<p>Quixotic Rick and I were talking about the statuses and he has read “The Gatekeepers” which is a book about Wesleyan admissions process. So this book confirms this theory to some extent if Wesleyan’s process is somewhat similar to USC’s.</p>
<li><p>They go through preliminary reviews and based on numbers and a quick look at EC’s, they will rank your application based on the opinion of the first reader. </p></li>
<li><p>They classify applications after this first read into 4 categories. 1. Admit 2. Admit- 3. Deny+ 4. Deny</p></li>
</ol>
<p>In this case, scholarship recipients and the first wave of admits are probably the first group based on numbers and stats. These people would have been sent to committee first based on rank (status change dates seem to confirm this). </p>
<li>People with an update around mid-late february are probably admit-. </li>
</ol>
<p>Looking at stats profiles I notice that the stats of those who have changed around the 2-20’s are probable/possible admit candidates. They seem to have one low area to their application (for me its GPA). The first reader probably has recommended we be admitted with reservation. It is up to the committee to decide on this. </p>
<li><p>People with a status change date after 3-1 seem to be deny+.
I noticed there is somewhat of a drop off in stats between the people who changed on 2-28 and those who changed on 3-1.</p></li>
<li><p>This does not affect people who have the status “Received mid-year grades.”</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I’m guessing these people will be put into committee based on when they sent grades and such. These people can be any of the four categories.</p>
<p>Seems to be the case. </p>
<p>I have no idea how accurate this is lol but it seems to make sense.
There was a mass change yesterday of prelim review people into committee review. So people who changed after 3-1 maybe deny+</p>
<p>THIS IS ALL THEORY BASED ON A MINIMAL SAMPLE</p>
<p>Let me clarify about this more too. This all came about since TheAjay and I started talking over AIM about USC and how we’re doing in the waiting game so far with other schools. I brought up “The Gatekeepers” and we started using Wesleyan’s “ranking system” informally in an attempt to figure things out and simply to make it easier so we’re both on the same page. “The Gatekeepers” is a novel chronicling the admissions process at Wesleyan but it’s quite old so I’m sure there’s many things that have changed since then at Wesleyan and there’s no guarantee that USC does anything even remotely to their modus operandi whether be it the old (from the novel) or the new (whatever they may be using today). </p>
<p>What we’ve hypothesized in general is the following:
1.) USC does some type of cursory (even “preliminary” – suddenly their status pages seem to make more sense in their meaning, right?) ranking of its applicants. We’ve essentially figured this out to be the “preliminary review” status that many of us, if not all of us, had at one point or another. What we’ve come to gather is that this status indicates that they’re making sure that every part of your application is together and in their possession. At this point, they must do a cursory review such as making a summary page for the application or something similar;
2.) USC releases its admissions in waves. They seem to go from the most stellar applicants to the least stellar applicants (for lack of better terms – no offense is intended to anyone). We’ve come to speculate at this point because it’s widely known here that USC does not release rejections or spring admissions until April 1 and onward. We’ve also looked at the statistics of accepted applicants and it seems to make sense. The people that were admitted first were the highly sought after candidates who were courted with merit scholarships. These had the highest SAT and GPA (numerical stats), as well as some pretty solid “secondary” (for lack of a better word) statistics (essays, recommendations, extracurriculars);
3.) The status page “in review by the admissions committee” is the point at which there has been some action on your application. They’re finalizing their decisions. We’ve noticed that there’s usually a two to three week waiting period between receiving this status page and then getting an acceptance letter. I believe that that waiting period must be voting within the committee and/or getting the final decision approved by the Dean of Admissions (or an equivalent).
4.) They seem to release waves on Fridays given that Southern California applicants seem to be getting them in the mail on Saturday. Going back to our informal “The Gatekeepers”-inspired ranking system, we believe that they’re going down the ranking (admit, admit-, deny+, deny). Admits were the clear admits or the merit scholarship (highly sought after candidates) with admit- being those who are within acceptance but with some reservations. I believe at this point, they’re sending out admit- (or have been sending them out already). Denies are the “clear” denies that will be coming in April. Deny+ are candidates who are hovering towards the rejection pile but seem to have some characteristics that are keeping them afloat.</p>
<p>EDIT: Further thoughts (and speculations) at the moment:</p>
<p>1.) They did not send out a wave yesterday, as Southern California applicants don’t seem to be posting their admissions or posts saying that they’ve gotten them in the mail;
2.) Going back to our informal ranking system, I’d say that they’re currently at admit- and those that received the status change to “in review” in February have either been accepted already or will be in the next wave;
3.) Those that had the error page or had been in preliminary review for a while (or got updated to “in review” recently in early March) are deny+ applicants. This does not take into account those applicants that had their mid-year reports requested and thus have separate statuses. Furthermore, those applicants that applied to specialized programs or schools that required supplementary materials are most likely exempt from our theory here given that their applications must be reviewed to a greater extent than other applicants;
4.) Again, I cannot stress this enough: this is all speculation and we’re just trying to make sense of what we see.</p>
<p> DISCLAIMER: This is all speculation and a theory by two applicants like YOU GUYS. All the “rankings” that we used are informal (see the beginning of my earlier post). We’re not admissions counselors and those are the only people that really know anything. We’re just trying to make sense of things and attempting to piece things together. Essentially, take this thread with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>I think this theory is logical, and probably the best explanation anyone has had so far. I also understand that it’s speculation. But here’s my opinion.</p>
<p>Yesterday, my status changed from “preliminary,” putting me in your theory’s “Deny+” group. If your theory is accurate, I’m not so sure I’d be in that pile. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I have the same (if not higher–sorry guys, this sounds egotistical, and I promise I’m not really a jerk) stats as people accepted in “Admit+,” or scholarship round (NMF, high SAT, high GPA, strong EC’s and recognition/leadership, good essays & recs, etc.). </p>
<p>Anyway, I could be in denial, and my application could have really sucked. But I just wanted to say this, maybe to put some other peoples’ minds at ease, maybe to put my own mind at ease. We all know this system has caused alot of anxiety for everyone.</p>
<p>Yes, completely agree jayell27. This is just a general theory using general numbers. There are ALWAYS exceptions. DO NOT lose your confidence if you fall into the “deny +” category.</p>
<p>Were the people in the preliminary status asked to submit mid-year grades?</p>
<p>To me, it makes more sense that a status change to “reviewed by committee” is a good thing. If everyone with that status was accepted in the first wave, it makes more sense to me that people with a status change are now the second wave.</p>
<p>Perhaps those of us with the status of “we received the fall grades” are the deny+ applications (hence asking for mid-year grades). </p>
<p>It just seems like everyone in the admit- and deny+ category would be expected to submit grades.</p>
<p>I think it’s hard to tell if any status means anything, and nothing is definite until you get a letter. However, as far as I can tell, a status change is a good thing because rejections are last.</p>
<p>To add to this twist, many applicants had to do a supplemental application and an audition or portfolio (for example the music department, fine arts and cinematograpy). These individuals had to go through two sets of reviews. According to their website, these schools keep in close contact with the adcom and let them know who they wish to admit. Many of those who applied to these schools and went out in the first tier were granted admission to USC, but not to their designated school as the review was not yet complete on the schools end. Therefore, these students may be exceptional candidates but not yet admitted as their designated school hasn’t finished it’s review. Make sense?</p>
<p>Right. One thing su542k13 said is sticking with me though. He or she said that his/her status went from “prelim” to “we received fall grades.” This may make the theory that the prelim review is admit- and we received fall grades deny+ a bit more accurate. Others went from “prelim” to “reviewed by commitee.”</p>
<p>So, who knows which is accept and which is deny. I guess we’ll see by the end of this month.</p>
<p>calgal08, can you give an example ? I don’t think I’ve seen anyone on CC that said they have been admitted to USC but not to the school they applied to. I have, however, seen many people (SCA Applicants, particuarly) who very few have been accepted because the application process takes longer. Have people been accepted to USC but not their particular major?</p>
<p>Well, it’s possible to be admitted generally to USC and not to the special school you’re applying to. But all those people were probably top admits.</p>
<p>I know of an individual who went out in the first wave as admitted to USC, but his acceptance letter stated that his major was currently changed to undeclared as his designated school (music) had not yet finished their review of his supplemental application.</p>
<p>hmmm… it’s a nice theory and obviously there are holes in it but i’ll run with it. my stats arent particularly great (3.5uw 3.7w 1820sat) but my status changed on the 6th of feb. which should’ve been in the first wave or somewhere up there. but i havent received mine so i’m guessing i’m a reject?</p>
<p>… but there are different admissions officers for different states. for some states, some people’s statuses changed at once. i think it may vary by state and the specific officer coordinating admissions.</p>
<p>There’s one problem with that. It’s not one admissions officer making the decision alone. There’s a committee and so he has to work in concert with other people in the committee too.</p>
<p>dudeee…mine just changed to currently being reviewed 3 days short of being in preliminary review for 2 months, but my last status change still says 1/11/08..wth?</p>
<p>Im just hoping for the status change to “being reviewed” sometime in early march, as it seems like that has the most probability of being accepted.
houseofcards, i am a she. salutations :)</p>