Fall 2013 USC DECISIONS STATS ONLY THREAD Congratulations!

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
102

<p>Decision: Accepted </p>

<p>Date applied: November 5th, 2013</p>

<p>Date decision postmarked/received: March 28th, 2013</p>

<p>Accepted at which school/major at USC: Annenburg School of Communication</p>

<p>Stats:
•SAT Total: 1760 CR:600 W: 620 M:540 (Superscored- 3 Times!)
• ACT: 23
• SAT Subject Tests: N/A
• GPA-UW/W: 3.94/5.1
• Rank: Top 1% (1/394)
•AP/IB classes: AP Human Geography, AP European History, AP Pyschology</p>

<p>Subjective:• Essays: I personally loved my essays and short answers, I had fun with it (i.e. the greatest invention was an eraser and my favorite fictional character is Mufasa from The Lion King)
• Teacher Recs: I didn’t see them, but I’m sure they were really good. One was from a teacher I knew for 5 years and another from a teacher who doubles as a Pharmacist. I don’t know if that made a difference or not.
• Counselor Rec: I believe it was good, lol. I gave her all the things to say.
• EC highlights: Co-founded my own poetry/book club through the YMCA of Pompano Beach. I had roles in many clubs (i.e NHS Treasurer, Big Brother Big Sister) and did a mass amount of community service. That’s really all I can think of.</p>

<p>Location/Person:• State or Country: Florida
• School Type: Public, magnet
• Ethnicity: African American
• Gender: Female</p>

<p>Other Factors, hook?: Probably Questbridge Finalist</p>

<p>General Comments, scholarship chances, status info, going to USC…?: No scholarship. USC is my number one choice, so I’ll probably be going there in the fall depending on my financial aid package.</p>

103

<p>**Decision: Accepted **</p>

<p>Date applied: Right before RD deadline, I think.</p>

<p>Date decision postmarked/received: Acceptance shown online.</p>

<p>Accepted at which school/major at USC: Roski School of Fine Arts (Concentration in Graphic Design)</p>

<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] SAT Total: 2180 M: 680, CR: 800, WR: 700
[</em>] ACT: N/A
[<em>] SAT Subject Tests: 750 US History, 690 Lit
[</em>] GPA-UW/W: 3.79/~4.2
[<em>] Rank: 25/480
[</em>]AP/IB classes: AP Euro (3) , AP Physics B (3), APUSH (5), AP Psych, AP Lit, AP Stats, AP Gov/Econ
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[<em>] Essays: Common App Essay was alright, imo. Nothing too spectacular.
[</em>] Teacher Recs: Not allowed to read, but I think my two teachers did a fabulous job.
[<em>] Counselor Rec: Hardly know her, so it was probably as generic as possible.
[</em>] EC highlights: Environmental Intern, Volunteer @ a small bookbinding studio.[/ul]
Location/Person:[ul]
[<em>] State or Country: CA
[</em>] School Type: Public
[<em>] Ethnicity: Asian
[</em>] Gender: Female[/ul]
Other Factors, hook?: First generation college student. I think my portfolio might have something to do with getting accepted Roski (w/concentration in Graphic Design), again (see UCLA thread).</p>

<p>General Comments, scholarship chances, status info, going to USC…?: Congratulations to everyone who got accepted into USC. I most likely won’t be going (read: will not) because I feel like I’m set on UCLA, but the acceptance is nice nevertheless.</p>

104

<p>Posted for my son</p>

<p>Decision: Rejected</p>

<p>Objective:[ul]
[<em>] SAT I 2300 Composite – 780M,780CR,740W -12 Essay
[</em>] SAT I superscore – Same as composite– Single seating Junior year
[<em>] SAT II (subject, score):800 Math II, 800 Physics
[</em>] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[<em>] Class Rank: 1/38
[</em>] AP (place score in parentheses): School does not offer AP courses. Took all the Honors and concurrent courses available and completed two technical pathways vs one. Took colleges courses at a local university in the summer to make up for lack of AP classes (4.0 GPA)
[<em>] Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): National Merit Finalist, Presidential Scholars Program, National Honor Society, 4.0 Honor Roll [/ul]
Subjective:[ul]
[</em>] Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): School does not offer ECs – all were at other in-district high schools - Debate team captain, Team debater of the year, FIRST Robotics team captain, Vex team captain. Strong machining skills – built a large 3D printer and converted my end mill to CNC along with numerous other independent machine building projects.<br>
[<em>] Job/Work Experience: Software Development Engineer for a respected financial services company – F/T Summer and P/T during school year. First & only high school student ever hired by this company.
[</em>] Volunteer/Community Service: Regular Blood Donor, Computers for Kids technician, glean fields for food bank, set up Kiva microloan program for National Honor Society chapter, Community clean-up and improvement projects, Robotics camps community outreach program.
[<em>] Additional Info/Rec: Well liked at school and work. All LORS were great and my principal wrote a separate LOR. The engineering manager from my work wrote a LOR to USC saying he would hire me full time right now (and he rehired me for next summer). [/ul]
Other[ul]
[</em>] School Type: Small Technical Charter - Public
[<em>] Ethnicity: White
[</em>] Gender: Male[/ul]<br>
**General Comments: ** Posting for the benefit of those who don’t get in. Hard to say what was missing. Accepted to MIT, UC Berkeley, Cornell, Purdue, UCLA, Harvey Mudd and several other excellent engineering schools. Not sure what USC was looking for but it was apparently not there. So if you have been rejected, realize that a match is not always in the cards. I suspect they are saying that it was just not a good fit (although it might have been better not to talk about how great the scores and grades of the admitted students were in the reject letter).</p>

105

<p>Decision: Rejected
Objective:
ACT: 35, 36SS: E:36 M:36 R:36 S:33 (one question off, 35 different sit)
SAT I (breakdown): 2120, didn’t submit
SAT II: none, school didn’t tell me they existed and I’m stupid for not realizing until too late
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.9 something
Rank (percentile if rank is
unavailable): 6/500 but 4 before midyear
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Euro (3), AP US History (4), AP Compski (not a spelling error, we call it that because it sounds cute 5), AP Lang (4), physics (3) psych (5)
Senior Year Course Load: calc bc, ap lit, apes, and AP Chinese
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Nada
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): I was involved in theatre both as an actor and techie. Directed my own shows, did ADing as well. NHS Officer but I don’t think I even included that. Link Crew Leader up until this semester (I needed to to switch into newspaper-- I figured I wanted to do this before high school ended and was left with no other choice), other stuff but I left most random stuff out-- theater is one of my passions, and I’d rather that shine through. Then comes Chinese, I took several outside classes at DePaul during summer and got As in them. Was in a million bands, have a vinyl collection still growing, etc.
Job/Work Experience: Work at this local donut shop about 20 hours a week. Wake earlier on weekends than weekdays, typically 4 am.
Volunteer/Community service: Though an atheist I did a lot through my church, but I mainly helped with stuff like theatre-- ie directing or tech for young uns’ shows. Will never forget warming up the munchkins on singing in Wizard of Oz! Don’t think colleges care about generic stuff too much so I kept it at that-- I didn’t raise $8000 for cancer.
Summer Activities: more theater, Chinese.
Essays: These weren’t very good. Always that way when I want something badly enough.
Teacher Recommendation: Id say generic but not at the same time? One was from a Chinese immigrant so I think, aside from being simply adorable, it held slightly more weight.
Counselor Rec: Annoyed her with my woes constantly-- therefore she addressed my weaknesses and strengths and that probably means it was good. Could not read it, right waived!
Interview: No interview.
Other
State (if domestic applicant): IL
School Type: Public, pseudo-rural wannabe-suburb
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Gender: Male
Hooks (URM, first generation college,
etc.): I’d say the Chinese thing is a hook.
Reflection
Strengths: I guess the overall package looked good–, my stats were probably middle of the road but I showed that I’m busy and not just with random things like a lot of people. Also, I was a QuestBridge Finalist and forwarded to them RD. I think having a difficult job on top of doing as much or more than other applicants is a bigger deal than we think-- I get annoyed when people with better grades than me don’t have jobs so who’s to say an admissions officer wouldn’t consider a lack of it? I don’t really know.
Weaknesses: Not sure if lack of SAT IIs ACTUALLY matters or would sway a decision, could solidify I guess. Again, my stats were middle of the road. My essays were glaringly bad.
Why you think you were accepted/
waitlisted/rejected: they bugged me about financial aid for about 5 months but I made sure to remain pessimistic, and I was right. I’m guessing the essays were the kicker, and also the hot girls.
Where else were you accepted/
waitlisted/rejected: Accepted at Carleton, DePaul, Minnesota, NYU (Shanghai), and Notre Dame. Rejected at Brown, Northwestern, and Rice. Waiting on Wesleyan and Stanford. Expecting rejections from all except hopefully a small chance at Wesleyan.
General Comments:
This was my dream school, as I wanted to compose music but lack the skills to audition at any music school (no audition required for composition and its the best program). Also, no more hot girls for me (I’m being tongue in cheek). I wish everyone else who applied the best of luck, and if I seemed mean anywhere in this thread, it’s because I typed this on a phone because I don’t own a computer. </p>

<p>Cheers!!</p>

106

<p>Decision: Accepted </p>

<p>Date applied: Before the December 1st deadline</p>

<p>Date decision postmarked/received: March 29 online</p>

<p>Accepted at which school/major at USC: BA Theatre </p>

<p>Stats:
SAT Total: 2050 (superscored) M: 660, CR: 670, WR: 720,
ACT: 31
SAT Subject Tests: 700 English Lit
GPA-UW/W: 3.75/4.0
Rank: School does not rank
AP/IB classes: English Lang (5) US History (3), Senior Year Statistics, French, and English Lit
Essays: Spent so much time on them, pretty proud! Truly showed my passion for USC
Teacher Recs: Didn’t see, but I’m pretty sure average to pretty good
Counselor Rec: Sounded like it was very good
EC highlights: Lots and lots of theater, dance, chorus, a capella, officer of alliance francais, a lot of community service hours teaching dance and planning benefit concerts
State or Country: Rhode Island
School Type: Large Private Catholic School
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Other Factors, hook?: I think my essays truly got me in, also being from a super tiny state where few venture out might have helped?</p>

<p>General Comments, scholarship chances, status info, going to USC…?: X
100% going there! So excited to be a Trojan!</p>

107

<p>**Decision: Accepted **</p>

<p>Date applied: right before the rd deadline…</p>

<p>Date decision postmarked/received: March 26</p>

<p>Accepted at which school/major at USC: Biochem at Dornslife College</p>

<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] SAT Total: 1960 M: 620, CR: 730, WR: 610,
[</em>] ACT: 31
[<em>] SAT Subject Tests: Lit: 710 US History: 750
[</em>] GPA-UW/W: 3.98/4.5
[<em>] Rank: 5 of ~533
[</em>]AP/IB classes: like 9 of them throughout high school?</p>

<p>[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[<em>] Essays: pretty good
[</em>] Teacher Recs: not sure, didn’t read them but I’d assume pretty good
[<em>] Counselor Rec: average i’m guessing
[</em>] EC highlights: Marching band, ASB (President), Volunteer at local hospital[/ul]
Location/Person:[ul]
[<em>] State or Country: California
[</em>] School Type: Public
[<em>] Ethnicity: Filipino
[</em>] Gender: Female[/ul]Other Factors, hook?: not sure… nothing i guess.</p>

<p>General Comments, scholarship chances, status info, going to USC…?:
Super excited! Now we’re just waiting on financial aid…</p>

108

<p>===</p>

<p>**Decision: Accepted **</p>

<p>Date applied: 11/28/12</p>

<p>Date decision postmarked/received: Online on March 29, 2013</p>

<p>Accepted at which school/major at USC: Annenberg- Communications</p>

<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] SAT Total: N/A
[</em>] ACT: 30
[<em>] SAT Subject Tests: N/A
[</em>] GPA-UW/W: 3.43 UW (School doesn’t weight but I took almost all honors/AP’s)
[<em>] Rank: N/A
[</em>]AP/IB classes: AP US History, AP Statistics, AP Economics, AP Human Geography
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[<em>] Essays: I used these to explain the circumstances behind my low GPA (Moving, family death, ect…). I was very passionate in my USC Supplement and wrote specifically about my academic track at USC
[</em>] Teacher Recs: I submitted one and it was amazing. Didn’t need another.
[<em>] Counselor Rec: Definitely great. We are very close and founded a school organization together.
[</em>] EC highlights: 2 time state champion debater, Academic bowl team, Volunteer organizations, founded new student club at school, and a few other in-school clubs. [/ul]
Location/Person:[ul]
[<em>] State or Country: United States- New England
[</em>] School Type: Public
[<em>] Ethnicity: White
[</em>] Gender: Female[/ul]Other Factors, hook?: I was in constant communication with someone who works with admissions at Annenberg. </p>

<p>General Comments, scholarship chances, status info, going to USC…?: I was accepted for the spring semester and I will definitely attend. Hoping to get off the wait list for fall! FIGHT ON!!!</p>

<p>===</p>

109

<p>**Decision: Accepted **</p>

<p>Date applied: Regular Decision</p>

<p>Date decision postmarked/received: March 28 2013</p>

<p>Accepted at which school/major at USC: Marshall School of Business</p>

<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] SAT Total: 2170 M: 770, CR: 740, WR: 660,
[</em>] SAT Subject Tests: Math- 660, English Lit- 720, Bio- 640, USHistory- 630
[<em>] GPA-UW/W: 3.65/3.8 ish?
[</em>] Rank: My school doesn’t rank so I have no idea what they ranked me as for the USC app.
[<em>]AP/IB classes: USHistory-4, European History-3, English Literature- 5, Art History, AB Calc
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[</em>] Essays: 10/10 I thought they were good, I worked really hard on my essays and made them creative. Looking back this was probably a risk but it’s paid off on all of my applications so far.
[<em>] Teacher Recs: 10/10 Both Teachers really like me, so I expect they were good, even though I haven’t read them.
[</em>] Counselor Rec: 9/10 She knows me pretty well, but I haven’t read it.
[<em>] EC highlights: Girl Scout with Gold Award, Varsity Sport, Coaching young kids, Part Time Job, Volunteer with 400+ hours over my four years in High School [/ul]
Location/Person:[ul]
[</em>] State or Country: California
[<em>] School Type: Rigorous Private College Prep
[</em>] Ethnicity: Caucasian
[li] Gender: Female[/ul]Other Factors, hook?: Legacy at Marshall, I showed a ton of demonstrated interest, Interview at Marshall? The interview went really well so I think that helped a lot.</p>[/li]
<p>General Comments, scholarship chances, status info, going to USC…?: Really surprised and happy that I got in, considering how bad my GPA is(in contrast to most of the other accepted student’s GPA’s) and how competitive it was this year. I’m glad that they looked at my entire application, not just my stats, to realize how much I do outside of school. Currently I have no idea what I am going to choose, but SC is definitely one of my top choices.</p>

110

<p>Edit: Just realized that everyone else posted a different one, but honestly I’m not going to redo this post. This is the one from Rice (from which I got the same decision) with a few changes as appropriate.</p>

<p>Decision: Rejected </p>

<p>Objective:
• SAT I (breakdown): 2230; Math (710), CR (740), Writing (780)
• ACT (breakdown): 34; English (35), Math (34), Reading (32), Science (35)
• ACT superscore (breakdown): 35; English (35), Math (36), Reading (32), Science (35)
• SAT II: Math 1 (730), Lit (730), Math 2 (780), Japanese (620 - ouch)
• Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.74 when I applied; 3.71 after first semester
• Weighted GPA: 4.41 when I applied; 4.48 after first semester
• Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Around 100 out of 850 or so, but I go to a competitive school
• AP (place score in parentheses): Psych (5), Lang (4)
• IB (place score in parentheses): None
• Senior Year Course Load: AP Eng Lit, AP Comp Sci, AP Gov, AP Calc BC, AP Physics C (Mech and E&M), Japanese 4 Honors, Acting (was going to be a student teacher for a class related to my major, but it shrunk to one period so I had to switch into the only class available or take a study hall - I explained this to Rice)
• Number of other applicants in your school: Only one that I know of
• Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Semi/Finalist, a couple of standardized test-related state awards, a Japanese-related local award</p>

<p>Subjective:
• Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):
• Job/Work Experience: Paperboy, taught at computer/architecture summer camp, tutored in Japanese and math for a while, created and published my own video games
• Volunteer/Community service: None
• Athletics: Cross-Country for two years (not varsity)
• Clubs: Video Game Development Club (President), Physics Club (Co-President), a few other clubs</p>

<p>Writing (Write a brief description and Rate Quality on 1-10 Scale; 10 as Best):
• Essays (Include Subjects):
• Common App Main: 8/10 - Well-written but perhaps questionably relevant
• USC Supplement: 8/10 - I prided myself on my answers to the short responses
• Teacher Recommendation #1: Saw an early version of it and it was wonderful
• Teacher Recommendation #2: Saw an early version of it and it was good
• Counselor Rec: Never read it, but I submitted extensive materials for her to use when writing it, and she updated me periodically on how it was going
• Additional Rec: None
• Art Supplement: None
• Research Supplement: None</p>

<p>Other
• Date Submitted App: January 2? (whatever the deadline was)
• State (if domestic applicant): IL
• Country (if international applicant): None
• School Type: Public
• Ethnicity: Not specified
• Gender: M
• Income Bracket: Upper-middle class
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None</p>

<p>Reflection
• Strengths: Types of extracurriculars, standardized tests, recommendations, essays
• Weaknesses: Class rank, GPA, depth of extracurriculars, number of AP tests already taken (my school’s curriculum makes it difficult to take AP classes early on, though many are offered, giving the impression that none of us are being rigorous)
• Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Maybe not living in California, but honestly other than that I’ve got nothing. I’ve seen plenty of people with lower stats than mine who’ve gotten in here.
• Where else have you been accepted/deferred/rejected: Accepted at UIUC, Miami OH, and Kentucky; deferred and then waitlisted at Michigan; rejected at Rice, Johns Hopkins, Brown, UPenn, Cornell, and Dartmouth
• What would you have done differently?: Done some kind of research (I actually had the opportunity a while ago but just not the time) and pushed to get better grades in a couple of my classes this year.
• General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations, etc: I’m honestly surprised I got rejected here. I thought it would be a great fit and I would be a great applicant.</p>

111

<p>Decision: ACCEPTED
Objective: ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING MAJOR
ACT: 30, did not submit
SAT I (breakdown): 2200 (780M, 740 W, 680 CR)
SAT II: Math 2- 750, US History - 730, Chem- 670
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.55ish Weighted GPA- 3.9
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 25% so like 40/270
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Physics B (3), AP French (4), AP English Lang (4), AP US History (5), AP Japanese (5)
Senior Year Course Load: AP BC Calc, AP Biology, AP Micro/Macro, AP English Lit, Indpendent French, Audit AP Physics C (sick for a semester), Bible
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Finalist, AP Scholar w/ Distinction, Sejong Korean Scholar, 6th French Grand Concours Exam, State History Day
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Best in the school: 3 Years Science Bowl (2 yrs Captain), 3 Years Science Olympiad (2x nationals), 2 Years Lifesmarts (2x nationals), Japan Super Science Fair, Track (4 years), Swimming (2 years), Cross Country (3 years), CyberPatriots (Nationals), Interact Club (4 yearrs Treasurer), Boy Scouts (6 years, Assistant Scoutmaster, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader), Musical, Storytellers Club, Ping Pong Club, VEX/FRC (2 years), French Club
Job/Work Experience: Summer Job in a Warehouse
Volunteer/Community service: Boy Scouts, Interact Club
Summer Activities: Not Much
Essays: These were very good. I am a geek who loves to analyze sports and memorize statistics to create probabilities and brackets
Teacher Recommendation: 1 portrayed me as the most outstanding student, the other idk but my APUSH teacher liked me enough to give me a 89.5 last year
Counselor Rec: Probably Generic
Interview: Went pretty well with the Viterbi rep.
Other
State (if domestic applicant): HI
School Type: Private
Ethnicity: Japanese
Gender: Male
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):
Reflection
Strengths: I have a bunch of national competition experience in a variety of topics, I have some awards like NMF that helped. I am interested in many things and try new things.
Weaknesses: GPA, Class Rank, 2200 SAT? IDT its that great
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted at University of Washington, Olin College, USC, Rejected: UCLA, UCB, Dartmouth, Waiting: Stanford, Georgetown (EA defer), U Michigan (EA defer)
General Comments: After being rejected by many schools, I thank USC for giving me a spot in the class of 2017. Because I probably wont get into Stanford, its between here and Olin. Good luck for the rest!!!</p>

112

<p>**Decision: Rejected **</p>

<p>Date applied: December 1st (Deadline for School of Cinematic Arts for Film Production)</p>

<p>Date decision postmarked/received: 3/29/13</p>

<p>Accepted at which school/major at USC: None…but I applied to SCA for Film</p>

<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] SAT Total: 2010 M: 640, CR: 630, WR: 740,
[</em>] SAT Subject Tests: 710 - Physics
[<em>] GPA-UW/W: 3.66/4 UW (92.9/100 in my school)
[</em>] Rank: School doesn’t rank
[<em>]AP/IB classes: Junior year: AP English (4), AP Physics B (5), AP Psychology (5)
Senior year: AP Physics C, AP Calculus AB, AP Spanish, AP Government and Politics
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[</em>] Essays: Decent - wrote about my passion for filmmaking
[<em>] Teacher Recs: Don’t know but were probably well-written
[</em>] Counselor Rec: Don’t know but was probably well-written
[<em>] EC highlights: Volunteered at Senior Center, part of Key Club, volunteer in Midnight Run, Asian Night performer, participated in Fashion Show, filmmaking[/ul]
Location/Person:[ul]
[</em>] State or Country: New York
[<em>] School Type: Public
[</em>] Ethnicity: Asian Indian
[li] Gender: M [/ul]Other Factors, hook?: Thought I had a decent chance because I met the admissions representative for my region at school and in the city at “Discover USC.” Also, I spent three months on my portfolio. Was very disappointed by the rejection. This was my top choice. </p>[/li]
<p>General Comments, scholarship chances, status info, going to USC…?: X</p>

113

<p>Decision: Accepted :</p>

<p>Date applied: 10/30</p>

<p>Date decision postmarked/received: 3/29</p>

<p>Accepted at which school/major at USC: Fine Arts</p>

<p>Stats:</p>

<p>SAT Total: 1700</p>

<p>ACT: 26</p>

<p>SAT Subject Tests: X</p>

<p>GPA-UW/W: 3.7 unweighted</p>

<p>Rank: 38/205</p>

<p>AP/IB classes: AP English Language(3), AP English Lit, AP Drawing(5),AP World History (3),AP Biology,AP 2D Design, AP Calculus AB, AP Psychology</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Essays: Good. Wrote about being Muslim.</p>

<p>Teacher Recs: I am assuming they were good since my teachers like me.</p>

<p>Counselor Rec: X</p>

<p>EC highlights: national art honor society, freshman mentoring, national honor society, student council</p>

<p>Location/Person: </p>

<p>State or Country: Texas</p>

<p>School Type: Magnet</p>

<p>Ethnicity: black</p>

<p>Gender: female</p>

<p>Other Factors, hook?: I think this mostly had to do with how I presented myself in the supplement. You know, those "what’s your favorite… "questions. and my art portfolio was great.</p>

<p>General Comments, scholarship chances, status info, going to USC…?: I’m happy I am going. This is the only school I got into.</p>

114

<p>**Decision: Accepted - Spring 2014 **</p>

<p>Date applied: 10/24/12</p>

<p>Date decision postmarked/received: 3/29/13 (online)</p>

<p>Accepted at which school/major at USC: Annenberg - Broadcast and Digital Journalism</p>

<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] ACT: 32 (35 English, 35 Reading, 29 Math, 27 Science) one sitting
[</em>] GPA-UW/W: 3.83/3.98
[<em>] Rank: 73/500
[</em>]AP/IB classes: European History (4), US History (3), Lang and Comp (4), Environmental Science (Sr. year)
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[<em>] Essays: I spent so much time on my essays! They were a true representation of who I am as a person and what my passions are.
[</em>] Teacher Recs: Standard (Probably a 7/10)
[<em>] Counselor Rec: OUTSTANDING! I am so thankful I grew close to him throughout my high school career
[</em>] EC highlights: DECA State Champion, DECA State Officer, DECA Chapter Officer, DECA International Finalist (Top 20 in organization), AP Scholar, Camp Barnabas volunteer (counselor to children with special needs - 4 years), FCA (2 years), NHS (2 years), Link Crew Leader (2 years), Varsity Cheerleading (1 year), Tennis (4 years), Student athletic trainer (1 year), School television producer and anchor (2 years), Key Club (4 years), and some more… [/ul]
Location/Person:[ul]
[<em>] State or Country: Colorado
[</em>] School Type: Public
[<em>] Ethnicity: White
[</em>] Gender: Female
[/ul]Other Factors, hook?: Interviewed with Annenberg admissions, communicated interest to regional admissions rep, Meet USC program, attended all Colorado receptions offered, 2 grandparents attended</p>

<p>General Comments, scholarship chances, status info, going to USC…?: I bawled like a baby when I found out! I am so unbelievably happy to be a part of the Trojan Family! I will 100% be attending in the Spring and will hopefully (crossing my fingers) be bumped up to Fall! I went to my first football game at 3 years old and have been absolutely in love with the university ever since! (:</p>

115

<p>Decision: Accepted </p>

<p>Date applied: Before the December 1st deadline</p>

<p>Date decision postmarked/received: March 26</p>

<p>Accepted at which school/major at USC: BS in Business/Marshall</p>

<p>Stats:
SAT Total: n/a
ACT: 33
SAT Subject Tests: 630 math 2 (ouch), 670 bio
GPA-UW/W: 3.95/4.0
Rank: School does not rank
AP/IB classes: English lit (4) US History (4), biol (4), world hist (5) Senior Year Statistics, american gov, psych, lang
Essays: so so, more of a cliche leadership essay
Teacher Recs: Didn’t see, but I’m pretty sure average to pretty good
Counselor Rec: great. she loved me
EC highlights: tons of community service and awards, study abroad, equestrian,
State or Country: CA
School Type: Large Private Christian School
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Other Factors, hook?: I worked hard, took unique classes (molecular genetics anyone?), am a legacy (family heirlooms in alumni museum), had some unique EC’s</p>

<p>unfortunantly, I can’t afford 60k a year :(</p>

116

<p>**Decision: Accepted **</p>

<p>Date applied: Before Dec. 1st</p>

<p>Date decision postmarked/received: March 26th</p>

<p>Accepted at which school/major at USC: Dornslife</p>

<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] SAT Total: 1840 i think
[</em>] ACT: i think a 26…dont remember
[<em>] SAT Subject Tests: I don’t know whhy i sent these in…i did so bad.
[</em>] GPA-UW/W: 88 gpa…have no idea what that transfers to
[<em>] Rank: no ranking
[</em>]AP/IB classes: Ap Calc AB, AP Stats, self studied AP English
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[<em>] Essays: I spent so much time on that essay!!! I wrote about my hair and my experience with my hair. I compared it to when went to boarding school and how the more comfortable I felt about my hair, the more comfortable I felt about my self and how I grew as a person.I loved it.It was wonderful…they said it was great.
[</em>] Teacher Recs: They all love me…i mean who wouldn’t.
[<em>] Counselor Rec: I dont know…honestly.
[</em>] EC highlights: Umm I worked two jobs in one summer, volunteered for ABC as a group leader, president of art club and vice prez of another…[/ul]
Location/Person:cali[ul]
[<em>] State or Country: USA
[</em>] School Type: Private
[<em>] Ethnicity: Milk Chocolate mixed with some caramel
[</em>] Gender: rib of Adam [/ul]Other Factors, hook?: I don’t know…I was me, and by being who I am, I think I showed the admissions officers they needed me.</p>

<p>General Comments, scholarship chances, status info, going to USC…?: All in all…this is all surreal. USC has been a dream school of mine for so long. I didn’t even know I was going to for sure get in. But all glory is for GOD. He is the one that got me in. I prayed so hard, so much, and sacrificed a lot just to get where I am today. Even though USC took me as a Spring admit…I’m still here…And I’m praying I get bumped up to the fall. If not, i have my back up plan. God is good you guys. Don’t be set on numbers…They really don’t matter as much as who you are and your character. You application is contingent on you showing YOU…its not about numbers…it is about YOU. Don’t ever let a number define you…because if you do, your high school career will be miserable like many students on CC are. Be your self. I did it, and though I made some sacrifices, I got here.</p>

117

<p>**Decision: Accepted **</p>

<p>Accepted at which school/major at USC: Dornsife</p>

<p>General Comments: Applied to Viterbi, but accepted to Dornsife. Go figure. Better offers elsewhere. Already mailed back the “no thanks” card so somebody else can fill my spot at USC.</p>

118

<p>===</p>

<p>**Decision: Accepted **</p>

<p>**Date applied: ** November</p>

<p>**Date decision postmarked/received: ** 3/29</p>

<p>**Accepted at which school/major at USC: ** Viterbi School of Engineering</p>

<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] SAT Total: 2120
[</em>] ACT: 35
[<em>] SAT Subject Tests: N/A
[</em>] GPA-UW/W: 3.9 UW, 4.33 W
[<em>] Rank: 6/430
[</em>]AP/IB classes: AP: Euro, U.S. Government, Biology, U.S. History, Environmental Science, Language, Literature & Composition, Chemistry, BC Calculus, Statistics. Self-studying for Macro/Microeconomics.
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[<em>] Essays: Hopefully a little unique, tied a personal story into my coaching for a local Special Olympics team.
[</em>] Teacher Recs: Good
[<em>] Counselor Rec: Hopefully GREAT! We’re buddies.
[</em>] EC highlights: National Merit Finalist, assistant coach for the local special olympics team (3 years), 3-time state qualifier in swim, co-captain senior year, swam varsity for 4 years, played soccer, tennis, and ran cross-country for 1 year each, DARE role model (2 years, drug resistance program), ping-pong club member, NHS, COMPASS club (100+ hours volunteering), etc. [/ul]
Location/Person:[ul]
[<em>] State or Country: MO
[</em>] School Type: Public, about 400-500 kids per class
[<em>] Ethnicity: White, but I like to consider myself tan
[</em>] Gender: F[/ul]Other Factors, hook?: Well, I was hooked on USC, I’m just glad they found a hook in me. Not sure what. Haha</p>

<p>General Comments, scholarship chances, status info, going to USC…?: We’ll see. Either here or UT Austin. But it’s still my dream school. Financially… it depends.</p>

<h1>Fight on :)</h1>

119

<p>Decision: Accepted</p>

<p>Date applied: November 30</p>

<p>Date decision postmarked/received: 3/26</p>

<p>Accepted at which school/major at USC: Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences/ English (Creative Writing)
Stats:
SAT Total: 1630
GPA-UW/W: 3.84
Rank: 12/422
AP/IB classes: AP: About 7 AP classes
Subjective:
Essays: Good, I think. I worked hard on them and revised them more times than I can count. I think they were good, considering my test scores aren’t that great.
Teacher Recs: Good.
Counselor Rec: Good, I’m assuming
EC highlights: Drama Club (President),Environmental Awareness Club (Vice President), Band, Screenwriting & Storytelling, National Honors Society, Science Club and a couple of others.
Location/Person:
State or Country: Washington
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Gender: M
Other Factors, hook?: Legacy student. I come from a school with a really bad education system, which I guess explains my test scores (they were above average for my school’s standards). I’ve been working hard, and this just goes to show that hard work pays off :)</p>

120

<p>**Decision: Accepted **</p>

<p>Date applied: Day before deadline</p>

<p>Date decision postmarked/received: 29th March 2013</p>

<p>Accepted at which school/major at USC: ROSKI SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS BA</p>

<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] SAT Total: 1790 M: 610, CR: 600, WR: 580,
[</em>] SAT Subject Tests: Didnt do them
[<em>] GPA-UW/W: school doesn’t have GPA system. (34/42) - IB Diploma predicted
[</em>] Rank: No ranks in my school
[<em>]AP/IB classes: 6 IB classes (IB Diploma)
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[</em>] Essays: Not strong, got rejected from almost ALL UCs, understandable (scores)
[<em>] Teacher Recs: Very Strong
[</em>] Counselor Rec: N/A
[<em>] EC highlights: Varsity Feild Hockey for 7 Years, Community service for 5 Years, Lead america, School fashion show film director, Regional Choir, School Choir[/ul]
Location/Person:[ul]
[</em>] State or Country: Prefer not to say (Asia)
[<em>] School Type: International, private (one of the best in my country, highly accredited)
[</em>] Ethnicity: Rather not say
[li] Gender: Female[/ul]Other Factors, hook?: My portfolio, i believe was very strong, and got me into many top art schools such as parsons and SAIC. Furthermore i did a summer course at USC, and out of all the people in my course, i got a professor recommendation, and this really helped strengthen my application. </p>[/li]
<p>General Comments, scholarship chances, status info, going to USC…?:
I want to say i am clearly an exception to all the other fantastic stats, i was very lucky to get in. I want to give hope for others like me, who are in prep schools, may not be as smart as every one in my prep school, or everyone here. I do understand that roski is VERY competitive, i had no hopes of getting in, but do not give up if this is your dream. I knew i was not going to make the cut with scores like this, so i tried another way, worked my hardest at summer school, and really tried to impress the professors. Also, im pretty sure i fit in no where other than usc, TROJAN AT HEART!!
FIGHT ON!!</p>

121

<p>**Decision: Accepted **</p>

<p>Date applied: 12/01/2013</p>

<p>Date decision postmarked/received: 03/28/2013</p>

<p>Accepted at which school/major at USC: Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences- Chemistry</p>

<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] SAT Total: 2220 (800 W, 720 M, 700 CR)
[</em>] ACT: 31
[<em>] SAT Subject Tests: Korean with Listening- 770
[</em>] GPA-UW/W: 3.9/4.25
[<em>] Rank: 55/480
[</em>]AP/IB classes: Chem (4), US History (4), Language and Composition (5) Senior year- Calc AB, US Government and Politics, Microeconomics, Environmental Science, Literature and Composition
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[<em>] Essays: Essays: I just wrote my essays with a very earnest, honest approach; nothing mind-blowing.
Personal Essay: 9/10
Extracurricular Essay: 7/10
Why USC Essay: 8/10
[</em>] Teacher Recs: One was amazing, and I know this because he was both my pre-calc teacher and cross country coach since 10th grade, AND he told me that my rec was “one of the best he’s ever written”, so 11/10. The other, not really certain, came from my AP Chem teacher who was somewhat indifferent about me, so I’m guessing it was generic, so maybe a 6/10.
[<em>] Counselor Rec:Attending a public school, the counselors don’t really know you too personally unless you make an effort, and I for one, did not, so my rec was probably pretty generic. 6/10
[</em>] EC highlights: Varsity Soccer from 11-12th grade (Senior year: captain, MVP, and scholar athlete), School Orchestra all 4 years, Tack and Field all 4 years, Cross Country 10th-12th, Prom Committee Leadership, Handbell Choir, Annual summer mission trips to Tijuana, MX (Amor Ministries),Red Cross Club Member[/ul]
Location/Person:[ul]
[<em>] State or Country: Southern California
[</em>] School Type: Competitve Public (~2000 students)
[<em>] Ethnicity: Asian, Korean-American
[</em>] Gender: Female[/ul]Other Factors, hook?: No hooks that I can really think of…</p>

<p>General Comments, scholarship chances, status info, going to USC…?: Definitely SURPRISED that I’ve been accepted, but so so so happy! As of right now, I’m a YES to USC, but I have to wait and see if I get off UCLA’s waitlist, because if I do, I’ll most likely be going there to save some $$$.</p>