<p>@madbean</p>
<p>For the top of the heap numbers, I am a bit confused about the percentiles given. Could you explain the SAT range/GPA range for it rather than percent? (For example SAT range of 2000 - 2100) Thanks</p>
<p>Did you check the link in the first post: <a href=āhttp://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/apply/documents/FreshmanProfile2013FINAL.pdfā>http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/apply/documents/FreshmanProfile2013FINAL.pdf</a> In it youāll see that for last yearās admitted freshmen, the top 25% of admitted students had SAT comp scores of 2250 and higher (CR 740+; M 780+; W 770+). If you have those scores and above, and your gpa, rank, LoR, essays etc are in line, you would be a very likely admit. Last year the Mean Unweighted GPA for admits was 3.82 on a 4 pt. scale. Since thatās the mean GPA, Iād consider anything over that to be top of the heap. But just to make sure any new reader to this thread isnāt taken aback: students with lower scores/grades than these get admitted to USC all the time. Follow the link to see the 25%-75% range. For anyone wondering what their chances are, please take the time to read through the entire thread from page 1 to get a lot more specifics and also the context for these numbers/interpretations.</p>
<p>To repeat my message from post 1, most applicants who fall in the top 25% stats of admitted students to most colleges will be the most likely admits. Stands to reason. Those who fall in the 50-75% range have a good shot, too. When you start falling behind the halfway point, the more you bring to the table with ECs, community involvement, leadership, honors, talents, awards, special circumstances, etc, the better you will be. For those in the lowest quartile of stats, you will likely need a really great hookāand that can be anything from geographic diversity to athletes to overcoming huge obstacles to winning a national award in your specialty to showing amazing talent in an audition-based major/School, etc.</p>
<p>@madbean</p>
<p>Thanks for the informative response. I just have two more quick questions. What would the SAT Range be for the 50-75% quartile? Also for the top of the head candidate scholarships, are they based only on academic merit or is need a factor in who gets the scholarships as well?</p>
<p>1) They do not publish the 50-75% range so we canāt know. 2) USCās merit scholarships are not based on financial needābut they do take into account a range of talents/accomplishments outside of grades/scores, so they donāt simply invite those with the highest stats to interview. </p>
<p>And since Iām in a posting mood today, Iāll just say I wish a lot more students would study the realities on the lower end of the game. According to the Freshman Profile, 25% of those applying to USC last year (thatās a whopping ~12,000 candidates) had SAT comp scores of 1740 of BELOW. There is absolutely nothing wrong with those scores, mind you, except that it is highly unlikely that USC will admit students in that range. Even though they report their admitted bottom quartile is 1950 and below, how low does it really go? There is no way to know if those lowest scores mostly hovered around 1950 with a relative few down to 1900 or even 1850 or? Yet 12,000 kids with scores lower than 1740 took a shot. It is costly to apply to universities and it would be a good idea to have a realistic picture if oneās chances were so super-thin.</p>
<p>Super thin is right on. But hope springs eternal I suppose. I keep hearing students talk about their dream school and I respond with - have a back-up plan for insurance.</p>
<p>One thing my Iāve seen in working with college bound students is that on rare occasions there is that outlier student who is academically gifted but doesnāt test well. Youāll find more of that in programs that have a portfolio or audition requirements (i.e. highly artistic). So you were on the money when you said that a student presenting with lower-than-average scores may have (must have) a strong set of attributes to balance it out.</p>
<p>But other gifted students just donāt have the right training to take the test. Or are auditory or kinesthetic, not visual learners. Iāve been trying to make a case with our local school board that they do their students a disservice. They focus 100% of their attention on teaching students methodologies needed for passing the state exams to meet AYP standards. So the first exposure to an ACT or SAT test comes at 11th grade. Much too late given that the test is completely different from state exams both in content and in ātimingā. As a result, the average scores on college entrances in the district is low except for a handful who began testing in late elementary to qualify for the Duke Talent Program.</p>
<p>So Iāve seen truly gifted students with low scores. But not rock bottom. For instance, scores 30+ in English and Reading on an ACT but so-so (mid 20ās) on Science and/or Math. That brings down the entire composite to mid to high 20ās. Those students have gone on to do well in college where the homework and exam process is nothing like the ā30-seconds to check a boxā scenario found on entrance exams. So I appreciate the USC and other universities are now more holistic in their review of an application and student potential.</p>
<p>But I agree that USC is wise in not posting the actual 0-25% range as it would give false hope to a lot of hopefuls who really couldnāt survive the academic climate if admitted and simply increase a flood of applications to students destined to be declined absent some significant factor that explains why the score is an outlier rather than an indicator of readiness.</p>
<p>Bumping this thread-- For all new visitors to the USC forum, please take a minute to read through this entire thread (itās not that long) from page 1. In it are the final answers to a lot of your recent posts asking for chances. Enjoy.</p>
<p>Bumping again as the question keeps coming up! Worth reading!</p>
<p>Admission decisions are mailed out today! Good luck to everyone!</p>
<p>Chances threads are popping up - the BEST info available is right here on this thread! :)</p>
<p>Bump - it makes it easier of students read āthisā thread rather than creating multiple requests for their individual situation. </p>
<p>Please read this post for information regarding admission to USC.</p>
<p>For all new applicants/families, please read this thread from page 1 for lots of information on what USC looks for in admissions.</p>
<p>Itās that time of year again - bumping this to the top of the threads. For those who are new PLEASE READ PAGE ONE OF THIS THREAD to get the answer to a āchance meā question! :-)</p>
<p>Read this before posting a āchance meā! Lots of great information here!</p>
<p>Bumping this thread. Lots of great information!</p>
<p>Bumping - if you landed here - go to the first page of this thread.</p>
<p>Bumping this threadā¦please go to the first page and read all the excellent information.</p>
<p>Soooo sick of the chronic ubiquitous āchance meā requests. Bumping - read the very first post in this thread for the only answer that matters.</p>
<p>Hi Moderator, Can this become a featured thread now that it is app season again? </p>