Maybe USC?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
1

<p>Hi so I've been looking at USC and it looks like a really good school. I'm going to be a junior this year and these are my stats:
W GPA: 4.6 UW GPA: 3.75
Predicted ACT Score: 28-30
PSAT Score: Above 1800 cannot remember
going to take 3 AP's next year</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Service Leadership trip over summer
Latino Club
Editor at school yearbook
Journalism program at Columbia College Chicago
Editor at school newspaper
President of School's book club</p>

<p>Ethnicity: Latino</p>

<p>What do you think my chances would be of getting into USC? And is their journalism school recognizable and well received?</p>

2

<p>I believe their journalism school is top 10 in the nation, and based on your stats and the fact that you’re a minority, you have a good shot. I would probably retake the ACT and aim for a 30+ because a 4.6 GPA with a 28-30 ACT seems somewhat strange (not saying 28-30 isn’t a good score, but with a 4.6 GPA, I’m sure you could do better). Aside from that, focus on your essays and extra-curriculars because USC really does judge you holistically. Try and get an internship maybe?</p>

3

<p>Thanks Siddysidsid! I blew off my previous Practice ACT tests and really didn’t study for them. but I feel that if I study I will be able to do a lot better.
Also, I do plan on taking on more extra curricular activities next year. Thanks so much for your help.</p>

4

<p>would anyone else be willing to give me some advice? or whether or not i’m on the right track? I’d really appreciate it.</p>

5

<p>Oh, and be sure to do an interview either at USC (this is a bonus) or at a local area. I had my interview near Oakland and it went really well — I was fortunate enough to somehow land an interview with Paul Ledesma who is the Viterbi Undergraduate Engineering director and the interview definitely helped in my opinion. They’re gonna be reading a lot of similar essays so getting to see your face and assessing you as a person will give you a nice edge over similar applicants! This applies to all schools you apply for. Some of my friends made the mistake of not doing interviews for schools like USC, Rice, CMU, etc… and they really regretted their decision. Don’t ask yourself “should I do an interview?”. Just go and do it. The interviewers want you to succeed as much as you do. A word of caution : Be prepared for the interview though. My first interview was with a CMU Admissions officer and I wasn’t prepared at all. I could tell that I was answering questions pretty generically and I felt bad. It was a good experience that I learned from though.</p>

<p>And finally, if you’re really interested in a school, try and visit the school over summer. More often than not, they have a form you can fill out which shows that you showed interest in the school and visited. Again, this often gives you an edge over other applicants that are similar to you.</p>

<p>Everything I said mostly applies to only private schools. Public schools like UC’s are a whole different story.</p>

6

<p>don’t feel like you need to take another EC that is outside the realm of your desired career choice or interests. especially if your only intention is to have a leg up in the application process. do the things you love and stick with it. let your dedication speak for itself - it pays to show that you take your passions seriously. since you’re planning to go into a journalism career, expand your horizons through community involvement. try to get an internship of some sort. or see about a position in your local newspaper. look into volunteering at writing workshops. or, heck, just start an online blog and write, write, write - about anything and everything that inspires you. (even if you’re the only one reading it, because seriously, who cares?) </p>

<p>if you live in the LA area, I suggest swinging by and visiting Annenburg. If not, call them/ write them, tell them your interested, and keep at it until they know you by name. don’t lose your contacts. and try to get in touch with the nearest Trojan family and make yourself known. You never know who might be there to lend you a helping hand.</p>

<p>that’s all i got.</p>

7

<p>Nice! I am going to be a junior in high school this year too! I absolutely without a doubt want to go to USC! Maybe we will see each other :)</p>

8

<p>Some stats from USC Admissions for Fall 2013:
The admitted pool of 9,304 was selected from a highly competitive and diverse group of 47,279 applicants with broad geographic, ethnic and socioeconomic representation. This year’s admission rate, 19.7 percent, is slightly lower than last year’s final admission rate and is the lowest in USC’s history. (Added by me, keep in mind it is for about 3,000 spots. They admit 9k to fill 3K spots).</p>

<p>• The vast majority of admitted freshmen rank in the top 10 percent of their high school’s graduating class, 75 percent have standardized test scores at or above the 95th percentile.</p>

<p>• The average admitted freshman completed six to eight AP or IB courses in high school</p>

<p>• More than 3,100 high schools are represented in the admitted freshman class</p>

<p>• Overall, 45 percent of admitted students are from California, with 17 percent representing 79 foreign countries. The remaining 38 percent come from the other 49 states and U.S. territories.</p>

<p>• Outside California, the leading U.S. metropolitan areas for students admitted to USC are, in order: New York City, Chicago, Seattle, Dallas, Boston, and Washington, D.C… The most-represented foreign countries are China, South Korea, India, Canada and Singapore.</p>

<p>2012-2013 Profile
<a href=“http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/private/1213/USCFreshmanProfile2012.pdf[/url]”>http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/private/1213/USCFreshmanProfile2012.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

9

<p>If i will complete 12 ap courses in high school will that help me?</p>

10

<p>A trend I have noticed in private preparatory schools is to limit AP courses. Prepare for the ACT or SAT. Follow your passions in what you hope to pursue in the future. </p>

<p>The admitted students ACT scores were in the 30s, so try to bring up that score.</p>