South Carolina Honors/IB program is my top choice. Even though my scores are a little low(30 ACT, 1390 New SAT) I hope that my extracurriculars and high GPA would put me over. However, I see that kids with almost perfect scores are applying which makes me think I have little chance given the difficulty to get into Honors as a prospective IB major. Could my essays and resume have a significant impact?
@jnc127 Yes, absolutely. SCHC admissions staff spend a lot of time reading the essays as the college focuses heavily on well-roundedness and writing ability. Your resume may help you jump off the page if there is something unusual that sets you apart from other applicants. You obviously want to be truthful and authentic, but be sure to highlight anything unique or interesting about yourself, no matter how odd it may be.
People have a tendency to graze over short answer sections in the application. Bear in mind that every question serves a purpose. For instance, SCHC used to ask for a list of books that either interest you or that you have read recently. This reveals a great deal about your personality. Spend some time reflecting on your interests before filling out the application and walk through it very deliberately.
I believe essays and experience have a huge factor. My daughter was far from perfect scores, but has great extracurriculars and writes extremely well. When we visited at accepted students day, almost everyone was deferred for honors, including many who on paper had better metrics; whereas she was accepted right away. I should stress that while acceptance in these programs is desirable, I believe there is too much emphasis on them. The difference between Honors and non-Honors is very small at any school, and remember that IB students are taking regular business courses with everyone else. There are just a few more opportunities in these programs, but there are many other opportunities available at USC. Many students in IB find they are happier pursuing these instead of IB. In addition, there are other ways to get accepted into IB if that is the goal.
Your essays definitely matter, but I’d consider taking a test again and really trying to get as many points as possible. I know the credentials you see here on this forum look like they pale in comparison. I didn’t feel like I did enough extracurricular-wise. But I applied and got into both Honors and IB (though I warn you that I’ve changed majors so my knowledge of IB is limited). I definitely feel that my essays helped to show that I can be a leader and think critically.