Welcome to my blog
Hello, my name is Scott Verzyl and I welcome you to my blog. I am starting my third year as director of undergraduate admissions here at USC-Columbia. I have been asked to share my thoughts on the admissions process from the "inside" perspective, through the eyes of one that lives the admissions process year in and year out. So here I am, ready to give you the scoop on Admissions at USC.
Each year I look forward to recruiting, admitting and welcoming a new class to USC. Fall is the time when the admissions office is in full swing. Admissions officers have been visiting schools, conducting information sessions around the state, mailing out information packets, and participating in college fairs for several weeks now. We're about to have our first big on-campus recruiting event this weekend--our first Admissions Open House is Saturday, September 30 in the Russell House, starting at 9:00am in the Russell House. (for more info, check out the Open House website at: http://www.sc.edu/admissions/openhouse.html)
I love Open House because it is a time to meet with excited and anxious students and their even more excited and anxious parents. Yes, the college search process can be intimidating, confusing, and stressful, but through events like our Open House we hope to answer the questions, dispell the fears, and most importantly, get everyone fired up about USC, including those of us that work here. If you've never been to one, I invite you to attend, whether you are a high school student, a parent of a student, or a high school counselor or teacher. Just please RSVP on our handy-dandy website so we can get an accurate count.
Perhaps you are already thinking about applying for admissionto USC. Our application for admission has been available in print since July and on the web since late August, and applications are really coming in now. Believe it or not, we carefully evaluate each application individually and by hand, which can take some time. My advice: if you would like to hear from us right away, don't wait until the deadline to apply. I know what you're thinking...the deadline is not until December 1, I'll fill it out in November while eating leftover turkey sandwiches and watching football. Well guess what, everyone else is having the same thought. So all you procrastinators out there keep in mind that we get very backed up in November and December, so it may take a while to hear from us if you wait until the last minute. We are not as busy right now as we will be in December. Those of you that have already applied or are about to submit your application, we will begin sending out decision letters in the next week or two, so you will hear very soon!
Well, what do you think about my very first blog ever? Please feel free to post a comment or ask a question. I will try to answer as many as I can, and if I post your question to my blog for all to see, I promise to maintain your privacy.