What else should I do to ensure I get into USC?
Hi! So usc is literally my dream school, but my stats aren't as good as they should be. I'm a black 11th grade female in California so that raises my chances, but I still am worried because my chances are a hard reach, especially with me planing on my major to be cellular biology and anatomy. My GPA is 3.3UW and 3.9W and I have a 1300SAT, but I have kind of a lot of involvement in my school. I hold many positions in major clubs at my school like BSU, MSA, women empowerment club, and HOSA. Also, outside of school I do more things like being a tutor (9/10), 200+ (and counting) volunteer hours, 100+ medical volunteering hours that are still going (I don't know if labeling them as medical makes a change), International recognition HOSA award, two different volunteer internships with medical institutions, Science Lab Technician, Partnership with a non profit org, and I also plan on creating a non profit org soon with my friend. Along with this, I'm also in a biomedical pathway in my school thats pretty hard. So yea, I'm just wondering if I should take any other measures to improve my chances to get in other than my GPA because it's a little late for that, or if I have a actual shot of getting with just these stats if I write a really good essay. Thank You!
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2 answers
Well I'll start off by saying that your extracurriculars are very very strong. You're definitely on par with getting into USC in that regard. Your GPA seems to be in range (around average), but your SAT is going to need some work. The average SAT for USC is a 1450, so by being at a 1300 you're really putting yourself at a disadvantage. If you can get your SAT up to AT LEAST a 1400 (preferably around a 1450), you'll definitely have an actual shot come next year with your stats.
I know the upcoming SAT dates getting cancelled poses a problem for getting your score up, but use this free time to your advantage. Study for the SAT (Khan Academy's a great free resource) every day alongside your distance learning for school.
How long have you been studying for the SAT so far? Your potential for improvement depends on how long you've been already studying for. If you haven't studied that much already than the room for improvement is larger.
I agree with @ajmoshyedi. You have really strong ECs which is a really good thing assuming you can get your profile looked at by an admissions officer. But, to get your profile looked at you're going to need to hit their academic minimum. While your GPA should be enough, you will need to work on the SAT score a bit. A 1350 puts you in the 25th percentile for the school and you're a bit below that currently. I do think your score is high enough where your application will be viewed but I'd feel a lot better for you if you got to somewhere around 1400-1450 like @ajmoshyedi mentioned. The good news is you should have a lot of time to study these next few weeks and over the summer so I bet you can get there.
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