Admission Advice Please

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
1

<p>I recently applied to USC, and was wondering if it would be worth anything to retake the SAT at this point. The scores likely wouldn't reach USC in time to affect their decision, but I was wondering if higher SAT scores, along with other new accomplishments, would be grounds for an appeal should I be rejected. I would have retaken the test sooner, but I am extremely poor, and the test fee was too much, and I had a fee waiver the first time.
My score was a 2040: 610 math, 670 writing, and 760 reading. </p>

<p>I have a few questions about my circumstances, and how they affect my admission chances. I am aware that nobody knows if I will be accepted or denied, I just want to know what things are a factor and what aren't.
As, I've mentioned before, my family is well below the poverty line, and I go to a small school in Arizona. The area I live in is the 5th poorest in the country. I am a white male. I have taken many dual enrollment classes for over 30 credits, and have a 4.0 college GPA. My high school GPA is 3.9, and I'm first in my class of 61. I have decent EC's(Varsity basketball captain, science club, NHS), but I didn't list any community or volunteer work. I also have a part time job. I would be the first in my family to go to college. My numbers aren't great, so do I have any hook that would help my chances?</p>

<p>Thanks and sorry for the long post.</p>

2

<p>If it’s any consolation - There are gifted students who got into USC with scores lower than the average, and some with scores higher than the average who were turned down. I suspect that like many colleges, USC looks at all of the data on your application, not just the scores, to determine “fit” for the campus. And they state that on their own website.</p>

<p>However - having said that - also know that the school gets 43,000 applications. That’s a daunting hurdle even if you had straight A’s and perfect scores. There just isn’t enough space for everyone.</p>

<p>The best you can do is be yourself, talk about the things that give you passion - give glimpses in your essays of things that will demonstrate how you’d be an asset on campus (hints, i.e. don’t say “hi, i would be an asset because…”)</p>

<p>Weak numbers won’t disqualify you if everything else is stellar. The numbers posted on their admissions pages are averages (some numbers are higher, some students are lower). Just hope for the best and have a back-up plan since USC rejects most applicants anyway.</p>