USC Admittees that were convinced you weren’t getting in. Experiences and advice for future Trojan hopefuls

Applying to College Admission Stories
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It’s been a super long time since I’ve visited CC! And chatter here is just as manic as it was when I first visited as an aspiring Trojan two years ago!

Even though that feels like SUCH A long time ago. And although I’m approaching my last year at SC, - added a minor and progressive degree :melting_face: - I’m still pretty traumatized by my experience waiting for an acceptance or rejection.

It sucks. I know.

It’s scary, it’s nerve racking, and, in my case, isolating since I had to go through the process completely blind to the nuances of applying to a university as a first gen student. One who also did not come from a wealthy background.

Naively, I applied to four schools and was confident I’d at least make it into one :sweat_smile:

I was on CC every single day, trudging through threads and posts about people getting their acceptances and repeatedly telling myself that maybe I just wasn’t good enough to go anywhere.

Regular self criticisms included, but were not limited to:

  • my essays were stupid; I was really honest and really passionate, why was I so honest?? Should I have been more professional???
  • I wasn’t a member of any clubs in community college; should I have just quit working and been immersed in college life??
  • my work history had nothing to do with my degree goals? Should I have lied about my passions and went into a program I didn’t like just to get in???
  • how the hell am I gonna pay for school??? My parents aren’t co-signing on any loans, and I can’t ask my friends.

Then the first shoe dropped.

I got rejected by UCLA and waitlisted by two other UCs.

I was 100% CONVINCED that there was no way in hell I was getting into USC.

It was a really terrifying experience.

And then it happened :exploding_head:

I got in.

And not only did I get in, I got a merit scholarship that combined with uni grants covered almost all of my tuition.

This is a super short synopsis of my full experience.

BUT,

I thought this would be a great space for me and others who shared similar feelings of hopelessness can hopefully inspire others like us not to give up.

Fight on, bb! :v: