<p>I know both these schools are big reaches at the moment with my ACT, but I am taking the September ACT and hoping to go up a few more points. Any feedback would be appreciated about my chances of getting in and I am a rising senior. </p>
<p>Race: White
Gender: Male</p>
<p>Tests: ACT - 27 (E:26,M:32,R:25,S:25,W:10)</p>
<p>GPA and Course Load:
Unweighted: 3.72
Weighted: 4.28
Some honors freshmen year
Mostly honors and AP sophomore year
Mostly honors and AP junior year
Some honors and mostly AP senior year
AP Psych - 5
AP Spanish - 5</p>
<p>Upward GPA trend:
First semester of freshmen year was a 3.9 weighted, last semester of junior year was 4.52</p>
<p>Extracurriculars:
DECA - 11th
JV Baseball - 9th, 10th
JV Hockey - 9th (captain), Varsity Hockey - 10th, 11th, 12th
JV Golf - 9th , Varsity Golf - 11th, 12th
Volunteer tutor for elementary school kids (mostly hispanic)
Volunteer in helping kids “Learn to Skate”
Hospital Volunteer
Managing a business since age 13
Violinist since age 10
Pianist since age 8</p>
<p>Work:
Office Assistant for a company in downtown Chicago (only for this summer and the past summer).</p>
<p>Additional Details:
School doesn’t do class rank.
Excellent letters of recommendation.
Don’t think this will make much of an impact but I plan to write about it in my essay: I started learning Spanish at age 7 and now I’m fluent. I went on a two week trip to Spain this summer through the school to help learn more about the language. I actually took classes during the week in Spain and they really helped my development of the language.</p>
<p>Thanks for your help!!! I would greatly appreciate any advice you could give me to make my application better, and increase my chances. Thanks!!!</p>
<p>Dude,</p>
<p>Your ACT is low for both universities. Thoroughly prepare for the ACT in your next try.</p>
<p>What is your intended major? You have a background in music. At SC are you at the level to audition for the Thornton School of Music?</p>
<pre><code>Is the business you manage large? Did you found the business? Do you manage many employees?
Do you have any unique experiences or hobbies which would set you apart from the thousands of other applicants?
</code></pre>
<p>Have you thought about trying the SAT? Some students do better on it than the ACT (and vice versa). You could take both in the fall. You will most likely need higher test scores to get into either school (although some students in this range may get accepted).</p>
<p>Just a suggestion about your essay topic. I have heard several admissions reps talk about the essays that are most over-used and, alas, they seem to get a huge number about students who travel abroad for a program and learn so much about themselves, the new culture, etc. It’s a wonderful experience, of course, but may not give the adcom enough new info about you, your drive, and initiative to give the best picture of your individual character that you’ll bring to USC. You have managed a business and if it involved a significant amount of work, allowed you to creatively solve problems, leadership, and responsibility, I’d think finding a special experience to sum up your involvement would show a lot of long-term commitment. </p>
<p>Best of luck, and do try the SAT.</p>
<p>Georgia Girl - I am still not sure of my intended major. Would it be easier to get in to one of these schools if I had a less popular major? I’d say the business I have is my unique hobby. It is an online card selling business. I have dealt with tons and tons of customers on a daily basis. </p>
<p>camomof3 - I have tried the SAT. Didn’t go as well as the ACT. But I have been studying rigourosly for the September ACT. I’m hoping to get at least a 29. </p>
<p>madbean - That’s interesting that you say that about the studying abroad for the essay. I think I am going to incorporate it into my essay but not be the main topic. I think my main topic will be about how I moved from the city of Chicago to a suburb of Illinois where Spanish was talked everywhere, so I made the difficult transition to learn a whole new language and at the same time get accustomed to my new home. Do you think that would be a good topic?</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I would say no to both UCLA and USC.</p>
<p>No harm in applying, but they are tougher to get into than Miami.</p>
<p>29 won’t be enough. I’d say your odds are very low for both schools.</p>
<p>If the ACT really doesn’t work out then try taking the SAT, SAT2 recommended. Your GPA and ECs are good enough in my opinion, I got a 3.78 UW GPA and got me into USC, btw do an interview if you can, it increases your chances most of the time.</p>
<p>agree to above comments. Take that ACT again and again until you get the scores you need, I started preparing for my SAT late, but I took it october, november, and december and finally got decent scores (ended up getting accepted to both) Take as many APs as you possibly can, take a bunch of easy AP’s because UC’s weight APs. I took 4 APs in my senior year, a rigorous senior schedule is def a plus.</p>