Hey I was just accepted into Annenberg for Communication. Here’s a comment I left on another post that’s revised a little to help you.
"Hi, I was just admitted into USC for the Class of 2019. You sound like a more than qualified candidate to be admitted. That being said, most people who apply are more than qualified. There just aren’t enough spaces. I didn’t have the best stats. From reading posts on CC, there were plenty of people who had much better stats and extracurriculars than I did, and were still rejected.
Stay on the same track. Now you should really make your essay outstanding. I finished the first draft of my essay January of 2014, when the deadline was in December 2014 (I know lame). I constantly revised all the way up until the end of November. I’m not saying that you have to start your essay now, but make sure you give it a lot of attention. Try to make your essay standout from every other candidate’s. Make it so that you think when the admission counselor/ officer (whatever) is done reading your essay, it’s not something forgotten in a pile. Write an essay that you think the admission officer will even be thinking about during their drive home. They probably won’t, but it gives you an idea of the effort, quality, topic, and hook your essay needs.
Also, pay attention to the supplements. When asked why do you want to go USC, seem genuinely interested in the school, and not like it’s just another college on your list. For example, I named specific courses and tracks I wanted to study. I also spoke about specific study broad programs and clubs that I wanted to take part in. I showed the admissions officer how and where I would fit into USC. They didn’t have to guess.
Of course, I’m not saying this will guarantee admittance, but I know it really made the difference for me, because my grades and scores are not in anyway outstanding in comparison to everyone who applied. In my humble opinion, just make your application so great that your lower grades and scores seem like they aren’t that big of a deal in comparison to the rest of your application. The admissions counselors realize you’re a person and not just numbers.
Good Luck!"