Should I Apply Early Decision to USC?
We’ve heard from students and families for some time now that they wish there was an Early Decision (ED) option for USC. So, last year, we piloted ED for the Marshall School of Business. We were surprised by how popular the option was and how strong the applicant pool was. For these reasons, we felt that we were ready to offer ED more widely. This upcoming application cycle, we will have Early Decision for all majors except those in the performing arts (because their audition processes don’t line up with the ED notification process). The deadline is November 1, which is also our Early Action (non-binding) and merit scholarship deadlines.
We don’t yet know what the admit rate for Early Decision students will be—since this is mostly new for us. As aforementioned, the students admitted ED for Marshall last year had the same academic preparation as students admitted in other rounds. So we expect the same for our wider ED offering this year.
There are some advantages to applying Early Decision. First, if admitted ED, you’ll get your decision earlier. For USC, that will be mid-December. This gives you the chance to relax during the rest of your senior year (though we want you to keep your grades up!) and forgo applying to additional institutions. If you’re not admitted ED, you will still receive full consideration during the Regular Decision process. USC defers all students not admitted in the early rounds to RD. Also, you’ll also be applying by the merit scholarship deadline, so you’ll receive consideration for scholarships, such as the Presidential Scholarship (half tuition) and Trustee Scholarship (full tuition), amongst others. It’s important to note that students applying ED are considered for need-based financial aid in the same way as students applying Early Action and Regular Decision. So, there’s no penalty when it comes to need-based aid.
So, this begs the question: is Early Decision right for you?
A student should only apply Early Decision if they are committed to attending USC, if admitted. To put it simply, ED is binding. Students applying ED will need to submit an Early Decision Agreement—with signatures from themselves, their parents or guardians, and their counselors—indicating that they understand the terms of applying Early Decision. For example, they can only apply ED to one school. And, if admitted, they agree to withdraw their applications from all other schools to which they’ve applied. Of course, if a student is admitted Early Decision and goes through the Financial Aid process only to learn that they cannot afford to attend their ED school, they have the option of withdrawing from USC.
Ultimately, when deciding what round to apply to USC, really think about what makes sense for you. If USC is your first choice, it may be the right option. Not sure if USC is your first choice? We recommend that you attend one of our fall Discover USC programs, such as our signature Discover USC Open House. You can also visit campus and sign up for an in-person or virtual admission presentation and/or academic information session. Engaging with the university in these ways can help solidify where USC stands on your list. Let us show you why this is such a great institution.
Written by: Anne Aubert-Santelli, Associate Director - USC Office of Admission