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@cloudy_OohWee
8 answers, 7 votes
 • 2 years ago •
Admissions Advice
[edited]

USC Viterbi or IYA
Answered

I am a senior from India and have been interested in USC for a long time. I was originally applying to the Viterbi School since I want to major in Computer Science and Business. But I incline design. I have not pursued it professionally, not taken any classes on it, but I have been designing for my school. I make at least 2 posters a month for my school for various school events, I am the Yearbook Creative Head and the school magazine designer. I wanted to know that since I don't have a clear portfolio ready as required by the admissions for the IY Academy's BSc for Business, Tech, and Art program, should I apply for it or will the Viterbi School be a better option for me?

I am an average student, with a 3.4 GPA. I have a 4 in AP CS. International student with considerable EC work.

computerscience
design
usc
1
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2 answers

1
Accepted Answer
@AlexanderOddo
expert
954 answers, 654 votes
 • 2 years ago

Based on your impressive CS-oriented EC list, I recommend applying to USC Viterbi. Having a solid portfolio is essential for admission to programs like IYA's Business, Tech, and Art program, so it would be more worth your effort to apply to the Viterbi school. Once you are accepted to USC, you could take on a Design minor starting your junior year. Hope this helps!

1
[🎤 AUTHOR]@cloudy_OohWee2 years ago [edited]

Hi! Thank you for your answer, I really appreciate it! Do you think that it is worth the effort applying to USC, since my counselor seems that is way out of my league?

@AlexanderOddo
expert
2 years ago

I think that it is worth it to apply to USC. A balanced school list should have between 8-12 schools on it with varying acceptance rates. If you apply to 8 schools, 2 of your colleges should be safeties, 4 should be targets, and 2 should be reaches. If USC would be challenging for you to get accepted to, you could count it as one of your reach schools. Hope this helps!

0
@Code
13 answers, 42 votes
 • 2 years ago[edited]

Can you explain more of your extracurriculars. From what it seems international students will have more overpowering ec´s. International students innately have a disadvantage and there is barely any affirmative action for asians

0
[🎤 AUTHOR]@cloudy_OohWee2 years ago [edited]

hi! You can refer this website, it has a list of all my ECs https://sites.google.com/view/kashikamahajan/home?authuser=0

@Code2 years ago

Its showing an Error404 message can you show me the EC´s here.

[🎤 AUTHOR]@cloudy_OohWee2 years ago [edited]

House Captain, National Hackathon Organiser, Yearbook Designer, School Magazine Designer, Founder of an initiative for the Elderly, Founder of an initiative for peer learning, Made an app on math, knows JS, React, python, Java and HTML/CSS, Organised intra school Math quiz, Organiser intra school CS quiz, Vice President of the CS Club, 1 research paper published on Gender Inequality in CS

@Code2 years ago

What is House Captain?

What are your chances of acceptance?

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Your chancing factors
Unweighted GPA: 3.7
1.0
4.0
SAT: 720 math
200
800
| 800 verbal
200
800

Extracurriculars

Low accuracy (4 of 18 factors)
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