campus Food A-, Student Life A+, Safety B. But here is likely the best indicator… USC is ranked #1 out of 1579 colleges and universities surveyed in terms of “Best Student Life” overall.
Comparatively, UCLA ranks #26 overall on the Niche College Rankings and its grades are: A+ for its Overall Niche Grade… and then by category: Academics A+, Value A+, Diversity A+, Campus A+, Athletics A+, Party Scene A+, Professors A+, Location A+, Dorms A, Campus Food A+, Student Life A+, Safety B. And UCLA is ranked #2 out of 1579 colleges and universities surveyed in terms of “Best Student Life” overall… just one spot behind USC.
So… clearly, they are very similar, & both are extremely popular with their own student bodies. The key differences are size and public vs private.
Good Luck…
Oh my bad! Very interesting though
Does anybody know the specifics of USC’s new financial aid protocol? I know that families who make under 80k a year will receive free tuition, but is there any information on how that might affect students who don’t qualify for free tuition but also can’t afford it in full? Pretty sure I won’t be accepted on the 26th, but in the case that I am my family definitely can’t afford USC without significant financial aid… we don’t qualify for free tuition either, so I’m curious how the costs for a middle-class family like us might work out?
If this is too off-topic I can start a new thread about financial aid, just asking!
Hey everyone! I don’t know if you care and if you are still sick of it, but I found this for those who are interested. It is on the USC website with the information regarding VeriTAX.
“If your FAFSA was selected by the U.S. Department of Education for a review process called verification, your FAST page will indicate if you or your parents need to provide information for review. If your parents are indicated, the instructions below apply to each parent included in the household, as reported on your FAFSA.”
The way it is phrased makes the process seem COMPLETELY out of USC’s hands! It is selected by an out of party group to verify information (most likely a result of the scandal). I don’t know if this is what it means, but I hope it makes everyone feel a little more sane for not receiving it.