Chance Me for the University of Southern California (Viterbi School of Engineering)

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
1

I’m currently a Junior in one of the specialized High Schools in New York City.

Currently my GPA is around a 89% (Sorry, my school doesn’t use a 4.0 GPA system)

  • My Freshman and Sophomore years averaged around a 86%. However, during this junior year my average has always been above a 95%.
  • I took the ACT once and got a 31, I’m going to be taking another one soon. Hoping for a 35.

EC’s:

  • I have been the class president since Freshman year (2014 - Present)
  • I am on my Schools Leadership Board with the Principal only two students get chosen to represent the school and I am one of them (2016 - 2017)
  • I interned over the summer of my Sophomore year at the NY District Attorney’s Office (Summer 2016)
  • I have founded the Computer Programming Club at my school (2014 - Present)
  • I am a designer and writer for my school’s Math, Science, and Engineering Magazine (2014 - Present)

Classes:

  • I am in a Specialized High School so all of my classes are Honors Level
  • So far I have taken AP World History, and currently taking AP Literature
  • In my Senior Year I am planning to take AP Calc AB, AP German, AP Computer Science, and AP Physics
2

Anyone gonna reply?

3

Try to bump up the ACT - if you can get it into the 33 range that is better and the 34 range is a whole lot better. Also, even though it is optional it is good if you can take subject tests - Math 2 and Physics. Not required but it could be the differentiation you need. Your ECs look good, but honestly, every serious applicant has some great ECs, so make sure your scores are as good as they can be.

Remember, Math 2 doesn’t go into Calculus (you will actually have to review backwards) so you could schedule that early in the fall (review over summer - yuck, but welcome to college app season!) when you have less going on and scores could be used for application. You really need the Math 2 score because many kids take AP Calc BC as juniors then Multivariable Calc as seniors, and you are competing with them. So the Math 2 could help balance that issue a bit. Physics and Chem are brutal subject tests, but if you can add one with a decent score, it could help - not mandatory - again just could give your app a little nudge. Good Luck!

4

I think you have a good chance, and I would second the post above and say that you will be more competitive with a higher ACT/SAT score and a couple of SAT subject tests.

5

Does anyone else have any advice for me?