USC Acceptance Rate and Other Facts to Know to Apply Successfully

USC Acceptance Rate and Other Facts to Know to Apply Successfully
Table of Contents
  1. USC Acceptance Rate and Other Facts to Know to Apply Successfully
  2. How Difficult Is It to Get to USC?
  3. What USC is Looking for in Applicants
  4. Acceptance Rate, Scores and Requirements
  5. USC Admission Requirements: Tips for Getting In
  6. Conclusion

When it comes to university applications, there’s a lot to know about the documentation, your chances, and what the committee looks for in students. There's info on how to get into UCLA, write essays for Caltech and Florida State University, or find professional college essay writers. And now it's time to learn more about USC. In this article, we’ll discuss the USC acceptance rate, what you need to prepare admission documents, and more!

It’s important to know what qualities you should have to get in USC and how to write an admission essay. It might sound easy at first, but you may not know some peculiarities that may actually make you stand out as an applicant. A professional  college admission essay writing service can become very handy at this time. Expert writers have created hundreds of successful admission essays and other academic papers.

Knowing what USC expects of their future students is crucial in enabling an applicant to increase their chances of being accepted. Each college has different guidelines that their admissions counsel abides by - some require higher GPA’s and test scores don’t matter as much, various schools focus more on passion and extra-curricular activities, while others want a solid balance of each. The University of Southern California (USC) is quite difficult to get in, but it’s possible if you’re knowledgeable. Lucky for you, we have already done the research for the University of Southern California.

How Difficult Is It to Get to USC?

USC is very meticulous when it comes to evaluating an applicant. They want to know about your school, why you want to apply to this program, what’s your portfolio like. USC acceptance rate is up to 16%, which means only 1 out of 6 students might get admitted.

As a matter of fact, in 2019, the USC acceptance rate was only 11% due to a large pool of applicants (about 66,000 students).

About 38% of the students admitted in fall have all As. The test score should at least be in the 97th percentile. They also should have taken about 7 advanced courses during high school. So, as you can see, getting admitted is quite challenging as it’s not your common college.

Does University of Southern California Require Test Scores? Yes, University of Southern California requires that you either take the SAT essay or ACT. You may be wondering how many test scores should you submit. Generally, don’t freak out about taking the test too often. Industry consensus is that you can submit up to 6 tests as a reasonable limit.

What USC is Looking for in Applicants

USC is seeking a creative student who intends to study hard and get various kinds of experience. The admission committee states that they’re looking to accept someone who will “thrive at USC”.

The application process for every program has the purpose of exploring your past experience in the field of interest and your personal story. It’s important that the committee sees something in you that will be developed at USC.

Your test scores, grade lists, GPA and ACT essay results, as well as the admission essay, are also closely reviewed to see if you suit here. 

The perfect freshman has to be a combination of a strong academic portfolio and personal qualities. Any community service or volunteering will greatly influence the results. Anything you’re passionate about is also worth mentioning. It’s challenging to stand out of a crowd of over 60,000 applicants, so you have to use everything there is.

Acceptance Rate, Scores and Requirements

Here’s a checklist of everything you’ll need:

  • Common application and the university’s supplement (find out more about the supplement on the website of the university);
  • Test scores, including your SAT, ACT, and GPA. Keep in mind that due to COVID-19, in 2021-2022 admission year you may apply without taking the tests;

As to SAT scores, in the 2018/2019 admission year, the 75th percentile of admitted students got 760 in ERW (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing), and 800 in Math.

As to ACT scores, in the 2018/2019 admission year, the 75th percentile got 36 in English and 35 in Math.

As to GPA, in 2019, about half of the admitted class had a pretty high grade of 3.72 to 3.99.

  • Transcripts of the course work you’ve done during high school and college;
  • Recommendation letters are also required, and you can choose whether it’s from the school or college counselor;
  • Writing samples and/or a resume/portfolio is also required. It’s important that you put all your skills out there for the committee to see as an audition;
  • If available, fall grades will also be useful. You can find a prompt for every point of the list on the official USC website;
  • Application affirmations you will get after providing the necessary documents. Keep in mind that you may need a digital signature for that.

If you’re a home-schooled student, there will also be a question set for you on the Common Application Secondary School Report.  Along with the question answers, you’ll have to provide info about your curriculum and way of study. 

Make sure you apply before the deadline (both for freshmen and transfer). During the COVID-19 pandemic, a transfer or first-year deadline may be changed, so refer to the Dates and Deadlines section on USC website. This applies to every major and every freshman applicant.

USC Admission Requirements: Tips for Getting In

Follow these steps to maximize your chances of getting into USC. Everything you read above will help prepare you for what you need to achieve to have a shot at USC, but these steps will take you even further in applying that knowledge and differentiating your application. Here are some expert tips:

  • Take care of your grades in advance;
  • Choose your major and field of interests carefully and find out what universities require to accept you;
  • Write good USC supplement essays (you can turn to a professional for that)
  • USC doesn’t conduct interviews, so everything they will see about you will be on paper. Make your audition perfect;
  • Use every prompt online as an advantage to make sure you’re what the committee’s members require;
  • Be ready to challenge yourself in order to achieve results. Make sure the application shows your intent.

These will increase your chances of getting into USC at least in the 25th percentile.

Conclusion

One of the most important things in the whole admission process is the application and essay. You can be the best student with high grades in every class and perfect ACT score, but the way you’re introduced in that essay means a lot. 

Make sure you have the best team behind your essay. Feel free to turn to our professional writers who have already helped a lot of creative students get into their dream universities. You can become the next applicant to be lucky!