<p>hey, i'm applying for the usc summer seminars this year. Does anyone know anything about the program and how difficult it is to get into it? I'm ranked 7th in my class out of 300, and had a PSAT score in the 94th percentile, so I'm hoping i'll be able to get into it, but who knows? any info would be good.</p>
<p>I went to the Acting Workshop last summer and had the most amazing four weeks of my life there. I don't think it's very difficult to get into. I promise you that it will be challenging yet not too stressful (of course, my homework largely consisted of "structured daydreaming" in order to develop characters...which actually takes more effort and creativity than one might think), and that you will not regret going (unless for some reason you don't like your particular seminar or do not find it intellectually stimulating). My roommate was in the Entrepreneurship class, and she got to go on tons of field trips and meet with owners of businesses of all sizes. She did have to write a considerable amount of papers, but I know that she got a lot out of the course. If you have any specific questions about USC or the Summer Seminars, please feel free to ask.</p>
<p>oh thansk for the info. do you mind telling me you aim screenname so i can ask a few more questions?</p>
<p>I did summer seminars back in the day. Also the acting program, coincidentally. I don't think it is all that hard to get into especially because there is this program they do that coincides with it for high achieveing yet at-risk local students that take the same classes. I didn't think that acting program was all that special or anything, but I did wind up with 3 credits at USC (and an easy A) for attending. Nobody seemed to have all that much homework, regardless of programs, except maybe the architechture people. It was fun for the most part.</p>
<p>dcl--I'd be glad to help, but I rarely log on to AIM, so it'd probably be best to just continue on this board. This will also allow other people to benefit from the info. :)</p>
<p>Trojangirlie--who was your acting professor? I had Zane, and I thought she was wonderful. I don't think a single person left that class without improving immensely, mostly because she helped us move beyond "playing attitudes" to really accepting our characters' fictional circumstances as our own.</p>
<p>yeah, thanks for the response sarah</p>
<p>i'm applying for the exploring entrepreneurship program and you said that your roommate participated in that. any interesting details? also, was there a lot of freetime, and was there class on the weekends? and is it easier to get into USC if you get into the summer seminars?</p>
<p>Let's see...my roommate met with an executive at Dodgers Stadium and a woman who owned a jewelry shop, among other business people whom she either didn't tell me about or I don't remember (sorry!). After each field trip, she would have to write a report on what she learned from it/how she benefited from it. Entrepreneur students also did a project where they split into groups of three or four and set up a plan for their own business, which had to be pretty detailed as far as estimated budget, marketing strategies, logistics, etc. The class used a textbook, too, but I'm not sure to what extent.</p>
<p>No, you don't have classes on weekends, but you'll probably use some of Sunday to meet with your project group. Saturdays are spent on recreational outings, which all students from all the seminars go on. The first weekend, everyone went to Santa Monica beach. We were dropped off by buses, then we could frolic and roam about as we pleased as long as we were back by 8 pm. Some people, myself included, walked all the way to Venice Beach, which is a very <em>colorful</em> stretch of sidewalk with vendors, sidewalk entertainers, and odd shops. Some people saw a movie in Santa Monica or went shopping. The water was too cold to actually go in, though. Oh, and then there's the famed boardwalk from the opening of "Three's Company", with its carnival rides and cotton candy stands. We didn't have class on the Fourth of July, so those who wanted to got to go to a Dodgers baseball game. The next weekend, you had the option to go to either Disneyland or Six Flags Magic Mountain. (I think those are pretty self-explanatory) :) We also got to choose where we wanted to go on the last full weekend of the program--Hollywood/Rodeo Drive, the Grove shopping center, or back to Santa Monica. I went to Hollywood and Rodeo Drive, which turned out to be my favorite outing. (I didn't see any celebrities, though). On Friday nights, there are organized activities like dances, karaoke, and games, which are optional but which most people go to. </p>
<p>How much free time you have depends mostly on how much effort you want to put into your essays and projects. My roommate's partners weren't quite as concerned with the project as she was, so she ended up having to do most of it herself, from what I gathered. She still had plenty of time to socialize with friends every night, though.</p>
<p>I'm really not sure whether or not attending a USC Summer Seminar gives your app that much of an edge in the admissions office. I know that it wasn't enough to get me a full or half scholarship despite being qualified (statistically as well as extracurricular-wise) for one, but I digress. (If you happen to read my posts under the topic "I don't get this" on this board about not getting a good scholarship offer, please realize that I was in a bit of a psychotic/caustic mood when writing them, which caused me to compromise some of my better judgment..eheh). Anyway, I've come to peace with that now. I guess what I'm trying to say is, being a Summer Seminar alum will definitely give you an edge over someone else with similar stats, essay quality, etc., but it won't automatically boost you to the top of the app pool. There is an optional College Workshop that meets once a week that gives some good insights as to what USC (and other) admissions officers are looking for, but it's nothing extraordinary that will unlock the "secret" to getting accepted.</p>
<p>Good luck in making a decision about your summer plans!</p>
<p>wow sarah, thanks for the info, very helpful</p>
<p>My pleasure!</p>
<p>i looked on the website and was a little confused...do you have to stay the full four weeks or is there anyway to leave a few days early b/c my school starts july 25. i would guess not, but i thought i'd ask to be sure. thanks!</p>
<p>i got accepted into the entrepreneurship program at USC for this summer. did anyone else?</p>