<p>USC has been my dream school for a while, I have strong alumni ties, if that’s a factor, but other than that, do I have any shot?</p>
<p>I am a junior, I took the SAT once, no studying, taking it again next week with a prep course (hopefully a large improvement) but my first score was a 1930 </p>
<p>good public school in Upstate NY, top 20%, but school doesn’t rank. </p>
<p>3.5 GPA UW with the hardest course load, numerous electives, I will graduate all honors with at least 5 APs and a lot of college credits. </p>
<p>Extra Curriculars:</p>
<p>4 years (2 JV 2 Varsity) XC, 4 years varsity tennis, 2 years indoor track
MUN club
Class Government, VP of class sophomore year and a lot of involvement with prom planning etc.
Femtastic gender equality club, involved in a lot of advocacy movements
business experience working for my dad’s company (too much to write about here, good stuff though)
Entrepreneurial ventures (again, a lot of details)
Volunteer work with adaptive ski program, I help developmentally disabled kids ski
Camp Counselor all summer (following being a camper for 7 years)
7 week leadership summit last summer in which I helped developmentally disabled adults play sports and other activities.
Nominated for Boys State, will most likely be attending</p>
<p>Recs will be good i’m sure, and I will write a good essay.</p>
<p>I would apply as a marketing major with a minor in Government</p>
<p>Any responses would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!</p>
<p>With a 3.5/1930 it’s extremely hard to be optimistic. With the jump in apps to an estimated 45,000 (and the concurrent drop in admittance rate to ~18%) it’s hard to see how USC would be anything but a big reach. All "A"s this semester and a big jump in your SATs is your best course of action.</p>
<p>A point in your favor is the consistent record of community service with the disabled. I hope you continue that good work.</p>
<p>SC is tougher each year to enter. I agree with vinceh that a higher GPA and SAT score would help. Have you thought to study for and give the ACT at try? For USC you only have to submit your best score on either examination.</p>
<p>Texas, Washington and New York had the most representation at SC for last year’s freshmen class after California.</p>
<p>Also, I would say that the SAT may just require some effort. I remember the SAT/ACT debate for me. I was so bad at the ACT math, though, that my overall score was significantly weakened because of the averaging. I would try to study for the SAT and see if you can keep bringing your score up.</p>
<p>I am an alright tennis player, I do well on varsity every year, I could probably play at a DIII school but never USC. What sort of SAT do you think would help my chances? Also, how much are alumni connections weighted?</p>
<p>There is no magic SAT number; you need to look at your application in its entirety and then put that into perspective versus your competition. </p>
<p>In your favor: You show a strong commitment to community service, sports and have examples of leadership on your resume. With 5 APs and ‘a lot’ of college credits you show that you haven’t shied away from a rigorous courseload. </p>
<p>Against: A 3.5 UW GPA was below the 2011 average for applicants and well below the 3.8 average of admitted students. At 1930, your SAT is 90 points below the 25th%-tile of admitted applicants and probably puts you in the bottom 15th%. </p>
<p>To me, at a minimum you need to raise your SAT to 2020 (the 25th%-tile) and every point that gets you closer (or past) the mid-point of 2130 certainly helps.</p>
<p>What do you mean by USC “connections”? Alums seem to be some of the last people to realize how competitive getting into college has become. Show your connections the pdf file; you’re likely to hear something like “Wow, I wouldn’t be able to get in today, not with my stats.” From the number of legacy students who get rejected, connections seemingly play a minimal role.</p>
<p>Believe it or not, we are not trying to discourage you, but we are trying to help you realize the situation you’re facing. You can only control the things that are in front of you. You need to make sure and get the highest grades possible for the rest of this year and next. You must get your SAT score up over 2000.</p>
<p>I really do appreciate your feedback. My connection is in that my grandmother (a Berkeley graduate) is close friends with a member of the board of trustees for USC (who I have met) and I could possibly get a recommendation from. I understand the level of competitiveness, I am taking the SAT on Saturday and I hope to improve greatly!</p>