<p>So I'd really really appreciate it if you could give me some feedback on how much of a chance I stand for a substantial amount of USC scholarship money/acceptance. It's been my dream school for as long as I can remember, and any encouragement or realistic advice would be greatly appreciated:]</p>
<p>Stats:</p>
<p>Grades: 4.22 GPA W (4.5 sophomore year, 4.38 junior year)
SAT: 2100
National Merit Commended Scholar</p>
<p>EC's:
JV Tennis Team: 3 years, 2 years captain
Competitive Indian Dance: 5 years
Mock Trial- 2 years (Backup witness, witness)
Summer Corporate Internship wiht a Corporate Company- Paid
50+ hours every year with non profit domestic violence agency
South Asian Student Association Club President
Swim Coach at a local Swim Center- Paid</p>
<p>AP's taken:</p>
<p>Soph: World History</p>
<p>Junior: AP English Language, AP US</p>
<p>Senior: (signed up for these): AP English Lit, AP Stats, AP Gov</p>
<p>Writing skills are really strong, got admissions essay approved by teacher and recieved a 100% on essay from my AP English Teacher.</p>
<p>First off, what’s your unweighted GPA? That’s far more helpful than weighted GPA.</p>
<p>Although you’ve certainly got the stats to have a good shot at admission to USC, I doubt you’ll get a large sum of merit aid. A 2100 on the SAT is not too impressive when compared to the tip-top of the USC applicant pool (I’d say top 5-10% of the applicant pool), all of which have 2200s or higher. Plus, USC is not really known for merit aid, they most likely only give aid to the best of the best applicants. So, while you’re definitely a solid candidate for admission, you’re not going to get good merit aid unless your essays are out-of-this-world incredible.</p>
<p>thanks so much for your help. I’m also planning on taking the ACT to see if that helps.
If I score well on the ACT (I’m hoping 32+), would that better my chances?</p>
<p>That’s a good GPA. I’m comfortable saying that you WILL almost certainly be admitted to USC. That’s not a 100%, so don’t get too excited. But it’s very likely.</p>
<p>I was wondering if you knew how much weight the ACT would carry if I took it?</p>
<p>And also, do you have ANY tips for increasing my chances at a merit scholarship? I have to apply for merit because my family’s income is substantial.</p>
<p>If it helps at all, I did go to a private catholic high school, and do plan on playing varsity level tennis as a senior, with a good chance of getting the scholar-athlete award.</p>
<p>Many people do better on the ACT than the SAT. Definitely take it, you don’t have to send the score if it’s bad. Plus your SAT should be good enough already for admission, but I’d take it just in case.</p>
<p>The automatic merit aid at USC comes with NMS, and unfortuately does not include commended. After that they use their merit aid to attract other tipy top students, super talents and diversity.</p>
<p>So if you live in North Dakota and are Native American, good shot. If you’re from CA and Asian, it will be tough.</p>
To be considered for merit scholarships you must submit your application and all supporting materials by December 1st.
It is logical that higher test scores would make you a more attractive applicant, so yes.
USC accepts either the SAT or the ACT. One is not preferred over the other, and if you do better on one than the other they will consider the score that puts you in your best light. They recommend you submit two SAT subject tests with both the SAT or ACT.
If you look at the stats threads, most of those reporting admission the last week of January and the first few days of February were invited to interview for the Trustee or Presidential Scholarships (full and 1/2 tuition, respectively).</p>
Consider applying to Santa Clara as well. You are well-qualified and attended a Catholic high school - you might be awarded some merit aid at SCU.</p>
<p>Also go to the Financial Aid forum and look for momfromtexas’ classic thread about full-ride scholarships - they key is to look beyond the top-tier schools (like USC) if you need merit aid. USC’s average unweighted GPA for accepted students was 3.8 in 2009 (the 2010 freshman profile hasn’t been published yet, but is likely to be ~3.9), the middle 50% of SAT scores was 1990-2210, and the middle 50% of ACT scores was 30-33. As you can see, you fall into about the middle 50% of applicants (using your current SAT and projected ACT score of 32). USC typically invites about 900 students to the scholarship interviews, which amounts to about 2% to 3% of the over 35,000 applicants. <a href=“http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/private/0910/FreshmanProfile2009.pdf[/url]”>http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/private/0910/FreshmanProfile2009.pdf</a></p>
<p>You might try posting a thread on the financial aid forum. There is a mom there - mom2collegekids - who loves to help wonderfully qualified kids like you find schools that will give them lots of merit aid.</p>
<p>Wow guys thanks so much for your advice, the only way my parents are going to be able to afford a private school is through scholarship, so I’m trying to do as much as I can to increase my chances.</p>
<p>I did get my AP scores yesterday and recieved 5’s on both, giving me a grandtotal of all 5’s on the AP’s I’ve taken so far.</p>
<p>I might also be newspaper editor next year, and I do plan on playing varsity tennis with a good chance of receiving the scholar athlete award.</p>
<p>Please advise me on what I can do to increase my chances of recieving merit aid, USC is my DREAM. </p>
<p>I know I might sound desperate, but I am really your typically stressed junior :)</p>
<p>I have started studying for the ACT, so lets see how that goes.</p>
<p>Seriously though, you guys have been tremendously helpful, but the only thing I have to ask if WHAT CAN I DO TO INCREASE MY CHANCES of scholarship.</p>
<p>Also, do I have any chance of getting into UCLA/UT Austin?</p>
<p>Please advise, I appreciate each and every one of your responses greatly:)</p>
<p>Without a hook, your best bet would be to increase your SAT to 2250+ or your ACT to 34+ and have two or more SAT subject tests over 700 to be in the pile considered for one of the two top scholarships (this is with the 3.9+ UNweighted GPA). Even then, many students with those qualifications were *not invited to interview *for those scholarships, and being invited does not guarantee a scholarship. As it stands right now, your profile would not put you among the students being considered for merit scholarships at USC.</p>
<p>Again, your *current *qualifications would qualify you for merit aid at other schools. How much per year are your parents willing to pay for college? USC cost of attendance for this year is $55,500. If you raise those tests scores to 2400 and 36 are awarded one of the most prestigious scholarships - the Presidential 1/2 tuition - that would still leave over $35,000 for your parents to cover. Can they manage that? **A UC would be less expensive **even if you won the Presidential at USC.</p>
<p>Try to find a list of 6 to 8 schools that you love (including USC), and be sure at least two are schools you know you can afford. Don’t let the concept of a “dream school” keep you from making sure you have options if USC is unaffordable.</p>
<p>To help put things in perspective for you, here is the profile of a great kid accepted to USC this year. He applied by the scholarship deadline and was accepted in the “scholarship round” in late January. He was not invited to interview for the Trustee or Presidential, but was awarded the third-most-prestigious scholarship: the 1/4 tuition Dean’s. USC’s tuition is $40,000/year, so the scholarship is worth $10,000. As I mentioned, USC’s cost of attendance is $55,500, so his parents would have had to cover $45,500, even after he won one of the top scholarships. (See post #8, 2010 stats thread linked on page one of this thread)
As you can see, his profile is much like yours, except he has the higher test scores and 4.0 UNweighted GPA that put him in the pile considered for merit aid. He chose to attend elsewhere as the cost was too high even with the scholarship.</p>
<p>i can’t thank you enough for your help. UCLA/UT Austin are also other schools at the top of my list? Do you have any recommendations for those? UCLA would be amazing as well, but as a big numbers school i’m afraid I don’t have the stats to get in. </p>
<p>I took Math II SAT: 640- horrible, but im getting tutored now, and plan to increase my score by taking them in Oct.</p>
<p>US History I got a 670.</p>
<p>I plan on taking Lit in OCt as well, as I will be in a an AP english Lit class simultaneously.</p>
<p>You are well-qualified for admission to UCLA (the transcript is #1 there, and your test scores are above their average). USD, UCSB and UCI would be good choices that would be near-safeties for you. And if you are accepted to UCLA, that would be $25,000/year less than USC - like a GIANT merit scholarship for a school that most consider to be equal to (or even a bit better than) USC.</p>
<p>I don’t know anything about the Texas schools - sorry!</p>
<p>Im so sorry to consistently bother you, but do know that I truly appreciate your help :)</p>
<p>So basically, at this point, if I can raise my SAT II scores and perhaps score well on the ACT, UCLA would be a better hypothetical option for me in comparison to USC?</p>
<p>UCLA also has an economics/area studies major which I feel is comparable to my dream major at USC which would be International Relations and Global Business.</p>