Mary Waller (Junior from Chicago, IL): As you freak out about small details in your essay, and have regular panic disorder since you got confusing about an essay topic or a deadline, just remember that you are (probably) not actually insane, and that most people are experiencing the same thing. Make an effort to remember, instead, that you will be awesome. That is the part of you that admissions officers want to see, and if you don’t believe that you are awesome, how in the world are you going to convince an admissions officer that you’re? Challenge yourself to be authentic.
Spencer Lepow (Freshman from Houston, TX): I wish I would personally have understood that the goal associated with the admissions officer is to get you IN. They are fighting for you personally, so help them out by submitting a polished application that really reflects you as well as your skills.
Simone Geller (Freshman from Foothill Ranch, CA): For the many part, the students applying to a prestigious school like USC are all going become smart with good grades and high test ratings. What is imperative to get across in the application through your essays is a picture that is clear of you truly are. Talk about the things you are passionate about, your aims for the immediate and the future that is distant and things you aspire to do at USC if you opt to come here.
Paige Handley (Sophomore from Provo, UT): I discovered it very helpful to go to the educational schools I had been using to because it offered me a feel of what kind of school i’d like. I don’t know I think it is different for everyone, so visiting helps whether I wanted to go to a big or small school and.
Lorelei Christie (Freshman from Arlington, VA): Research all the programs USC has to offer, and do it early on! Luckily for us, I found out about Thematic Option early enough to apply straight to the program. Now T.O. is certainly one of my things that are favorite SC. You will find tons of other unique, exciting programs right here that I wish I had known about earlier.
Engie Salama (Junior from Irvine, CA): If only I had known how helpful the admission staff at USC are! actually, just shoot an email to your admission therapist with any questions you could have, as well as’d be pleased to assist. I’m like a great deal of students are intimidated by the application form procedure, and it can be considered a little depersonalizing because of how applicants that are many like USC get but I think interacting with the staff helps alleviate that feeling.
Mythbusters: From the Source!
We all know that there’s a TON of information… err… rumors going swimming regarding the school garden, on Twitter, and on those college message board web sites, and our company is here that will help you obtain the information that is factual are looking for. In this post, we hope to debunk some of those myths that are common USC’s application procedure, and help you gain a better insight into how our procedure actually works.
Myth # 1: It is simpler to obtain in if you affect a certain major.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: connect with what’s truly your very first choice major, plus don’t try to ‘game’ the device. We will always consider students for his or her very first choice major, their 2nd choice major, and ultimately as undecided before they are released through the process.
While it is true that applying to specific majors means we’ll pay closer attention to certain things, i.e. your math and science planning if you should be using to 1 of our engineering majors, we will constantly start thinking about students equally for both their very first and 2nd choice majors.
You will find cases where students are admitted to their second choice or as undecided. We do have a transfer that is internal if you’re admitted to USC and desire to switch to another major later.
Myth #2: Visiting campus, writing letters, and having an admission interview will help my likelihood of admission.
False. We do not track what’s referred to in the admission world as ‘demonstrated interest,’ so don’t worry if you might be applying from half real way around the globe and can’t create a see to campus. We merely lack the capacity to interview all interested students, and thus the majority of students who apply will not have the chance to interview. Don’t worry. We encourage you to utilize the ‘Additional Information’ element of the Common Application to generally share what you might have discussed in a interview.
Myth #3: I shouldn’t bring it up in my application if I got a bad grade in a class.
Wrong! The place that is first counselors go when they notice a downward trend in grades or someone lower grade is the ‘Additional Information’ part of the Common Application. That is your opportunity to give an explanation for context surrounding any reduced grade you might have received.
Myth number 4: The more letters of recommendation I have, the higher my chances of admission.
Incorrect. For many majors, we just require one page of recommendation from an academic supply, meaning that people really, truly only have to see one letter. We would require more than one if we thought this would not suffice. However, we do understand that sometimes, applicants want to submit a extra page from a non-academic supply, i.e. coach, community service organizer, etc., and this is perfectly acceptable. Its really concerning the quality of the letter over the number of letters you submit.
Myth #5: Send your Admission Counselor a gift—it will help your chances!
Hmm, we desire. But unfortunately, this is a misconception. In the event that you send us a (non-edible) gift, we’ll need to send it straight back. Bribery won’t work with this situation.
Myth no. 6: we shouldn’t bother applying if no one in my family visited USC.
We evaluate all applicants on their own merits while it is true that the Trojan Family is an extremely important aspect at USC. We are made up of about 20% legacy students, and although we specific love to just accept legacy pupils, the actual fact that your parent, grandparent, or sibling went to USC is one of numerous facets we consider whenever reviewing a student’s application.
So here you have it. Six common myths hopefully) shed some light on that we have now. Please remember to always contact USC straight in case you have any relevant questions regarding the application procedure. Good luck!