***USC Class of 2021 Discussion/Results Thread***

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
1301

**Decision: Accepted **

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1560 (new, I forgot the breakdown)
ACT (breakdown): 36 Composite + 36 Writing
SAT II: 800 Physics, 780 Math II
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.96, weighted is a 4.99 I think
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A
AP (place score in parenthesis): U.S. History (5), U.S. Gov (5), English Lang (5), Calc BC (5), Chinese (3), Macroeconomics (5), Physics 2 (5)

Senior Year Course Load:
Multivariable Calculus
AP Physics C
AP Chemistry
AP Lit
AP Computer Science
Advanced Creative Writing
Band

Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):

  • published in The Best Teen Writing of 2015
  • Scholastic Arts and Writing National Gold Medalist
  • National Merit Semi
  • everything else I listed was minor/too specific to me

Extracurriculars/Volunteering/Work/Summers (place leadership in parenthesis):
NSLI-y (scholarship from the US Dept. of State to stay in China for 2 months with a host family)
MUN (President)
Boy Scouts (many, I forgot what I listed)
Fencing
Robotics-ish thing that I founded
Newspaper
Congressional Campaign Intern

Essays (rating 1-10, details): I went for really cheesy and I guess they liked them. For the prompt where you could pick 3 options, I just copy pasted my Stanford “What matters to you and why?” essay no edits lol. For the collaboration prompt, I wrote about a CS project that was probably kinda generic. For the why USC I took them through an average day at USC for me–probably the strongest essay of the bunch. For the website one, I wrote about Reddit (lol).

Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):

Teacher Rec #1: loves me + told me many times her rec was fantastic
Teacher Rec #2: decent–had her sophomore year, and she loved me then, but idk if she remembers enough
Counselor Rec: probably pretty good, I hang out with him a lot
Additional Rec: MUN Coach, could go either way since half the time I think he hates me lmao. Clearly it wasn’t negative though? Who even knows.
Interview: Nope

Other

Applied for Financial Aid?: I think so? Not honestly sure tbh
Intended Major: Computer Science and Business Administration
State (if domestic applicant): IL
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Indian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: 300k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Nope.

Reflection

Strengths: stats, awards, ECs, essays?
Weaknesses: letters of rec for sure + I basically have anti-hooks demographic wise
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I feel like I have a very “USC-esque” personality and that showed through my entire application.

Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected:

Accepted: Just USC so far
Deferred: N/a
Rejected: Stanford

General Comments: Finalist for Presidential scholarship, I’m really hyped. I checked my mail earlier today and there wasn’t anything there so I was disappointed initially, and then it just happened to be there when I got home from practice. Love USC + this my first acceptance so I’m still kinda freaking out!

1302

From San Jose, CA.

Just got the acceptance letter in the mail today, and selected as a finalist for full tuition.
I think I should be proud? lol. I think there are only about 300 finalists?

1303

Anyone is norcal get boxes today? Sacramento etc.?

1304

@brightfuters I received the full tuition finalist package in the mail today and I live near San Jose. Some parts of NorCal, especially more rural areas, should receive their packages tomorrow.

1305

portal updates?

1306

someone said 1 am on 26th. Is that 1 am california time?

1307

Didn’t get anything :frowning: oh well, all for the best I guess

1308

Don’t wait up for it, but portals in past few years have updated between 12 -1am PST. However they mailed packages out on a different day than usual this year so maybe they are changing things up. Hate for you to stay up only to see them post later in the day. So if you can sleep do so and check it in the morning before school.

1309

@brightfuters Yes we are in Bay Area and got it. I assume Sac would be same timeframe.

1310

Any chance that a package might have been delayed at my local post office? Clinging to any sort of semblance of hope at this point
-San Jose, CA

1311

Well, I guess I should post in here. Today I was shocked to find a big old package from USC in the mail labeled “priority mail.” I thought that I had to wait until late March for a decision and wasn’t aware that scholarship recipients get their decisions earlier. I really, really wasn’t expecting it. Like even as I was opening it, I still thought it was probably just another pamphlet from USC. Then I screamed when I read “Congratulations!” and started crying and hugging my dog since no one else was home. And that was before I had even found out that I had also been chosen as a finalist for the Trustee Scholarship.

I am beyond happy about this but honestly also kind of shocked. I’m a pretty above average student (3.9 GPA, 1470 SAT) and wasn’t even expecting to be accepted to USC. But now thinking it over, I think what they really liked were my essays. I did my best to portray myself honestly, which meant explaining my crazy existentialism and frequent introspective thoughts.

Anyways, just thought I’d share! This reaffirmed my belief that college admissions are a lottery!

I’m in Florida, by the way.

1312

@meddude101 San Jose residents should have received it by now, I did.

1313

@colegio Omg congrats!!!

1314

@colegio congrats bro! I am super anxious to receive a portal update. (international student) i think i still have some chance and hope with a 1510. ofcourse admission is based on things beyond that!

1315

Can people who did get scholarship notifications post their stats?

1316

There’s already a thread up for that I believe!

1317

what thread? @meerajan16

1318

**Decision: Accepted **

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT (breakdown): 32
SAT II: Did not submit
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.7
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10%
AP (place score in parenthesis): US History (4), Language and Comp (5), AP Calc (3)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP US Government and Politics, Economics, AP Statistics, Psychology and Sociology, Technical Theater, AP Literature and Composition, Human Anatomy
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Nope

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): (Vice President) Speech and Debate Team for four years, Nationally ranked debater, Tournament of Champions qualifier, Competitive club swimming, (Captain) varsity swimming, College ambassador
Job/Work Experience: Lifeguard
Volunteer/Community service: Docent at the Children’s Discovery Museum
Summer Activities: Debate camp, Lifeguarding
Essays (rating 1-10, details): 9 – my supplements for USC were some of my best
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):

Teacher Rec #1: Calc Teacher (9)
Teacher Rec #2: AP lang teacher (8.5)
Counselor Rec: 10
Additional Rec:
Interview:

Other

Applied for Financial Aid?: Definitely
Intended Major: Economics
State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant): ummm
School Type: Public. Very public.
Ethnicity: Indian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: >250,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Highest ranked female debater in my school’s history

Reflection

Strengths:ECs, Testing, Essays
Weaknesses: GPA (lordy)
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: UMass Amherst (Accepted), Lewis and Clark (Accepted), Willamette (Accepted)

General Comments : Good Luck to everyone on their college journey!

1319

I got an admission and considered for $52000 full tuition.

So I am wondering if I deny full tuition after having an interview,finally I cant received tuition at all???.

1320

So I just found out that even though I’m in Norcal I’m actually in a 3 day zone…when does portal come out