Just the Facts, Ma'am

I remember taking a class in the School of Journalism that focused on the weighty responsibility that a reporter faces when committing words to paper (PDAs and laptops hadn't been invented yet). We were taught that people believe every word they see if it is in writing. This phenomenon hasn't changed since then. In fact, I think it has only intensified, because the web now makes it so much easier to communicate with just about anyone anytime.

With the punch of a few keys and clicks of the mouse, you can connect with people who share your interests. They can be in your neighborhood or on another continent. You are no longer as bound by geography, or budget, or what the media feeds you. You can gather information that until recently was difficult or even impossible to acquire. Such power! But with that comes responsibility, too. When you serve as your own reporter, interpreting what you read online, it's important to consider your source. Ask yourself how the person knows what he or she is saying, how old the information is, and what the motivation might be in sharing with you.

Here in the admissions office, we're not in the business of monitoring or correcting information that is posted about us on the web in blogs, chat rooms, and other online forums. There are too many out there for us to even try. We do care very much though, about communicating accurately with people who want to know more about us. When you have an admissions question, I urge you to come straight to the source. Ask us. We make ourselves available via phone, e-mail, instant messaging, in-person appointments, and school visits. We like to talk with you, and we want you to know the truth so that you get the best advice and make smart decisions based upon the most up-to-date information available. And believe me, every year we make changes. We might add new programs or majors. We might change a deadline. We might change our criteria for decision making. The list goes on. My point is this: if you want to know more about the University of South Carolina, it's in your best interest to contact us directly.

Occasionally, our admissions director, Scott Verzyl, posts blogs on our website. I encourage you to read his posts for advice on the admissions process and for the latest news from our office. Feel free to submit comments or questions to either of our blogs. Our answers to your questions will be helpful to many others who are wondering the same thing.

Posted by Connie at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Horseshoe -- affectionately dubbed the 'Shoe by those who live and work at the University --  is located in the heart of campus. In fact, it IS the heart of campus. It beats with life all year long. Giant oaks dwarf the people who hang out on the large, grassy lawn. On a sunny day you see people playing Ultimate frisbee (and working on a tan at the same time). Students lounge on blankets; reading, sleeping, and daydreaming. People eat their lunches on park benches under the leafy, outstretched arms of towering trees. Some wander through slowly, and others swiftly, with purpose. Some listen to MP3s or talk on the phone, perhaps oblivious to the feel of the breeze, the sound of the birds, the smell of the roses in the little gardens tucked away at the corners. But that's okay. The 'Shoe is patient, and waits for you to notice. The more times you walk across the nubby, brick paths and look around, and listen, and inhale, the more it becomes embedded in your senses.  

Over the years, I've learned the 'Shoe's seasonal patterns. Spring is the time of elation and new beginnings: shedding winter layers and stretching out in the dazzling sunshine, snapping photos with friends and family on graduation day, and spilling out of Rutledge Chapel in frothy wedding white. Summer is the time of discovery and reflection: welcoming a steady stream of visitors who are eager for the Carolina experience, kicking back at the outdoor grill with culinary professors who tempt tastebuds with the best BBQ on the planet, and listening to the chorus of chirping cicadas. Fall is the time of frenzy and settling in: moving all earthly possessions into residence halls, and dashing across the walkways to find new classrooms. Winter is the time of in-betweens: glimpsing cobalt blue patches of sky through bare branches, and wondering how the fall semester went so fast and spring is almost here...only to start the celebratory dance all over again.

Walk around the 'Shoe someday if you haven't yet experienced this pleasure for yourself. The Visitor Center, located in McKissick Museum at one end of the Horseshoe, offers campus tours throughout the year.Happy trails...

Posted by Connie at 08:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With each new year comes a ritual that should be familiar to all current college students who seek financial aid. It's the completion of that governmental form call the FAFSA, short for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. If you're new to "college speak," and you wonder how this is pronounced, its spoken just as it looks like it would sound — FAF-SUH.

Your completed FAFSA helps USC determine how much federal financial aid it can award you. If you're currently in the process of applying to attend USC this year, it's important to go ahead and complete this form as soon as you are able to do so. It's best to complete the form online.

The University determines the order for awarding financial aid based upon the date it receives completed FAFSAs and any additional information that is requested. Because some very attractive aid programs have limited funding, only those applicants who meet the University's April 1 Priority Financial Aid Application deadline may be fully considered for receiving these funds.

Again, remember, you don't have to be admitted to USC before you file your FAFSA, but you have to be admitted in order to be able to receive aid. Also, be sure to designate the University of South Carolina as a recipient for your completed FAFSA. If you've already completed the FAFSA, but did not originally include USC on your recipient list, you can go back and add it afterwards.

If you have any more questions about financial aid at Carolina, there's a good chance I won't be able to give you much more detail than I've already shared here with you. So do yourself a favor and call on the expertise of our full-time counselors at USC's Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships. The office has lots of info on its website, so that's a great place to start. You can also e-mail them at uscfaid@sc.edu or call them at 803-777-8134, or even stop by the office to talk in person about your particular circumstances.

Posted by Connie at 11:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In that first moment of introduction, you are a name. But beyond that name lies so much more — all those intellectual and personality traits that make you marvelously unique among the other 6.5 billion people on this planet. While the scale is different in the land of admissions (we deal in thousands rather than billions), I never grow tired of reading the applications we receive. Each file represents a real person, and I approach each one with respect and careful consideration. Every time I start reading a new file, I wonder what I'll discover, and who I'll get to know. I think if you asked anyone else in our office who reads applications how they feel about it, they'd give you a similar answer. Okay, time to get back to those apps...

Posted by Connie at 07:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sajae' wants to know whether transfer students can apply as late as February for the Fall 2007 semester. The short answer is "yes." The long answer is slightly more complex. We have several different deadlines that are important for applicants to know about, so here's a quick summary:

For freshman applicants — typically high school seniors — the priority application deadline was December 1. As I write this, we're working on the applications we received by this deadline. Note that prospective freshmen are still welcome to apply for the Fall 2007 freshman class, but applying now means you'll be considered on a space-available basis once we have processed those who met the deadline. Regardless, all fall freshmen applicants must ensure that the admissions office receives any missing credentials such as high school transcripts, counselor recommendation forms, or their latest SAT or SAT scores no later than February 1, 2007.

If you are not a freshman applicant, but instead you want:

1) to transfer to USC from another college,

2) to seek readmission to USC, or

3) to take select courses at USC without seeking a degree,

then you have until August 1, 2007 to submit your application for the fall. You have a little longer to complete your application with supporting documents such as your latest transcripts; these are due postmarked by August 10.

A word of caution...Lots of students ask me this question: "Should I wait to turn in my application until I have all supporting documents ready to send along with it?" In general, the answer is "no." It's important to go ahead turn in your completed application. We'll match supporting materials such as transcripts with your original application. If we already have your application on file at that point, we will be able to make a decision for you more quickly.

Keep sending us those applications — just be careful to adhere to our deadlines to make the process a smooth one. Good luck!

Posted by Connie at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you are applying as a freshman and you have a strong academic record in high school, then you may qualify for one of USC's many merit-based awards. Merit awards are available for both SC residents and for students who reside outside South Carolina. USC's financial aid and scholarships office lists each of these awards on their website.

To be considered for most of these awards, you must have applied to the University by December 1 for the following fall semester. If you also completed the Honors College/Top Tier Scholars application and submitted it by the same December 1 deadline, then you will be considered for USC's top-tier scholarships (Carolina Scholars, McNair Scholars, and Alumni Scholars awards).

Good news for SC residents who receive the Lieber Scholars award! Starting with the Fall 2007 freshman class, Lieber Scholars who are legal residents of South Carolina will receive $10,000 annually, renewable for a total of four years of study.

Posted by Connie at 05:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Several of our student bloggers have mentioned the fast-approaching December 1 priority application deadline in some of their recent entries. Please take note of this date if you're interested in being a part of the Fall 2007 freshman class. For some, it's time to tidy up your application and turn it in. For others, it's time to roll up your sleeves and get started. Here are a few things to keep in mind before this Friday.

What must be delivered to the USC admissions office in order to meet the Dec. 1 priority deadline?

Your application (online or paper version) and your $50 application fee (or fee waiver verification if you qualify). Your application might consist solely of a general application to the University, or it might be a "two-parter," including the general university application in combination with an honors college/top scholarship application. If you've already submitted your general university application, but now you want to apply for the South Carolina Honors College and for USC's top academic scholarships, you can send in your honors application separately. Find out more.

Your official academic credentials, such as your high school transcript and your SAT/ACT scores, should be submitted respectively by your high school guidance counselor and by the testing company as soon as possible, but no later than February 1.

You have several options for submitting your application:

You can complete an online application. Create your account first, and then complete your answers online. Like the paper version, you can set your work aside and come back to it later (just be sure to save your work before you exit the session). To meet the priority deadline, be sure to submit your application no later than midnight this coming Friday. Note: This is not meant to encourage you to wait until the last minute. It's best to leave enough wiggle room to allow for the inevitable Murphy's Law situations like power outages and computer crashes. Apply as soon as you can, but recognize it is in your best interest to apply well before December 1 disappears.

Alternatively, if you prefer to complete the paper version of our application, please make sure it is postmarked no later than December 1 when you mail it to us.

What does "priority" mean anyway?

The operative word in "priority application deadline" is "priority." Actually, the word "deadline" is pretty important, too. (Dec. 1, Dec. 1, Dec. 1...) Getting back to "priority," this means that all freshman applicants who meet the December 1 deadline will be considered for admission into the Fall 2007 class. Those who miss the deadline will be considered only if space remains available. Therefore, if you apply by December 1, your application will receive priority consideration. And that's pretty important since the freshman class has filled up way in advance of the first hint of fall for quite a few years in a row now.

Where is the online application located?

Access it via the USC admissions website.

Posted by Connie at 06:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)