** Just a disclaimer, I know full well how difficult it is to transfer to this institution and that my chances, taking into account my qualifications, are slim to none. **
I am a Bay Area native who currently studies Economics and CS at USC as a sophomore. To say that my time here has been hard would be an gross understatement. Don’t get me wrong, USC’s academics are top notch. My problems, however, reside primarily with the overall cultural climate of campus. For a school that prides itself on a diverse student body of varied vocations, it is disheartening to reconcile with the fact that our campus is saturated by blatant symbols of affluence, and is so centric around the disgustingly whitewashed, cutthroat Greek system. I feel so at odds with the types of people who go here, and would love nothing more than to go home. I essentially grew up at Stanford, and feel an enormous connection to both the campus and the student body, with numerous friends of mine being current students.
So here is a short intro to me:
I attended a prestigious private high school, which feeds large numbers of students into Stanford. (I believe 12/150 of my graduating class, for reference)
during my freshman year I developed an autoimmune disease which partially paralyzed my face, and gave my severe migraines, among other debilitating symptoms --> as a result, my GPA plummeted, and I only was enrolled in one course my second semester. Doctors were finally able to make a diagnosis in the spring, and treatment was effective.
feeling much better, and no longer paralyzed, I spent the entirety of this last summer studying and retaking a course I had failed due to my illness (the previous grade will no longer impact my GPA). I got all As and am at a 4.0 with my current fall semester courses (discounting last year's grades. I now feel as though I am student I was meant to be, but could not be due to my symptoms.
my aspiration is to work in the tech industry, with my primary interests being software development, design and product management. I can code in four languages (Java, JavaScript, C++, Python) at present and am currently learning another. I am also interested in green technologies and the myriad of environmental issues surrounding the industry. all of that said, obviously, there is no better place in my mind to pursue this vocation than in the locale of the silicon valley, which is another motivation for me to leave los angeles.
on campus I am a member of USC Equestrian Team (I'm a lifelong equestrian, and Stanford's team is by far the best in the state!), and partake in a variety of different technology oriented clubs, such as Girls In Tech and the Society of Women Engineers.
some of my other passions include mental health (I am working on my own app to assist people living with a variety of different mental illnesses), digital journalism (I write for a number of different publications online), theatre (despite being an engineer, I am also a proud thespian!), and the outdoors (I am part of USC's premiere outdoor organization, SCoutfitters, and regularly good on hiking trips).
Should I somehow gain admission to Stanford, my desired major would be Symbolic Systems. No such program exists anywhere, and, as a lover of both computational science and the humanities, the idea of being able to pursue such a multidisciplinary degree is extremely appealing to me.
So, my question for you all is, what advice do you have? Do you think, if presented correctly, my story could perhaps be compelling? Should I retake my SATs, realistically (my current score is 2140)?
Thanks in advance.
I know all odds are against me, but, in the words of Gretzky, you miss 100% of the shots you do not take.
Hi @natalie0318 I’m from West LA and know USC very well. I was accepted there and also my mom went to school there and I just started as part of the 2020 class at Stanford. So I feel like I can offer some perspective from both sides. If you think Stanford is not “saturated by blatant symbols of affluence” then I don’t know how well you know the student body. Lots of legacy kids, four year boarding school kids, wealthy families all at Stanford. All good people but very affluent. I can’t speak about the Greek system here myself but I do know that the rape of a young woman by Brock Turner happened at a “disgustingly whitewashed, cutthroat Greek system” house right here at Stanford. There are people you are not going to like at any school. But to say you don’t like USC just because of the Greek system/culture? You just have to find your social group at USC and stick to them and just avoid those people that you don’t desire to spend time with. Judging from all your activities it seems that you have found that group. I would never discourage you from applying to transfer but I think they admit less than 50 transfers(my guess). Is there not a way for USC to help you combine those majors or something similar that Stanford has? It just seems like you are doing well now and making lots of impact and you can impact USC’s culture in your own way. With all that said you do have a compelling story but I would give a different reason of wanting to transfer other than being at odds with certain subset of a student body. You will find those at every college even Stanford. Good luck to you. I’m glad you are healthy now.
I knew as I was writing that I needed a better answer than that! My qualms with USC are far more extensive than what I described, and I need to figure out how to put them to words. I really appreciate your input, I needed to hear it! As for my understanding of Stanford’s social scene by comparison, I’m from the Palo Alto area, and I’ve encountered many of the unlikeable characters you described. There are just so many other aspects of Stanford that captivate me (and have for years), and I need to express in my application. I wrote this post in like 10 minutes, and certainly will not be doing the same on my application.
To answer your question, USC is not nearly as “experimental” as Stanford is with regards to majors. No such multidisciplinary program like Symbolic Systems exists, here, which sucks! (with the exception of the Computer Science and Business combined major). The engineering school is especially rigid in it’s curriculum, and boasts such high unit numbers per major that minoring in another complimentary discipline is next to impossible.
It’s something like 1% of transfers are accepted, and although this figure is minuscule, I am going to try my hardest to earn a place. If not, like you said, I have a place here and a stake in the direction of our campus culture. It is just worth a shot!
Well let’s work on getting you transferred if your heart is set on it. 2140 SAT is about 33 ACT right? I hear the new SAT is easier. Do you want to spend the time and energy to increase that? I would say yes if you have the time. In writing your essay I would focus on how you overcame your illness and relate that to why you want to transfer. I would not talk about the aspects of Stanford that captivate you because they hear this all the time. Your essay needs to be so compelling that it stands out from all the others. This is what my Stanford ad com told me anyway. Let me know if you have any questions or if I can help in any way.
Thank you so much for your support…so appreciated!! I have started the application but am still on the short questions. How many items should I list for each one? Do I pick, for example, two artists I enjoy and briefly detail why? Or simply list them…?
Don’t just simply list them. Use these questions to show your personality. I answered these questions to reflect my sense of humor. For example on the future letter to my roommate, I wrote to them I knew what a furlong is and how this knowledge would be helpful to our friendship. Since you know horses you probably know this but most people have no clue what a furlong is. I know you only have 50 words(don’t go over the limit) for the short ones so get creative. They even tell you that you don’t have to write complete sentences.
I feel stupid to ask this. I am so confused with all the application process, especially the essay application. I started my common application essay but does not seem quite right.