is on and I’m sure all our first-year applicants are wondering… what’s taking so long?! It takes plenty of manpower and hours to read 47,000 applications and we want to give every application a reasonable review in order to produce the amazing, well-rounded, diverse, and successful Class of 2017. Let me pull back the curtain a little and demonstrate why it takes us many months to finish this process…

Since USC utilizes a holistic method of the admission process, we have been committed to reading and re-reading every piece regarding the application. You understand those answer that is short you responded to? We read those. That activity summary you completed? Yup, we read every activity, organization, and experience you listed on there. When I read a credit card applicatoin, I would like to get to understand you- your interests, your perspective, and a lot of of all, hear your voice come through. This procedure takes time and thought you are as a student and a person as we try to understand how your academic performance, test scores, writing, involvements, and recommendations come together to paint a fuller picture of who.

The admission office might seem is—but it only runs as smoothly as it does through the use of multiple checks and balances throughout the process like it runs like a well-oiled machine on the outside—and it. We contact pupils when a piece is being missed by us of the applying and when we need more information such as for instance mid-year grades. We check with the departments that are academic USC and consider their views on candidates and listen to their recommendations. First and foremost, we rely on one another to aid us see applicants in a different way or pick up on something we didn’t initially see. It’s a process that is incredibly collaborative it will take time.

At the end of the day, that is an arduous process for our office, also. You will find many applicants that are qualified we do not have room for each year. It’s never effortless making these tough choices, but I find comfort knowing that our applicants has many amazing college options next year irrespective.

I think I speak on behalf of our office that is entire when say we are pretty excited to finally manage to shout out towards the globe, here’s the incredible USC Class of 2017! As well as in just a couple weeks that are short we—and many of you—will find a way to do just that.

Grades, Guidance, and Goliath: Confessions of a Director Dad

The article below is from our very Director that is own of, Kirk Brennan. He shares with us the struggles to be a moms and dad of a prospective university student as well as having a leadership role in higher education. Understandably, juggling these two functions is very delicate. Thank you, Kirk, for sharing your understanding of what our parents proceed through during this time that is stressful!

This Monday that is coming will the eighteenth anniversary of the time my wife (whom you may remember) delivered our first youngster. Though I been employed by in admission for 22 years, this particular year — the one by which that youngster is signing up to university — feels like my first day face to face. What a strange way to see my work: through the eyes, and through the home of a student that is prospective.

I had numerous observations that are disillusioning year. I saw that tours of very different schools sound the same, that college marketing materials look alike and even say the very exact same things, and what sort of small number of marketing companies vendors seem to drive this method for many schools. I saw that a deal that is great of student’s impression of my university is not controllable, and We ended up being particularly disheartened whenever my own student, after experiencing proud to get a mass-mailer from a college, quit reading any one of them only days later on, and even felt anger as she sifted through them. At USC plus in the admission career in general, we work hard to be helpful, many times I’m unsure how much we’re helping ( and I also welcome your suggestions at admdir@usc.edu).

Just What strikes me more than any such thing is the emotional roller coaster of the senior year. I was saddened to view mundane events of life magnified to be critical pieces of a puzzle that cause college; a grade regarding the tiniest test prompts a crisis, or a choice to relax one afternoon sometimes appears as a potential deal breaker for university admission, therefore career, then lifetime joy. Then there’s record; therefore many universities to consider, will she love these schools, did she miss a better fit, and can she even get in at all? Then filling out the applications, especially the anxiety behind responding to the least important questions on the application (we discussed ‘What’s my counselor’s work title?’). The temporary relief of doing them was soon replaced by confusion throughout the lack of communication as colleges read. Now the decisions are developing the grand finale with this ride — one day she gets in and feels great excitement for her future, another she actually is rejected and seems worthless, as if judged harshly by strangers. Learning and growing may be hard, and many turns in life will be unpredictable, but certainly I cannot be the only one ready for this ride to end.

Through the ground I have watched this roller coaster often times, and such rides tend to end in the same way — with our children enrolling in a college they love. Yet we riders still scream, even feel real terror going down the hill as in the event that safety bars will not assist; normal reactions, if utterly irrational. We still love rollercoasters (Goliath is the best), https://shmoop.pro/ and I also think I shall enjoy particularly this ride. I’ve grown closer to my daughter, and we have all grown closer as a family. I have seen my younger daughter console her older sister. We all cherish the time that continues to be in this phase of our family life, although we avoid the concern of how additional dishes we will share together. There are many hugs, tears, pats on the rear, and scoops of ice cream to soothe the pain sensation, yet great hope for the long term. I look forward to this ride finishing, but I imagine when it ends, just like Goliath, I will be excited to get back in line to ride again today. I sure hope so, anyway: my youngest is counting about it.