This year was USC’s first year of offering Early Action. Previously the school only had a regular decision option. This is pretty big news given how much more competitive to get into USC it has become over the years. Last year they had about a 12% acceptance rate. Adding an EA option is going to make regular decision at the school even more competitive. You might be wondering, why is that? Well, let’s break it down.
Schools usually publish an overall acceptance rate. This number is actually a combination of two acceptance rates. The ED/EA acceptance rate and the RD acceptance rate. At most schools, Early acceptance rates are higher than the RD rate. We don’t have USC’s numbers yet because the policy is so new, but they did say that they “estimate that 20-25 percent of our admission spaces will be granted during the EA round.” This means there will be fewer spaces in the RD admissions cycle this year than ever before. So if you didn’t apply EA this year to USC and you are planning to apply RD, it is going to be more competitive than in previous years.
Ok, don’t hyperventilate. Students sometimes freak out when we talk about admissions becoming more competitive. We get it, it’s not the best news, but it just means that you need to be a competitive candidate. Every year we work hard to make sure each of our students turns in the best, most competitive applications possible. Being a competitive applicant takes work and often a little help, but it is very doable.
If you are dreaming of USC, it’s important to understand most applicants have great grades and test scores. You need to do more to stand out in a competitive field. We work with our students to craft a great Common App essay. We employ a strategic approach to submitting test scores and the activities section with every one of our students. It’s important to take these steps to make sure you are submitting the best application possible. On top of all of this, applicants also have to have a great supplement.
We have a blog about how to write the USC supplement. But if you are applying RD, we suggest doing more and the name of the game is being dynamic and creative. USC has a bit of an odd supplement. They start with a tricky but fairly straightforward question about academics. This essay is a great opportunity to flex your academic passion as well as the research you have done into the programs at USC. After that, they have a question that most students won’t answer. It’s about if you had a gap in your high school career. If you have, it’s a good time to explain why with a story, but for many students, it won’t be applicable.
USC then has 10 super short answer questions. These are like 3-word answers. Our students often freak out about these, mostly because they are fairly unique. 9/10 schools ask “Why do you want to come here?” Few schools ask “what’s your favorite snack?” However, these weird short questions are actually a great opportunity to showcase new sides of yourself. This is an opportunity to get creative and show off quirks that will make you stand out. This can be a balancing act. You want to come off as interesting without coming off as insincere. For example, when they ask you for the “BEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME,” you want to choose something that you actually like which can be hard if all you watch is Hallmark Christmas movies (no judgment here.) Balancing the truth about yourself, being interesting, and unique is a tall order, but it’s important here. We help our students brainstorm answers that set students up for success and at the heart of that is creativity.
If you are applying RD to USC, make sure you give yourself enough time to craft the strongest application and supplement possible. Standing out can take time and a lot of nuance. It doesn’t work if you are rushed. If this all seems difficult, reach out to us. It might sound self-serving, but when it comes to applying to highly competitive schools, we highly advise working with a counselor. It takes a lot of strategy to craft a competitive application and working with a counselor makes a ton of difference.
Want to talk more? Reach out here.