Our son is a 1st year SCA student, who made a conscious effort to personalize every USC essay prompt with attention to detail. He made it very clear why USC was his top choice (by far), with specific word pictures articulating his affinity for Trojan culture (studying in his hammock on Mt. USC, sitting in Norris Theater with Leonard Maltin, etc.) He was already in contact with club leaders and student associations germane to his interests, and it showed.
Bottom line, they (USC admissions, both University and School) can spot regurgitated essays with the college name replaced. As previously stated, it’s easy to spot an applicant that is truly inspired about attending USC.
@CindyLeuWho We visited from TX 2-3 times, and made a point to setup a private meeting with SCA admissions the first time (even if we knew demonstrated interest wasn’t officially tracked). Did it help his admission decision? probably not, but after he stayed in email contact, we noticed the other SCA admissions people remembered him on subsequent visits.
The parents on this board are amazing! I truly believe the advice helped us tremendously! Their passion is contagious, esp after you realize how tightly knit this family is.
Good luck!