Please chance me for engineering at USC

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
1

<p>Hi everyone, I'm an incoming senior at a public high school in the northwest Chicago suburbs. My stats are as follows:</p>

<p>Gpa: 4.0 unweighted
Class rank: Either top 1% to 2% (Last terms grades aren't in the ranking system yet)
Act: 31 composite (32 English, 36 Math, 25 Reading, 31 Science)
APs: AP Calculus AB (5) AP Computer Science A (4)
Senior Course load: Calculus 2 at local community college, AP Physics B, AP Psychology, Honors English, Honors Spanish 4, Accounting 1 (needed to fulfill graduation requirement)
Intended major: either mechanical or aerospace engineering
State of residence: Illinois
Extracurriculars: Varsity Baseball two years, President of 3 religious youth organizations, attended a selective leadership training course for athletics at my school, ran a community event website and Facebook page
Ethnicity: White</p>

<p>My real question is do you think that I have a good shot at being accepted to mechanical or aerospace engineering at USC. I appreciate all responses. If you need more information to chance me please ask.</p>

2

<p>If you have any suggestions to make myself a better applicant that would be greatly appreciated as well!</p>

3

<p>They like National Merit winners. (They heavily recruited my son). I think your ACT score is just under what they want. </p>

4

<p>Thank you for you reply. I would love to hear from others if anyone else has an opinion. </p>

5

<p>ACT score is fine, particularly with the 36 in math (congrats). Yes the reading is a little low, but overall your science English and math are solid and may make up for that. Great GPA obviously, AP scores in BC Calc and CS will help as well. Of 3000 new freshman, 250 are national merit winners so there is still a lot of room for people without that status. You are where a lot of kids find themselves, 3 of the scores on the ACT rock it, then one is a bit lower that the others, but the thought of taking it again is horrifying, especially with a senior class load and time needed for applications. How many times have you taken the ACT? Overall you look like a great candidate, but of course a lot of great ones are turned away at USC and many other colleges. So invest time in those essays and pick teachers that are known for good recommendations. Have a dream school like USC, but have a plan B (maybe a couple of them) that you are really happy with as well, that way you go to whichever college with good feelings. In other words, prepare and hope for the best, but don’t set yourself up for heartbreak putting all your emotions into one school. I would say you have as good a chance as many other well qualified candidates, many who will get in, many who won’t, sometimes a little luck plays in as well. I have 2 at USC, one in engineering. Wishing you good luck!</p>

6

<p>Thank you very much for the detailed response. I definitely have other schools I’m seriously looking at and will be applying to in early fall. </p>

7

<p>I’d take the ACT again, and work on your essays.</p>