<p>Anyone want to take a shot for my kid to get into BA theatre at USC? Great academic stats for many schools, at least within range, although not necc far above USC' class acceptances, fair amount of acting but only on local basis. Some lead parts. Likeable kid that comes across as successful and intelligent, without being cocky. has other EC's too but acting has been one that he has given most attention to. Not from California or neighboring state</p>
<p>For the BA, the student is evaluated primarily on their gpa/SAT scores, as well as essays, ECs, etc. With a very good essay and acting ECs, students with the best shot fall near or above the mean gpa: 3.8 UW (2012). This year’s numbers should be posted soon. Here’s the freshman profile for all the info and the column to look at closely is the admitted students. <a href=“http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/private/1213/USCFreshmanProfile2012.pdf[/url]”>http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/private/1213/USCFreshmanProfile2012.pdf</a></p>
<p>Of course, if a student is applying for the BFA in the School of Dramatic Arts, there is considerable attention given to their audition or portfolio review (design/tech). There is no real formula that has ever been spoken of, but anecdotally, we hear that students with excellent auditions and other honors in their fields may be admitted with stats in the lower quartile. This goes for Football players, as well as talent-based majors. ;)</p>
<p>Geographic location is not considered (private university).</p>
<p>Thanks. GPA is in range as is bulk of composite SAT. Wow, the stats are really high on the admissions range. Kid is in better shape using actual enrolls. I wonder if admit rate is coming out so high because USC admits a lot of super high stat kids that end up elsewhere. I asked about geography because even though private, USC has its share of southern California kids. so I thought being from another geographic area might allow for a slight advantage. They are unlikely to apply for BFA. Thanks for sending the chart. Making me more pessimistic about admissions odds but kid is still close enough to at least apply.</p>
<p>USC was just ranked 23 in the latest USNWR list, and while rankings are just silly, it is an indicator of how overall academically competitive this university is to get into and also how highly they value high stat kids (to help increase their school’s position). If your school has Naviance, look at kids who were admitted to USC from your own school to see how your S’s stats compare. </p>
<p>In almost all schools, the admitted students will be the higher stats–but, unfortunately, that’s the number to aim for if one wants to be competitive for admission. When stats fall lower than the mid-point, the other holistic elements of the application can help the student shine. I will sometimes advise a kid to do a little more prep on their lowest SAT subscore and retake the SAT just to see if it can raise their number a little, since many schools–like USC–superscore. Each year, it seems, kids who have stats even near the top quartile, and not admitted (!!!) but of course on CC we can’t read the essays, see the whole app, and who knows why decisions are made the way they are? </p>
<p>As for geo advantage, that may be a tip if the home state is a really rare one. 
But the best advantage is likely to audition for the BFA, especially if the student is a good auditioner. At that point, the audition will weigh into the decision, and even after admission letters go out, USC allows BFA students to switch to the BA. Something to think about if this is truly one of the top choices on his list.</p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>
<p>That is exactly my S’s strategy madbean… I don’t think his stats are high enough to be admitted to the BA. His test scores are, but not his GPA. He is going to audition for the BFA, and at if he doesn’t get in to that, they at least got to put a name to a face and see his audition It might be enough to sway them into admitting him into the BA?? I really don’t know, but he would probably be happy in either program, and if he by miracle, gets in the BFA, he can always switch to the BA. I hear there is a HUGE percentage of kids that do just that. They have such a fantastic BA in theater, that it is not surprising they have a large fall out from the BFA.</p>
<p>Thank for the advice madbean. Had not thought of the BFA strategy… Will def consider it. I may drop you a private note on testing. I would like kid to take ACT and would rather get into details in PM but bottom line it is to pull scores up not just for USC but also to increase scholarship odds at some other schools. </p>
<p>Had to chuckle on the Naviance issue. It’s possible kid is the first person ever to apply to USC from their high school so if Naviance is school specific, it won’t help too much </p>
<p>5boys, good luck to yours. Stay in touch. Our guys are applying to totally different schools other than USC but it would be good to support each other through this crazy process. Is yours applying to LMU? You gave a tip to me several weeks ago to visit LMU and so glad we did. Kid liked it a lot and plans to apply!!!</p>
<p>Great about LMU ctl! It’s a great school, and is heavily connected in the TV/Film industry. It just wasn’t quite the right fit for my S, he liked it though. I had no idea it was such a stunning campus. It’s a good location, and you can’t beat the proximity to the airport.</p>
<p>Do you have any idea how hard it is to get into LMU’s theater department?</p>
<p>I am wondering the same thing cti…there are no in person auditions if that means anything. And you can’t visit the department. They are having an open house soon and we are going but not sure anyone from the theater department will be there. If they are I will ask how many apply and how many they admit.</p>
<p>let me know what you find out. I know kid has to submit audition DVD so it sounds like there is some type of selection process but this is the school that I know the least about out of the schools where he’s applying(at least re theatre dept). They won’t let you visit the dept at all? Not so much an issue for us cause we live too far away for a 2nd visit but that surprises me. I’ve been able to set up some type of informal or formal visit at the other schools. Do you happen to know anything about their communications dept and whether they have broadcast journalism options(even if it’s called something else)</p>
<p>Nope no tours at all. I emailed the department and asked. Yes I forgot to mention that you must submit a video audition. I don’t know anything about the communications department but will see what I can find out during the open house next month.</p>
<p>Yeah and we’ll look too. kid should be starting common app soon and LMU will be first one they’ll do supplements for so we’ll learn stuff as we go.</p>
<p>Is you son applying to Chapman as well?</p>
<p>where will your daughter be applying to bissou? She sounds like quite a young lady, from what i’ve picked up in other posts. I think u and I are regulars on in the theatre forum!! R u in Cali?</p>
<p>She has increased her list thanks to people here on CC…
Chapman
LMU
Occidental
NYU
Fordham
Rutgers
SUNY Purchase
Hartt
Montclair
Boston
Emerson
And yes we live in CA. Hard to visit all of the new schools at such a short notice since she just added the East coast schools about a month ago :(</p>
<p>I hear u. Will she be able to do unified auditions to at cut down on teh auditions? and if you do make it out. NYC is not "taht’ far from Boston so you could catch the NYC and Boston schools maybe in one shot. Rutgers is also not far from NYC and I don’t think Suny purchase is either(although they are in opposite directions). Does she have any safeties? i don’t know all the schools on the list but several are hard to get into.</p>
<p>Her only non audition is Oxy but her safety is Cal Poly Pomona…</p>
<p>Both would be great choices for school!!!</p>
<p>oh and just saw your earlier question. Kid is leaning against Chapman at this time since it’s quite a distance from LA, even taking train into account. We saw facilities and they were amazing but he wrote up a list about what is really important to him and decided to pencil Chapman off the list for now. If he gets everything else done timely, he may add Chapman back on. He is leaning very heavily towards huge urban schools(with one exception) and prefers an urban environment over even suburban schools in big metro areas.</p>
<p>That’'s funny ctl… my S did just the opposite, decided ( mostly) against big urban schools with no campus, and wants a smaller more intimate place. He scratched off Emerson, NYU, all the UC’s, and probably Depaul. He kept BU on he list for now, just because it has SO many other things he likes about it.</p>