Waiting for April 1
It’s an interesting time of year— my friends and family know not to call me right now because I will ignore them so I can stay immersed in your essay or finish tracking down your transcript. At this point, all our first-year application deadlines have passed, and we are continuing to review applications. And, now that you’re on the other side as a first-year applicant, you may be looking forward to your last semester of high school, spring break, and hearing back from all the colleges. Hopefully, you’re not spending a large amount of time stressing out! But I do know some of you will continue to stress and overthink no matter what because waiting is the worst. You’ve just spent months hustling to get everything together to apply, and the change in pace can really drag on and hold you up (especially during this really challenging year). So how can you use your time more effectively as you count down to the day you’ll hear back from USC?
Do watch your email for communication from colleges. At USC, we are in the process of requesting fall grades from many of our applicants. If you want to be proactive, go ahead and send your mid-year grades to colleges now. We also send notifications if we are missing something in your file, such as a transcript or test scores (if you are choosing to report them). These notifications will also be sent to your USC Portal.
Don’t panic if your admission counselor doesn't respond to your email right away. We are getting tons of emails right now, so I encourage you to check out our other blog posts, the admission website, your USC portal, our other social media and so on. You may get answers more quickly than we may be able to provide right now. Remember, we are still reading applications and we want to make sure each one gets our full attention.
Do continue to work hard in all your classes senior year! The college you attend will request your final high school transcript to verify that, upon receiving acceptances, your academic performance remained consistent.
Don’t compare your academic achievements, extracurricular involvements, etc. with other applicants. Many colleges (such as USC) use a holistic admission process, which means we consider a variety of factors when making decisions. Just because a student may have “stronger” quantitative factors than another student does not mean they necessarily have a better chance of being admitted.
Do consider taking advantage of admitted student programs. These typically occur in the months of March and April. Even if programs are virtual, this can be a great opportunity to meet other admitted students, learn something new, and find the college that is a great fit for you.
Don’t feel like you have to know where you’re attending college right NOW. Even if your friends/parents/teachers are pressuring you. You’ll get all of your college acceptances by early April and have until May 1 (the National Candidate’s Reply Date) to decide. It can be tempting to fall in love with the school(s) you were admitted to early but the give the process time to play out to ensure you have selected the right choice for you.
Do relax and enjoy your senior year! In a matter of months, you may be leaving some or all of your friends and family as you begin your college career. Take advantage of this time—your first day as a college student will be here before you know it.
Finally, remember you can do acts of kindness to make your community even a little happier. There were so many people who got you to this point, so you can:
Support your friends: If you're anxious to hear back from colleges, it’s likely your friends are too--so don’t feed the beast! Distract them (and yourself) from the college process for a while (I recommend binge watching every comedy you can find on Netflix), and when you all start hearing back from the colleges you applied to, cheer for their triumphs and comfort them through their tribulations. Know that it all works out in the end!
Thank your counselors and teachers: The people who really deserve thanks are the counselors and teachers who spent so much time advising you, editing your essays, and writing you fantastic letters of recommendation all while trying to figure out this new virtual setting! Now that your application is in, write them a nice thank you note, or pop into their Zoom Room to catch up. Just let them know you appreciate their help in this process.
Also, as a refresher, here is the breakdown of our First Year Admission timeline:
