<p>Does anyone know, based on last year’s history, what percentage of those invited to interview for the Presidential scholarship actually get the scholarships?</p>
<p>I’d say close to 1000-1500 were offered an interview. Hard to pinpoint an exact number, but the spread of Trustee/Pres/Dean is 128/322/117. That would mean about 33% got it.</p>
<p>Pure guess.</p>
<p>For the Presidential:</p>
<p>There are only three Presidential Scholarship interview sessions with a max of 175 students at each, so the MAX invited is 525.</p>
<p>In 2008, 332 of those MATRICULATED (63%) with the scholarship. Remember that these are some of the most qualified students in the nation with lots of options at excellent universities, so many who were offered the scholarship chose to go elsewhere.</p>
<p>My conclusion is that students invited to interview have a better than 63% chance of being offered the scholarship.</p>
<p>475 was invited(at most) based on room capacity and interview sessions.</p>
<h2>234 receive NMF</h2>
<p>709 However there are overlap between the invited who are NMF
450 was the total from Trustee/Pres.</p>
<p>So I think you have greater than 60%.</p>
<p>A bit better than pure guess.</p>
<p>EDIT for 3 instead of 2</p>
<p>tocollege, I have been wondering about the number who attend with a Presidential Scholarship and suspect (but don’t know) that of the 332 matriculating in 2008, the number includes MNFs who didn’t come to Explore to interview, as well as those bumped down from Trustee interviews. Sorry if this makes a case for a smaller number getting the schoarships–there are still many who are offered one but choose to go elsewhere.</p>
<p>I have thought a lot about that too. Honestly, I haven’t met anyone who interviewed for the Presidential and didn’t get it (I remember hearing here about one person last year who interviewed for Trustee and was bumped down to Deans). The possibilities are:</p>
<ol>
<li>I don’t know enough Presidential Scholars to have a representative sample, and the ones who didn’t get the scholarship don’t go to USC,</li>
<li>The NMF-only scholarship winners are not included in the Presidential numbers (this is my theory),</li>
<li>The NMF-only scholars ARE included, but at a cost of over $50,000 per year, the offer of an $18,500 scholarship wasn’t enough to attract students offered the scholarship to attend, and the yield is similar to the overall yield of about 35%.</li>
</ol>
<p>At the Presidential session, they gave a very vague “about half” answer when asked how many would be awarded the scholarship. The more I thought about it, the more I thought the “about half” number comes more from the yield than students not receiving the scholarship. If I had gone to the Presidential session (even with USC’s help, it was an expensive trip for my family to afford), interviewed, and then NOT been awarded the scholarship, my excitement for USC would have been nearly extinguished. I think USC uses the Trustee and Presidential scholarships as recruitment tools for the students they most want and they are careful not to alienate those students. I believe well over 60% are offered the scholarships.</p>
<p>Just a theory! Maybe all those interviewing this year can come back in March and start a thread to see how many actually get the scholarships - it will hopefully help next year’s candidates. (I hope every one of you get it and COME TO USC!!!)</p>
<p>I hear you tocollege, and I’m just speculating. Those who are interviewed for Presidential are such top students (and might have qualified to interview for the Trustee–who knows how these decisions fall?) that they may already be a little let down and so USC is kind of dis-incentivising them. Shouldn’t be that way when you rationally think about what a great award 1/2 tuition is for four years, but these students may also be accepted to great universities and get FinAid that makes those schools a good deal. So I think it’s possible the Presidential is a less-persuasive inducement to a student who doesn’t have USC at the top of his/her list. My guess is that USC puts out this golden net, scoops up all the top 1%ers they can, and figures to lose the rest. They still get many excellent students which rises the entire population, year after year.</p>
<p>I recall talking to kids at Explore last year (for Trustee) and being really shocked at how many openly said they wouldn’t to come to USC even if they were awarded the Trustee–if they got into X or Y ivy in April. I mention this here to remind those interviewing for any merit award to be polite. You never know when this scholarship may be the best thing you have going, and even if you do turn it down, be respectful of how many would love to have been offered the chance.</p>