Decision: Accepted
**Date applied: **September, I think
**Date decision postmarked/received:**25th
Which school/major at USC: Political Science
Scholarships:
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown):1450 (790 English, 660 Math)
ACT (breakdown):Did not take
SAT II (place score in parentheses):620 Math, 710 English (or 720, too lazy to check), 660 US History
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):Unweighted–4.0, Weighted–4.4210
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):2/150
AP (place score in parentheses):4 on APUSH, 4 on APES
IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load: 5 APs (Bio, Gov, Calc, Chem, English), 1 French IV Independent Study
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):Newspaper (co-editor my junior and senior years), Link Crew, Sunshine Society, NHS, NAHS, SpellBowl, English Team, Model UN, Speech Team, 4-H
Job/Work Experience:Worked the polls on Election Day
Volunteer/Community Service:Lots of volunteer work with Sunshine Society, including bell ringing for Salvation Army and grocery bagging for Riley Hospital
Summer Activities:4-H, and that’s about it
Essays (rating 1-10, details)::8 or 9; I spent some time making sure my personality dominated, and I loved the questions that required just a phrase or a word for the answer. Tried to be as honest and unique with those as possible. My Common App essay was on veganism and its influence on my worldview.
Teacher Recommendations (rating 1-10, details)::8, all three teachers I chose had formed strong bonds with me over the years.
Counselor Rec (rating 1-10, details)::6, she is an intelligent and kind woman, but I just never formed a relationship with her.
Additional Rec (rating 1-10, details)::
Interview:N/A
Other
Applied for Financial Aid? YES
State (if domestic applicant): Indiana
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: $30-35K
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Raised by single mother, took a risk by writing about veganism in app (can turn some people off, but I tried to make it about my personal experience and how I don’t fit the “angry vegan” stereotype). Also, location in midwest might help their geographic diversity?
Reflection
Strengths: I put everything into my essays, and I absolutely love writing, so this was definitely a strength in my app. Again, show your PERSONALITY!! Also, I’m v. involved, and many of the activities I listed have links to my desired career path (political communications, which involves politics and a mastery of language)
Weaknesses: My subject test scores weren’t stellar.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: You could see me in my essays, and my good SAT score combined with GPA were super important, I think. I really believe my responses to their questions helped me stand out, however. Was shocked to be accepted, because everyone who applies to USC has great stats!
Where else you are applying or have already applied: A BUTTLOAD OF PLACES!
Accepted to Boston U, Boston C, Fordham, Emerson, Oxy, Macalester, UToronto, UWashington, and of course USC!!! Waiting to hear back from a few more, especially NYU. If accepted, I will have to choose between Boston U, USC, and NYU.
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: Let YOU shine through! I AM SO THRILLED AND STILL IN DISBELIEF.