USC continues to be one of our most asked about schools. In addition to stellar academic programs, the school spirit is unbeatable and the school is home to numerous special programs and opportunities. The acceptance rate for the class of 2024 was 16%.
Before we begin, some advice. Most students would agree that the college process is not inherently fun, but we think that these questions kind of are! Shake things up. While there are a few opportunities to add some dimension to your application, half of these hot takes are purely subjective. If you have the test and scores to get into USC, you will not be tossed aside if the admissions team doesn’t agree that Peanut Butter Fingers are the best snack of all time.
A few tips:
Brainstorm 8-10 answers for every response.
Complete this part of the supplement AFTER you’re completely done with the long answers.
Check your final answers against the rest of your application. Avoid redundancies.
Onto the questions:
Describe yourself in three words.
Alright folks. Everyone wants to think of themselves as passionate, dedicated, and intellectually curious. Hopefully, you’ve actually demonstrated those characteristics in your studies and outside of school activities. We avoid these words because they’re almost as overused as “I would love to be a member of USC’s class of 2025.”
You might start by asking friends and family how they would describe you. Then throw a few on the list yourself. Once you’ve gathered 10-15 words, cross off anything that is represented elsewhere. If your common app essay is about sports, cross off athletic. Actually, if your common app essay is about sports, we need to talk. Once you’ve streamlined your list, choose the three words that feel most genuine and add some variety to your personal brand.
Another option: string together a three-word sentence that describes you. Example: Always. Making. Dessert.
What is your favorite snack?
Toasted crusty bread topped with balsamic peaches
Salads without lettuce
Nuts roasted with olive oil and rosemary
Fancy Popcorn
Dried fruit
Carrots and Mary’s Gone Crackers with Hummus
Cheetos
Okay fine, you caught us. This is just a list of the favorite snacks of the TKG team. Ha! We, just like you, love food and talking about food. Make a list of your favorite snacks and cross off anything that isn’t specific. Don’t waste space and write “candy.” What kind of candy? This is one of the subjective questions that you pretty much can’t get wrong. Unless, of course, you write candy.
Best movie of all time?
Not a trick question. Asking someone what kind of movies they like is a way to get to know them, and that is exactly what USC is doing. There is only one wrong move to make here: picking a movie that you think makes you sound smart. Don’t pick a foreign film unless it’s really and truly your favorite film. You should be able to explain (and probably quote) the movie that you pick here, so you’re best off brainstorming movies that you consistently go back to.
Dream job?
We are fully aware of the fact that we said there should be zero redundancies in your USC application. But for this question, it’s okay if your dream job is in the same field as your academic interests. But dream BIG. Don’t worry about the roadblocks you’ll encounter along the day and pick the thing that you truly aspire to do.
If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
Please, oh please, do not pick the Trojan fight song. You should also avoid “Eye of the Tiger” for reasons that should be obvious. Humor will shine here, but if nothing comes to mind, make a list of ten songs and choose the one that stands out.
Dream trip?
You’ll want to get as specific as possible here. Entire countries are not specific. Don’t say France, pick a city! And as much as we would all love to spend a week doing nothing on a beach somewhere, we suggest picking something that is more ~exciting~ than say, a beach vacation.
What TV show will you binge watch next?
No lies! Pull up your Netflix queue and pick your favorite. There’s no wrong answer to this one.
Which well-known person or fictional character would be your ideal roommate?
Don’t start with the person or character. Instead, think of the qualities that you are looking for in a roommate. Do you want someone funny? Someone who will push you to be more outdoorsy, or make you think about deep philosophical questions? From there, brainstorm characters that personify those qualities. Because you don’t have room to explain why, what you’re looking for in a roommate should become clear at the drop of their name.
Favorite book?
Whatever you do, don’t choose a book that was assigned to you in school. This will show the admissions team at USC that you haven’t picked up a book outside of school, well, ever. Not great! You should also steer clear of the classics, which are terribly overdone and don’t say much about you. This is one of the few opportunities you have to shed light on a new interest or personality trait. Here’s what we’re reading now:
Lab Girl – Hope Jahren
Maybe You Should Talk To Someone – Lori Gottlieb
Untamed – Glennon Doyle
The Tenth Muse – Catherine Chung
Ordinary People – Diana Evans
If you could teach a class on any topic, what would it be?
The topic that you choose for this prompt should be completely unrelated to what you wrote about in your “Why USC” essay. They are (or should be) fully aware of your primary academic interests, time to add some flavor! Niche topics are great here because it will show the admissions team that you have gone deep into a field and were able to identify an issue or subtopic within a broader discipline. And fear not, it’s also fine if your class is not a traditional academic subject.
It’s easy to start feeling uninspired with such a long supplement. Stay focused and create a plan for what you want USC to know about you before you start writing.
If you want help, contact us here.