3.68 UW GPA .
Honors: U.S. History, Chemistry
AP: World History (3), European History (5), Biology (3), Microeconomics (3), US Government and Politics (5)
Next year I plan to take AP Physics, AP French, and AP English
I’ve taken the ACT twice and have a score 30, if superscored I have a 31
I started high school with a 3.2, and I’ve gotten 3.7 and 3.8’s since. I’m going to be a senior in the fall, I’m also poor, if that makes any difference. I’m also a dual citizen, and almost fluent in french
EC:
One year of high school soccer
Member of the French Honors Society and National Honors Society
I was elected into student government
I was the manager of the boys varsity soccer team
I’ve held the same part time job for two years
If I applied would I have a decent chance of getting in or is it still too low to be feasible?
@WWWard Thanks for the interesting article, it was a good read, but I was really hoping for an opinion on whether USC is a feasible option for me if I apply ED. What do you think?
USC does not have an ED or EA offering. They have a Dec 1st deadline for merit scholarship consideration, which could lead to being offered a merit scholarship (and thus knowing that you are admitted earlier than the vast majority who do not hear until March)… but USC has no traditional way to apply for early admission. But merit scholarship recipients usually have unweighted GPAs above 3.9 and test scores at the 98th percentile or higher. Your current GPA and Stats seem a little low (when evaluated in a vacuum) or could be perceived as borderline – unless you find a way to bring them up a bit or offset them with strong essays/written responses and/or ECs that show true passion and/or leadership/managerial or other success. USC does value demonstrated interest when conveyed appropriately and strongly considers answers to the implied “Why USC?” question. I.E. - I advise that you really research USC overall and also the specific program of study being sought, including the USC resources that may be unique to your goals or only available through USC.
USC wants to create a well-rounded freshman class comprised of people who can make the most of what USC has to offer and also who may be bringing something unique to USC themselves. Think of it as a two way street… Why USC? in terms of your own future… and also - Why should USC want you specifically? If you are able to convey such via your written responses and/or EC descriptions, you may be able to sway admissions.
With 50K+ applications yearly, USC is now in a position where they routinely turn down 90% of legacy applicants, and they even rejected 3K applicants with test scores in the 99th percentile. Those rejected likely failed to sway admissions via their written responses or may have relied too heavily on their stats/grades alone. On the positive side, that means that it is not all about grades and stats. But if they are going to be flexible and admit applicants with lower grades or stats, there will likely need to be a compelling reason to do so or something interesting about your background or projected role within the USC community. So… in your case, it could rely on how you frame those answers.