Hello!
I’m a rising sophomore in high school, and I’ve been looking ahead at a few early colleges. I’ve (extensively) been over the website of USC Resident Honors Program, which appeals to me a lot, but it’s a pretty competitive program. My family moved right before I started freshman year, the stress of which resulting in one B and one B+ the first trimester of freshman year. Since then, I’ve gotten A-'s and A’s. My unweighted GPA was 3.69 for the whole school year. I have not taken the PSAT yet, but intend to do so along with the ACT/SAT Start Up Test. I won’t be taking any AP classes until Junior year, and I hope to do well in those. Moving forward, are there any goals/classes I should work towards to bolster my application to USC’s RHP program? I would like to be a pre-med/biology major. I play rugby and run track and cross country. I have a babysitting job, but hope to get a part-time job when I’m older. I haven’t done much volunteer work either, (any recommendations of programs in Colorado?) I also haven’t been active in many clubs, but may want to start my own running/rugby/general girls in sports club. Thank you for any suggestions you may think of to help my application overall.
From their website, “Interested students should have a record of success in high school such as honors, AP and IB courses, summer programs, leadership experience, and special talents. We want students who have been able to balance scholarship with leadership; who have been active in their school and in their community.” Beyond that, aim to get recommendations that emphasize your maturity and kind of give the sense that high school is just holding you back, as that is what they’ll be looking for. Especially make sure to educate your teachers on the finer points of the RHP, as it will not be what they’re used to in terms of crafting your recs.