Chances for USC and scholarship questions

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of South Carolina
1

I am currently a junior in high school from Michigan. (I’m a male)
My cumulative weighted GPA is a 4.083 (thru sophomore year)
Unweighted is a 4.0
This year I am taking:
AP Stats
AP Microeconomics
AP macroeconomics
Honors Precalc
Spanish 4
Advanced SciFi
Advanced Comp
Chemistry

Based on how the year is going so far, I am predicting that I could have one or two Bs in Precalc and Stats (more likely precalc) and these would be my first Bs in my high school career.

I took the ACT once and got a 26 (not what I was hoping for) and I’m taking it again on December 10-- hoping to get up to 30 eventually–any tips??? UPDATE: 28 in ACT second time (Math:28 Science:21 English:32 Reading:31 Writing:7) I know science is very poor, but I am hoping to improve it and get up to a 30-32 on the February ACT.

Extracurriculars:
Tennis all three years (varsity sophomore and junior year) planning on doing senior year

Golf all three years (varsity sophomore year and hopefully this year) and planning on doing senior year

Student Congress all three years (ran for a board position and lost, but I am the junior conference representative and chair of the school improvements committee)

Unified Sports (freshmen and sophomore year, not sure if I can this year— helped kids with disabilities play sports in this club)

Key Club all three years 20 hours of service each year

NHS junior year, and will do senior year

Worked at a camp over the summer as a counselor at a camp for kids with muscular dystrophy for a week

List of classes so far:
Freshmen year-- all As
Geophysical science
World History
Honors Geometry
English 9
Chamber winds band
spanish 2

Sophomore year-- all As or A-
Spanish 3
AP US history (5 on the AP exam, 740 on subject test)
health/personal fit
Honors Biology
Honors Alg 2 with trig
American literature

tested out of civics

I have been thinking about college a lot and I have come up with a list of schools I’m looking at
I am planning on majoring in business. (Moore School at USC)

Scholarship questions:
For the McKissick and Flinn Scholars Awards, how do they calculate the weighted GPA? It says recipients of these awards had a 4.51 GPA which I feel like is very, very high, so do they weight grades differently? Also, how many people usually get these scholarships? Since I am OOS, I am hoping that I could get one to help with costs.

Last question… Are student tickets to sporting events free for full-time students? Thanks!

2

You’ll get into USC.

Get that ACT up.

USC weights Honors and AP courses with 1 extra point. (If you got an A unweighted that’s a 4.0. If that A was in an Honors/AP course USC would count it as a 5.0)

Don’t know numbers on how many get them. Odds are you’ll get at least a decent scholarship with your GPA and a better test score.

Don’t know about sporting events.

3

Your grades are great and combined with a 28 ACT, you will have no trouble being admitted.

As far as merit, yes, they recalculate your GPA. You can contact Admissions to ask for specifics, but with the number of Honors and AP classes that you have with an UW 4.0, it won’t be your GPA that will hold you back from a specific award. Your ACT score is very good, but you probably will need at least a 30 to qualify for the Flinn and at least a 31 for the McKissick. Right now you are in good shape for a Woodrow, which is a nice discount if your score doesn’t improve by next fall–and of course you still have a couple of tries to raise that ACT a bit

Yes, tickets are free for students. You do have to earn something that I’ll call “loyalty points” by attending various on-campus events (including less attended sports), and then you submit a request for a ticket to football and basketball games. Students with the most points get their tickets first. My kid has never had trouble getting tickets, but she and her friends enjoy going to soccer games in the fall, so they build up their point totals that way,

4

You will have absolutely no problem being admitted. If you want in state tuition, you need to get a 30 on your ACT. Once you get that, you will be fine. Even now, you can still get a huge discount. Good luck!

5

Thanks! Do you go to USC? @amxn15

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If you want a solid chance at USC with scholarships, work on getting that ACT in the 33+ range. An ACT of 30 is within the 50th percentile range but for scholarships you want to be in the 75th percentile.
See Freshman profile:

http://admission.usc.edu/docs/USCFreshmanProfile.pdf

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@Gumbymom Sorry, I should have clarified that I am talking about the University of South Carolina, no Southern Cal.

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Nah, I’m actually a sophomore in high school. But my sister graduated already and she had a 29 on her ACT, and received a decent scholarship even though she didn’t go. She got the Woodrow Scholarship which doesn’t give you exactly in state tuition, but close to it. But looking at the USC general scholarships page (I’ll give you a link), If you get a 30 on your ACT, you’ll most likely get the Flinn Scholarship award, which is in state tuition. http://www.sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/financial_aid/scholarships/scholarships_for_nonresidents/index.php

Hope this helps! Good Luck!

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Sorry, my phone did not show that this thread is under the other USC. Sorry

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You may want to take the SAT as well, just to see if you do better on that test. Your Reading and math scores on the ACT are great, but science brings you down. There is no science on the SAT, so maybe that will be to your benefit. Just a thought.

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UPDATE: I know it is not a big difference, but I got a 29 on the February ACT. 35 English, 28 Math, 28 Reading, 26 Science.

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pbmcdoug, were you able to get scholarships? If so which ones? Thanks

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Update: I got a 33 on the April ACT. (34 E, 33 M, 34 S, 31 R).

14

That’s terrific! You should be a lock for the McKissick and likely will be under consideration for the Cooper. If you’re interested in the Honors College, start checking the website in August for the essay requirements.

15

@pbmcdoug I just want to say how great it is that you brought your ACT score up from 26 to 33-that’s fantastic! Did you take a prep course or self study?

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You have an incredible chance at USC, one of my close friends was admitted (with a good amount of money) with similar grades to yours (3 B’s on her transcript) and a 31 ACT w/ little ECs. A 33 ACT will definitely give you a leg up.

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@LuckyCharms913 thanks! I’m worried that my GPA is too low for honors. @Emsmom1 I self studied up to a 29 and the used an online prep course to get up to a 33.

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@pbmcdoug congrats! Mind sharing the online prep that delivered the great results??

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@my2caligirls Of course! It was called prepscholar.

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Do I have a chance at the honors college with such a low weighted GPA?