D24. Deferred. Human Biology, 4.29 weighted (3.97 UW), 3APs (two 4s, and a 3), taking 4 APs as a senior, no ACT/SAT, varsity tennis team captain, varsity tennis mvp x2, and national dance team competition x 2. 150+ service hours (both school and community). Class rank 17/104. California. No hooks (her great grandfather graduated from SC in 1950, but neither of her grandparents or parents went so no legacy)
We figured because we paid the application fee she should just push on to the regular decision admission pool. She probably won’t attend because I doubt she will get enough loan free aid/scholarships that will make it affordable for us. We have two incomes (just under $200k), a $500k mortgage, no investments besides an 401k/457 and a small 529 plan, and a four person household. The last time I ran the NPC our estimated yearly
contribution was about $60k. We joked that if she as admitted that at least we’ll be able to go to an admitted student day which is probably off the charts awesome.
I was deferred, so I reviewed my app yesterday, and looking at it on common app it shows that i did not report 12th grade courses in the course section that usc requires, but my classes were all listed on the above portion where it asks for current courses you are taking, is this a problem I should email them about, i never noticed it before? Another thing I was going to ask about was that I submitted my mid-year reports to usc a week ago but my rank was not updated on my end until yesterday because i guess they just reflected the mid year grades contribution to my class rank, so it went up to 6/301 from like 11, do you think i should mention that just in case that was not showing on their end? I know they didn’t want any new information but I wouldn’t consider this new, i just want to make sure everything is accurate.
Yeah, but that seems short-sighted. If you can’t pay $90/year, and you’re not going to take out a loan, and you know you won’t get any financial aid b/c you already did the CSS and/or FAFSA, then why would you want to know if you got in just to know that you have to forgo your admission? I really hope that parents are having that conversation with their kids, especially at a place like USC which is at the tippy top of the tuition range. Seems just cruel.
Agree. But I understand a kid wanting to know if they got in or not after putting in all the effort.
If the student wants to know, it should be their choice since they applied, but it is upon the parent to make sure they understand it’s not an option if that’s the case.
You were not supposed to put grades for 12th grade as these were stil in progress. Your school counselor would submit your mid year grades to USC. It will show in your portal as received. USC doesn’t count your school/class rank like UC’ do.
According to our USC admissions rep USC does not use any of the grade info provided on the common app. They enter grades themselves from transcripts provided by your school.
I told my D24 if she applied that we could only make it work if we could get the cost down to the same as a UC. She knew that from the beginning and knew with the 10% admit rate that it would be a slim chance that she would actually be accepted. My husband told her to apply because you never know what could happen; and that still is true even though she has been deferred.
So many NMSF apply EA and I sure hope USC prefers deferred NMSF’s in the RD process. It makes business sense for them to only accept only a few NMSF in EA (those they are afraid of losing to other selective schools). They now have a massive pool of NMSF’s to offer admission in RD
How does offering EA admission hook the few ones they are afraid of losing? It’s not binding. In fact I never understand the purpose of EA with decision release date later than mid December. Other than knowing the result a little earlier, what’s the advantage it gives applicants?
Every NMF student will get a half-tuition Presidential Scholarship. They must have a budget so I guess that they will have to limit the number of NMF students admitted from the RD pool.
By the way, does is mean that one is not considered for the Trustee Scholarship if not accepted in EA?
Yes, it is not a “binding” hook but the best they can do (short of ED) to lure those that are extremely strong holistically AND who stand a good shot at getting into any other highly selective college in RD. If anything, it is also an indicator that every EA admit is likely to be admitted into an Ivy or another highly selective college. Public school kids from CA with the same profile are likely to be deemed unlikely to yield because of costs if they do not get any merit. As an FYI, even after the NMSF scolarship USC is $65-70K/year compared to any UC which, for instate, is $40-45K/year. For OOS a UC is closer to $80K/year. A OOS will be attracted to USC when scolarships are in the mix relative to a UCAL or Cal or any other UC.
The yield protection against high stats CA kids is a plausible theory. But USC says that the admission decision is unrelated to financial consideration, should we not trust it?
USC just released its EA decisions.
S24
1 out of 600+
4.9 academic weighted
SAT 1590
NMSF
Legacy
Deferred
I heard that USC deferred most NMSF applicants. Can any one confirm?
Last year, my son had similar stats --1st in class with highest possible GPA (though much smaller class size), 1590 SAT in his first and only sitting, 3x legacy – myself and 2 siblings & NMSF. But he applied to Viterbi. He got deferred EA, but admitted RD. Of course, nothing is guaranteed, but your son should be fine as long as he demonstrated genuine interest. Admissions knows it is a pretty safe bet that a legacy with a guaranteed Presidential Scholarship is probably going to go to USC, so there is no need for the EA lure for him. Best of luck and Fight On!
