whooo new here. chances please? :) haha

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
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<p>So i've never been here before, but it seemed like a good place to get some good information from people who will be applying/have already gotten accepted haha. I'm gonna be a senior this coming year and USC is one of my top choices. I'm not applying to very many others, just a few UC's like Davis, Santa Barbara, and Irvine; haven't totally decided haha. So here goes :D</p>

<p>-GPA...uw: 3.71 w: 4.28 (term weighted gpa for 2nd sem junior year was 4.67 since i brought up my grades haha, but would they care?)</p>

<p>-IB program, been in it since 6th grade and i've taken many of the hardest classes my school offers. public school, super competitive, soooo many asians ahhhh D:
-senior schedule:
IB English II
IB Physics
AP Calculus
IB Environmental Systems II
IB Theory of Knowledge
Student Government</p>

<p>-Sat was an 1800, but im taking a kaplan class and studying my ass off lol so im pretty confident ill break 2000 when i retake in october</p>

<p>-no sat 2's yet :/ I'll probably take math II and spanish since i feel i can score high on those, but i dont want to take a third one and waste money if i think i'll score low</p>

<p>-work experience: I work at a kumon tutoring center and will be working there throughout senior year. its pretty boring but hey money right? lol</p>

<p>-class rank 61/355 so like 17% ish. i really shouldve gone to another school lol mine is way too competitive</p>

<p>-extracurriculars:
played guitar since 8th grade
been in student government since junior year, so ive done a lot of organizing and leadership kinda stuff
key club all 4 years (done stuff like relays for life, soup kitchens, feeding the hungry, run to feed the hungry, that kind of stuff)
100+ hours of community service
i'm pretty sure ill be a manager for my school's creek project (its basically a big save our local creek project that all the IB kids at my school have to do; so being a manager requires a lot of time to plan outings to get data/whatever needs to be done)</p>

<p>I know it's not a ton of EC's, but i favor quality over quantity. I've put a lot of effort and time into what i've been involved in and i've gotten a lot of stuff done haha. so I'm hoping that will show :) I have a pretty good sense of humor that i'm confident i can show in an essay, so i think i can write a solid paper that will attract some attention to my app</p>

<p>for whatever it's worth, i'm a hispanic male living with my mom whose a single parent, and ill be a first generation college student :D not to mention i think i'm like the only hispanic kid at my school that's in the IB program...lol</p>

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<p>youve been taking IB since 6th grade??? Are you sure.</p>

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<p>break 2000 in sat, you’re in.</p>

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<p>I agree with itsme123. HappyBuddha, yes, it’s possible to start the IBMYP in 6th grade. I did too, but then left it in favor of an arts center.</p>

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<p>Hey! I want to get into USC too :)</p>

<p>Get your SAT up for sure.
Your EC’s are good/average</p>

<p>The first generation college thing is a huge help.
What do you want to major in? Take the SAT 2’s in the subject your the best in/something related to your major…</p>

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<p>You can take IB beginning in like preschool (age 4 I believe). What whatup94 is referring to is the IBMYP (IB Middle Years Programme).</p>

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<p>I think you’ll get in if you get that sat above 2000. You might even want to apply to a couple reach schools like UCLA, UCB, UCSD, maybe even some of the Claremont colleges. or Vandy, BC, Gtown, etc. if you want to go out of state. Those are all reach schools but you would have a shot if you broke 2000 or 2100 on the sat. Your EC’s are sort of lacking but not too bad because you do show commitment. Your gpa is actually not low at all expecially for an IB program because those are intense. And of course, being an URM & a first generation college student always helps. The only thing I see here that is really lacking would be summer activities. What did you do each summer? Was it something you could write about in an essay or on a resume? That kind of thing. At this point, all I would say is maybe volunteer another 50-100 hours that always helps and will show even more commitment :)</p>

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<p>There should not be a problem with choosing quality over quantity in your ECs since colleges like dedication. I agree with you, hopefully your effort and time show because that would be good for your application.</p>

<p>As others have said, get high scores on the SAT I/ SAT II. Consider applying to a greater number of colleges, maybe 8 or more. Good luck!</p>

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<p>damn, this was really helpful lol thank you. :slight_smile: but on a side note…what is a urm and how does it help exactly? lol</p>

<p>as for summer activities, this summer ive just been working and im doing some stuff for student gov. we have this freshman camp thing for stud gov coming up in a few weeks that i helped out with last summer too. this year im on a committee that helps plan most of it and i take a bunch of freshman around and answer questions/play games and that kinda stuff. sounds corny haha i know, but possible essay topic? i think so lol.</p>

<p>and tofugirl, im not totally decided on my major but i was interested in their comp sci/business admin program. if not that then something in viterbi would be amazing haha, but im not getting my hopes up. thats why i was leaning towards taking the math II sat and something else to supplement it. :)</p>

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<p>and for the record yeah IB in sixth grade is possible. 27 dreams was right, i did myp since middle school. let me tell you i cant wait to be done with IB lol its been a longgggg 6-7 years haha</p>

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<p>URM = Underrepresented minority</p>

<p>If you want Viterbi, USC would be a definite reach. Your GPA/SAT as of now is a bit too low for that school and your ECs don’t really show a commitment or interest to computer science and entrepreneurship. If you present your stats to Viterbi/Marshall the way you did here, it’s a hard sell.</p>

<p>I think if you improve or retool some things, you could have a decent chance to be admitted as undeclared or to Dornsife – but I honestly still think USC is a bit of a reach. (Just my opinion.) I’d say if anything, you could get spring admission with URM status.</p>

<p>Get no lower than a 700 on any SAT IIs you take. Get at least a 2100 on the SAT as well.</p>

<p>If you improve those, you need to work hard to present your ECs in a better way than you did here. You did “leadership stuff” for student government – but what position did you hold? Student body president/class president looks a lot better than, say, class representative or something less time-intensive. Be specific!</p>

<p>Did you play guitar in the school band? Or is is just a hobby? Or do you take outside lessons that take up 5+ hrs a week? Again be specific with your musical exploits.</p>

<p>The main thing the ECs are lacking is some sort of specialization. Now, there are always exceptions and students always can be admitted without having super specific ECs – but if you really want to guarantee your chances of being admitted to this program/USC in general, find a way to get involved in something related to what you want to major in. Is there a Computer Science/Robotics/Engineering club? Can you take a CS class at a CC over the summer? Is there a Young Entrepreneurs club/organization in your area you can develop a business idea with? (etc…)</p>

<p>Get good letters of recommendation and make sure your essays are flawless. That should go without saying.</p>

<p>The more of the above you can do, the better your chances are.</p>

<p>You are definitely in at Davis and Irvine. I’d apply to Santa Cruz as well. It might be smart for you to stay in California so you get the CalGrant (around $10,000 you don’t have to repay every year). Santa Clara U and Loyola Marymount are good safeties you should consider. I don’t think you’re competitive enough for the Claremont schools.</p>

<p>You should also look and consider applying to Cal Poly SLO and Cal Poly Pomona as well. I think you’d be accepted and they’re both really good science schools.</p>

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<p>^^^thanks haha that cleared a lot up. i know i have a lot of work ahead of me, but some of those things im not too sure about. dont think my school has any clubs that would show interest in an engineering sort of major. and ive looked into internships where i live but none are really for high school students. plus the fact that i only live with one parent who makes less than 30k a year (and is currently trying to finish getting a degree) doesnt really give me an advantage. its tough haha i feel like im doing as much as i can and putting a ton of effort into getting better test scores and whatnot.</p>

<p>but ill definitely apply to other schools and see if i can still get into some sort of science or engineering program, since those are definitely areas i know i want my major to be in. if any opportunity comes up that’ll let me show my interest in any of those areas better, ill be sure to take it. so far though i’ve just signed up to take as many math and sciences courses my senior year as possible since i felt that was as much i could do at the moment. along with the courseload i’ve signed up for, work, and trying to fit in as much more community service as i can, its gonna be hard to fit in much more :confused: lol</p>

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<p>Since you don’t have a clear science/engineering/comp sci background, it might be in your best interest to apply undeclared or to something else and then switch later. Of course you can’t do this with every school because some of them would require switching between colleges within the university, which can be very hard to do but usually not impossible. Just check at each school before you apply.</p>

<p>And as far as the Claremont colleges go, they will definitely be a high reach. I meant that you should select one or two of the suggested schools and apply, especially UCLA or Cal because you wouldn’t even have to do another app. You should also definitely apply to UCSD. mid-reach, but it’s a great school in a great location. And I second the Cal Poly comments they’re great schools and you could probably get in. Can you get fee wavers for your applications? That might help your situation a little more, you shouldn’t not apply because of money.</p>

<p>About the Calgrant, there’s been a lot in the news about cancelling that. At least that’s what I’ve heard around the bay area. Maybe those are just rumors though, i’m not sure.</p>

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<p>On the contrary, this could be a good topic for an essay. I think it’d be interesting if you discussed how those obstacles motivated you to work harder and taught you to overcome adversity. And perhaps you could mention something about them causing you to value education even more.</p>

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<p>It’s a good essay topic, but for something like Viterbi, it still won’t make up for the fact that his raw numbers and science/math background is lacking against other applicants. Unless the OP is attending an underfunded, low performing public school where such activities aren’t offered (doubtful, since they have IB), that won’t help him gain admission to his desired major. Definitely a good essay topic overall, though, and I do suggest again he apply to USC as undeclared with intent to transfer into Viterbi if he gets in and after his first year at USC.</p>

<p>I think you apply for this AFTER you’re in at USC, but you should also look into the Norman Topping scholarship. It’s for first generation students who come from low income households.</p>

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<p>Given your stats and home situation you might want to consider an organization like Questbridge [QuestBridge</a> Home](<a href=“http://www.questbridge.org%5DQuestBridge”>http://www.questbridge.org) If you are selected by them USC is a participating school. They claim that schools give some consideration to their finalist. Worth looking into.</p>

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<p>thanks to everybody, this is great info haha ill definitely look into a lot of it.</p>

<p>if i do apply as undeclared, would it just be undeclared in general or undeclared in a certain one of their schools…? because i do know its a very expensive school, and if im gonna have to find a way to pay for that if im just doing entirely general ed my first year without focusing on any particular major…i feel it just wouldnt be worth it and i should just drop it entirely. idk, im just really confused on what to do lol. as for the questbridge thing…applying would be good and everything but i wouldnt have my new sat scores by the time the app is due, so that might be a problem haha but ill figure it out. but thanks for all the suggestions i appreciate it :)</p>

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<p>Whatup–</p>

<p>Assuming the parent you don’t live with is not wealthy, with a single mom and a family income of 30K, you are going to receive financial aid. Interestingly, with the financial predicament of Cali’s public universities, you might find yourself receiving more aid at private colleges than public ones – hard to know until you apply and have your financial aid packages in front of you, and can compare them when you’re making your decision.</p>

<p>Given the fact that you’re going to need FA, and won’t want to saddle yourself with lots of loans, you might want to consider widening your search and applying to more schools. It is very likely that your family income will allow you to get fee waivers so you won’t have to pay application fees when you apply. Ask your high school’s GC about this, and if he or she doesn’t know, look on each college’s website to see what you have to do to qualify.</p>

<p>Also wanted to add that is it completely fine if you are “just working” and earning money as opposed to doing some sort of special EC or internship over the summer. Particularly with low income students, colleges appreciate the maturity and discipline connected with getting a job and working responsibly. I’ve been on CC for a while through a couple of kids’ college processes, and every year, we see students who’ve worked summers helping their parents sell vegetables they grow on their farm or who work at Walmart over the summer getting into great colleges with solid FA packages.</p>

<p>Please consider going on the college confidential parents’ board, talking a little bit about what you want in a college, your family background, the need for FA, and your stats. I am willing to bet that you will get a lot of help and support there throughout the application process. (You might want to indicate, in the heading, that you are a first gen IB student needing college and FA advice.)</p>

<p>I’m not suggesting any of this because I think you won’t get into USC. Not at all. It’s just that you need not only to be accepted at a wonderful university, but to receive an excellent FA package. And I think that a lot of schools would be very happy to have you.</p>

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<p>once again thank you haha, ill definitely check that out and see if i can find anything that helps. i totally understand everything your saying, so ill widen up my search a bit for sure. that’s one of the reasons i was interested in usc in the first place…its private rather than public. plus i think they have more of an appreciation for people of different ethnicities instead of many of the uc’s that dont really pay much attention to it. i dont plan on applying just because of my ethnicity. not at all. im just hoping they’ll see that im busting my ass and definitely not taking the easy way out my senior year. guess ill just have to wait and see though :)</p>

<p>if anybody else has any suggestions, keep em coming. this is helping out a lot lol</p>