We received our financial aid package today. I was pleasantly surprised.
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Remember, USC just started EA in Fall 2023.
A very small percentage of USC’s entering class is admitted EA. The vast majority of applicants are deferred.
Define “a few years.” @CADREAMIN knows the timeline better than me. For at least the past 10 years, NMS did not receive preferential acceptance. It has been IF a NMS is admitted on their own merits, going up against all other students, THEN they would receive a scholarship.
If you are considering “notions” as unsubstantiated speculation, over the years some have been concerned that listing NMS on their application might work against them. Their “notion” was that, they would be at a disadvantage because, if admitted, the university would need to award them a scholarship. Again, that is false.
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@smittengowan – thanks for sharing. how was that communicated to you? (no emails to either of my kids nor to us).
My daughter received an email that her FAST portal was updated.
Thanks! With 3 kids at USC potentially next year (plus one elsewhere), we are eagerly awaiting this update. I’m so glad it was a happy result for you!
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USC has never given preference to NMF, except in the context of an NMF likely has other great scores surrounding it. But an NMF may present an application that is lackluster except for those great scores/grades, and USC turns away plenty of those. (Approx 4,000 with 4.0 and 99% scores are denied each year). As my pro athlete once said about high school and college - how easy it is have perfect grades if you didn’t have any other passions or strong interests you focused on during that time. Of course that’s a little “tongue in cheek” but not that wrong in how USC looks at things. So if “that kind” of NMF applies, they aren’t going to get the nod. But if an NMF has demonstrated excellence/passion/goals in other things besides grades and scores, and will bring value to the class, they are more likely to get in, but it’s still competitive. The whole application matters.
I do understand there was concern about being denied as an NMF because if USC accepted them they would have to pay the scholarship. But I think that is just an easy thing to blame for not getting accepted, there must have been something else missing on the app (compared to others applying). Why would USC deny anyone whose application is stellar just because they are NMF as well - they have plenty of scholarship funds. Now if a kid doesn’t fit the demographics they need - and there are so many demographics considered - they may not be the right puzzle piece to complete the well rounded class they want to put together. But NMF being the sole cause of not getting in? I have never bought into that one.
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For housing, NMFs are Presidential scholarships and will be given priority for McCarthy, after Trustee and Presidential that got in EA.
Housing assignments don’t go out till after reg decisions so the NMF getting in during that time have a chance to apply.
There are approx (or up to) 100 Trustees and 350 Presidential (including reg Pres and NMF Presidential recipients). McCarthy has room and houses most of them (but they say not guaranteed), and plenty choose to live elsewhere. But there really is room. Some Deans also get in if space.
Frankly, McCarthy isn’t for everybody - it has great aspects (new and shinier, good food hall, AC) but also things some students don’t want - (closed door suite style, less social, lofts are ridiculously tiny). While some students like it, others want the open door style of traditional dorms and like to be in the “freshman quad” area with all their other classmates. Sometimes it is the parents that want it more for the “status” than it fitting the student.
Listen to what your student wants in living space after they do research. They will know. They are the ones living there!
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Whelp, S25 had his first major screwup of the application season. He was deferred at USC and he forgot to submit the button for continuing to regular decision by February 1. He just did it earlier this week. Sigh.
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Agree! My daughter has friends who chose not to be in McCarthy because they wanted to be around other freshman and meet more people and didn’t want the stigma.
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Hopefully they will still review his application, any signs in the portal that it was still deferred to RD? Wishing your son good luck! This has been such a tough cycle for all these hard-working students.
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I don’t see anything that indicates that he is deferred to RD. Does it say that somewhere?
I’ll ask my son and report back (I don’t have access to his portal).
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This is what I see on our daughter’s applicant portal.
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In the portal, Status Update is underneath the link to update your address. The link will have the letter indicating deferral. The student had to take the step to submit the deferral form and request their mid-year grades. If your student did that, the Early Action Reply Form will be in the Forms section above the Applicant Affirmation. When the mid-year grades are received, that shows up in the Application Checklist.
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Hoping for good news @AtomicAura – we all need some good news this time of year.
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Has anyone heard of kids actually getting accepted to their second choice major. My son would be thrilled to get into either major (deferred during early decision) and not sure if one (communications) is more competitive than the other (business), so I was curious if we know if they actually consider you for both majors.
Which was his first choice and which was second? Dornslife is usually easier than Marshall. Marshall has a higher admit rate than Annenberg. It is probably due, in part, to the size of the schools.
Maybe I’m confused - I think he put Annenberg (?different than communication) first and business second. Would be absolutely thrilled with either.
Sorry, I was just posting on a UC thread and responded too quickly. I forgot that USC didn’t have communications in their college of L&S (Dornslife). I’ll edit my post.
My S22, is a Junior at USC. He had mentioned that the colleges/Schools that houses your applied major will look into it and make a decision. They will also look at the second choice if you don’t get your first major, sort of like UCI.
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