Fall 2017 (class of 2021) USC DECISIONS STATS ONLY THREAD

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
1

REMEMBER - STATS ONLY - NO DISCUSSION.

All credit for format goes to @co4usc2016

All questions and discussions should go here: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/1938675-usc-class-of-2021-discussion-results-thread.html#latest

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=====================

[ size=4][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted**[/color][/size]
[ size=4][ color=orange][ b]Decision: Deferred**[/color][/size]
[ size=4][ color=red][ b]Decision: Rejected**[/color][/size]

[ b]Date applied: **

[ b]Date decision postmarked/received:**

[ b]Which school/major at USC:**

[ b]Scholarships:**

[ b]Objective:**
SAT I (breakdown):
ACT (breakdown):
SAT II (place score in parentheses):
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
AP (place score in parentheses):
IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load:
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):

[ b]Subjective:**
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):
Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community Service:
Summer Activities:
Essays (rating 1-10, details)::
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details)::
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details)::
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details)::
Interview:

[ b]Other**
Applied for Financial Aid?
State (if domestic applicant):
Country (if international applicant):
School Type:
Ethnicity:
Gender:
Income Bracket:
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

[ b]Reflection**
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:
Where else you are applying or have already applied:
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight:

===============

2

Date applied: 1/12/17

Date decision postmarked/received: In mail 3/25/17

Which school/major at USC: Biological sciences

Scholarships:

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): n/a
ACT (breakdown): 31(one sitting) M-28 E-31 R-34 S-31
SAT II (place score in parentheses): n/a
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/370
AP (place score in parentheses): Didn’t submit
IB (place score in parentheses): n/a
Senior Year Course Load: AP Environmental, AP Psychology, AB Calc, AP Research, US Gov’t Hon, Composition 1 and 2, Marine Science Hon
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): n/a

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):
National Spanish Honor Society (10, 11, 12; President 11, 12)
Mu Alpha Theta: Math Honor Society (10, 11, 12)
National Honor Society (11, 12)
National English Honor Society (12)
National Science Honor Society (12)
Rho Kappa (12)
Key Club (10, 11, 12; Editor 12)
Cheerleading (9, 10, 11, 12; Captain: 10, 12)
Job/Work Experience: n/a
Volunteer/Community Service: Volunteered multiple places with a total of 250 hours (locations unnamed to remain anon)
Summer Activities: n/a
Essays (rating 1-10, details): All my essay responses were genuine and some of my best work. Instead of trying to sugar coat, I was upfront and honest.
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): Chose to not have the option to read them, yet both teachers that wrote me references taught AP classes and were my favorite teachers I have had. Both think highly of me.
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details): Chose to not have the option to read it
Interview: n/a

Other:
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes
State (if domestic applicant): FL
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Fundamental
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: Low
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Single parent with additional struggles

Reflection:
Strengths: Ranking, UW GPA, home situation
Weaknesses: Test score, EC
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: My UW GPA is perfect, home situation, strong essays
Where else you are applying or have already applied: FSU, UF, Duke, Vanderbilt
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight:

3

ACCEPTED

Date applied: 1/12/17

Date decision postmarked/received: In mail 3/25/17

Which school/major at USC: Biological sciences

Scholarships:

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): n/a
ACT (breakdown): 31(one sitting) M-28 E-31 R-34 S-31
SAT II (place score in parentheses): n/a
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/370
AP (place score in parentheses): Didn’t submit
IB (place score in parentheses): n/a
Senior Year Course Load: AP Environmental, AP Psychology, AB Calc, AP Research, US Gov’t Hon, Composition 1 and 2, Marine Science Hon
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): n/a

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):
National Spanish Honor Society (10, 11, 12; President 11, 12)
Mu Alpha Theta: Math Honor Society (10, 11, 12)
National Honor Society (11, 12)
National English Honor Society (12)
National Science Honor Society (12)
Rho Kappa (12)
Key Club (10, 11, 12; Editor 12)
Cheerleading (9, 10, 11, 12; Captain: 10, 12)
Job/Work Experience: n/a
Volunteer/Community Service: Volunteered multiple places with a total of 250 hours (locations unnamed to remain anon)
Summer Activities: n/a
Essays (rating 1-10, details): All my essay responses were genuine and some of my best work. Instead of trying to sugar coat, I was upfront and honest.
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): Chose to not have the option to read them, yet both teachers that wrote me references taught AP classes and were my favorite teachers I have had. Both think highly of me.
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details): Chose to not have the option to read it
Interview: n/a

Other:
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes
State (if domestic applicant): FL
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Fundamental
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: Low
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Single parent with additional struggles

Reflection:
Strengths: Ranking, UW GPA, home situation
Weaknesses: Test score, EC
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: My UW GPA is perfect, home situation, strong essays
Where else you are applying or have already applied: FSU, UF, Duke, Vanderbilt
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight:

4

Date applied: 1/12/17

Date decision postmarked/received: In mail 3/25/17

Which school/major at USC: Biological sciences

Scholarships:

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): n/a
ACT (breakdown): 31(one sitting) M-28 E-31 R-34 S-31
SAT II (place score in parentheses): n/a
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/370
AP (place score in parentheses): Didn’t submit
IB (place score in parentheses): n/a
Senior Year Course Load: AP Environmental, AP Psychology, AB Calc, AP Research, US Gov’t Hon, Composition 1 and 2, Marine Science Hon
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): n/a

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):
National Spanish Honor Society (10, 11, 12; President 11, 12)
Mu Alpha Theta: Math Honor Society (10, 11, 12)
National Honor Society (11, 12)
National English Honor Society (12)
National Science Honor Society (12)
Rho Kappa (12)
Key Club (10, 11, 12; Editor 12)
Cheerleading (9, 10, 11, 12; Captain: 10, 12)
Job/Work Experience: n/a
Volunteer/Community Service: Volunteered multiple places with a total of 250 hours (locations unnamed to remain anon)
Summer Activities: n/a
Essays (rating 1-10, details): All my essay responses were genuine and some of my best work. Instead of trying to sugar coat, I was upfront and honest.
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): Chose to not have the option to read them, yet both teachers that wrote me references taught AP classes and were my favorite teachers I have had. Both think highly of me.
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details): Chose to not have the option to read it
Interview: n/a

Other:
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes
State (if domestic applicant): FL
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Fundamental
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: Low
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Single parent with additional struggles

Reflection:
Strengths: Ranking, UW GPA, home situation
Weaknesses: Test score, EC
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: My UW GPA is perfect, home situation, strong essays
Where else you are applying or have already applied: FSU, UF, Duke, Vanderbilt
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight:

5

[ size=4][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted**[/color][/size]

[ b]Date applied: November 3, 2016

[ b]Date decision postmarked/received: mail, 3/25**

[ b]Which school/major at USC: Political Science (Second choice under Film Production)**

[ b]Scholarships: None significant**

[ b]Objective:**
SAT I (breakdown): 700 Reading, 700 Writing, 550 Math
ACT (breakdown): N/A
SAT II (place score in parentheses): Literature (710), US History (750)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.89
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10
AP (place score in parentheses): World History (4), US History (5), Lang & Comp (5), Comp Gov’t, Literature
IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load:
Honors Biology, Calculus, AP Comp Gov’t, Music, AP Literature, Independent Model UN Coach class
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):
Various small awards

[ b]Subjective:**
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):
Newspaper (Editor-in-chief)
Model UN (Head Delegate, 5x Outstanding)
Lit Mag (Writing Editor)
Service Council (Class rep and acting VP)
Film Club (President)
Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community Service: Soup Kitchen volunteer hours, tutoring volunteer, organize blood drives
Summer Activities: UCLA MUN Summer Institute
Essays (rating 1-10, details)::
Writing questions: 7/10 I ended up writing on both writing questions despite it only asking for one, and they were alright at best. One was about how it’s necessary for all of us to travel to less appreciated nations too, not just popular destinations, in order for us to be cultured citizens of a globalized world. My second was about my passion of filmmaking.
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details)::
History teacher: 10/10, he loved me to death, probably wrote about my natural talents as a writer
English teacher: 9/10, probably talked about how approachable and personable I was to her
Film teacher: 8/10, I really didn’t do much in his class, although we’re great friends. Probably talked about how passionate I am.
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details):: 8/10, Probably talked about how out-of-the-box I was for someone at my school when it came to college admissions.
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details)::
Interview: N/A

[ b]Other**
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes
State (if domestic applicant): Georgia
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Private
Ethnicity: White/Native American
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: $30.000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):
First generational on dad’s side

[ b]Reflection**
Strengths: My global look at the world that I took in my essays along with my strengths in history are what got me accepted into Political Science. Multitudes of leadership experience.
Weaknesses: Test scores. Lack of success in math and science areas. I’m genuinely surprised I got in.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I really can’t say, I have a feeling my proficiency in Political Sciences beforehand are what got me here.
Where else you are applying or have already applied:
UCLA (rejected)
UCI (Accepted)
UCR (Accepted)
John Paul the Great (Accepted)
Los Angeles Film School (Accepted)
Stanford (Waiting)
Loyola Marymount (Waitlisted)
Georgia State University (Accepted)
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight:
If your stats are even borderline, you have a shot. I thought I was definitely rejected, but I got in, out of nowhere. So don’t ever doubt yourself.

6

Already posted in the discussion/results pg but I guess it’s hard to find in the thousands of comments…haha…

**Decision: Accepted **

Date applied: 11/20

**Date decision postmarked/received: 3/25 **

Which school/major at USC: Political economy in Dornsife

**Scholarships: None, but I am NMF **

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1550 (750 eng, 800 math)
ACT (breakdown): 35 (35 eng, 35 math, 34 reading, 36 science)
SAT II: Math 2 (800), Chinese (780)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.97
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): probably around top 15/500
AP (place score in parenthesis): Biology, Psychology, Chem, US History, English, Chinese (all 4s/5s)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Gov, AP Calc AB, AP Physics 1, AP Compsci A, English, Band
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): None

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Marching band, various music ensembles, cultural club
Job/Work Experience: No “official” job
Volunteer/Community service: Lots of tutoring/teaching
Summer Activities: did berkeley summer session before
Essays (rating 1-10, details): Common app essay maybe 7. One of the supplementals maybe around 7 too but the “why USC” one I would rate at a 4…they were horrible
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
-Teacher Rec #1: 9, I had her for 2 yrs & she really liked me. she’s an eng teacher so good at writing?
-Teacher Rec #2: didn’t submit
-Counselor Rec: Probably a 6 (I go to a pretty large school so counselors don’t really know us)
-Additional Rec: didn’t submit

Other

Applied for Financial Aid?: No
Intended Major: Political economy
State (if domestic applicant): California
Country (if international applicant): USA
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: Pretty high
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None

Reflection

Strengths: My test scores and gpa, basically
Weaknesses: My essays were pretty bad, and I don’t have any major awards
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: my test scores and gpa LOL
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Accepted at UCLA, UCSB, UCSD, UCD, UCI, BU and haven’t heard back from UC Berkeley, and UPenn yet

General Comments: Good luck everyone. Make sure you ask your friends to read your essays for you to make sure they’re good. Mine were pretty bad…I honestly don’t know why they accepted me, but it’s a nice surprise. So you should try even if you don’t think you’re on par with some of the CC posters. Good luck future applicants who are reading this!

7

Decision: Accepted

**Date applied: **November 21, 2016

**Date decision postmarked/received: **March 24, 2017

**Which school/major at USC: **Business Administration at Marshall for Fall 2017. (Admitted under second choice major, Viterbi was first)

Scholarships: Have not received F.A. letter yet.

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1320 (690 Math, 630 Reading/Writing)
ACT (breakdown): Not taken
SAT II (place score in parentheses): Not submitted
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.69
Weighted GPA: 4.11
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 58/670
AP (place score in parentheses): Human Geog (4), Euro Hist (3), US Hist (3)
IB (place score in parentheses): None
Senior Year Course Load: AP Physics C: Mechanics, AP French, AP Calc AB, Eng 12, Civics/Econ
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): None

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): French Club (president/treasurer), French Honor Society, California Scholarship Federation, Rho Kappa
Job/Work Experience: Childcare worker (3 years), TJ Maxx (1 year)
Volunteer/Community Service: Through CSF
Summer Activities: None, I worked a lot though!
Essays (rating 1-10, details): 9 at least, wrote about my experience in being a member of LGBT, rare family situation, leadership in French Club, and how I’m passionate about learning about other cultures.
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): #1 - 10, French teacher loves me and I’ve known her for four years, #2 - 8.5 - Physics teacher, likes me but I got a B, could be better. #3 - APUSH teacher - 7.5 good letter but I’d imagine not very personalized since I wasn’t very close with her.
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details): 9 - Counselor and I have a good relationship and she wrote about my hardships and how I have persevered.
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details): None.
Interview: No interview.

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes.
State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Hispanic/Latino
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: $20,000-$40,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM, first generation, LGBT, raised by single mother

Reflection
Strengths: Extracurricular, recommendations, essays
Weaknesses: SAT, GPA (it was average honestly, CC seems to view 4.5 and below as “weak”, but it’s average.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I believe my recommendations really got me in. The admissions process is definitely holistic and everyone has a shot in my opinion.
Where else you are applying or have already applied: UCI (rejected), UCLA (rejected), Cal Poly SLO (accepted), CSUF (accepted), SJSU (accepted), U of A (accepted), Purdue (accepted), UCB (waiting), U Mich (waiting), NYU (waiting)
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: I honestly think it’s better to write your essays on someone c o m p l e t e l y unrelated to school. Let them see that side of you. They know you are a good student, it’s shown through your test scores and GPA! It’s not all about numbers, I’m so happy to have been given this opportunity.

8

My SAT score is definitely not in the middle 50%, so I was hesitant to post my results. However, I decided to make an account and post for future students who are in the same position as me. :slight_smile:

Decision: Accepted

Date applied: 1/15/2017

Date decision postmarked/received:March 26,2017 via online

Which school/major at USC: Biochemistry w/Pre-Med program @ Dornsife

**Scholarships: None **

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1340 New SAT (660 math, 680 reading/math) I sent two scores: my original 1200 from June and 1340 from October; not sure if it made a difference; however, this did show that I was able to drastically improve my scores.
ACT (breakdown): Didn’t take
SAT II (place score in parentheses): N/A
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0, weighted 4.28
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 2/223
AP (place score in parentheses): School doesn’t offer AP courses to freshmen; Sophomore year - Statistics and Psychology (didn’t take exam because it was too expensive); Junior year (exams were offered free to free-lunch students) - US History (4), English Language & Composition (4), Biology (3)
IB (place score in parentheses): School doesn’t offer any
Senior Year Course Load: AP US Government & Politics, AP English Literature & Composition, AP Calculus AB, Physics, Art I, Health Services III (Medical Field Career-type course) *Note: My school offers 9 AP courses total and I’ve taken 8 of them.
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): None

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): MESA (4 yrs, Arduino expert and Senior class leader); FBLA (2 yrs, 5th Regionals in Sports & Entertainment Management, 1st in State for 3D Animation); Key Club (3 yrs, just a member lol), AYS: Asian Youth Society (1 yr); Tennis (2 yrs, just a JV member lol); NWOC Art Competition participant; We The People participant
Job/Work Experience: School District Paint Crew (junior year - 40 hrs/week during summer)
Volunteer/Community Service: local hospital volunteer for 2 years (230+ hours) and local library summer volunteer since 2010, and local Key Club & AYS volunteering opportunities
Summer Activities: Didn’t list any in particular besides library volunteer and work
Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Personal Essay (10/10)- I spent countless hours on refining this essay and had people edit it for grammar (none of my overall content was altered by others); I mentioned my father’s abuse and abandonment, my single mother & four other siblings & part time jobs, my (VERY) diverse public high school w/low socioeconomic background and harsh budget problems, my goals fueled from hardships and brief steps I’ve taken to achieve it. I didn’t make it into a “feel sorry for me” essay; I utilized these obstacles of mine to show character and ambition.

Essay Supplement #1 (9/10) - Prompt was when I was “exposed to a new idea”: I took a unique stance of this and wrote about being a translator for my mother when she was recently terminated from her job; recognized societal hierarchy, value of education, etc.
Essay Supplement #2 (10/10) - mentioned health condition that caused me to be interested in Biochem/medicine, mentioned specific courses for research, mentioned specific medical volunteer programs and internships offered by USC, mentioned specific research programs I want to join & pre-med studying abroad options from USC, and specific professor I was interested in

Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): I opted out of reading them; however, because college admissions are already over, my teachers allowed me to recently read it so that I can share the specifics.
Teacher #1: 10/10 I’ve known her for 4 years, science teacher for 3 years with me and MESA advisor for all four years of my HS.
Teacher #2: AP 9/10 AP Lit teacher I’ve known her for a year; though more general than the first, her respect for me as a student really showed, and she emphasized on me utilizing resources to constantly improve.

Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details): 8/10 - I haven’t read it yet, but she is very nice. I’m sure it’s short, simple, but sweet.
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details): None
Interview: None

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes
State (if domestic applicant): OR
School Type: Public, limited $$ budgets and courses but very racially diverse
Ethnicity: Asian (Vietnamese)
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: $30,000 for family of 7
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): First generation college, low income, diverse background (definitely not an URM)

Reflection
Strengths: Essays and teacher recommendations; appealing background; GPA
Weaknesses: SAT Scores and leadership positions
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Honestly, it is probably primarily because of my essays and recommendations along with my poor background (despite not being URM) that made me stand out. I made sure USC knew I wanted to go there by listing specific programs that took more than a mere google search to find, and I emphasized on my limited resources growing up & being able to overcome such limitations.
Where else you are applying or have already applied: University of Portland (A), Pacific University (A), Gonzaga University (A), Reed College (WL), Cornell University (not released yet), Colgate University (A).

General Comments/Advice/Hindsight:
I am so happy! This was definitely one of my reach schools. Based on numbers alone, I know I would not make the cut, but thanks to USC’s holistic reviewing, I know they took my application seriously despite lower scores. I know in many selective schools, the Asian demographic is usually placed at a higher standard because we’re ORM, but I am extremely thankful that being Asian did not negatively impact my chances. Now it is a matter of whether or not USC will be affordable for me. Colgate has given me a very generous amount of financial aid, so I’m sure I’ll be ultimately deciding between these two contrasting schools.

Advice to future students: Be genuine in your essays and look for different ways to showcase your character and ambitions; each claim should be backed up by evidence (concrete examples of what unique programs USC offers; steps taken to achieve goals [courses,opportunities…], etc). Of course depending on what school you choose, selectivity will vary; I chose Dornsife because I wanted a well-balanced education. Scores really don’t reveal the whole story for students like me, and I made sure USC knew that. Moreover, for short responses in the supplement (ex: What is your favorite movie?), make sure to answer most of them with additional reasoning behind it in a short but complete sentence.

I’m sorry for the longish post, but I wanted to be in-depth for other students like me who came in with extremely low chances. :slight_smile:

9

Decision: Accepted (Spring 2018)

Date applied: 11/27/2016

Date decision postmarked/received: 3/24/2017, in the mail

Which school/major at USC: Annenberg, Journalism

Scholarships: Financial aid letter TBD

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2290 (CR 790, Math 750, Writing 750)

ACT (breakdown): N/A
SAT II (place score in parentheses): Spanish (730), U.S. History (790), Literature (800)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0 (my school doesn’t do weighted GPAs but mine would be like a 4.16)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): I actually have no idea because my high school is huge.
AP (place score in parentheses): English Lang (5), U.S. History (5), English Lit TBD
IB (place score in parentheses): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Comp Gov, AP Lit, calculus, physics, newspaper, advanced video production
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): NMF I guess?

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): 4 years school newspaper (editor-in-chief senior year, editor soph & junior years), 4 years varsity swim team, 1 year broadcast news crew, 1 year water polo team, 2 years food writer at a local food & events website, 3 years freelance writer for website
Job/Work Experience: Swim instructor, newspaper internship
Volunteer/Community Service: summer art camp helper
Summer Activities: My work experience comes from the summers
Essays (rating 1-10, details): 7. They weren’t my most beautiful, but they got the job done.

Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): 8-10 probably! My teachers knew me decently well and I’m always super engaged in class. :slight_smile:
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details): No idea because my school is huge. Being a counselor is a tough job.
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details): N/A
Interview: N/A

Other
Applied for Financial Aid?: Yep
State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: ~$50,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None

Reflection
Strengths: extracurriculars, I don’t think many Asians are into the whole ~journalism~ thing
Weaknesses: I didn’t take a ton of AP classes, even though my school offers a lot (I was a fan of school/life balance, and doing a varsity sport definitely limited my time)
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I’ve very clearly demonstrated my passion for journalism!
Where else you are applying or have already applied: mostly UCs, accepted at the ones I applied to except… whispers The Other LA School
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: If you get accepted to spring semester, I think there are definitely more pros than cons! I didn’t know what to think at first, but after evaluating it (I get to get a jump on my GE’s at a community college, therefore saving money? Sweet!), I’m actually really excited. And I know I’m so, so lucky to have gotten in at all! :slight_smile:

10

**Decision: Rejected **

**Date applied: ** 1/15

Date decision postmarked/received: 03/26

Which school/major at Fordham: Dornslife College of Arts and Sciences
Scholarships:

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown):
ACT (breakdown): 32 C, 33 superscore
SAT II (place score in parentheses): 1430, did not submit
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.94
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10%
AP (place score in parentheses): Calculus AB, World History, American History (5), US Government & Politics, Comparative Government, Latin, English Language & Composition, English Literature, Physics 1
IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Physics 1, AP Calculus, AP Latin, AP English Literature, AP World History
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): 4th place state literary rally for chemistry, NLE winner Summa Cum Laude

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): National Honors Society (Vice President), Mu Alpha Theta (Secretary), student ministry, JCL, Respect Life, Science Club, etc.
Job/Work Experience: Raising Cane’s, Rosemary Food Mart
Volunteer/Community Service: Camp Climb, St. Anthony Parish campus leader
Summer Activities:
Essays (rating 1-10, details):: 9, worked really hard on it
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):: 9 for three of them
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details):: 9, she is my moderator for National Honors Society
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details)::
Interview: did not do

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? no
State (if domestic applicant): Louisiana
Country (if international applicant): US
School Type: Catholic, all-male
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket:$150,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): First Generation College

Reflection
Strengths: Extracurriculars, personal qualities
Weaknesses: Standardized test scores
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:
Where else you are applying or have already applied: Accepted: Boston College, University of Miami, University of Virginia, Tulane, University of Alabama, Texas Christian University, Boston University, Emory
Rejeccted: USC
Awaiting: Vanderbilt, Boston University, Emory, NYU, UNC Chapel Hill
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: This was my first rejection, and it came like a sledgehammer. I was really disappointed, but I’m over it I guess. Congrats to everyone who got in, y’all are exceptional students for USC to want you. Go Trojans.

11

[ color=green]Decision: Accepted, fall 2017[/color]

Date applied: November 30? idk it was right before scholarship deadline

Date decision postmarked/received: Postmarked 3/23, received 3/24

Which school/major at USC: Mechanical Engineering @ Viterbi (first choice!)

Scholarships: no merit scholarships but prayin 4 some need-based aid

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1500 new SAT (770 math, 730 reading)
ACT (breakdown):
SAT II (place score in parentheses): only submitted math II (760) to USC since they (engineering admissions) told me that they won’t even look at subject test scores
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): long story short, my school’s gpa system did a 180 halfway through my high school career so it’s technically a 3.8 even though I should have a 3.9
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): top 10%
AP (place score in parentheses): Calc AB (5), Physics 1 (5), Eng lang (4), Spanish lang (4)
IB (place score in parentheses): n/a
Senior Year Course Load: Calc BC, AP Comp Sci A, Economics, AP Eng Lit, AP Physics C (mainly E&M but it’s technically both)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): nah man

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Publications photography (member for two, assistant leader for one, leader for one), VEX robotics (leadership board member for 3 as team photographer and publicity manager), math club, varsity lacrosse for 4 years (my school’s so small that we technically only have a varsity team but shhh), and technically Spanish Honors Society and Cum Laude don’t count but imma put them here anyways
Job/Work Experience: my school paid me to take pics at an event once?
Volunteer/Community Service: 500+ hours at the Orthopaedic Institute for Children
Summer Activities: MechE research @ USC last summer
Essays (rating 1-10, details): ¯_(ツ)/¯ sorry I generally don’t like my essays at all so my ranking won’t be v helpful, was more confident about UC ones
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): 9 or 10; my physics teacher really liked me and my college counselor said that she writes really good letters of rec so I think it was pretty good
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details): ¯_(ツ)/¯ at my school it’s a board of teachers that write this so idk who exactly wrote it, but most teachers at the very least are indifferent about me/don’t hate me lol
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details): 7 or 8; my spanish teacher is super chill and pretty nice (and my advisor) so it couldn’t have been that bad, but I know she also was also mad at me for not talking much in class
Interview: lowkey effed that up because verbal communication isn’t my thing, esp when I’m stressed ^__^;;

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? mhm
State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Small, Private
Ethnicity: Mixed Japanese/White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: ~150k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): female in STEM (when I toured there, engineering really stressed that they want more females at viterbi), double legacy

Reflection
Strengths: EC’s, test score(s)
Weaknesses: GPA
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I wanna say it was my passion n my high commitment to a few activities throughout high school but idk (I’m not sure how much legacy had to do with it either bc neither of my parents are super involved in alumni stuff)
Where else you are applying or have already applied: UCB, UCI, UCSD, UVA, CMU, WashU (in st. louis), UMich, Purdue, UIUC, Hopkins, Stanford (rip)
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: honestly I had no clue usc admissions were this wild; going into this, I expected that a lot of my friends with similar stats and involvement would be an easy in but so far nearly every admission/denial has been a big surprise.
Also just a tip that even if you think your interview wasn’t that great, you still have a chance!

12

Decision: Accepted

**Date applied: ** 12/01/16

Date decision postmarked/received: 03/26/17

Which school/major at USC: Viterbi School of Engineering: Computer Science (Games)

Scholarships: Waiting for Financial Aid

Objective:
ACT (breakdown): 25 (English 28, Math 24, Reading 26, Science 22, Writing 9)
SAT II (place score in parentheses): 1250 (660 Reading & Writing, 590 Math)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.89
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 25/388
AP (place score in parentheses): Computer Science Principles (N/A), Biology (3), United States History (5), Psychology (5), English Language & Composition (3)
Senior Year Course Load: AP United States Government & Politics, AP Macroeconomics, AP Calculus BC, Student Government, Physics, AP Literature & Composition
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): N/A

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Student Government, AFA CyberPatriot, The Center for Information Technology, Spirit Club (Founder & President), National Honor Society, Key Club, Church, Computer Club (Instructor), High School Starleague eSports (Team Captain), Football (JV/Varsity)
Job/Work Experience: Qdoba Mexican Eats
Volunteer/Community Service: National Honor Society, Key Club
Summer Activities: N/A
Essays (rating 1-10, details): 9, Letter To My Incarcerated Father
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): FERPA Status - Waived
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details): FERPA Status - Waived
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details): N/A
Interview: Nope

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes
State (if domestic applicant): Colorado
Country (if international applicant): United States
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Black or African American
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: $100,000 - $140,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM, Single Parent, Incarcerated Father

Reflection
Strengths: Extracurriculars, Supplement Essays, Common Application Essay
Weaknesses: Standardized Testing Scores (ACT - 25, SAT I - 1250)
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Well-Rounded Student, Computer Science Dedication, Compelling Story
Where else you are applying or have already applied: (Accepted) Georgia Institute of Technology, Cal Poly SLO, Colorado School of Mines, University of Washington: Seattle, University of Colorado: Boulder, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Utah, (Awaiting) University of Michigan: Ann Arbor
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: I’ve truly been blessed to gain acceptances to all these institutions despite my lower standardized testing scores. Don’t let numbers define what you are capable of.

13

Decision: Accepted

**Date applied: 01/15/2017/

**Date decision postmarked/received: 03/26/2017

[ b]Which school/major at USC:**

[ b]Scholarships:**

[ b]Objective:**
SAT I (breakdown):
ACT (breakdown):
SAT II (place score in parentheses):
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
AP (place score in parentheses):
IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load:
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):

[ b]Subjective:**
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):
Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community Service:
Summer Activities:
Essays (rating 1-10, details)::
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details)::
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details)::
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details)::
Interview:

[ b]Other**
Applied for Financial Aid?
State (if domestic applicant):
Country (if international applicant):
School Type:
Ethnicity:
Gender:
Income Bracket:
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

[ b]Reflection**
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:
Where else you are applying or have already applied:
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight:

===============

14

I am sorry. I will do that again. My computer is just not working…

Decision: Accepted

**Date applied: 01/15/17

**Date decision postmarked/received: 03/26/17

**Which school/major at USC: Marshall School of Business

**Scholarships: Not applied for

**Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT (breakdown): 33: E-33 M-35 R-27 S-36 / 34 Superscored
SAT II (place score in parentheses): N/A
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.83
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A
AP (place score in parentheses): Micro/Macro Economics: Both 4
IB (place score in parentheses): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: British Literature, AP Calculus, AP Statistics/ American Government, Chinese, Honors Physics
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Korea Scholars Youth Award, Creative Research Contest Award

**Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Volunteer(300 hours), Student Monitor,Class vice-leader, School Soccer Club Varisty(leader), Student Council Member
Job/Work Experience: Nike Sports Korea(1month as a sales clerk)
Volunteer/Community Service: Ilsan Welfare Center for the elders
Summer Activities:
Essays (rating 1-10, details):: 9~10/ wrote about my experience with lumbar disc
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):: 9~10/ got my letters from teachers who are close to me and always complement me on the report cards
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details):: 9~10/ didn’t see
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details):: 10/ got it from formal CEO of Nike Sports Korea whom I knew for about 10 years
Interview: Didn’t interview

**Other
Applied for Financial Aid? No
State (if domestic applicant): N/A
Country (if international applicant): Korea, Republic of
School Type: International School(Christian)
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket:
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

**Reflection
Strengths: ECs/ Recommendations/ Essays
Weaknesses: GPA
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Strong ECs/Recommendations/Essays
Where else you are applying or have already applied: Accepted to Boston College, Boston University, University of Washington, University of Wisconsin, UIUC, Indiana University/ Rejected from University of Virginia, NYU, Washington University in st.louis

General Comments/Advice/Hindsight:
Don’t give up!

15

Decision: Accepted

**Date applied: **September, I think

**Date decision postmarked/received:**25th

Which school/major at USC: Political Science

Scholarships:

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown):1450 (790 English, 660 Math)
ACT (breakdown):Did not take
SAT II (place score in parentheses):620 Math, 710 English (or 720, too lazy to check), 660 US History
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):Unweighted–4.0, Weighted–4.4210
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):2/150
AP (place score in parentheses):4 on APUSH, 4 on APES
IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load: 5 APs (Bio, Gov, Calc, Chem, English), 1 French IV Independent Study
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):Newspaper (co-editor my junior and senior years), Link Crew, Sunshine Society, NHS, NAHS, SpellBowl, English Team, Model UN, Speech Team, 4-H
Job/Work Experience:Worked the polls on Election Day
Volunteer/Community Service:Lots of volunteer work with Sunshine Society, including bell ringing for Salvation Army and grocery bagging for Riley Hospital
Summer Activities:4-H, and that’s about it
Essays (rating 1-10, details)::8 or 9; I spent some time making sure my personality dominated, and I loved the questions that required just a phrase or a word for the answer. Tried to be as honest and unique with those as possible. My Common App essay was on veganism and its influence on my worldview.
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details)::8, all three teachers I chose had formed strong bonds with me over the years.
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details)::6, she is an intelligent and kind woman, but I just never formed a relationship with her.
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details)::
Interview:N/A

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? YES
State (if domestic applicant): Indiana
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: $30-35K
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Raised by single mother, took a risk by writing about veganism in app (can turn some people off, but I tried to make it about my personal experience and how I don’t fit the “angry vegan” stereotype). Also, location in midwest might help their geographic diversity?

Reflection
Strengths: I put everything into my essays, and I absolutely love writing, so this was definitely a strength in my app. Again, show your PERSONALITY!! Also, I’m v. involved, and many of the activities I listed have links to my desired career path (political communications, which involves politics and a mastery of language)
Weaknesses: My subject test scores weren’t stellar.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: You could see me in my essays, and my good SAT score combined with GPA were super important, I think. I really believe my responses to their questions helped me stand out, however. Was shocked to be accepted, because everyone who applies to USC has great stats!
Where else you are applying or have already applied: A BUTTLOAD OF PLACES!

Accepted to Boston U, Boston C, Fordham, Emerson, Oxy, Macalester, UToronto, UWashington, and of course USC!!! Waiting to hear back from a few more, especially NYU. If accepted, I will have to choose between Boston U, USC, and NYU.
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: Let YOU shine through! I AM SO THRILLED AND STILL IN DISBELIEF.

16

Decision: Accepted (Spring 2018)

Date applied: 12/01/2016

Date decision postmarked/received: 3/24/2017

Which school/major at USC: Viterbi School of Engineering, Computer Science & Engineering

Scholarships: None, but I am a National Merit Finalist

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1550 (760 Reading, 790 Writing, 21 Essay)
ACT (breakdown): 34 (34 English, 34 Math, 32 Reading, 34 Science, 8 Essay)
SAT II (place score in parentheses): 800 Chinese w/ Listening, 800 Math II, 710 Physics, 770 US History
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.82
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Not sure, but probably top 10%-15%
AP (place score in parentheses): 3 Art History, 3 Physics, 4 Comp Sci, 5 US History
IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Chemistry, AP US Government & Politics, AP Statistics, Honors Political Economy, Calculus, Contemporary Literature
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): None

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): IUSD CubeSat nano-satellite program, school theatre production (sound crew), swim team for 2 years, MUN, Voting Involvement Association (Event Coordinator)
Job/Work Experience: 2 week unpaid internship experience in India, brief web design work
Volunteer/Community Service: 25 hours w/ Irvine YAT during Junior year
Summer Activities: iDTech Programming Academy (robotics, 10th grade) UCLA DMA summer camp (9th grade)
Essays (rating 1-10, details): Common App Essay 8, talked about my previous travel experiences & focused on internship experience in India; Engineering supplements 8, about my CubeSat program & favorite website (YouTube); other supplements 7, about growing up in a multicultural environment & why USC, but I felt those two were kinda bland/run-of-the-mill
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): Did not see them, but probably around 8.5, one of them was my Comp Sci teacher/CubeSat program advisor, while the other is my 11th grade English teacher/TA for all 4 years
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details): Did not see but probably around 7.5, counselor is in charge of a lot of students in a large public school, didn’t talk much with her initially but we started to know each other just before/around app season
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details): N/A
Interview: N/A

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? No
State (if domestic applicant): California
Country (if international applicant): USA
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: High
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None

Reflection
Strengths: Standardized test scores (SAT I, ACT, SAT II), somewhat unique extracurriculars
Weaknesses: Relatively low GPA, not many leadership positions, OK but not exceptional essays
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Accepted probably because of my standardized test scores & unique ECs, bumped to Spring probably because of relatively low GPA & not very exceptional essays
Where else you are applying or have already applied: Accepted to UCSD, UCSB, UCD, UCI, UCR, Boston U, Rensselaer Poly Institute, Cal Poly, UW; Waitlisted by UCLA, Georgia Tech, Carnegie Mellon; Rejected by Duke (ED); Still waiting for UC Berkeley, NYU & Tufts
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: Getting into USC was somewhat of a surprise because of my lower-than-average GPA, but I guess that my high test scores probably made up for it. Initially I was disappointed/confused that I got bumped to spring admission, but after seeing many students with better academic credentials getting rejected, I realized that I was lucky to have got in here at the first place. If you get rejected by your first choice college/dream school, please don’t give up because you will go to a great school!

17

Decision: Accepted

**Date applied: ** 12/1/16

Date decision postmarked/received: uhuhuhuh it’s in the living room i’m kind of lazy sry evry1

Which school/major at USC: Viterbi/Chemical Engineering (Polymer Science)

Scholarships: LOL

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): CR780/M 800/W780 Essay: 9
ACT (breakdown): 34 (didn’t submit)
SAT II (place score in parentheses): 800 Math II, 770 Chem
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 10 @time of application
AP (place score in parentheses): World History (5), Chemistry (5), Biology (5), Lang (5), US History (5), Calc AB (5)
IB (place score in parentheses): nah
Senior Year Course Load: Debate, AP Gov/AP Econ, Advanced Choir, AP Physics 1, AP Spanish Language, AP Lit, AP Calc BC
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): lmao
nothing major

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): gu4jfidkmg this takes so long to write but i know little CC stalkers wanna see and this is what i read religiously last year so **in no particular order

  1. Debate
  2. Choir (Librarian, Section Leader, Secretary)
  3. Basketball (Frosh–don’t think I put this on apps)
  4. Piano
  5. Independent Research
    Job/Work Experience: Worked as a boba shop cashier for a summer
    Volunteer/Community Service:
  6. California Scholarship Federation (Tech Coordinator, Treasurer)
  7. Volunteered in Taiwan for a summer teaching English to underprivileged students
  8. Freshman Focus (help freshmen get used to high school and such)
  9. Local science academy
  10. Library stuffz
  11. Playing piano at the hospital

That’s all I remember tbh

Summer Activities: Church camp, SAT prep, the Taiwan things
Essays (rating 1-10, details): honestly quite meh, i wrote about Yelp when writing about my favorite website; that was a buttload of fun! My CommonApp essay in general was about the reasoning behind the different phone passwords I’ve had (all molar masses of chemical compounds important to me)
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): Hm, I only read 1 and I thought it was good, but what do I know?
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details): p good, again, can’t assign a rating as a I don’t know what makes it good
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details): didn’t read my research mentors!
Interview: none bb bc i looked at the website a week after deadline LMAO

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? Yeah but I’m not going to get it lol
State (if domestic applicant): CA! :^)
Country (if international applicant): -
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Chinese
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: v high
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): female in engineering??

Reflection
Strengths: Objective–scores
Weaknesses: Subjective–ECs, essays
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Strong scores mostly, and essays that didn’t scare them away.
Where else you are applying or have already applied:
UC Berkeley (admitted early for Regents’ candidacy), UCLA (regents), UCSB (regents), UCSD (regents + jacobs full ride scholarship), UCD (regents), MIT (rejected–mmmmm yes music to my ears), CalTech (also rejected!! :^)), Northwestern (waitlisted yeah boy), Rice (also waitlisted yeah boy), Cal Poly SLO (invited to apply for some scholarships and honors but didn’t apply), Georgia Tech (admitted)

Stanford, still waiting for that $90 rejection letter !!

General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: Don’t let CC freak you out! Whether you’ve already applied or are thinking of applying, you can never be sure that you will be rejected (or accepted, for that matter) from any school. Wherever you end up, you’re going to do amazing things, so calm your nerves!

Also if anyone tells you scores don’t matter they’re lying–I personally believe they’re the most important factor in admissions (note: this doesn’t mean other things don’t have any weight).

18

Decision: Accepted

**Date applied: ** idk sorry :confused: probably late November

Date decision postmarked/received: late January (scholarship finalist)

Which school/major at USC: Cinema/Media Studies @ SCA

Scholarships: Presidential Scholarship (half tuition)

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): n/a
ACT (breakdown): 33 (36E, 36R, 30S, 29M)
SAT II (place score in parentheses): n/a
GPA (out of 4.0): 3.92 UW, 4.52 W
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): n/a
AP (place score in parentheses): APUSH (5), Calc AB (5), English Lang (5)
IB (place score in parentheses): n/a
Senior Year Course Load: i don’t wanna go into this lol
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): none except ap scholar and nation spanish exam?

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):

  • 4 years of acting in school productions
  • 4 years of assistant directing middle school productions (my school is 6th-12th)
  • managing/news and features editor at school paper
  • VP and founding member of school’s MUN club
  • year-round job on weekends at my Jewish community center
  • 3 years as a tutor for a literacy organization with a chapter at my old title 1 elementary school
  • did a year round internship/ambassador program with a big local theater company last year
  • interned at a New York casting agency this summer
  • founding member of local High School Democrats chapter (12th grade only)
  • online media internship
    Job/Work Experience: see above
    Volunteer/Community Service: see above
    Summer Activities: WashU Summer Scholar (2015), internships, camps, idk lol
    Essays (rating 1-10, details): i can’t rate my own essays lol but i think i’m a pretty good writer
    Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): probably good?
    Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details): good, she loves me
    Interview: i loved my scholarship interview (didn’t do a regular one)

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? yeah but my documents got all messed up
State (if domestic applicant): CA
School Type: private, all girls
Ethnicity: white
Gender: female
Income Bracket: its complicated
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none lol

Reflection
Strengths: who can say?
Weaknesses: ¯_(ツ)/¯
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: ¯_(ツ)/¯
Where else you are applying or have already applied:
-accepted: USC, UMich EA, Emory, William & Mary, UCSB honors college
-waitlisted: WashU in St. Louis
-rejected: Northwestern
-waiting on: Berkeley, Tufts, Brown, Yale (lmao)
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: good luck yall! idk why i came back to post this, guess i was feeling braggadocious today lol

19

[ size=4][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted**[/color][/size]

[ b]Date applied: November 30 **

[ b]Date decision postmarked/received: March 26**

[ b]Which school/major at USC: Marshall- Business Administration**

[ b]Scholarships: National Merit Finalist Half tuition and university scholarship**

[ b]Objective:**
SAT I (breakdown): 780 Math, 760 Reading, 580 Writing
ACT (breakdown):
SAT II (place score in parentheses): Literature (770), Math II (750)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.7 UW? 4.12 W
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 2nd decile (Top 20%)
AP (place score in parentheses): Physics (4), Psychology (4), Environmental Science (4), Language (4)
IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Bio, AP Calc, AP Stat, AP Lit, Honors Marketing II, Honors US Govt.
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Scholar, Girl Scout Gold Award, AP Scholar w Honor, Scholar Athlete

[ b]Subjective:**
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):
DECA- 3 years (Currently Vice President, Fundraising Coordinator last year), placed top 6 at State Competition for the past two year
Girl Scouts- since kindergarten, earned Gold Award (highest award possible), Leader in Action award, etc.
Varsity Swim and Dive- (Captain), since freshman year, won first state championship in 27 years this season
Club Swim Team- Since 3rd grade, earned scholar athlete award, competed at regional level
National Honors Society
Spanish Honors Society
Odyssey of the Mind- Since 4th grade, placed top 3 at State Competition 4x, and attended World Finals 3x

Job/Work Experience:
Lifeguard at Town Park for past two summers

Volunteer/Community Service: Many volunteer activities through Girl Scouts, NHS, and DECA. Ex. Creating DECA Loves DAWS animal shelter donation drive, helping with annual We Care 5K for NHS, helping with blood drive

Summer Activities:Attended 3 Pre College Business programs last summer: Young Women’s Institute at Kelley School of Business, EXPLORE Entrepreneurship at Bauer College of Business, and NSLC Business and Entrepreneurship at Yale.

Essays (rating 1-10, details):: My common app is pretty solid definitely at least a 7. I wrote about how two personal tragedies motivated me to not be a bystander to the awful things in our world and want to facilitate positive change in our world.
Outside academic interest: 7/10, this essay was also good, I wrote about the Human Genome project and how its developments are really fascinating and will change te world.
Academic interest: 8/10, my Marshall essay was very good too, I specifically talked about what programs I want to do and how my goals specifically align with them and why I would be the perfect fit.
My short answers were kind of basic, nothing really special. I was just myself and wrote the first things that came to my head.

Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details)::
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details):: I know my counselor very well, as I have been going to her for college and school advice since freshman year so she definitely knows a lot about all the things I do and how hard I work, which was definitively an important thing to do. Her recommendation was hopefully a 8.
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details)::
Interview: N/A

[ b]Other**
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes
State (if domestic applicant): Connecticut
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: 180k+
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None

[ b]Reflection**
Strengths: My strengths absolutely lie in my extracurricular and leadership roles. I am very active in our activities at our school and it definitely shows in my application. I also have put a large focus on business through being VP of DECA and competing, as well as attending business camps over the summer so it shows Marshall and USC that I’m serious and committed. My test scores and National Merit status definitely helped too.
Weaknesses: MY weaknesses were probably my grades which could have been stronger, class rank, and maybe community service (however I did my Gold Award which requires 100+ hours so)
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I was accepted because of my all my strengths that I talked about and my essays and recs were pretty good too. I think I was just a good fit for the school.
Where else you are applying or have already applied: Wayy too many
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: Get involved!!! And talk to your teachers and counselors!! And if it doesn’t work out, shake it off because theres a school for everyone. Ive been waitlisted and rejected by other schools, but I know it will be okay in the end and I’ll end up where Im meant to be.

20

Decision: Accepted

Academics: IB diploma, 3.983/4.0 GPA, 2400 SAT(one sitting), 780 SAT Bio(M), 780 SAT Math II

Academic awards: 2017 Presidential Scholar candidate; National Merit Finalist

Sports awards: Black belt in Shotokan Karate

  1. Gold medal: 2016 Oregon State Karate Championships and National Qualifier
  2. Qualified and competed at 2016 USA National Karate Championships and Team Trials
  3. Bronze medal: 2016 AAU National Karate Junior Olympics
  4. Gold medal: 28th Annual Tournament, Funakoshi Shotokan Karate Association
  5. 2016 AAU Outstanding Athlete in Martial Arts
  6. Member, USA National Karate-Do Federation
  7. Member, AAU Karate

Music awards: Multiple (4 times) performances at Carnegie Hall and Paris

  1. Second place: 2015 Crescendo International Piano Competition
  2. Semi-finalist: 2015 Seattle Int’l Piano Competition
  3. Gold medal: 2015 Northwest Chopin Festival
  4. Third place: 2015 Washington State Outstanding Artist Competition
  5. Second place: 2015 American Protégé Romantic Music Competition
  6. First place: 2016 Crescendo International Piano Competition

Leadership, Volunteering, and Community Service

  1. Founded high school film club in tenth grade
  2. Volunteered to teach youth Karate for two years
  3. Rehearsal pianist for school musical “Pippin” and “Mary Poppin” in 9th and 10th grade
  4. Performed regularly at local retirement homes and fundraising concerts

Activities

  1. Creative Writing: Wrote and published a novel on Wattpad
  2. Film making: Wrote, directed, and produced short films since freshman year
  3. Music Composing: Published on SoundCloud since freshman year
  4. Piano: Studied classical music for 11 years
  5. Karate: Trained since age 5
  6. Soccer: Played for a local Premier Soccer Club since sophomore year

Fight on!