I’m a junior at a college prep Catholic high school in Atlanta, GA. USC is my first choice.
GPA: 3.57 UW
SAT: 2050 (Taking it again in March trying to get it to 2100)
ACT: 31
Courseload: 2 APs (AP US History and AP English) Junior year. 4 APs (English, Macroeconomics, European History, Comparative Gov) Senior year (6 APs, 2 honors courses)
African-American Female
Extracurriculars: Member of the Youth Advisory Board of a non-profit organization called 21st Century Leaders, in charge of being an ambassador and recruiting new members (sort of like a PR internship except its permanent),Social Media Coordinator and Event Planner for 21st Century Leaders (promote through mediums like Twitter and Instagram) Varsity Girls’ Golf member (2 years), Student Council (3 years); Lion Leader (Peer Advisor/Mentor) for Incoming Freshmen
Volunteer at MedShare, a medical supply sorting non-profit that ships to countries such as Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Vietnam
Awards: Winner of an online web challenge sponsored by Technology Association of Georgia for a website design strategy for the company Women in Technology and STEM fields
Fluent in Spanish and learning German
Intended Major/minor: International Relations & Anthropology
*****Also have a very strong USC connection with a family friend (with the USC administration)
Hi, I was just admitted into USC for the Class of 2019. I’m also a black female. You sound like a more than qualified candidate to be admitted. That being said, most people who apply are more than qualified. There just aren’t enough spaces. I didn’t have the best stats. From reading posts on CC, there were plenty of people who had much better stats and extracurriculars than I did, and were still rejected.
Stay on the same track. You already have the basic stats. Now you should really make your essay outstanding. I finished the first draft of my essay the January of 2014, when the deadline was in December 2014 (I know lame). I constantly revised all the way up until the end of November. I’m not saying that you have to start your essay now, but make sure you give it a lot of attention. Try to make your essay standout from every other candidate’s. Make it so that you think when the admission counselor/ officer (whatever) is done reading your essay, it’s not something forgotten in a pile. Write an essay that you think the admission officer will even be thinking about during their drive home. They probably won’t, but it gives you an idea of the effort, quality, topic, and hook your essay needs.
Also, pay attention to the supplements. When asked why do you want to go USC, seem genuinely interested in the school, and not just another college on your list. For example, I named specific courses and tracks I wanted to study. I also spoke about specific study broad programs and clubs that I wanted to take part in. I showed the admissions officer how and where I would fit into USC.
Of course, I’m not saying this will guarantee admittance, but I know it really made the difference for me, because my stats are not outstanding in comparison to everyone who applied. I hoped this helped some.
Good Luck!
@20Lourdes15 Thank you so much for the reply! This is really helpful.