Scholarships & Awards

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Frequently Asked Questions

When are applications due?

The application must be completely submitted by Friday, February 24, 2011, 5:00 PM. Late applications will not be accepted. If you're applying to scholarships that require separate applications, be sure to read their applications for special due dates-- many of them differ from the general application deadline.

 

What is the Online Recommendation Document?

You will need to meet with the professor recommending you for scholarships, and then e-mail us the professor's name and e-mail address (see the application instructions for more details). The professor will then receive an online form from us in which they can provide their evaluation and recommendation. We recommend bringing your professor a copy of your resume along with any other materials you would like them to evaluate.

 

Who is eligible to write recommendations?

Recommendations must come from USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences faculty. Academic advisors are not eligible to write recommendations. They may not be written by professors or instructors from a USC professional school (i.e. Annenberg, Marshall, Viterbi). If you are a double-major student in USC Dornsife and a professional school, your recommendation still must come from a Dornsife professor.

 

If I have submitted my application online, am I required to submit a paper copy of the application?

No, a paper copy is not required.

 

If I don't recieve financial aid, do I have to submit a financial aid summary? What if I click the link in OASIS and nothing comes up?

If you do not receive financial aid from USC in the form of grants, loans, work-study, or other outside scholarship, you do not have to submit a financial aid summary. Please indicate that you do not receive USC financial aid by putting a zero in the "financial aid amount" box on your application. If you are seeing "This information is not available" when you click the Financial Aid Summary link in OASIS, please try to remember if you actually receive financial aid from USC, and if you do, contact the Financial Aid office.

 

I'm an international student, not an American citizen, or not a US permanent resident. Am I eligibile for anything?

Yes, you may apply to some of the scholarships, which are merit based. Scholarships which are restricted to American citizens are listed as such in their descriptions. You must indicate citizenship status on your application, but if you accidentally apply to a scholarship which is restricted to citizens, don't worry, you will still be considered for other scholarships for which you are eligible.

 

Are the prompt topics the same for all the scholarships?

No. Many of the scholarships share a "standard prompt" from which you may write a single essay. Some scholarships have an additional topic which can be addressed in the single standard essay, or which you may expand into a separate essay for that scholarship specifically. The specialized scholarships (which are noted in a special section of the scholarship descriptions) have different prompts.  Some scholarships have different GPA requirements, topics, etc., so read each description carefully, but remember that you may combine topics and creatively write essays as you see fit. You should not submit more than a few essays.

 

Is the standard prompt supposed to be one single essay?

Yes, the standard prompt lists multiple issues you may address in a single 2300 character essay. The two (or three, including financial circumstances) part standard essay prompt is supposed to be one single essay. Do not write 2 or 3 essays for a single scholarship. Please note, however, that you may write multiple essays for your application if you are applying to a variety of scholarships that have differing essay prompts (see above).

 

What should be on my Resume?

Feel free to use a previously prepared resume that you may have used for other types of awards or academic purposes. If using a job resume, be sure to add some information about your extracurricular activities, volunteer experience, and academic achievements (if you haven't already done so). Your resume should present a clear picture of your general involvements in college so far. A helpful guide to resume writing has been published by the USC Career Planning and Placement Center here: http://careers.usc.edu/docs/handouts/Resume_Booklet_Web.pdf

If I applied for a CSS scholarship offered in past years, can I use the same personal statement for the given topics in this year’s application?

While you may certainly write about the same topic (as many prompts may be the same), we highly recommended that you modify your personal statement, as the committee reviewing your application will have access to information submitted in previous years. You can include new or updated information, describe how your experience or life story has changed in the last year, or take the opportunity to refine your writing.

 

Can scholarships cover living expenses?

Scholarships awarded may only be used toward university tuition costs. They will not cover housing, books, fees, or meal plans.

If you have any other questions or concerns regarding USC Dornsife Continuing Student Scholarships, please contact the USC Dornsife Office of Admission, either by phone at (213)740-5930 or by email at admission@dornsife.usc.edu.