At least I have ten years to make it up, but what should students and parents of students about to enter college do?    Unfortunately I don't have all the answers but I do have some suggestions to help you make informed decisions about college:

1)  Understand the costs of attendance -  Figuring out what it costs to go to college is kind of like walking on a car dealer's lot and asking how much is a new car.  Just like a new car purchase price depends on the options you select,  the cost of a year at college often depends on the number of classes you take,  the nature of the classes, whether or not you live on campus, which residence hall you pick, the meal plan you choose, and the list goes on.   "Tuition" is sometimes used as a catch-all term by some people to refer to all their college costs, but tuition, or the cost per credit hour for the courses one takes, is often just part of the costs students will pay.   It is important to understand what goes into the average cost of attendance:  Tuition, course fees, other fees, such as health fees, activity fees, athletic fees, books, "room and board" (residence hall and meal plan for students that live on campus), parking and transportation expenses, and miscellaneous personal expenses.   You can see the Unversity of South Carolina's estimated annual expenses for the current year at this link:  http://www.sc.edu/admissions/costaid.php  So, don't just focus on tuition, but make sure you are aware of all the typical expenses college students will incur.

2) Apply for Financial Aid - Many students and parents think they will not qualify for "financial aid", and what they usually mean is they don't think they will qualify for aid that does not have to be repaid, such as a federal Pell grant.  Therefore, they don't bother completing the FAFSA, or "Free Application for Federal Student Aid."    Fill it out anyway.  You may be surprised what you qualify for.  And, if you think you may want or need to take out a federally-subsidised student loan, you'll need to complete the FAFSA regardless.  Here is link to get started:  http://www.sc.edu/financialaid/start.html  And, if you need help at any point, consult with a counselor in the financial aid office.

3) Consider working part-time while in college - Not only can students earn money to help pay their expenses, but the research shows that students who work part-time, especially in on-campus jobs, do better academically that those who work off-campus or not at all.  Maybe it is keeping a tight schedule, or being connected with faculty and staff who can help advise and encourage students, but working on campus benefits the educational process.  Also, Co-operative Education programs and paid internships are more in demand these days as a way to get valuable experience while earning money for college.

4) Seek Outside Scholarship Support - There are many, many civic organizations, foundations, comapanies, and individuals that provide scholarship support to students, if they would only apply!  You have to do some digging to find private scholarship support, but you can find it through a variety of websites, internet searches, and your local library.   Beware, however, of companies that charge to find scholarships for you.  In most cases you can find them on your own for free, and many of these "scholarship locator services" are not legitimate. 

5) Have a Back-up Plan -  For years the prevailing advice to students applying for college has been to apply to at least three schools:  Your "dream" or "stretch" school that you have a shot at getting into but it is a long shot, your "solid" school, to which you are pretty sure you can get into, and your "safety" school, one you are certain, beyond any doubt, will accept you.    I suggest tweaking that a bit, to include a school you are sure you can get into AND that you can afford to attend.   

As I said I still have ten years to go before my oldest child will be applying for college. Who knows what will happen between now and then, but I believe that going to college is now and probably will always continue to be the single best advantage and opportunity for a better life for my children, and I am prepared to make that happen for my kids,  regardless of the sacrifices I have to make. 

But, what if you haven't signed up for orientation yet?  There are always a few students that for one reason or another are not able to attend one of the June orientation sessions. What if you are in that 5% minority?  Well, don't dispair, we have a final orienation session in August that you will soon be able to register for on our orientation website.

So, get oriented to USC, attend new student orientation.  You'll be glad you did!

Q) How do I know if I am getting a scholarship?

A) We mailed out letters extending scholarship offers last week.  If you are being offered a scholarship, you should have received your letter by now.

Q) What were the requirements to get a scholarship this year?

A) They vary by type and level of award, but generally speaking a 1250 SAT (Math + Critical Reading) and a B+ average were the minimum requirements to be considered for most scholarships. 

Q)  I received a Woodrow Scholarship and it mentioned a tuition reduction.  What does that mean?

A)  A Woodrow Scholarship is for out-of-state students and is considered a "departmental scholarship", which means it qualifies for a tuition reduction that is approximately half the difference between in-state tuition and the non-resident tution rate.  In addition to this tuition reduction, recipients also receive $500/year applied to their outstanding bill.  Therefore, beginning with Fall 2008, the annual net value of a Woodrow Scholarship is expected to be $500(award) + $10,317(reduction) = $10,817/year.  Over four years, the net value of the Woodrow will be more than $43,268.

Q) Same question, but I received a McKissick (or Cooper)  Scholarship. 

A) Almost the same answer, except the Cooper and the McKissick scholarships are considered "Institutional" or "general university" scholarships.  In addition to the dollar amount of the awards, recipients also qualify for in-state tuition, as if they were South Carolina residents.  The benefit of the Cooper is expected to $4000(award) + $14,241(reduction) = $18,241 per year, and more than $72,964 over four years.  The benefit of a McKissick is expected to be $2000(award) + 14,241(reduction) = $16,241, and more than $64,964 over four years.   These rates are based on average full-time tuition projections for  next year and could vary slightly from student-to-student and year-to-year, but you get the idea.  Actual tuition for next year will not be set until the June Board of Trustees Meeting.

If you ever have any questions about your scholarship award, please call the admissions office at (803) 777-7700 and ask to speak with an admissions counselor.

Our goal is to have all admissions decisions on their way by the first week in March.  Within that same time frame we will send our our final round of offers to the South Carolina Honors College, invitations to be in the Capstone Scholars program, and our institutional scholarship offers.

Matty, I know you and everyone else is anxiously awaiting to hear about scholarships.  Be on the lookout for notices to arrive in early March, and thank-you for the question...and your patience!

Even more competitive are the Carolina Scholar and McNair Scholar competitions.  The very best Honors College candidates are screened for these, our two top awards, and once we name those finalists, we begin the chair reaction of awarding all our other scholarships, so the coming weeks will be exhilarating for some, disappointing for others, and stressful for all as tough decisions have to be made.

The ball is now rolling. we just named 41 McNair Scholar finalists today, Friday, January 25 at 4:00pm, and I cannot leave the office until I sign each offer letter.  For you, our future class of outstanding McNair Finalists and Scholars, I have some advice:  you may want to hang around the house tomorrow, just in case the FEDEX truck comes rumbling down your street.   Good news sometimes comes in a thin, cardboard envelope! 

And, for you Carolina Scholar candidates, please be patient, it won't be much longer for you, either!

In fact, Fred Thompson's headquarters leading up to the Republican primary was on campus in the Russell House, Mike Huckabee held a rally at Williams-Brice Stadium, there was a GOP debate in the Koger Center, which is where Barack Obama is holding an open forum tonight.  Yesterday, Mrs. Obama was on campus as well, promoting reading initiatives.  Over the summer, the College Democrats held their national convention here at USC, which was visited by all the major democratic candidates, including Hillary Clinton and John Edwards.  Needless to say, this is the place to be if you are interested in the political process!

Personally, I am torn when it comes to rankings.  On one hand, the more information the better, provided that information is accurate, objecitve and relevant.  As a consumer, just like anyone else, I want an outside expert opinion so that I don't have to sort through all the data myself.  I would never buy a TV without Consumer Reports, CNet, and Crutchfield sharing this burden with me.  So, how can college rankings be bad, right?

But, on the other hand, using rankings is only part of the discernment process, and relying exclusively on rankings has many pitfalls.  One of the biggest dangers, in my opinion, is that we tend to focus on the very top in a given ranking system, and unfairly discount the lower scorers, even if the difference between number 1 and number 100 is insignificant. 

In the higher education market, applying the various rankings out there to your college choice can be helpful, but consider these questions when doing so:

1)  What is the ranking system actually measuring?  Are they measuring criteria that are important to you?  Why are these criteria important to you?

2)  How does a particular college's performance on a given ranking translate into the experience you will have at that school, if you choose to attend?  

3) How much does a particular ranking system differentiate the schools being ranked? 

For instance, consider two schools, ranked #1 and #2 on graduation rates.  School #1 reports a 90 percent graduate rate, and school #2 reports an 89.98 percent rate.   Obviously, they both have excellent and almost indistinguishable graduate rates.  But consider school #95 in the list, with an 88.5% graduation rate.  Also excellent and nearly the same rate as the others.  If you just look at the rank, #95 may not sound impressive, but if you just compare the actual graduate rates of all three schools, this measure is meaningless in differentiating the schools because they are all excellent on this criteria.

 There is one big factor missing from college rankings: YOU.  Your abilities, interests and motivation are critical factors in the kind of education you will obtain at your college, and no ranking system can measure that.  It is entirely conceivable for one  to attend one of the nation's best universities, only to coast through, not apply oneself, and graduate with little more knowledge and education that what one started with.  Likewise, a great education can be obtained at an open admissions community college.  It all depends on the individual's motivation and drive to learn.

I am not suggesting that you should not aspire to attend the "best" school possible.  Not at all.  In fact, I recommend attending the best school you can get in and reasonably afford, assuming the schools you are considering are good fits to begin with.     Use rankings to help you define your list, but don't discount a school just because it does not have a good ranking in a magazine you never read but pop culture leads you to believe it knows what it is talking about.  Keep rankings in perspective--rather than being so concerned about "the best", make sure you find "the best fit" for you.

Oh, and one last thing. If you do look at rankings, don't just use one ranking service, consider several.  One that I particularly find useful is Kiplinger's Personal Finance's Best 100 Public Universities.  The 2008 rankings have just come out and can be found at the following link. http://www.kiplinger.com/tools/colleges/  The University of South Carolina, for example, is ranked #35 in in-state value, and #59 for out-of-state value.  Considering that there are over 3,000 colleges and universities in the United States, we are certainly pleased with our ranking.

The thing I like about Kiplinger's is that they consider academic quality, costs, and financial aid to determine value.  For any ranking system, always examine their ranking methodology to learn more about how the service ranks schools.

Campus is quiet now, but when we return January 2, we begin our final phase of the admission decision cycle for the Fall 2008 freshman class, and things won't be so quiet anymore.  So far, we have received about four applications for each space in the freshman class, a new all-time record for USC.  It's nice to be so popular!

Students that applied by our October 1 early answer date have received their admission status, but for the vast majority of applicants applied after October 1, and  for these we have not yet made a decision and will not be able to do so for some time.  We will send out the rest of our admission decisions in early March, once all applicants have had a complete and thorough review. 

And so, if you are waiting for an answer from us, we appreciate your patience as we work as quickly and carefully as we can to review your application. 

May this holiday season be restful and peaceful for you and your loved ones!

Each semester I invite my class over to my house for dinner, which is always a lot of fun for me, and hopefully for my students as well.  It gives me a chance to get to know my students better, for them to get to know me, and for them to get to know each other.   A true home-cooked meal is usually welcome by the middle of the semester, as is a chance to get away from campus and relax a bit.  My class this semester is small, only fifteen students, so cooking for them was manageable.  On the menu was Greek salad, Spaghetti with meat sauce, Cajun shrimp fettuccine alfredo, garlic bread, and brownie sundaes for dessert.   College students are fun to be around, so I really enjoy having them over, but I also do this for their benefit.  Sometimes freshmen may feel intimidated and are reluctant to approach their professors, so hopefully by an event as simple as dinner at my place will help them realize that professors are normal people with families just like them.  Maybe this realization will help my students be more comfortable around their other professors, and they will be more likely to approach faculty outside of class if they need something.  Faculty, believe it or not, really enjoy interacting with students, but they are not going to force students to seek them out.  

In college, students need to take the initiative, and if they do they will get much more out of their college experience than if they wait for the college experience to come to them.

Q:  Does USC accept rush scores from the testing services? 

A:  Yes, we accept rush scores, but ususally it is not necessary to pay the extra amount to rush scores to us, unless a deadline is approaching.   Scores received by February 1 are considered to have met our credential deadline and may be considered in the admission decisoin and scholarship selection process.  If you take the December administration of the SAT or ACT and indicate the University of South Carolina as a score recipient, we will receive them via normal score delivery in plenty of time to meet the February 1 deadline.

Q: I've already applied, but have new information and/or need to update my application.  What should I do?

A: The best way to update your application if something changes is to send a letter to the admissoins office notifying us of the change. Typical changes that we need to know about include address changes, changing high schools,  adding or dropping courses from your senior schedule, and changing your desired major.  If there are extenuating circumstances that have arisen, explain that in a letter.  If we need more information, we may contact you about it.

Q: I have heard that USC requires Economics as part of the college prep course requirements.  Is that true?

A:  USC requires three years of social science courses.  One year must be US History, the other two years can be anything, but we strongly encourage students to take Government and Economics, if possible.  The entire required College Preparatory Curriculum can be found here:

http://www.sc.edu/admissions/freshrequire.php

Q: I have a high GPA by my SAT score is only 1000 (math + critical reading).  What are my chances of admission?  Is there an SAT cutoff?  Can I re-take the SAT? 

A: Admission to Carolina is based on a combination of factors, including courses taken, grades, and standardized test scores.  We also consider personal circumstances, leadership, activities, service, and other things about you that give insight to your potential to succeed at the collegiate level.  Therefore, USC does not have an absolute minimum required SAT or ACT.  But, we do like to see a strong SAT or ACT score, and typically students with less than 1000 on the SAT are much less likely to be admitted than someone with over 1000.   We will consider SAT or ACT scores taken through the December administration for the coming fall semester.  All scores must be received by our February 1 credential deadline.  You do not need to tell us you are retaking the test; we will reconsider your application once the scores come in, even if a decision has already been made.

If you are planning on applying for the Fall 2008 freshman class, be sure to submit your application by the December 1 deadline.  If you are completing the paper application, that means your application must be postmarked by December 1 to meet the deadline.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

We expect applicants to complete 19 required high school courses as a minimum requirement for admission.  We hope applicants will take a challenging college preparatory curriculum that will prepare them for success at the collegiate level, and therefor students that take a more challenging curriculum are generally more likely to be admitted than those who do not. 

But, we also realize that there are circumstances that arise that may prevent students from completing the required curriculum, and we will take that into account.  So that we can consider such circumstances, we provide in the application for an optional personal statement.  This is the opportunity to explain why one may not have completed the required units in high school, or any other factors that may have impacted a student's academic record or performance.

When a student does not complete a required course, we first ask why that was the case.  Was the course available to the student? (Some high schools may not offer all the courses we require, for example.)   Did the student suffer an illness or injury that required the student to drop the course?  We also consider everything else the student did take, and how successful the student was in his or her other coursework.  Since the primary reason for a college prep curriculum is to help insure preparation for success at the college level, we try to determine if the overall body of work the student has presented suggests the student is prepared for college and competitive with the rest of the applicant pool.  We look for improving grade trends in higher level courses. We look at overall GPA.  We look at test scores.  In a nutshell, we consider the student's overall record in the context of the environment and circumstances in which the student performed.

Now, with that in mind, I will give you two hypothetical situations, and you get to be the director of admissions and make the decision:

Student #1 has good grades and SAT scores. She took French I and struggled a bit, making a C.  So, instead of taking French II, she switched to Spanish and took Spanish I and made an A.   Her high school only requires students to take two years of foreign language, but  they don't have to be in the same language.  According to USC's admission requirements, a student must have two years of the same foreign language.  When asked about French, the student said she really didn't get along with the teacher. The French Teacher at her school has a reputation for being tough, and a lot of students don't like him.  Also, she likes Spanish better in part because Spanish is spoken regularly in her home.    Should we make an exception for this student?

Student #2 has overall good grades and SAT scores as well.   He  is very good at science and wants to be a doctor, so he took all the science and math classes his school had to offer, including AP courses.  Because he took mainly science and math electivies, he did not take any other academic courses that will count as academic electives.  According to USC admission requirements, students must take academic electives in at least three subject areas; he only has electives in two areas.  Not only is the student really good at math and science, he really did not enjoy classes in social studies, art, music, or  foreign language, because they are "not analytical subjects."  Should we make an exception for this student?

If you think about these examples a while, the question can be very complex and there is not always a simple answer.  So Justin, my advice to you is to take the most rigorous and complete college preparatory curriculum you can reasonably tackle.  Take courses you are interested in and have a talent for, but also take things you need to take to be a well-educated and well-rounded person.  And most importantly, check the college prep course requirements early in your high school career and do you best to complete those courses, because exceptions are usually rare, and only granted when every other aspect of the student's record is really strong.  Only a very small number of applicants will not have completed our required high school course curriculum, and very few of those that are missing a required course will actually be admitted as an exception. I recommend contacting the admissions office to speak with an admissions counselor about the specifics of your situation.

Good question, Justin.  Thanks for asking.

Q:  Some people know they have been admitted already.  How are they finding out so quickly?

Answer:  I bet they have figured out how to check their application status on-line at our secure site:  https://as.sa.sc.edu/.  Students can check their status and see if we have received required credentials, such as transcripts and SAT or ACT scores, and if they have been admitted, that will display as well.

Q:  I applied by October 1 but have not heard anything yet.  Is that a bad sign? 

Answer:  No, it is not a bad sign at all.  We received 5,000 applications by the October 1 early answer deadline.  It will be some time yet before all are processed and early answers are mailed.  We process applications in the order we receive them, once they are complete, so don't worry if you haven't heard anything yet.

Q:  I did not apply by October 1, is it too late?

Answer:  No, absolutely not!  The October 1 date is an early answer application date only.  Students that apply by October 1 will hear from USC no later than December 20. The decision is non-binding, so students that applied by Ocotber 1 are not committed to USC.  Students that did not apply by the early answer date still have until December 1 to submit applications.  Everyone that applies by December 1 will receive equal consideration for admission.  There is no advantage to applying by October 1, except that you may hear from us sooner than if you wait until December 1.

The admissions process can be confusing, so don't hesitate to ask us questions, either by phone or e-mail. Or, If you have a question you would like answered that you think others may also want to know the answer for, please post it to my blog and I will post the answer for all to see.

If you didn't apply by October 1, no worrys.  As long as you apply by December 1 (or November 15 if you want to be considered for the South Carolina Honors College) you will receive equal consideration for admission.  If you apply after December 1, however, you will be considered on a space-available basis. 

Thanks for reading my blog.  And I want to extend an invitation to you to ask me questions, and I will post the responses for all to see.  Go Gamecocks!

Maybe you have started browsing the fall course offerings to design the perfect schedule.  (Mondays and Fridays off, no class before noon and nothing after 4:00...anyone?)  You have this perfect schedule all mapped out so that when you come for orientation, you can meet with your academic advisor and sign up for the classes... 

BUT WAIT!  If you have not sent in your immunization records from your doctor to the Thompson Student Health Center, YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO REGISTER DURING ORIENTATION!  

Please don't neglect to do this.  We hate to turn people away during orientation.  We don't like to make people angry or see them cry, all because they did not follow through on this simple requirement.  Just like all public schools in the state, we are required by law to have the immunization records on file, and we can't make exceptions.  These regulations are in place to protect you and your fellow students from outbreaks of disease.  So get "stuck" by your family doctor if you haven't been immunized yet, and get those records to us.  Otherwise, you will really be stuck.  In fact, it might not hurt to bring along an extra copy with you when you come to orientation, just in case.

If you have any questions about immunizations, or if you want to check and see if your records have arrived, check with the health center.   And while we are on the subject of health, did I mention that USC is very interested in promoting student health?  We have an initiative called "Healthy Carolina" that promotes healthy living within the Carolina community, mind, body and spirit.

To learn more about Healthy Carolina, check out this link:  http://www.sc.edu/healthycarolina/

To find out how to contact the Thompson Student Health Center for more information about immunization requirements, go here: http://www.sa.sc.edu/shs/immunization.htm

Good health to you!

May 1 is the national commitment date by which most competitive colleges and universities require an enrollment deposit to secure a space in the freshman class.  Carolina is no different, and while most students have already decided, many are still trying to make that final decision. 

Most people have heard that admission to Carolina is more competitive this year than ever before.  To accommodate the demand we have had to admit students for Spring, or "second semester", and we also have a waiting list for Fall.    So, if you are still undecided and you haven't sent in your enrollment deposit yet, you need to realize that on May 2 it will be too late, so don't miss the deadline!  

If you are on the wait list and anxiously waiting to hear if we can admit you for Fall, it will be a couple of weeks yet before you hear.  See, we accept deposits that are paid on-line by 11:59pm, EDT, May 1, or that are postmarked by the US Postal Service on May 1.  It takes us several days to count up the final numbers, and only then will we know if any space for Fall is available.

And remember, the enrollment deposit is just that, a deposit, not a fee.  It will apply to your fall semester as a credit when you enroll.  But, if you don't enroll Fall semester, the deposit is forfeited to the University.

So, now is the time to make up your mind.  No matter what you decide, all of us at USC are proud to have been among the schools you considered, and once you make your decision, be happy and don't look back!