| Full-time undergraduate program |
USC's admission process is similar to that of any other private
university in that it requires submission of a transcript, SAT I score
(USC takes best individual Math and Verbal scores from different
sittings), letters of recommendation, and gives its applicants the
opportunity to interview with either the general Office of Admission
or, in case you're applying to be a part of one of USC's multifarious
mix of professional schools, with the individual academic unit (e.g.
Business). What most people don't know about the admission process at
USC is that it centers on, more than anything else, one's SAT score.
Because the school has had considerable difficulty shedding its frat-
boy party school image of the 1990's and before, it is using its
average SAT score to quickly gain legitimacy in academic circles. As
what is most likely the most objective indicator of academic success,
USC's average SAT score has gone from 1307 (2000) to 1319 (2001) to
1335 (2002) to 1345 (2003). As recent as the mid 1990's, its average
was in the lower 1200s. Its current admission rate stands at about 30%
and it attracts nearly 30,000 applications each year to fill about
3,000 spots. Applicants should keep in mind that USC also offers spring
admission to a number of students that are not admitted in the fall.
As far as scholarships go, USC offers a generous selection of packages
that are increasingly attracting the best and brightest students from
across the world. For the incoming class of 2003, it offered 129 full-
tuition Trustee, 295 half-tuition Presidential, and 249 quarter-tuition
Dean's Scholarships. When interviewing, make sure you bring up specific
points about programs at USC that you are interested in and shy away
from discussing more general things. For example, while serving on
numerous Trustee/Presidential Scholarship panels, I often heard
references to "the weather" or "the sports program" when students were
queried as to why they were interested in coming to USC, which is
located close to downtown L.A.
When asked about other schools you are applying to, be honest but focus
on higher-ranked schools so that you let the interviewer know that you
are a desirable candidate. Lastly, be prepared with a few USC-specific
questions instead of generic ones when asked at the end of the
interview if you have any. There are three members of the scholarship
panel (an administrator, faculty member, and student), and so try to
tailor your questions around their expertise. Perhaps you can ask the
student about extracurricular involvement and access to professors or
the faculty member about research opportunities for undergraduates.
USC offers a comprehensive financial aid program that enables many
students to attend the school for a very low cost. Students from
California can also utilize funds from the Cal Grant program, which
provides nearly $10,000 for California students to attend private
universities based on financial need.
In sum, if you have the numbers then USC will not likely reject you
unless you really screw up somewhere else on the application. USC does
not release this information on its website, but applicants should know
that the 3.99 average GPA of its 2003 incoming freshmen is actually the
average of the weighted and unweighted GPAs that these applicants apply
to USC with. In order to be competitive for admission, you should have
a weighted GPA around 4.1/4.2 and an SAT score around 1350. In order to
be competitive for a Trustee or Presidential Scholarship, you almost
HAVE to have an SAT score above 1400 and a weighted GPA above 4.3.
National Merit Scholars and International Baccalaureate Diploma
graduates are also accorded extra weight in the admission process
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