<p>Hello, everyone! :) I just wanted to know if I have a chance of being accepted into USC. Here are my stats:</p>
<p>GPA: (first semester of Junior year) 3.5 UW, 4.0 W / (second semester of Junior year) 3.8 UW, 4.3 W
My GPA for Freshman and Sophomore year were about the same. They never fell below 3.5 UW. For both semesters in Sophomore year, I had a 4.17 W GPA. I took 3 AP courses in Junior year and 1 in Sophomore year (along with an Honors course).
SAT composite score: 2030 (670 M and CR, 690 W)
ACT: n/a (will take in September, probably)
AP World History score: 4
AP English Lang. score: 3
Ethnicity: Korean
Location: So. Cal
ECs: was/am involved in various clubs such as Korean Culture club, French club, JSA, and Future Teachers. I was on the swim team in sophomore year. I barely have any volunteer hours (about 17), so I'm going to spend the summer working at a nursing home. Also, in order to become a leader, I think I'll join Red Cross and try to lead a fundraiser. </p>
<p>I think my weakness is ECs. I also need to have a high ACT score.</p>
<p>I'm really nervous about my chances because of my lack of leadership and because my application doesn't really stand out. Does anyone have any advice</p>
<p>I won't tell you if you will get in, but I can offer some advice. Only do things you really love. USC is really looking for people who are passionate about things to admit. Your essays will be effective if they show who you are. Don't just do an activity to check off a box. Spend some time on your essays, and make them really represent your personality.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot for the advice! :D I think I know what I can do to volunteer now. I hated my volunteer job yesterday; I worked at a thrift store for 3 hours, and I felt no passion for it. I'm really passionate about languages, and I think teaching is pretty rewarding, so I may volunteer by teaching people how to communicate in certain languages. Once again, thanks for the feedback!</p>
<p>I think Nikara gave you great advice. Also, I suggest that you really study out the USC catalogue of majors/programs and see if there is a genuine match of program with your passion in teaching languages.</p>
<p>I think that your idea is great. Definitely look into that. If you end up loving it, you can write about it for your EC essay! Everything else looks on point. Good Luck! :)</p>
<p>I also suggest that you follow your heart in with your EC's. You may want to look into the program USC has where current students go to local schools and work with them. That will give you an idea of what type of volunteering they endorse for their students so perhaps you can model your own volunteer work on their program. I don't remember what it is called, but they talked about it at orientation so I am sure you can find out some info on the website. Your stats are in line for acceptance, but I do not think USC is all about the stats. They seem to really pick each individual based on the entire picture, not just a number here or there. Good luck.</p>
<p>One thing to think about: I don't know if things have changed dramatically over the years, but when I lived in LA and interviewed at LA City Schools, you really need to be fluent in Spanish to work for the public schools. Happy Panda mentions interest in Korean and French languages. Unless Happy Panda only wants to teach in private schools, or is fortunate enough to find a position teaching Korean/French in the public schools, I don't know how easy it will be without solid background in Spanish for volunteering/interning in public schools near USC. This is why I suggest looking at the programs USC offers and see if there is a real match of interests.</p>
<p>You don't have to speak Spanish, even at public schools. It can be useful, but it isn't necessary. All of the kids have to speak at least a bit of English. The major programs that were referred to later are JEP (joint educational project) and Troy Camp. Here are some links:</p>
<p>Don't you really need to know Spanish to end up working in the S. California public schools? There is a huge Hispanic population who speak Spanish in L.A.</p>
<p>No you don't have to know Spanish, although there are Spanish-speaking options in TIRP (Teaching International Relations Program)...not sure about JEP. Most students can speak English to some degree, though some will be more comfortable with speaking their native tongue. I've gotten by in TIRP for a year without knowing any Spanish. The regular teacher sometimes translates if there are communication problems with a couple of students.</p>
<p>Though it's always nice to know some Spanish. I teach at 32nd (right across school), and they are always suprised to know that most of us can understand Spanish....it helps keep the gossiping to a minimum.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the feedback, everyone. I'm sorry I forgot to mention this before, but my school measures students' GPA on a 4.0 scale. Also, my intended major is Pharmacy, and I'm really interested in the TAP program. I want to become a Pharmacist because I feel that I can have a stable income if I become one. But I have no problem with having a language as my minor, if that is acceptable under the TAP program. I'm really passionate about languages, but it's more of a hobby to me; I can't really see it as a profession.</p>
<p>By the way, I plan simply to teach my friends and my family how to communicate in specific languages. It's volunteer work that I enjoy; I don't look at the clock constantly and yearn for the clock to signal the end of the day.</p>
<p>So if I volunteered like this for about 100 hours this summer and wrote a phenomenal application essay that truly reflects my passion for languages, could I become accepted into USC? Thank you so much for your advice. :)</p>
<p>Forgive me Happy Panda, but I don't understand the connection between your interest in Pharmacy with your extra curriculars (future teachers, etc.). How are you going to convey your interest in Pharmacy with the rest of your activities?</p>
<p>Haha, it's no problem asking about it. I don't understand it either. I think I see teaching as more of a hobby; to put it simply, I think I'm interested in pharmacy for the money. It's not something that I hate to do, though. But at the same time, I'm not that passionate about it. I don't know how to connect my interest in pharmacy with my interest in languages. I guess a remote connection could be that I like helping people. :) Even though teaching people and prescribing medicine are completely different, they are both fantastic ways for me to help people live better lives. I wouldn't mind having a language as a minor; I could use that for my essay.</p>
<p>My family has influenced me into planning on becoming a pharmacist. Although they agree that I should not do something I hate, they argue that I need a job with a stable income. I seriously want to attend USC because of its outstanding reputation and its convenient location. I'm just terrified that the lack of relevance between my extracurricular activities and my intended major will hurt me; I strongly hope it won't.</p>
<p>Happy Panda-There are MANY different majors/programs which will lead to a good stable job with a good income (Pharmacy included). However, I think if you want Pharmacy, you might want to seriously think if you are strong in the sciences. I suggest that you check out some books at the library on careers. What other professions could you pursue? Also, there will be a huge demand for people working to service the elderly population. Look at the USC Gerentology web site, for example, and you will see a ton of jobs.
Physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, nursing, accounting, etc. etc. are all good fields and I am sure there are many others. I suggest you also really search out the USC web site and see if there is a particular program that excites you. I am not sure you really want to become a pharmacist.</p>
<p>It sounds like you are going to be a senior. If you really want Pharmacy, I suggest that you take some relevant science classes (Chemistry, Biology, Anatomy and Physiology--AP looks great if available plus Math). Also, see if you can do some volunteer work at your local hospital Pharmacy. Your profile suggests that you are more foreign language-teaching oriented.</p>
<p>Yeah, I am a rising Senior. I think I would be happy as a pharmacist; I think science is really interesting. I have taken Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, and I liked all of them. My favorite class was Biology, so I am going to take AP Biology as a Senior. :) </p>
<p>I'm really sorry for not mentioning this before, but I took Honors classes in all 3 years of my high school education so far, and I'm planning on taking 6 AP courses as a Senior. That is good for USC, right? </p>
<p>I like learning languages, but it really is more of a hobby to me than anything else. Pharmacy seems like a great career to me because I like science and because it seems like a great job. But I appreciate your comments on other jobs; I may look into other jobs for which there will be great demand. Thank you very much for your comments. :)</p>
<p>Sadly, I cannot volunteer at my local hospital pharmacy. For some reason, my local hospital pharmacy does not accept any volunteers.</p>
<p>Do I need to talk about my passion in my application essay? I read one of the USC prompts, and it asked me to describe someone or something that caused me to change direction. I could talk about my recent weight loss and how a certain person influenced me to lose my weight and live a healthier lifestyle. </p>
<p>Thank you, everyone, for all your feedback. I really hope I can be accepted to USC. I heard some really useful advice; I shouldn't be sycophantic in my essay, and I shouldn't try too hard. I hope the USC admission officers will like my essay and admit me. :)</p>
<p>I suggest you rethink taking 6 APs. My son was accepted into USC with 5 APs senior year. Also, look at the USC web site for AP credit and try to take APs which count for course credit. Is it possible to enter a science competition which has something Pharmacy related?</p>
<p>I'm not too sure if there is a science competition with something related to pharmacy. I haven't thought of that before, actually; thanks for mentioning that. :)</p>
<p>By the way, would being a moderator of a forum count as volunteer work? It might help because I've been helping out a forum since 2006 as a part-time moderator. I've learned about leadership and its importance through it, and I also gained more respect for the other moderators of the forum. It is definitely unusual for volunteer work, but I hope it counts.</p>
<p>I honestly don't know about the forum moderator and if that will help your application. I suggest you talk to your high school college counselor about your interest in getting into USC Pharmacy school and ask him/her how to plan your senior year to help you get in. Can you call the USC Pharmacy school admissions office and ask them for advice about what kind of profile they are looking for and what kinds of activities you should be doing to enhance your chances of acceptance?</p>