The Waiting Game. The countdown to mailing decisions that are final on and I’m sure all our first-year applicants are wondering… what’s taking so long?! It takes a great deal of manpower and hours to learn 47,000 applications and we desire to give every application a review that is fair 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 requires us months that are many complete this process… Since USC uses a holistic way of the admission procedure, we have been committed to reading and re-reading every piece of this application. You understand those answer that is short you responded to? We read those. That task summary you filled out? Yup, every activity is read by us, company, and experience you listed on there. Once I read an application, i wish to reach know you- your passions, your perspective, and most of all, hear your voice come through. This process takes time and thought as we attempt to realize exactly how your academic performance, test scores, composing, involvements, and recommendations get together to paint a fuller picture of who you are as a student and someone. The admission office may seem want it runs like a well-oiled device on the outside—and it is—but it just runs as smoothly as it does through the utilization of multiple checks and balances through the procedure. We contact pupils when we’re missing a piece of the application and when we need extra information such as mid-year grades. We check with the departments that are academic USC and consider their views on candidates and listen to their recommendations. Most of all, we rely on one another to help us see applicants in a way that is different pick up on something we didn’t initially see. It’s an incredibly collaborative process and it takes time. At the end of the day, this really is a difficult process for the office, also. You can find many applicants that are qualified we do not have room for every year. It’s never effortless making these tough choices, but I find comfort knowing that our applicants may have 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 have the ability to shout out towards the world, listed here is the incredible USC Class of 2017! And in merely a couple weeks that are short we—and numerous of you—will be able to do just that. Grades, Guidance, and Goliath: Confessions of the Director Dad The post below is from our very Director that is own of, Kirk Brennan. He shares with us the struggles to be a parent of the college that is prospective also having a leadership role in advanced schooling. Understandably, juggling these two roles is incredibly delicate. Thank you, Kirk, for sharing your insight into what our moms and dads undergo during this time that is stressful!   This coming Monday will mark the eighteenth anniversary of this time my wife (whom you may remember) delivered our very first child. Though I have worked in admission for 22 years, this particular 12 months — usually the one by which that son or daughter is signing up to college — is like my first day at work. Exactly what a strange way to look at 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 different schools seem the same, that college marketing materials look alike and even say the extremely same things, and what sort of few marketing businesses vendors appear to drive this procedure for many schools. I saw that a good deal of the student’s impression of my university is not controllable, and We was especially disheartened when my own student, after experiencing proud to receive a mass-mailer from a college, quit reading some of them only days later on, and even felt anger as she sifted through them. At USC plus in the admission occupation in general, we work hard to be helpful, however some days I’m unsure how much we’re helping ( and I also welcome your suggestions at admdir@usc.edu). What strikes me more than anything may be the emotional roller coaster of the senior 12 months. I ended up being saddened to look at mundane events of life magnified to become critical pieces of a puzzle that cause college; a grade in the quiz that is tiniest prompts a crisis, or a choice to relax one afternoon sometimes appears as a potential deal breaker for college admission, consequently career, then life time delight. Then there is the list; so numerous universities to consider, will she love these schools, did she miss an improved fit, and will she even get in at all? Then filling in the applications, especially the anxiety behind answering the smallest amount of important questions on the application form (we discussed ‘What’s my therapist’s task title?’). The relief that is temporary of them was soon replaced by confusion on the lack of communication as colleges read. Now the decisions are developing the grand finale of this ride — 1 day she gets in and seems great excitement for her future, another she is refused and feels useless, as if judged harshly by strangers. Learning and growing are difficult, and many turns in life will be unpredictable, but certainly I can’t be the actual only real one ready because of this ride to end. Through the ground i’ve watched this roller coaster often times, and such trips tend to end up in the same way — with our children enrolling in a college they love. Yet we riders nevertheless scream, even feel terror that is real down the mountain as if the safety pubs will not help; normal responses, if utterly irrational. I still love rollercoasters (Goliath is the best), and I also think I shall enjoy this ride. I have grown nearer to my daughter, and now we have all grown closer as a family. I have seen my younger daughter console her older sister. We all cherish the time that remains in this phase of our family life, although we avoid the concern of how additional meals we’ll share together. There are numerous hugs, tears, pats on the trunk, and scoops of ice cream to soothe the pain, 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 onto it.