Caroline Koppelman
Rejected Early Decision from Columbia 2023

Getting a rejection in the Early Decision round is definitely not easy. But the good news is, it’s really just the start, and that one rejection has no bearing on how you’re going to do with other, similarly competitive schools. The thing about Early Decision is it comes alone and it comes first. It’s sometimes easier to tolerate a rejection when it’s preceded by several acceptance letters. College admissions are extraordinarily competitive these days and the Ivies are just more competitive than any other time or place in history. That’s it. It doesn’t get harder. And Columbia in particular has just a 4% acceptance rate! So, if you’ve been rejected in the Early Decision round, don’t despair. We have some advice about how you might go forward. (And don’t worry, it’s really not that much more work!)

Caroline Koppelman
Deferred by Harvard — Now What? (2023-24)

If you’ve been deferred by Harvard, you are not alone. Harvard is notorious at this point for deferring an enormous percentage of early admission applicants. While most elite colleges with early admissions programs, like early decision and early action, only defer students they are seriously considering for the next freshman class, the statistics Harvard has released on early admission suggest that they take a very different approach.

Caroline Koppelman
Writing the “Why This College” Essay

Even though every college has slightly different supplementary application materials, you’ll likely run into a variation of one question more than any other: “Why do you want to attend this school in particular?” It’s every institution’s way of saying, Let’s cut to the chase. Why us?

Caroline Koppelman
How to Write an Amazing and Unique Common App ...

If you’re here, you’ve likely already taken a look at the Common App essay options, felt a little bit of existential doom, and fought the urge to take a long nap (and honestly? Relatable).

Caroline Koppelman
The Best Guide to College Application ...

No two college supplements are the same, but there is one question that shows up again and again. Why our school? If you are applying to multiple schools with supplements you will probably have to write multiple essays on this exact topic (no, you can’t just reuse the same one). While word counts and specifics can vary, these essays always follow a similar structure and goal. After reading this blog post you’ll be set to answer all of them.

USC

How to Get into USC

The University of Southern California, usually just called USC, is California's oldest private research university. Don’t let the name fool you. While it might sound like a UC, it is not a part of the University of California system. USC is one of the most popular schools for students looking for an Urban mid-sized campus experience. Located near downtown Los Angeles, USC is especially known for its film and media majors. However, the school offers over 350 degree paths. So, whatever you want to study, they probably have it.

Applying to USC as an International Student

If you’re considering applying to college in the United States as an international student, chances are that you have the University of Southern California (USC) on your list. International students make up more than a quarter of the total student population at USC, and it’s an extremely popular school for international applicants. The most represented countries outside of the US are China, India, Canada, United Kingdom, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong, but there are students from 135 countries. That’s additionally impressive given that the USC acceptance rate is a mere 10% out of more than 80,000 applicants.

How to Write the USC Supplement 2023-2024

If you are looking for a medium-large school in a major metropolitan area, you are probably already thinking about USC. The University of Southern California might sound like a UC school, but USC is actually the state’s oldest private research institution. USC has an undergraduate population of about 21,000 at its downtown LA campus. While the school may be most famous for its film program, the university hosts over 350-degree options. USC is test-optional for the 2023-2024 application cycle, and the school has recently introduced an Early Action application option (still no word on if they will ever add an ED option). Last year, USC hit a record-low acceptance rate of 9.9%. With rates as low as this, the USC supplement has never been more critical.

USC Legacy Strategy

“Will being a SCion help them get in?” It’s a question we get a lot from USC alumni parents. For those not in the know, ‘SCion’ is the term that USC uses for legacies and the children of donors. The short answer is that yes, it will help but probably not as much as you think. Legacy admissions are more complicated than the easy-in that many alumni parents expect them to be. So, we wanted to break down all the complex ins and out of legacy admissions at USC.

USC Deferral Rate

The University of Southern California’s, or USC, acceptance rate has been dropping steadily for years. In 2022, they only accepted 11.88% of students who applied — the first time under 12% for the university ever. Over 69,000 applications were reviewed by 65 people. That’s over 1,000 applicants per reader, so when you wonder whether your applicant reader remembers your essay…picture that stack of 1,000 applications. Unless you’re really strategic, it’s hard to stand out.

Regular Decision to USC Strategy

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.

How to Write the USC Supplement 2022-2023

The University of Southern California is the oldest private research university in California. USC has been famous for its sports for years, but the university has much more to offer. Located in downtown Los Angeles, USC has an undergraduate population of about 21,000. Last year their acceptance rate was about 12%. USC has one of the more creative supplements that can be fun for some students and nerve-racking for others. So let’s break all the dos and don’ts down of the USC supplement.

USC Legacy Guide

So you went to USC and now your kid wants to go, you might be asking yourself, will your alumni status help get them in? If so, how much will it help? We work with legacy candidates all the time and navigating legacy admissions at top schools can be more complicated than you think. Especially, because a lot of what we know about legacy admissions on USC’s campus today comes from a recent state audit. This might sound odd, but it’s actually a really good thing. We comb through data and talk to insiders every year and legacy admissions data is one of the topics that universities tend to obscure as much as they can. Having a recent official record is kind of a godsend! So today we wanted to break down the ins and outs of legacy admissions at USC and answer some of our most asked questions.