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 whole lot of manpower and hours to see 47,000 applications and we wish 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 straight back the curtain a bit and demonstrate why it takes us months that are many finish this process…Since USC utilizes an approach that is holistic the admission procedure, we’re committed to reading and re-reading every piece regarding the application. You know those answer that is short you reacted 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 would like to reach understand you- your passions, your perspective, and a lot of of all, hear your voice come through. This technique takes some time thought as we make an effort to comprehend exactly how your academic performance, test ratings, writing, involvements, and recommendations get together to paint a fuller picture of who you are as a student and someone.The admission office might seem is—but it only runs as smoothly as it does through the use of multiple checks and balances throughout the process like it runs like a well-oiled machine on the outside—and it. We contact students when we’re missing a piece of the application and once we need additional information such as for instance mid-year grades. We consult with the academic departments throughout USC and consider their views on candidates and pay attention to their recommendations. First and foremost, we rely using one another to help us see applicants in a way that is different detect something we didn’t initially see. It is a process that is incredibly collaborative it takes time.This is a difficult process for our office, as well at the end of the day. There are many qualified applicants that we do not have room for each year. It’s never simple making these tough decisions, but I find comfort realizing that our applicants need many amazing college options the following year irrespective.I think We speak on behalf of our entire office when I say we are pretty excited to finally manage to shout out to the world, here is the amazing USC Class of 2017! And in only a couple weeks that are short we—and many of you—will be able to do just that.Grades, Guidance, and Goliath: Confessions of the Director DadThe post below is from our very Director that is own of, Kirk Brennan. He shares with us the struggles to be a moms and dad of the college that is prospective as well as having a leadership role in degree. Understandably, juggling these two roles is very delicate. Thank you, Kirk, for sharing your understanding of what our parents undergo in this time that is stressful!  This coming Monday will mark the eighteenth anniversary associated with time my wife (who you may remember) delivered our first child. Though I have worked in admission for 22 years, this particular 12 months — the main one by which that child is deciding on college — feels as though my very first day face to face. Just what a strange way to see my work: through the eyes, and through the house of a prospective student.I had numerous disillusioning observations this year. I saw that tours of completely different schools seem the same, that college marketing materials look alike and even say the very same things, and what sort of few marketing companies vendors appear to drive this technique for most schools. I saw that a deal that is great of pupil’s impression of my university is not controllable, and I was specially disheartened when my own student, after experiencing proud to get a mass-mailer from a college, quit reading some of them only days later, and even felt anger as she sifted through them. At USC as well as in the admission profession in general, we work hard to be helpful, many full days I’m unsure how much we’re helping ( and I welcome your suggestions at admdir@usc.edu). What strikes me more than such a thing could be the psychological roller coaster of the senior year. I had been saddened to look at mundane events of life magnified to be critical pieces of a puzzle that cause college; a grade in the tiniest test prompts a crisis, or an option to relax one afternoon is seen as a possible deal breaker for university admission, therefore career, then life time pleasure. Then there’s record; therefore colleges that are many consider, will she love these schools, did she miss an improved fit, and may she also get in at all? Then filling in the applications, especially the anxiety behind responding to the smallest amount of important concerns on the application form (we discussed ‘What’s my therapist’s job 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 coming out the grand finale of this trip — one day she gets in and feels great excitement for her future, another she is rejected and feels useless, as if judged harshly by strangers. Learning and growing can be hard, and many turns in life will be unpredictable, but clearly I can’t be the only real one ready with this ride to end. Through the ground i’ve watched this roller coaster often times, and such trips tend to result in the in an identical way — with our children enrolling in a college they love. Yet we riders nevertheless scream, also feel terror that is real down the hill as if the safety pubs will not help; normal reactions, if utterly irrational. We nevertheless love rollercoasters (Goliath is my personal favorite), and I also think I shall enjoy this ride. I’ve grown closer to my daughter, so 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 question of how additional dishes we’ll share together. You will find many hugs, tears, pats on the back, and scoops of ice cream to soothe the pain sensation, yet great hope for the future. 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 about it.