@jj1999, not necessarily. Depends on your major (i.e., might be easier if your major is not engineering or film…), your essays and leadership, your GPA/stats (notice I did not list stats first), demographic/location, gender/race, and other factors…
Each school is looking to diversify so it depends on what each school is looking for at a particular time in the process. A student might apply to 17 schools and “only” get into five. Not getting a few does not preclude getting into others. Good luck!
It just really depends on too many factors, making it hard to predict. A 4.0 GPA is strong, but it depends on the underlying strength of schedule / courses undertaken. A 1330 SAT may be a bit low (especially for a STEM major), but it could be countered with strong ECs, leadership roles, essays, etc. They will evaluate it all. Applicants though are also being evaluated more than once… i.e. by the university overall and again by the departments housing the first and second choice majors. Biology likely has some stiff competition. There is also the chance of being admitted Undeclared or to a second choice major.
In terms of getting “Chanced” for USC, it is virtually impossible for others to predict what may or may not occur in your specific case. I suggest reading an excellent thread on the topic from the beginning…
I was asking cause my stats are relatively low but even with a hook to the university (my dad went there and graduated) I dont think i have a good chance. Despite having a straight A sr semester with a 4 ap courseload, i feel like i ruined myself from the first sem of my previous years, which all have been terrible (3.08 collective first semester GPA from 9-11, 4.0 first sem sr yr. Second semester has been better with a collective 3.84 gpa). My test scores are decent with a 33 act and 4s and 5s with 1 3 on ap exams. I think my essay was great too i invested the most time into the usc essay.
I just cant take the wait anymore! My son’s first choice is strongly USC. He is into his second choice for a while
now and cant get excited about it at all.
Here’s my question- he applied with a first choice major of Business Administration,which would be Marshall
and a second-choice major International Relations and the Global Economy which is Dornslife. Do they review for first choice and if not qualified hand down to second? Can he get neither and get admitted as Undeclared? Is it more difficult to get into marshall then Dornslife?
@gobluealum Yes… they basically evaluate you for 3 possible admission decisions: 1) accepted to USC and to your first choice major 2) accepted to USC and to your second choice major or 3) accepted to USC, but simply as Undeclared (not accepted to either your first or second choice majors). And yes… Marshall is generally perceived as being a more difficult admit. Good Luck…
@prepro986 Yes. For admission to USC generally, most successful applicants have a 3.70 unweighted GPA or higher, 1350 SAT or higher and/or a 31 ACT or higher. There are clearly exceptions with lower stats. 3K applicants with test scores in the 99th percentile are rejected during the process… so test scores alone are not a guarantee of admission. They do evaluate the full spectrum of your application packet. SCA could suggest wanting to admit you and then fight for you with USC admissions generally, if they were not also inclined to admit you to the university overall. Every school within USC is likely afforded the opportunity to fight for some… but they each also need to choose their battles carefully and selectively. I suspect though that the creative schools, like SCA, are granted the greatest leeway, when an applicant really stands out in terms of their creative supplements. Good Luck…
USC Admission page on Instagram just posted that 1st year admissions decisions will be mailed on March 22nd, and available online in the you.usc.edu portal on March 25th.
Just really having a hard time waiting. Its so long. I’ve read all the posts. And last years! ha! The chances this year even slimmer than ever, just such a random reach, and this is my son’s dream school. Thanks to @CADREAMIN@WWWard and @madbean and @GamerMom especially for all the information about the USC admissions process and degree/major information. Being in a flyover state its hard to feel like you know what the scoop is or that your kid even has a decent/fair chance with all the opportunities coast kids have for EC and involvement. We certainly don’t have any connections. Last year’s posts slayed me with the waiting for your kid @WWWard and it wasn’t even me. Its our spring break too so S. is going camping and can’t check portal so it will be me. Waiting.For The.Box. Not feeling very good about it. A little ill actually. He has the GPA (4.0 unweighted and lots of AP classes all 5 and 6s on tests and STEM classes), NMF, lots of EC in film and theater and choir, who knows about the essays but he is a great writer-- but passion is to get in IMGD (yeah I know) and is just a middle class white boy from the Midwest. sigh. He will be fine wherever but dang would love to see his dream come true. Even just accepted but not in major! Visited USC last year and he fell in love. You could see him just light up. Only other apps to Digipen, UT Austin and U of U. Only one goal and that is game design. Accepted to all those. All will be well, I know. There’s options but he’s not paying attention until he hears from USC so everything is up in the air even our summer vacation plans. But anyway, sincere thanks to everyone who has posted. I had nothing to add, so never did post but now seems like the time to say thanks.
USC sent out decisions before March 23rd last year. My daughter received hers on the 23rd (I took a video which is why I know the date). We’re in Boston and I know people in California definitely knew before she did (because the mail doesn’t take as long)!
@jstwaiting You’re welcome. Yes… good luck to him. There’s no escaping the angst of the wait - which is even worse for parents. I can’t believe it has already been a year since the turmoil of last year’s wait and then the extra nonsense related to USPS’s failure to deliver on time. Oh well… it all worked out. And any admission to USC… even Undeclared, is a huge accomplishment. Many do land in their dream scenario later via internal transfer. Here’s hoping it all works out well for him. Simply having some quality choices by May 1st is the key
In the past, for people in SoCal, they would receive the packages a day before the rejection letters. Thus, in most, but not all, cases, people in these areas who do not receive packages on day one are likely to a get a rejection letter the following day.
@WWWard thank you so much for responding. She did take the most challenging courses that her school offers and she goes to one the most competitive and very high rank high school in California but unfortunately she is not a good test taker and her SAT is low. Thank you again
@cc4help I can’t imagine that schools would care whether or not students take the total planned number of AP tests their senior year. I would imagine that how students did on AP tests in previous years could factor into decisions, but not these that you’re worried about. So many great AP scores go wasted at good schools anyway (There’s a maximum of 8 courses at USC from AP/transfer for freshmen, and many of these credits won’t count for GEs or degree requirements anyway.) So, my advice is : don’t worry.
