I really want to get into USC, but I have been told it is very difficult to get into. Could I realistically be accepted?
I have a 4.0 Unweighted GPA and a 4.857 Weighted GPA. No one in my family has gone to college before me, so I know very little about the whole process. I’m not sure what information is useful so I put as much as possible.
AP Scores:
Calculus BC- 5 (Math and Science are my best subjects.)
Chemistry-5
Biology-5
Physics C- 5
English- 4 (not my strong suit. I suck at more analytical stuff.)
History-4 (same as English)
SAT- 2250
ACT- 35
Subject Tests:
Physics- 780
Chemistry- 800
Biology- 800
Math 2- 780
Extracurricular:
Debate- 3 years (Attended some national competitions but won none. No leadership positions.)
Robotics Club- 2 years (Treasurer)
Research- 1 Summer (Student Science Training Program at University of Florida)
Extra Info:
Bilingual (Spanish)
First in Family to attempt to attend college.
Hispanic (Born in Cuba)
Lower Middle Class
Florida Resident
Some fluency in Java and Swift (nothing fancy. Just the basics.))
My passion is science and it is what I will accentuate in my application, but I may also want to major in Business. If USC won’t accept me, what other schools might be good for me? (Don’t care about location. Money is a bit of an issue though.) Any help would be appreciated.
Additionally, I know my actual scores and grades are good, but from independent research I seem to still not be above average for USC graduates, and my counselor said that my extracurriculars aren’t very good. The main concern isn’t the grades, but the other supplementary stuff and whether it will be impressive or barely pass the bar for USC.
You’re definitely above 75% percentile for GPA and SAT/ACT for USC undergraduates, so no need to worry there. I would agree that your ECs aren’t very strong, but maybe your URM and first-gen status will get your through. High match maybe? Good luck!
I think a lot of highly qualified applicants to USC get rejected because the university doesn’t think they actually want to/will go to the school- make sure you really express your enthusiasm about attending in essays and writing supplements (they try to protect their yield).
I had several friends from high school who got rejected from USC with good stats. The school’s admit rate is 17% now? Not sure about the exact number. I think you have a good shot but you need to show more than a passing interest
I’d say you have a pretty good chance at USC, but showing your passion towards your desired field is going to be critical. Also, if you truly are passionate, then I’d suggest giving the Ivies a shot given the fact that you have excellent academics and are a URM. However, as I alluded to, you need to show that you are more than merely a test score via strong essays/extracurriculars. Are you male or female? (I’m from Cuba too btw!)