USC Class of 2022 Decisions/Stats Only Thread

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
1

Reposted from last years stats thread via @CADREAMIN. Just preparing for the boxes to come this week…post your stats along with your outcome!:

REMEMBER - STATS ONLY - NO DISCUSSION.

All credit for format goes to @co4usc2016

All questions and discussions should go here: http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/2023383-usc-class-of-2022.html#latest

THANKS!

Here are instructions and a template you can use to help future generations of USC applicants!:

-Copy/paste all the text below from === to === into a new post (Do NOT include the ===)
-Delete the line that does not apply, i.e. Accepted or Rejected.
-Add your specifics.
-PREVIEW POST to see how it looks before you submit. Instead of clicking “Post Comment,” choose “Preview” so you can make adjustments before you post.

IMPORTANT: Remove spaces inside brackets before posting!!

THANKS FOR CONTRIBUTING!

=====================

[ size=4][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted**[/color][/size]
[ size=4][ color=orange][ b]Decision: Deferred**[/color][/size]
[ size=4][ color=red][ b]Decision: Rejected**[/color][/size]

[ b]Date applied: **

[ b]Date decision postmarked/received:**

[ b]Which school/major at USC:**

[ b]Scholarships:**

[ b]Objective:**
SAT I (breakdown):
ACT (breakdown):
SAT II (place score in parentheses):
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
AP (place score in parentheses):
IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load:
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):

[ b]Subjective:**
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):
Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community Service:
Summer Activities:
Essays (rating 1-10, details)::
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details)::
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details)::
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details)::
Interview:

[ b]Other**
Applied for Financial Aid?
State (if domestic applicant):
Country (if international applicant):
School Type:
Ethnicity:
Gender:
Income Bracket:
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

[ b]Reflection**
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:
Where else you are applying or have already applied:
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight:

===============

2

Accepted
[ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted**[/color]
[ color=orange][ b]Decision: Deferred**[/color]
[ color=red][ b]Decision: Rejected**[/color]

**Date applied: [11/26/17]

[ b]Date decision postmarked/received:**

[ b]Which school/major at USC: Sociology, Dornsife College of Letter and Arts

[ b]Scholarships: Presidential Scholarship

[ b]Objective:**
SAT I (breakdown):1560
ACT (breakdown):
SAT II: Math (790) Literature (670)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):3.67
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
AP: Calc AB (4) Human Geo (4) Lang (3) Euro (3)
IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Stats, AP Literature, AP Environmental Science, CP Government/Economics, CP Ceramics
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Presidential Volunteer Service Award (Gold Medal), Eagle Scout

[ b]Subjective:**
Extracurriculars: Global Youth Mission (VP), Go M.A.D (President), Boyscouts (Eagle), SBS internship, Student Reporter of Korea Times
Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community Service:
Summer Activities:
Essays (rating 1-10, details): 9
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): 9
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details): 8
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details)::
Interview:

[ b]Other**
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes
State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant): USA
School Type: Charter
Ethnicity: Korean
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: (30,000/yr - 40,000/yr)
Hooks: First generation college
[ b]Reflection**
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:
Where else you are applying or have already applied:
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight:

3

Decision: Accepted

Date applied: 12/1

Date decision postmarked/received: received 1/25

Which school/major at USC: Annenberg, Public Reations major[

Scholarships: Nominated for full tuition

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): Did not send
ACT (breakdown): 33 (35E, 31M, 35R, 31S)
SAT II (place score in parentheses): Did not take
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.94
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 7/130
AP (place score in parentheses):
IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load: DE Calc I, AP English Lit, DE Intro Women’s Studies, DE Intro to Communication, DE English Research and Composition, DE Intro Probs and Stats, DE American Foreign Policy, DE Principles of Economics
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Newspaper (president) Debate (secretary)
Job/Work Experience: Part-time summer job
Volunteer/Community Service: 22 hrs at animal shelter
Summer Activities:
Essays (rating 1-10, details): Not sure, thought they were okay.
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): Pretty good. One of them was really personal and amazing, the other was good but more general
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details): Okay, pretty general
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details):
Interview: I think it went well.

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes
State (if domestic applicant): PA
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Small public
Ethnicity: White hispanic
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: 100k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Hispanic, first-gen

Reflection
Strengths: Not sure
Weaknesses: Rigor prior to senior year, ECs
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: No clue
Where else you are applying or have already applied: BU, Syracuse, Emerson, Penn State, Temple, Alabama
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: USC has always been my top school. I never imagined that I’d get admitted, let alone nominated for a scholarship! I’m not a happy crier, but I full on sobbed when I saw the package. I called my mom and was sobbing so hard she thought I got into an accident. I’m still trying to process it all. Good luck to everyone else!

4

Decision: Accepted

Date applied: 12/1
Date decision postmarked/received:1/25
Which school/major at USC: Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Scholarships: Presidential

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1500
ACT (breakdown): 34
SAT II (place score in parentheses): Math II- 790 Chemistry- 740
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 2/277
AP (place score in parentheses): 5- Calc BC, Psychology, Environmental Science, Gov, Lang 4- Chem 3- Physics 1
IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Physics 2, AP Stat, AP Lit, AP Human Geo, AP CompSci A
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar with Distinction, SWE High Recognition in Math and Science, nothing big tbh

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Special Buddies, Peer Mentors (Events Head), Diversity Club (Officer), PJAS (secretary), Mosque Youth Group (President), Harvey Mudd WISTEM
Job/Work Experience: Internship at UPenn Lab, Kumon Instructor
Volunteer/Community Service: NHS, volunteering at hospitals
Summer Activities: Camp Neuro/Cardiac, Penn Hospital Volunteer, Work, LIU Summer Honor Institute
Essays (rating 1-10, details):: Why major and USC: 7/10 - realized I applied for a different major than I wrote about so changed essay last minute, Supplemental; 9/10 wrote about my culture
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details)::
Teacher 1: 9/10 has taught me since freshman year till now, loves me
Teach 2: 8/10 had since sophmore year, not as close with as teacher 1 but introduced me to professor I intern for now
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details):: 9/10, have spent many meetings and days in her office navigating college process
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details):: 7/10- WISTEM adviser, came with program
Interview: N/A

[ b]Other**
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes
State (if domestic applicant): PA
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White (Middle Eastern)
Gender: F
Income Bracket: middle class
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): nada

[ b]Reflection**
Strengths: Essays, Teacher Recs, GPA
Weaknesses: Test scores not super high, last minute essay writing, lacking major awards
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: honestly don’t know I just put myself out there and guess that resonated with the committee
Where else you are applying or have already applied: UPitt (full ride), Tulane (deferred) have not heard from Penn, Harvard, Stanford, BU, Case Western, Darthmouth, Brown, Swarthmore and Yale yet
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: BE GENUINE!!! Can’t stress this enough please don’t write what you think admission officers will like, I contemplated writing along these lines but decided not to and definitely think being real helped me out alot

5

Decision: Accepted

**Date applied: November 27th **

**Date decision postmarked/received: January 25th **

Which school/major at USC: Marshall School of Business, Business Administration Major

Scholarships: Nominated for Full Tuition

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1530, Verbal: 730, Math:800
ACT (breakdown): N/A
SAT II (place score in parentheses): Math Level 2: 700, World History: 630 (Trash, but I wanted to send two)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.92, Weighted is 4.6
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1
AP (place score in parentheses): AP World History: 3, APES: 3, AP Government: 4, AP Psychology: 4, AP Statistics: 4
IB (place score in parentheses): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: Intermediate Spanish II, Philosophy, Public Speaking, Critical Thinking, Latin
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Nothing really just AP Scholar

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Started a business this past summer, Beta Club (President), Manager of Personal Investment Portfolio, Academic Bowl Team Captain, Spanish Honor Society, Local college Math Club (President), Local college Psychology Club (President)
Job/Work Experience: Peer Tutor at local college
Volunteer/Community Service: Just Beta Club
Summer Activities: Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies, Columbia Venture Creation
Essays (rating 1-10, details):: 9, Wrote about how peer tutoring has given me increased confidence in my abilities.
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):: 8, Didn’t see but he is my quiz bowl coach and we have a pretty good relationship
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details):: 8, We’ve gotten pretty close over the years.
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details):: 7, Didn’t see but he was my math club advisor so we worked together a lot
Interview: None

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? Yup
State (if domestic applicant): GA
Country (if international applicant): America
School Type: Magnet
Ethnicity: Caribbean (Haitian)
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: Mid 60K
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM and First-Gen. Dad died of cancer before I started high school so I included that in the additional information section.

Reflection
Strengths: Personal Statement, I tried my best to show my ambition and drive. Extracurriculars, recommendations, and hooks also helped.
Weaknesses: Those trash SAT II scores, AP scores to an extent, I did get a couple of 3’s.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Honestly not quite sure but maybe the right combination of scores, extracurriculars, essays, and hooks.
Where else you are applying or have already applied: All ivies except Dartmouth, Stanford, UCLA, UC Berkeley, GA Tech, UGA, NYU, Duke, Vanderbilt and some others. I don’t really recommend applying to a bunch of schools like I did. It could be pretty stressful especially if you procrastinate like I did LOL.
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: I am truly grateful. To those anxiously anticipating, Hang in there guys. Keep your head up if that white box does not show up. It’s not over yet! Good luck everyone!

6

Accepted

Date applied: 11/25/17

Date decision postmarked/received: 01/23/18

Which school/major at USC:Poli Sci

Scholarships:Finalist for full-tuition

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown):1440 690 Math 750 690 RW
ACT (breakdown):32
SAT II (place score in parentheses):
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):3.94
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):N/A
AP (place score in parentheses): Lit, Gov, Calc AB, Physics
IB (place score in parentheses):N/A
Senior Year Course Load:AP Lit, Gov, Calc, Phys, Spanish
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Student Government, Drama, Mock Trial etc
Job/Work Experience: Weekend Reception
Volunteer/Community Service: Average amount
Summer Activities: Camps related to ECs
Essays (rating 1-10, details)::10/10 Main Essay
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):: Don’t know, didn’t read. Assume they were good…so, 8-9/10
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details):: No idea, we weren’t super close
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details):: My boss 9/10
Interview: We shall see…

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes!
State (if domestic applicant): WA
Country (if international applicant):
School Type:
Ethnicity:
Gender: M
Income Bracket: 100+
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

Reflection
Strengths: EC’s, Essays
Weaknesses: Test scores?
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I’m hoping I came across authentically, that what I wanted to express resonated with the people making decisions
Where else you are applying or have already applied: Too many…cast a wide net bc of financial need
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: It’s all so crazy, but I guess don’t try to be someone you aren’t, I think that’s good advice for this process and life in general?

7

Decision: Accepted

**Date applied: ** December 1st

Date decision postmarked/received: January 25th

Which school/major at USC: Viterbi, Computer Science Major!

Scholarships: Finalist for full-tuition

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown):1580; Math: 800, Verbal: 780 (only took it once)
ACT (breakdown): n/a
SAT II (place score in parentheses): Math II: 800; Chemistry: 790; Biology: 780
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 2/410
AP (place score in parentheses): World History (3), Calc AB (5), Microeconomics (5), Biology (4), Calc BC (5), Chemistry (5), Physics 1 (4), Psychology (5)
IB (place score in parentheses): n/a
Senior Year Course Load: AP Computer Science, AP Statistics, AP Literature & Composition, AP Physics 2, AP Macroeconomics, Astronomy (Honors)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Semifinalist, AP Scholar with Distinction

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Math Team (Captain in senior year and Vice Captain junior year), Science Olympiad (Vice President in junior year), Charity Organization (Vice President senior year and Treasurer in junior year), etc.
Job/Work Experience: Teacher at Math Tutoring Center
Volunteer/Community Service: Volunteering through Charity Organization, Volunteer at local senior living center (150+ hours in total)
Summer Activities: Summer programs related to math and computer science (not the competitive ones like PROMYS or RSI though lol) during the summer after 10th and 11th grade, summer internship at local start-up company, took courses in subjects I was interested in, took foreign language courses online
Essays (rating 1-10, details):: I’m terrible at rating my own writing, but I did enjoy the USC-specific questions. Just reread my responses and while they’re not amazing, I think they show my personality and thinking-process (if that makes sense).
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):: 8-9/10?? Math Teacher & Math Team advisor - I didn’t read the rec letter but I’ve known her since 9th grade and had her for AP Calc AB and AP Calc BC! She’s my favorite teacher and I love her!
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details):: No idea, we’re not close and she barely knows me. However, guidance counselors at my school do senior interviews before writing our rec letters and she seemed really impressed when I was talking about my ECs!
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details):: Didn’t send one
Interview: None

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes
State (if domestic applicant): don’t want to say, but I live in New England (go Pats!!!)
Country (if international applicant): 'Murica
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Indian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: around 150K I think, but not 100% sure
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None

Reflection
Strengths: Test scores, classes taken/grades, leadership?
Weaknesses: Pretty “basic” ECs (literally all my friends/peers who are into STEM do Math Team, Science Team, TSA, etc.), but I made sure that I was very involved in them. I also don’t have science fair stuff or national awards.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Honestly, no clue? Maybe a combination of everything! I was shocked to see the white box on my doorstep yesterday!

Where else you are applying or have already applied: Accepted at Northeastern (into Honors College) and Georgia Tech; Deferred at MIT and University of Michigan; Waiting on some Ivies, UC Berkeley, UCLA, RPI, University of Rochester, Carnegie Mellon University
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: So grateful and blessed! Congrats to everyone, and good luck to everyone waiting for March/April! It’s not over yet! Prospective applicants, PLEASE don’t procrastinate like I did (I submitted my app rather late at night…). Also make sure your essays show characteristics you haven’t shared in other areas of your application, be genuine, and try to show your fun side in the quick-takes/short answer questions!

8

Decision: Accepted

**Date applied: ** 12/1/2017

Date decision postmarked/received: 1/25/2018

Which school/major at USC: Dornslife - Neuroscience

Scholarships: Presidential/Half-tuition

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1450 Superscore (760 M and 690 V)
ACT (breakdown): n/a
SAT II (place score in parentheses): n/a
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.75
Weighted GPA: 4.27
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 52/550
AP (place score in parentheses): Calc BC, Physics C Mech, AP Lang, AP Computer Science, AP US History (Did not submit any scores lol)
IB (place score in parentheses): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Bio, AP Gov, AP Microecon, AP Lit, AP Psych, Honors Anatomy
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Governors Honor’s Program - Science Finalist 2017

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Ultimate Frisbee, Green Club, NHS, Persian Cultural Thing outside of school, Orchestra, School Ambassador Program
Job/Work Experience: Did research internship at Georgia Tech summer of 2016 and developed a sensor conducted for neuroscience applications- wrote common app essay about this. Also work as a busboy at a restaurant currently.
Volunteer/Community Service: Green Club, used to volunteer at a library and YMCA(did not put down either), lots of volunteering overall for fun, didn’t really explain it other than green club.
Summer Activities: Internship at GT - 2016. GHP Science - 2017. Persian Summer Camp - 2014 and 2015.
Essays (rating 1-10, details):: 9.4, wrote about goal of curing CTE and tied it in to my research at GT. Started early and got lots of people to read it and edit it along with feedback.
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):: 8.7, got it from a teacher who had me as a freshman and senior. She’s an amazing teacher and person, and she knows me pretty well along with the research I did and my aspirations.
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details):: 7.3 , I’ve seen my councilor since sophomore year and she knows me pretty well, I would think it would be pretty good.
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details):: N/A
Interview: Had a interview with USC admission councilor in September and it went fantastic! Showed my PASSION.

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? YESSS
State (if domestic applicant): GA
Country (if international applicant): USA
School Type: Puclic
Ethnicity: White (Middle eastern origin)
Gender: M
Income Bracket: 80,000ish
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): 1st gen american? (Born in Iran and came here young, parents worked super hard for my opportunites )

Reflection Honestly, I’m super shocked honestly would of never expected this. Life is wild.
Strengths: Essay, Summer Programs, and Passion
Weaknesses: GPA, SAT
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Accepted - UGA. Deferred - Georgia Tech(LOL).
Where else you are applying or have already applied: Applied to Stanford, Princeton, and Duke as well. (LOL)
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: “Speak from your heart and never compromise on what you think is real.”
Passion overrides grades and scores to an extent I guess, just be genuine and do you. GOOD LUCK!!! May we all prosper together!!! I really hope this helps some people.

9

size=4][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted**[/color][/size]

[ b]Date applied: Dec 1, 2017

[ b]Date decision postmarked/received: Jan 23, 2018

[ b]Which school/major at USC: WBB at Marshall School of Business

[ b]Scholarships: NO IDEA, there is no mention of any scholarship on my acceptance letter or portal.

[ b]Objective:**
SAT I (breakdown): 1450 (superscore) Math 740 Reading 710, I also had a 113 on TOEFL with R30 L30 S26 W27.
ACT (breakdown): Did not send
SAT II (place score in parentheses): Did not send
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.801 Weighted 4.28
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): No
AP (place score in parentheses): APUSH(4) AP Stats(4) Micro Econ(5) Macro Econ (5)
IB (place score in parentheses): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc BC, AP Lit, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Physics C, AP US Gov
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): No major Award, in fact, I have no award at all except the AP Scholar with Honor.

[ b]Subjective:**
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): SonWill Senior Officer(basically an organization that helps the admission office with tours and stuff), Board of Trustees Advisory group( meet with the board regulary to discuss student life & Concerns) Varsity Soccer for 3 years, and co-founder of Diversity Group.
Job/Work Experience: N/A
Volunteer/Community Service: Administrative Assistant at Habitat for Humanity in Nashville, unpaid.
Summer Activities: See above
Essays (rating 1-10, details):: 10/10 Common App Essay is about how and Why I do not eat seafood, and it is basically because I was poor growing up and the first time I had seafood it was so bad I never eat it again. I think my essay is spectacular in that is shows not only who I am as a person but also my humble beginnings.
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):: APUSH teacher and AP Stats teacher(who is also my soccer coach), they really loved me so I would say the recs are at least a 9.
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details):: 7/10, my college counselor was only at my school for one year and did not really know me well.
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details):: N/A
Interview: I had an off-campus interview at Huston with the Director of Admissions of Marshall, and it went really really well, I mean she loved me, and I think this is the most critical part of my application as I tend to really stand out in person and in interviews.

[ b]Other**
Applied for Financial Aid? No
State (if domestic applicant): I go to a boarding school in TN, but is of Chinese nationality. I have been going to school in the US since freshman year, I used to go to international schools in China before I came to the US.

Country (if international applicant): China is where I am from originally.
School Type: Private Boarding School (The Webb School in Bell Buckle)
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: $300,000+
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): No hooks.

[ b]Reflection**
Strengths: Great interviews, spectacular Common App Essay, very witty but reflective supplements for USC. I had to write 6 supplements for USC due to the WBB major and I think my essays really gave the school a good idea of who I am as a person.
Weaknesses: VERY LOW SAT, NO SAT II, very little APs compared to other Asian kids.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I think my interview really stood out as well as my essays, there is no way I can get into USC with my stats being an Asian.
Where else you are applying or have already applied: Got rejected at Upenn, Half ride to Fordham/Northeastern, and Got into the Honors college of Kelly Bussiness School at IU. I also applied bunch other schools but since I have already decided to attend USC there is no point in listing them out.
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: INTERVIEW is crucial, Essays are critical!!! Be yourself!!! Test scores don’t really matter that much. I think that USC is really looking for kids with the right characters and personalities, so do not be afraid of showing them who you are! I still think that my acceptance into USC is a miracle, especially given how competitive USC/WBB is, and being a Chinese really does not help me much, there are so many kids out there with perfect stats, so I think that my acceptance is really a recognization of my characters and my personal development!

10

Decision: Accepted

**Date applied: ** 12/1/17

Date decision postmarked/received: 1/23/18

Which school/major at USC: World Bachelor in Business (Marshall School of Business)

Scholarships: Presidential

Objective:
SAT I: 1550 Superscore (790 Math; 760 R&W)
SAT II : nada
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank: 1/86
AP (place score in parentheses): World History(5), U.S. History(4), Human Geo(4), Chemistry(3), Lit(3)
IB: nada
Senior Year Course Load: College Pre-Calculus, College Calculus I, College Theatre 105, AP Lang, Physics Honors, Debate, Creative Writing, World Religions
Major Awards: Second Place in Denver Intercollegiate Advanced Chinese Speech Contest, but nothing major at the time I applied

Subjective:
Extracurriculars: Ambassadors Club (co-pres), Student Council(other leadership), Key Club(pres), NHS, Drama Club, Debate
Job/Work Experience: nada
Volunteer/Community Service: 150+ hours volunteer at a hospital, other things here and there
Summer Activities: International Travel
Essays:: 7-8, I worked hard on them, but I’m no Vladimir Nabokov
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):: 9-10, from a teacher who is remarkably intelligent, and we have a good relationship
Counselor Rec:: 8-9
Additional Rec:: I don’t think I had one.
Interview: I hope the scholarship interview goes well, but I didn’t have one for admission.

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? Duh
State: CO
Country: USA
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: Middle Class
Hooks: I’m a cool guy what can I say

Reflection
Strengths: Extra curricular activity, community engagement, desire to travel internationally
Weaknesses: Testing (my highest single-sitting was 1490, and no subject tests, rough AP’s)

Why you think you were accepted: This honestly came as a huge shock to me. Especially when there are some VERY impressive candidates out there who weren’t selected as scholarship finalists. It’s a sad feeling when your closest friends don’t get in. The admissions process is fantastic for its potential for rejoicing. It’s ■■■■■■ for its potential for the opposite. For those who don’t get selected: stay up; the selection process is super weird, and I know people who are more qualified than I who didn’t receive a scholarship. See general comments for more.

Where else you are applying or have already applied: Stanford, Duke, Columbia, CalPoly, GeorgiaTech(denied, still a little salty about that), School of Mines (accepted), CU Boulder (accepted)

General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: Stay close with your friends. No matter what. I know I just solicited thousands of eye rolls, but I mean it. That being said, make sure your deep-rooted desires come out! I didn’t think I had any at first, but in retrospect, my desire to explore the world for its unique richness was apparent. Even if your desires aren’t rooted academically (mine was traveling the world, I mean, come on), express them.

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE IN THE FUTURE!!!

11

Decision: Accepted

**Date applied: ** 12/1/17

Date decision postmarked/received: 1/23/18

Which school/major at USC: World Bachelor in Business (Marshall School of Business)

Scholarships: Presidential

Objective:
SAT I: 1550 Superscore (790 Math; 760 R&W)
SAT II : nada
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank: 1/86
AP (place score in parentheses): World History(5), U.S. History(4), Human Geo(4), Chemistry(3), Lit(3)
IB: nada
Senior Year Course Load: College Pre-Calculus, College Calculus I, College Theatre 105, AP Lang, Physics Honors, Debate, Creative Writing, World Religions
Major Awards: Second Place in Denver Intercollegiate Advanced Chinese Speech Contest, but nothing major at the time I applied

Subjective:
Extracurriculars: Ambassadors Club (co-pres), Student Council(other leadership), Key Club(pres), NHS, Drama Club, Debate
Job/Work Experience: nada
Volunteer/Community Service: 150+ hours volunteer at a hospital, other things here and there
Summer Activities: International Travel
Essays:: 7-8, I worked hard on them, but I’m no Vladimir Nabokov
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):: 9-10, from a teacher who is remarkably intelligent, and we have a good relationship
Counselor Rec:: 8-9
Additional Rec:: I don’t think I had one.
Interview: I hope the scholarship interview goes well, but I didn’t have one for admission.

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? Duh
State: CO
Country: USA
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: Middle Class
Hooks: I’m a cool guy what can I say

Reflection
Strengths: Extra curricular activity, community engagement, desire to travel internationally
Weaknesses: Testing (my highest single-sitting was 1490, and no subject tests, rough AP’s)

Why you think you were accepted: This honestly came as a huge shock to me. Especially when there are some VERY impressive candidates out there who weren’t selected as scholarship finalists. It’s a sad feeling when your closest friends don’t get in. The admissions process is fantastic for its potential for rejoicing. It’s ■■■■■■ for its potential for the opposite. For those who don’t get selected: stay up; the selection process is super weird, and I know people who are more qualified than I who didn’t receive a scholarship. See general comments for more.

Where else you are applying or have already applied: Stanford, Duke, Columbia, CalPoly, GeorgiaTech(denied, still a little salty about that), School of Mines (accepted), CU Boulder (accepted)

General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: Stay close with your friends. No matter what. I know I just solicited thousands of eye rolls, but I mean it. That being said, make sure your deep-rooted desires come out! I didn’t think I had any at first, but in retrospect, my desire to explore the world for its unique richness was apparent. Even if your desires aren’t rooted academically (mine was traveling the world, I mean, come on), express them.

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE IN THE FUTURE!!!

12

[ b]Date applied: Mid-October **

[ b]Date decision postmarked/received:Jan 25 Recieved, Accepted **

[ b]Which school/major at USC: Engineering School/ Industrial and Systems Engineering**

[ b]Scholarships: Interviewing for Presidential **

[ b]Objective:**
SAT I (breakdown): 1460, 730 math, 730 english (Didn’t submit)
ACT (breakdown): 35, 36 english, 35 reading, 34 math, 33 science
SAT II (place score in parentheses): 800 math II, 740 physics (didn’t submit)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.97
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School doesn’t rank, but probably top 5 in a class of 220
AP (place score in parentheses): US History, Physics I: 4s Environmental Science, Macro/Micro Econ, Lang 5s
IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Lit, Latin IV, AP US Gov, Entrepreneurship, AP Calc BC, AP Stats, Vector Calculus (Independent Study), World Religions, AP Chemistry
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Grant Funded Research, National Merit Semifinalist

[ b]Subjective:**
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Ultimate Frisbee, Purdue Extension-Marion County (Indianapolis) Board Member, Young Life (leader), Conservation Club, Research Project about Light Pollution’s Effects on Moths in Central Indiana, Students Advocating for Gender Equality (club)
Job/Work Experience: Jimmy Johns- 2ish years (Promoted to Shift Leader in late 2017)
Volunteer/Community Service: Tutoring (helping immigrants get their GEDs), Assorted Other things
Summer Activities: Camping, Economics Camp, Local Hospital Volunteer/Internship Program, Job
Essays (rating 1-10, details):: 8ish, I am a decent writer (not the best, not bad) but worked really hard on my essays and tried to really convey my personality and interests and I think that served me well.
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):: 10, One was from a math teacher who taught me Freshman, Junior, and Senior years. He is an amazing rec letter writer and I got to know him really well after having him in class for 3 years. He got to watch me transform from a freshman who hated math to a senior who can’t get enough of it. The other was from the principal of my school who was also my Microeconomics teacher and Entrepreneurship Teacher. I was one of two juniors in his Micro class and got to know him pretty well.
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details):: 8, that’s just a guess. I’m sure it was good.
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details):: None
Interview: Interviewed with Viterbi people on campus.

[ b]Other**
Applied for Financial Aid?: Don’t want to disclose.
State (if domestic applicant): Indiana
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Jesuit (Catholic) Preparatory School
Ethnicity: White
Gender: M
Income Bracket: Don’t want to disclose.
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None like that. Love the environment and could speak knowledgeably and passionately about it.

[ b]Reflection**
Strengths: Strong academically and worked really hard on my application.
Weaknesses: Not an amazing writer and I haven’t gone through some sort of abnormally difficult struggle that has defined me as a person and shaped who I am.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I am a national merit semifinalist which I believe helped. Also, I had good grades and test scores. I think my essays and recs sealed the deal. Also, I am in a pretty uncommon major with only 60ish kids graduating from it each year.
Where else you are applying or have already applied:
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: Good luck! Make sure to convey who you are and be able to speak passionately about what you say you are passionate about. It isn’t about checking off a list of boxes to do but rather to be yourself and show them the true you.

13

A

14

Decision: Accepted

**Date applied: ** November 26th

Date decision postmarked/received: January 26th, approximately 6:00 AM!

Which school/major at USC: Viterbi CS

Scholarships: Nominated for full tuition (Trustee??)

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1590
ACT (breakdown):
SAT II (place score in parentheses): 800 Math II, 800 Chemistry
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.95 at time of submission
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
AP (place score in parentheses): 5’s: French, Biology, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Computer Science, US History, English Language, World History
IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Psychology, AP Statistics, AP Literature, Multivariate Calculus, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, Natural Language Processing (semester-long college courses)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Did very well in USACO and NCWIT, had an obvious passion for music with international/national awards (most notably Presidential Scholar of the Arts nomination, 1 of 60 chosen nationwide) and a few thousand dollars in prize money, Tournament of Champions qualifier, NMSF, National AP Scholar

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): President of the web design club, captain of my debate team, founder of my own non-profit music tutoring organization. I’ve done research last summer and won a few regional awards, and I also work as a freelance web developer on the side.

Job/Work Experience: Independent web projects for music organizations.

Volunteer/Community Service: Tutored students in music; received the Gold Presidential Service Award.
Summer Activities: Research internships for all three years, culminating in a project presented at a well-regarded scientific conference as first author this month. Attended several prestigious audition-based music camps, hosted performances in a variety of places. College visits, college apps.
Essays (rating 1-10, details):: Not my favorite essays, and I’m too subjective to offer an accurate rating. I talked about the various aspects of USC Viterbi (Engineering+ draws me in for its emphasis on the “social” engineer), my research experience about computationally analyzing sparkling nanocrystals, and a historical research project I’m working on about one of my favorite Russian composers and its interdisciplinary prisms. Common app essay was about perfectionists and prodigies; I was neither but wanted to be both for a long, long time. Short takes were cute! I was #goingplaces.

Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):: didn’t read; can’t rate
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details):: didn’t read; can’t rate
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details):: none
Interview: none

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? Nope
State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant): US of A
School Type: Hyper-competitive public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: F
Income Bracket: >$200K
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Nope! Nada.

Reflection
Strengths: I’m well-triangulated! I pursued a clear interest in CS during my four years of high school through extracurricular involvement, competitions, and a STEM-heavy curriculum. To separate myself from the other Viterbi applicants as much as possible, I predominantly emphasized my love for the arts (music) and the humanities (historical research + debate), and how these areas are as intrinsic to my identity and interests as computer science.

Weaknesses: Grades…recs…who knows? I have a lot of soft areas.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Accepted EA to the University of Michigan and UIUC (CS for both)
Where else you are applying or have already applied:

General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: WOW. I am SO blessed and thankful to be USC c/o 2022! Having a school want you is the best feeling ever. I love USC more and more every day, and to get notification of an early acceptance PLUS a full-tuition scholarship opportunity makes me feel sufficiently wooed. :slight_smile: To future applicants, I think good packaging is key: in my application, I strove to be as unique, specific, and likable as possible. I leaned toward self-deprecatory humor and cracked a lot of dumb jokes, but that’s just me.

Congrats to all acceptees, and good luck to those waiting for March! Regardless of where you end up, you’re gonna do awesome :slight_smile:

15

Hi! how did all of you hear so soon? @mistings @indydiscer is it because of scholarships you think?

16

@sstayingpositive Yes… 1200 or so of the 39K who applied by Dec 1st got in late January while receiving scholarship notifications. Around 11% each cycle get in during January. Around 89% hear in late March.

17

Has anyone gotten an RD decision?

18

No not for a couple weeks. This is a stat only thread. Please post questions in Class if 2022 thread. Thanks.

19

March 23, 2018
Accepted at Marshall with Pre-Law emphasis

ACT: 2 Seatings
Seating 1: E:33 M:29 R:34 S:24 C:30
Seating 2: E:33 M:31 R:30 S:35 C:33
Highest cumulative: C33

GPA: Out of (0-100) Canadian High School
86%, converts to a 3.7unweighted
Upwards trend, 3.5 in grade 9, but 4.0 junior year
School only offers 6 AP courses and only for senior year
Currently taking AP Human Geography and AP Macro
Took rigorous curriculum
Ranked 35/350 in a top 6 ranked Canadian public high school, Top 10%

Extracurriculars:

  • Founder/Executive Director (11,12): Founded a federally registered multinational umbrella organization that launches clubs in high schools around the world, currently 15+ countries
  • Executive of Events (12): Organized events with prestigious guest speakers with 200+ in attendance in downtown Toronto
  • Founder/President (10,11,12): Launched my province's first multilingual public speaking club, recognition from Mayor and a publication
  • Creative Director (11,12): For my city's art council. Organize events like fashion shows and poetry competitions and judge art competitions
  • Sales Agent (11,12) - Ran my own business to sell custom merchandise
  • Religious stuff

Achievements:

  • Attended highly selective residential business summer program, only 1/40 chosen globally
  • Some regional and provincial DECA stuff
  • Top marks for a couple courses

Commonapp: Pretty bad. USC was my first school for when I applied, so I changed the essay for other places.
Sups: Decent
Applied from Toronto Canada

20

Decision: Accepted

Date applied: November 26, 2017

Date decision postmarked/received: March 22, 2018

Which school/major at USC: Viterbi School of Engineering

Objective: Bioengineering
SAT I: 1450 (730M, 720E)
ACT: N/A
SAT II: Math II (740), Physics (720)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank: 19/826
AP: APUSH (4), WH (3), Eng Lang (4), BC Calc (TBD), Phys C (TBD), French (TBD), Eng Lit (TBD)
Major Awards: None

Subjective:
Extracurriculars: 4 Yr Water Polo (captain), French Club, Honor Society
Job/Work Experience: Physics Tutor, Water Polo Coach, Swim Instructor
Volunteer/Community Service: Volunteer work for Local Charity
Summer Activities: Biomedical Start-up Internship at UCLA
Essays (rating 1-10, details): Who knows?
Teacher Recommendations: Hopefully good ones

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? Y
State (if domestic applicant): CA
School Type: large public
Ethnicity: W
Gender: F
Income Bracket:moderate
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): pretty normal stuff

Reflection
Strengths: GPA, major related internships
Weaknesses: Standardized tests
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: not sure, pretty surprised actually
Where else you are applying or have already applied: UCLA (rej), UCSD (acc), UCD (acc), SLO (acc), UCB (pend)
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: Good luck Future Trojans, Fight On!