USC Browser History Essay

I think this is only for Viterbi applicants (correct me if I’m wrong), but this year’s application asks about your browser history. Here’s the prompt:

“Your browser history says a lot about you. Take a moment to think about the time you spend online. Whether it’s browsing an Instagram account, listening to your favorite podcast, subscribing to the best web series on YouTube, or even addressing questions on tech-help forums, we want to know where you spend the most time online, and why. Please share your favorite online destination (via a web address, specific app, social network, etc.) - and describe why in a few sentences.”

Definitely one of the strangest essay prompts I’ve seen from a college.

I honestly can’t tell if I should be honest or if I should put something a little more appropriate (a website that I frequent, that’s also related to my activities), especially since the website I frequent isn’t particularly well known or politically correct.

The prompt also says to describe why in a few sentences, but you can fit much more than a few sentences in the 250 word limit.

Any advice and/or what are y’all’s plans?

I’ve been wondering the same thing! I feel like if I am honest it will seem too superficial. And it clearly says to describe it in a few sentencea but it also clearly says 250 word limit so I have no clue what to do!

Just wondering, what did you both end up writing about?

@nonzie I wrote about youtube and online video games. I think they want you to be honest, not just say “my two most visited websites are usc.edu and commonapp.org

commonapp.org is my most visited site lol

Literally, mine would have been archiveofourown.org. So happy I didn’t apply to Viterbi.