<p>I think there is a big random component in this process. My daughter is a National Merit Finalist with a 4.39 weighted GPA and a SAT score of 2230. She was involved in choral music and Latin and had many volunteer activities. She also received the “select group” language in her rejection – perhaps because my wife is a USC Law grad - we don’t really know. But my daughter was bummed since she was expecting a Presidential Scholarship and not a rejection, as per USC’s guarantee regarding National Merit. She had friends who were admitted to USC with much lower grades…etc… But that is life. The truth is, nobody will ever be able to get inside the minds of those who make these decisions. She was accepted to UCLA, Cal, USSD, and Scripps so she will do fine…And we shall not be donating to USC anymore. :)</p>