<p>Hi!
I'm in the graduating class of 2014 and USC is my top school and UCLA is my #2 so I was wondering if any of you could estimate my chances? I realize that both are probably stretches but I have to at least try! </p>
<p>Asian Female
UW GPA: 3.6
ACT: 32
IB Diploma Candidate, taking 6 IB Classes, taking 6 more Senior Year
Junior Year: IB: Psych, Chem, English, History, MM2 (calculus), Business SL
Senior year, I plan to take: IB: Physics, English, TOK (required), MM3, Business HL, IB Spanish SL</p>
<p>ECs:
over 200 volunteer hours
Math Club
NHS
Deca
Finance Club
Key Club
JSA
YMCA Youth Leadership Board
Tennis (2 years)</p>
<p>Leadership:
Fundraising Chair for Key Club (2 years)
YMCA Youth Leadership Board Treasurer (1 year-present)
Publicity Chair for Local Relay for Life (1 year -present)</p>
<p>I also have a job at Kumon. </p>
<p>I realize that I have a pretty low GPA/ACT but I plan on taking the ACT again as well as taking courses over the summer to boost my GPA! </p>
<p>Please be brutally honest, THANK YOU :)</p>
<p>Tennis 2 years? Why not continue?</p>
<p>Due to scheduling conflicts! I played tennis freshman/sophomore year (Only JV-but the highest JV team) and had to discontinue this year.</p>
<p>Are you a Cali resident. I just read a post where UCLA takes 60% from instate. If so that has to be a big plus for you. Also I think your ACT is fine. (My opinion) 95%+</p>
<p>No, I’m from Washington! And thank you!</p>
<p>Very low chance at USC unless you bring up both the GPA and test scores. Sorry.</p>
<p>221 Views guys! Anybody? Bump!</p>
<p>Her/His ACT is a freakin 32. lol How in the world is that “low”??? Do you know what I would do/give to have that score?? I mean I know she/he has a low GPA, but test score? IMO she/he have a higher than fair chance at USC and UCLA given she/he have good essays and a decent GPA. :)</p>
<p>Her ACT is certainly not low, but for USC, who prefers the SAT, it is. They typically want SATs above 2200, so she’d need to offset it with a 33. However, more importantly, USC, at least in our area of CA, has not taken ANYONE with under a 4.0 unweighted in years. This includes many alumni children. They also look for extreme involvement in very advanced ECs. Not a lot of ECs but true commitment to them over the long term. Research, dedicated Volunteerism and Academic ECs such as decathlon or debate seem to rule. They want ASB presidents who rose from class offices; not class rep for a year. You have time to accomplish all of this. Get involved and stay involved; challenge yourself academically and personally. Fight on!</p>
<p>Did you get into UCLA?</p>
<p>I’m a junior right now so I’m applying next year!</p>
<p>Here are some factoids to help you with this:
USC got 46,104 applicants last year - 9,187 were admitted and about 1/3 of those committed to the university. Therefore, acceptance rate is roughly 20%.
mean GPA for admitted students = 3.8 unweighted.
Lower 25% Quartile ACT score: 30
Upper 25% Quartile ACT score: 33
Because it is a private university, I think whether you come from private/public/in-state/out-of-state high school is irrelevant.</p>
<p>With a 3.6 and a 32 ACT, I think you stand decently. The GPA could use a bump, but the ACT score will work well for you. As for your schedule, i don’t know how many AP/Honors/IB classes you have.
Your extra curriculars are well rounded - athletic, volunteer, and academic based clubs.
I would say because you are a minority, it would help you. But i do not believe USC takes that into account.</p>
<p>I think you’ll get in. Possibility that you won’t - but I think you will.</p>
<p>I have a 31 ACT, 3.9 GPA, and I’m from Ohio - so good luck, I know how it feels to be anxious and worrisome!</p>
<p>We do not have official numbers at this time, but the NYTimes reported SC had 47,800 applicants for the class entering in 2013. We heard about 19% will be admitted. I expect the SAT scores to rise slightly. </p>
<p>The freshmen profile will be posted in September. So official numbers will be available then. Sometimes the admissions office releases some information earlier.</p>
<p>@alamemom You are referring to published stats and are therefore correct. I am referring to real life examples (and actual stats from our HS) only, which taken as a whole, only indicate a trend. Our high school is a top USC feeder (30-55 kids a year) and publishes some of our own acceptance data. In addition, I do know admissions reps there personally thus the SAT comment. I’m not sure anyone realizes just how hard it is to get into USC these days. So please take my data with a small grain of salt, but know that it’s a statistically relevant group.</p>
<p>Osserpusser, it is a not statistically relevant to base your conclusions about a school with 47,0000 applications on the experiences of 30-55 kids a year. Your sample represents less than 0.08% of all applicants. Thank you for clarifying that your statements were made only on personal, anecdotal information.</p>
<p>USC has no preference for the SAT over the ACT. If a USC admissions representative has told you that there is a preference for the SAT, please let us know the name of that representative. I would like to speak to him/her as they are directly contradicting USC’s official position and providing misleading information. In addition, you will find on the STATS thread many, many examples of applicants submitting only the ACT and not only receiving admission, but some of USC highest scholarships. </p>
<p>To state that your personal anecdote provides more accurate information that the published admission statistics does not make sense.</p>
<p>I recall that you posted as an applicant to USC in 2011, but your current posts on the financial aid forum indicate you are posting as a parent. Can you clarify?</p>
<p>For anyone who has specific admissions date FOR THEIR OWN SCHOOL, it is a very good indicator of how USC admits from your own pool—but only for your own school’s students. There is always an element of USC evaluating the rigor and grade inflation/deflation from HSs they know, and they know most CA high schools. So if you find, for example, that only students with 4.0 gpa FROM YOUR SCHOOL have been admitted, it might suggest (looking at the stats for all admitted students published by USC) that they consider this a sending school with grade inflation. Based on recent admitted USC student average ( 3.8) they clearly take many more students with lower gpas.</p>
<p>When we give advice here on cc, we need to help everyone get a true picture, if possible, of their chances. I’d hate a strong student to be discouraged and maybe take a school off their list based on data that isn’t relevant to their own case.</p>
<p>@alememom @alememom Sure, no problem. This account was started by S1 and I when he was in high school. After reading the T&C’s, and realizing we were looking for different info here, he started his own account. I am a parent. </p>
<p>Perhaps I spoke out of frustration from my own little world, but our entire area has the same experience with USC, not just one high school. We have over 12 high schools both public and private in our immediate area, and ANECDOTALLY, only the 4.0’s UW plus and approx. SATs at 2100-2200+ get in. Some of these are nationally ranked high schools. Thus my perhaps overarching comment to the OP. </p>
<p>Have you identified local schools that practice grade inflation and are therefore not accepting as many students from them? If so, I would certainly like to know about this as the parent of a hopeful Trojan.</p>
<p>I am just skeptical that USC keeps claiming on CC and in college fairs that “average” kids can get in but we never see evidence of it from our area. I suppose in a few more days, we will find out again. Thank you for providing the overall statistics, and good luck to the OP.</p>
<p>People are being really harsh on here, which is good because you should always be looking for ways to improve yourself. HOWEVER, I think that you have a good chance of getting into USC. Sure, your GPA is teeeensy tiny bit on the lower side, but your ACT is great, as are your E.Cs.</p>
<p>But I am curious to know what your intended major is? I think that you are great and you have a very diverse range of interests. However, I think that you should focus your senior year on E.C.s that are career-oriented. If you can demonstrate that you have a passion for what you will be majoring in, it will look really really good. </p>
<p>For example, my scores aren’t anything to brag about, but my experience with the school tv news network, newspaper, club PR, etc. definitely shows my passion for journalism (and obvi made it easier to let me into USC’s journalism school). So, while it’s good to be well-rounded, it is (in my personal opinion) even better to show that you’re passionate about the field in which you’re interested!</p>