<p>Hello, this fall I am going to become a junior high school student. USC or the University of Southern California has been my dream school for quite awhile now and I wanted to know if I could ever get accepted there. At the end of freshmen year, I had an unweighted GPA of 4.214 out of a 5.0 scale. I was among the top 6 of my class that year. My classes freshman year was:
Honors/ PreAP English 1
Honors/ PreAP World Geo
Honors/ PreAP Biology
Algebra 1
Spanish 1
Swimming
The first semester of sophomore year, was definitely when I started to begin to struggle. I took WHAP for the first semester and ended the semester with a high C, which was a 78. However, I decided to drop the class since I figured it would hurt my rank and I took Honors/ PreAP World history and ended the year with a 98. When I checked my ranking and GPA right after the first semester, I was 50th, with a GPA of 4.022. My grades definitely improved during second semester, and my GPA was around 4.071 or 4.08 (yes..worse than freshman year lol) so my rank should be somewhere around the thirties. My classes sophomore year was:
Honors/PreAP Chemistry
Honors/PreAP English 2
Honors/PreAP world history
Geometry
Spanish 2
Swimming
I understand I have much work and effort to put forth, and to make up for the "not quite the best" grades and GPA, I have been spending my summer studying and prepping for the PSATs and SATs. My plan is to score around 2250, 2000 being the minimum. Also, my classes for junior year will be:
AP Biology
Physics
AP English Lang
Honors/PreAP US History
Honors/PreAP Spanish 3
Honors/PreAP Algebra 2
Dual Credit Government & Eco.
I plan on working my butt off if it means 4-5 hours of sleep each night. So if I get all A's, my GPA would be a 4.5 out of 5.0. Also, I will still be continuing swimming and also diving, it just won't be on my schedule; I plan on doing this for the rest of hs. The classes I plan on taking senior year are:
AP Physics or AP Environmental Science
AP Psychology
AP Literature
Honors/ PreAP PreCal
If I earn all A's, my GPA will be 4.875-4.9 out of a 5.0.
I joined DECA sophomore year, and I was voted treasurer for junior year (I plan on continuing DECA for the rest of hs). I have been volunteering at the YMCA and a hospital, my total volunteer hours would probably be around 150+ by now. During my junior year, I will be apart of Rho Kappa, a community service club at my school, DECA, swimming and diving, student council, and the robotics team. I will continue to be apart of those clubs and programs until the end of senior year, and NHS will also be somewhere along the road. I wanted to know if everything I have planned and done will gain me acceptance to USC. And I also would love and appreciate advice and tips! Thanks! </p>
<p>I’m going to honestly critique your chances because you’ve asked; not trying to be harsh, but realistic:</p>
<p>A.) You need to plan on more options and back ups other than USC because its all luck, grades and, especially, test scores. Look at the USC entrance requirements: <a href=“http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/faq/admission_standards.html”>http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/faq/admission_standards.html</a></p>
<p>You only have 1 AP class this year and in senior year, you’re just starting with Honors Pre Calc?
(You’re taking AP Physics, senior year, without any previous Calc experience? That will be tough. You only will have had 1 ½ years of Spanish by senior year? </p>
<p>B.) Your experience on the SAT will be extremely hindered by your lack of speed for the math sections. Most students who get accepted into USC, by their senior year have taken or are taking AP Calc-BC. These are the students who get in with 2300’s. (My son was accepted and won National merit, but ultimately went to another college.)</p>
<p>C.) Learn the meaning of “apart”. This stuck out so badly and, if I found it, you can bet that a USC admissions officer would find it instantly and question those high English GPA grades or your school’s over-ranking of its English students:
“I will be apart of Rho Kappa” Translation: I will be separated from Rho Kappa.</p>
<p>“I will continue to be apart of those clubs and programs” Translation: I will continue to be kept separately from those clubs and programs.</p>
<p>To be “a part” of something (two words) means in addition to, not “apart” to divide.</p>
<p>{apart:/əˈpɑːt/, adjective, adverb (postpositive)
DEFINITION: 1.to pieces or in pieces; he had the television apart on the floor
2.placed or kept separately or to one side for a particular purpose, reason, etc; aside (esp in the phrases set or put apart)
3.separate in time, place, or position; at a distance he stood apart from the group, two points three feet apart}</p>
<p>D.) Full ride scholarships are almost non-existent. Monies are limited, at every university but are reserved for the best prospects including national sports title holders. The cost of attending USC is $60,000 per year, can your family afford that? Based on your coursework, you won’t get much in scholarships or merit money from USC. They gave my son ½ tuition and he was a National Merit winner. We would still have owed $30K, so he chose to go elsewhere.<br>
Think through your “dream” school choice, but add other colleges, otherwise, you will be extremely disappointed come Senior year.</p>
<p>Clearly you should have read everything thoroughly, I will have had 3 credits of Spanish by the end of junior year. And as to “apart”, you know what I meant. </p>
<p>“I wanted to know if everything I have planned and done will gain me acceptance to USC.” No one knows except the admissions committee, but based on your stats, it will be hit and miss.</p>
<p>I guess you really didn’t want to hear your chances unless we gushed all over you. Very SNARKY. Sorry, but YOU asked for chances, and I was real and I based it on my experience with current and former Trojans’ stats. IE:
My sister graduated from USC.<br>
My best friend’s daughter attends USC.<br>
Three of my daughter’s friends, on her high school and USTA tennis team, attend USC, along with two of the boys’ USTA team members who were accepted into the premed program.
My son was accepted, this year, into the USC engineering program but decided to go to elsewhere.</p>
<p>You don’t have SAT scores yet, and math is obviously not your strength which adversely impacts your math score. The common factor with the above students is that they all are/were extremely strong in math and high SAT’s, AND, they all had statewide or national accomplishments. </p>
<p>Yes, I did know what you meant by “apart” but do you actually want an admissions officer, reading your essay with the same repetitive error and putting it in the decline pile? Are you really that naive thinking that errors on your application will be ignored? The application has to be perfect, but you haven’t learned that yet. </p>
<p>:(|) </p>