@blueskies2day:
“They are flat out rejecting plenty of high stat kids, so spring admits are certainly not a lower caliber stat/score wise”
USC certainly could be rejecting plenty of high stats kids while taking lower-stats kids in the spring. Presumably, lower-stats kids that get in to USC have more qualities that USC desires than do the high-stats kids USC is rejecting. Holistic admissions is holistic. But by taking them in the spring, those lower-stats kids would not hurt USC’s ranking.
“it is also a balance of program/majors”
I agree with this.