Am I competitive for the USC Resident Honors Program?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
1

<p>I am a junior in high school, and I received information about the Resident Honors Program, and I became hooked. I don't know why they chose me, my sophomore PSAT was not particularly impressive, only a 204 with no preparation. I did have a 73 (99th percentile for sophomores) in critical reading, however, so maybe this was attractive. I am very intrigued about this program and I would love to attend college early. I am worried about my chances, however. I go to a large public school in suburban New Jersey, and these are my stats:</p>

<p>Unweighted GPA: 3.96
Weighted GPA: 4.60
Class rank: Definitely top 5%, probably top 3%</p>

<p>Freshman course load:
-Biology Honors
-Algebra 2 Advanced Honors
-English I Honors
-World History Honors
-Italian I</p>

<p>Sophomore course load:
-AP US History I
-AP Statistics (5 on exam)
-Precalculus Advanced Honors
-Physics Advanced Honors
-Italian II Honors
-English II Honors</p>

<p>Junior year (this year):
-AP Calculus BC
-AP Chemistry
-AP US History II
-Italian III Honors
-American Literature Honors</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
-Italian Culture Club- 3 years, Vice President
-Math Club- 2 years
-Summer@Brown camp- Ancient Egyptian Religion
-Ice Hockey, stopped after freshman year
-Summered at my uncle's bison ranch doing work</p>

<p>*I have not taken the SAT yet, I am hoping to get over a 2100 with preparation, possibly a 2200. This is based on my PSAT for which I did not prepare.</p>

<p>I am really anxious. Do I stand a shot at getting accepted?</p>

2

<p>Sorry, but bump.</p>

3

<p>Hey,</p>

<p>I’m also applying to RHP this year. I’m from CA and I go to a competitive, pressure-filled public high school famous for stress. My sophomore year PSAT was in 99th percentile of both sophomores and overall, but I haven’t been able to take many AP/ honors classes because doubling in subject areas is not allowed at school. I’m club VP for the second year this year and involved in a myriad of other things (not sure if I can list them all). GPA is 3.9 something unweighted, higher weighted. This process is actually rather exciting, but I’m nervous. Compared to previous applicants, I’m not sure how I stand.</p>

<p>I hope both of us will see each other at USC in a year’s time.</p>

4

<p>Hi andrew & shiela,</p>

<p>You may want to do a CC search on RHP from previous admissions cycles to get a feel for who gets admitted. You can also look at the admitted students threads from the past few years to get more data.</p>

<p>Best of luck! You seem to be excellent students.</p>

5

<p>My D went to campus and met with Penny VonHelmot, the coordinator of RHP and a professor in the dept where she wanted to major. It was a very helpful visit in terms of processing the option of leaving one year early and figuring out exactly what the program was all about. Her visit went very well and motivated her in that direction. She took a SAT study program to ace the SATs and that helped. She got into her desired major, took Thematic Option, had two summer internships and really enjoyed the start that RHP gave her at USC. She is a 2011 grad.</p>

6

<p>I’m currently an RHP student (Class of 2015), and I’m loving the USC experience! Your stats/extracurriculars look very good (as with many of the applicants), so a major factor in your acceptance will be your recommendation letters and essays. Take a look at the RHP application and the USC undergraduate applications if you haven’t yet. </p>

<p>Good luck on your SATs! (Don’t forget that you can take the ACTs too; in my experience, some people end up preferring one over the other, so take a look). </p>

<p>RHP wants students who are excited and ambitious enough to pursue college at a younger age. If you are really interested in the program, by all means go for it. There really is no harm in applying, and honestly, you have a very good chance of getting accepted. Good luck, and message me if you have any questions!</p>

7

<p>I’m sort of just tagging onto this thread… but I applied last November with this curriculum vitae:</p>

<p>Education
St. Charles Preparatory School (2009 – 2010)
Cross Country (1 year)
In the Know (1 year)
Jazz Band (1 year)
Student Council (1 year)
Track and Field (1 year)
Pickerington High School North (2010 – Present)
Cross Country (1 year)
In the Know (1 year)
Junior States of America (2 years)
Ohio Model United Nations (2 years)
Sunny-Side Up <a href=“2%20years”>School Leadership</a>
Track and Field (1 year)
Superintendent Advisory Committee (1 year)
Chemistry Club (1 year)
German Club (1 year)
Team Physics (1 year)
Theatre (1 year)</p>

<p>PSAT score 211/200
PLAN score 35 – 36
ACT score 32
SAT score 2150</p>

<p>Experience
Courtesy Clerk
Kroger
June 2011 - Present</p>

<p>Tutoring
Self-Employed
June 2011 - Present</p>

<p>Acting
CAM Talent
November 2010 – Present</p>

<p>Child Care
Self-Employed
July 2010 – Present</p>

<p>Food Service/Groundskeeper
Huntington Hills Recreation Club
June 2009 – August 2010</p>

<p>Farmhand (Volunteer)
Shepherd’s Corner Farm and Ecology Center
September 2009 – May 2010</p>

<p>Stockworker (Volunteer)
PCMA Food Pantry of Pickerington</p>

<p>Skills/Languages
Acting (2 year)
German (2 years)
Latin (1 year)
Scuba Diving (3 years)</p>

<p>Additional Information
Interests: Running, Guitar, Reading, Computer Studies, Learning, Writing, Diving
Groups and Associations: Church Leadership (2010 – Present), Rotary Club District 6690 (2011 – Present), Student Council (2008 – 2010), School Leadership (2011 – Present), Track & Field (2007 – Present), Cross Country (2008 – Present), OWjL Camp (2007 – 2008), American Red Cross (2011 - Present)
Honors and Awards: Distinguished Honor Roll (2005 – Present), OMUN World Problem Solver Runner-Up (2009), National Merit Scholar (2012), Renaissance Scholar (2012), Magna Cum Laude (2010), Best Speaker - JSA Winter Congress (2012)</p>

<p>Coursework (classes taken or currently enrolled in)
English
English 9 (A)
Honors English 10 (A)
AP English Literature & Composition (A)
Sciences
Physical Science (A–)
Introduction to Physics & Chemistry (A)
Biology A (A)
Honors Biology B (A)
AP Biology (A)
Honors Chemistry B (A)
AP Chemistry (A)
Honors Physics (A)
Mathematics
Honors Algebra (A)
Honors Geometry (B+)
Honors Algebra II (A)
Honors Pre-Calculus (A)
Social Sciences
World Studies (A)
U.S. History (A)
AP United States History (A – 5)
AP Macroeconomics/Microeconomics (A)
Foreign Languages
German I (A–)
German II (A)
Latin I (A)
Electives
Freshmen Religion (A)
Summer Gym (S)
Art I (A–)</p>

<p>So really I’m just wondering… It’s the beginning of March… Am I competitive enough??? And when should I hear from USC by???</p>