Chance me for USC RD 2024

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
1

I am an Indian male from NJ. I attend a competitive magnet school that typically sends students to ivys, t10s, etc.

My school offers no AP courses, rather supplements them with its dual-enrollment classes
(I take them at a local community college).

GPA: 4.0 UW (No weighted)

Tests: 34 ACT (35 - E, 35 - M, 33 - R, 33 - S); 35 SS (35, 35, 35, 34)
I have an ACT which is a 34, with 35, 35, 34, but a 31 on math. Would it make sense for me to send this one as I got an 800 on math 2? (I know that an 800 on math 2 is not really amazing) or would it still be beneficial to send the “highest composite score”

SAT II’s: 800 Math 2; 770 Bio M

Awards/Honors: Nothing exceptional unfortunately.

EC’s:

Internship at a Hospital in India - shadowed dean, surgeons, and wrote a report on my experience (presented to the board of the hospital)

WISE Summer Program/Research - an application required program where I took lecture courses with a Rutgers professor, and then engaged in research regarding the genomic sequence and proteins of duckweed

Varsity Tennis Captain - First doubles; reached the state tournament; beat undefeated number 9 seed

President and founder of a non-profit organization - fundraiser, drives, etc. to help local community

Founder and VP of Debate Team - 30+ meetings, and taught 20+ members regarding debate styles and techniques

Science Bowl Starter - advanced to the 7th round of the Princeton Plasma Physics Bowl; specialized in molecular biology

Varsity basketball - second string shooting guard

Investing - invest in the stock market. Currently I have 22% returns in the market.

LoR’s - I do not really know about them, but they should be good as my teachers very much enjoyed my presence, and I talked to them a lot.

Essays - Common App is good and unique, but I cannot rate w/o bias.
USC essays appear to be great, yet that is the feedback of one person, who once again, may have bias.

Thank you so much for all the help!

2

In terms of getting “Chanced” for USC, it is virtually impossible for others to predict what may or may not occur in your specific case. With an admit rate now below 12% and falling, and with 4K+ applicants with 4.0 unweighted GPAs and test scores in the 99th percentile among those not gaining admission, your success will instead likely depend on too many potential factors for anyone to correctly evaluate… making predicting admission nearly impossible. But this also shows that they admit many without perfect grades or test scores. They are after all seeking to craft a well-rounded and diverse freshman class comprised of those who actually have a strong affinity for or connection to USC. They do aim to admit those who they project will thrive well at USC and bring something unique to the campus environment.

So your individual admission decision will likely come down to a composite and holistic analysis of your stats coupled with writing ability / essays, ECs, potential leadership roles, potential other unique qualifiers (URM, First Gen, geography, demographics, etc.), your Why USC? explanation/reasoning, etc. And that “Why USC?” explanation is likely the most important single component of your application. You do need to provide a well-thought out and well-researched answer as to why attending USC is truly significant and important to you specifically. And moreover, USC does want to gain a sense as to what you will be uniquely contributing to the greater USC community if admitted.

I suggest reading through the very helpful insider’s guide to USC admissions…

https://tfm.usc.edu/a-guide-to-uscs-college-admissions-process/

Good Luck…