<p>I've always assumed USC was hard to get into, and I still am, because i have yet to get in (1320, 3.7) but just a couple days ago a classmate of mine got in, and in no way deserved it....he had a 3.58 and a 1220, no honors/AP courses at all, no extracurriculars besides varisty soccer (not a star player) and no community service at all...i am bewildered and shocked...there were so many better applicants than him and he himself predicted he would be a "3rd wave rejection" as he said, so I'm in awe. Everyone knows he's not smart in anyway, he doesn't work hard...but he is 1st generation Jamaican and many ppl are pointing at that. But honestly, how could USC accept him, and accept him EARLY before the deadline???? what is wrong here?</p>
<p>actually, USC is very competitive to get into. He may be those exceptions because each school has them. It's a fact of life.</p>
<p>USC is very selective. I think you are underestimating the value of the essays, teacher recommendations, etc. It's not all about GPA, SAT, extracurriculars, or community service. They may be interested in something he wrote in his personal statement or other essays.</p>
<p>And yes, I think they also want diversity in the student body and will try a few students with lower stats, hoping they will rise to the challenge of more difficult college classes. Do you think the SAT actually accurately predicts success in college?</p>
<p>well everyone knows teacher recs dont ACTUALLY matter b/c they all say the same crap unless you're like the smartest kid the teacher has ever had, in which case he wasn't because our school bases recs off a student resume and he showed me his, nothing special, barely avg. and he himself has never been a standout type personality...also...essays i cant imagine being anything outstanding, i've seen him write and creativity is lacking, plus he isn't in the honors english classes at my school which is an indication of writing ability i would say.....and how can you say "its not all about GPA, SAT, extracurriculars, and community service??" LOL those are teh 4 MOST important factors! it does not take an admissions officer to figure that out</p>
<p>Of course. All I'm saying is that there's more to it than what you see on the service. GPA and SAT numbers are easy to compare, but other factors are not. Just look at the students with insanely high SAT scores that still get rejected from their top choices.</p>
<p>maybe he's really rich? lol jk</p>
<p>Well a friend of mine who got C's and D's in just about all of his class and like a 1200 someodd SAT got into a good school probably because his dad donated bunch of money to the school each year. Another one of my friend got into a pretty good school with mediocre grades (Bs and Cs) because he is a legacy.</p>
<p>"well everyone knows teacher recs dont ACTUALLY matter b/c they all say the same crap unless you're like the smartest kid the teacher has ever had"</p>
<p>Completely the opposite, in fact, a good teacher rec will distinguish you from other students with very personal stories and insight on the student's work ethic, excitement to learn, etc...Now, at many schools it may be difficult to get these great recs, but they do exist (IE at my school)</p>
<p>For the original poster, is your GPA weighted or nonweighted?</p>