Decision: Accepted
Date applied: 11/30/17
Date decision postmarked/received:3/25/18
Which school/major at USC: Human Biology – Dornsife College
Scholarships: I don’t know
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT (breakdown): 32 C (30 E, 30 M, 36 R, 33 S)
SAT II: N/A
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.7
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Does Not Rank
AP (place score in parenthesis): APES (5), APUSH (3), APLang (3), Psych (4). Did not report Calc AB
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: Leadership, Civics, Contemporary World Problems, AP Chemistry, AP Calc BC, Anatomy & Physiology, Biomedical Engineering, World Literature and Analytic Composition, Health
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): None
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
-3 Years National Honors Society
-Link Crew Leader (Lead freshman and transfer students to get them accustomed to our school)
-Master Scuba Diver certified by PADI, the highest non-professional level. Have been diving since I was 10, the youngest you can be certified.
-Internship with Waste Management
-Conducted own Research in Senior and Junior years
Job/Work Experience:
-Fast Food. During Senior year, average 25 hours a week.
Volunteer/Community service:
Volunteered at a food sorting organization since I was 6. We sort food into smaller packages which then get sent to food banks across Western Washington
Summer Activities:
3-week service project to the Dominican Republic to build houses, schools, farms, and clean water filtration.
Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App Essay: Looking back, my common app essay is a bit unorganized. Talked about what I was like in elementary school and shows how I’m still that passionate and energetic but how I have also matured. (7/10)
USC #1: Chose prompt about interacting with people form different backgrounds. Talked about the Seattle Freeze Stereotype and how I don’t fit with it, and my experiences in the Dominican Republic. (8/10)
USC #2: Felt a little to straightforward, but I did mention a bunch of activities I would take advantage of. (7/10)
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: APES Teacher from Sophomore year. He’s a bit disorganized, but he sees me as a hardworking and fun student. (8/10)
Teacher Rec #2: APLang Teacher from Junior year, who also taught me in 10th grade Honors English. Loves me as a person and has seen me grow in what I consider one of my weakest subjects. Went from getting a B- in her class Sophomore year to getting A’s during Junior year. (9/10)
Counselor Rec: Go to a small school with only about 150 in my graduating class so counselor knew me by name. I’ve also done many school events like info and curriculum night, so they’ve seen my help around. (9/10)
Other
Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: Human Biology
State (if domestic applicant): Washington State
Country (if international applicant): N/A
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Multiracial (Asian and White)
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: $175k+
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): N/A
Reflection
Strengths: Not completely sure, possibly difficult course load throughout high school? Great recommendations (I’m assuming) and maybe unique extracurriculars?
Weaknesses: GPA, Test Scores
Why you think you were accepted: I’m fortunate in that my high school is one of the best in the country (according to US. News if that means anything?) and so I’ve had a pretty rigorous curriculum in high school that they may have thought would mean I could handle the work at USC. Also possibly because I have some unique extracurriculars like scuba diving and going to the Dominican Republic.
Where else were you accepted:
Accepted: Washington State University, University of Washington, Northeastern University
Deferred: Duke in ED
Waitlisted: University of Rochester
Rejected: Boston University, Northwestern University
Waiting on: Stanford, Duke (for RD this time), NYU
General Comments: Pleasantly surprised that I made it in! After seeing how many great individuals either were rejected I didn’t think I was going to make the cut. Very grateful to be accepted into one of my top schools!