<p>SC2013, I completely agree. No one graduates from USC without satisfying rigorous academic requirements during their years there, be it for 2, 3 or 4 years. Perhaps prestige-directed students feel their hard work during HS is being dissed in light of the same USC “reward” offered to later academic bloomers? Whatever. </p>
<p>eagerlywaiting, I think the hope you wish to give everyone is just the thing I fear will mislead many. If you visit this forum over a number of years, you’ll become aware of how painful rejection can feel to many hopeful students. It can also appear to be gloating when a low stat student keeps crowing publicly when so many with much better scores/grades are feeling hurt right about now. </p>
<p>I gently point out that no one who receives an acceptance from any college anywhere is, in fact, better or more worthy than most of those who do not. There is the good fortune of fitting the institutional need of that school, combines with having certain attributes that may have been wanted at just the moment your file (out of over 47,000) hit the adcom’s desk. This is not meant to take away the joy of being accepted, but simply a kind way to remind everyone that there is a lot of heartbreak too. And one’s extraordinary against-the-odds success is simply one data point and not at all the norm.</p>
<p>Often, those with outlying low grades/scores have another unusual hook–great sports ability, great talents/awards–which is great for the school, too. But consider the level of peer students at USC. At top universities, expectations are that all students learn at the same demanding, accelerated level. The reason adcoms pay attention to grades/scores in the first place is to assure all admits are up to the challenge. Rankings can be dinged, in fact, if the graduation rates in 4 years begin to dip, too.</p>