The University of Southern California

“I was not the best student in high school,Dec 28 2009Industrial Operations Engineering
I was not the best student in high school, but I improved every year in high school. I was also very involved in extra-curriculars, or as my high school viewed them, co-curriculars. These are two of USC's emphases, as they strive to have more than just normal students, they want people who are becoming better students and well-rounded people.
ACT: 30 SAT: 1970 Male

“I visited the campus and wrote essays about howDec 27 2009Chemistry
I visited the campus and wrote essays about how I knew I would fit in. As the admissions people stated later, they can tell if you would be capable of doing well at USC and that is how they decide.
SAT: 1940 Female

“Try to get above a 2100 on the SATDec 15 2009Business - Management and Administration
Try to get above a 2100 on the SAT and have at least a 3.7 unweighted GPA. USC seems to prefer students with high SAT scores, they even give a scholarship for national merit finalists
SAT: 2200 Male

“Overall, be well-roundedNov 23 2009Undecided
Overall, be well-rounded. This entails some of the following:
academic success, athletics, drama/ music/ art, volunteering, leadership, and testing scores (ACT/ SAT/ AP/IB).

Find something you love to do and stick with it throughout high school. Work hard on your academics but realize they aren't everything.
ACT: 27 SAT: 1970 Female

“If you want to get in here, you don'tOct 22 2009Chemistry
If you want to get in here, you don't have to do much. I have heard of people that didn't take any AP's, and didn't do too well on their SAT's. I didn't even try to write a good admissions essay either. Really don't worry about it. If they like what you have, they will let you in.
Male