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.
Which is what is probably on your mind right now if you’ve been deferred. How do you stick in the application reader’s mind now that they’re going to be comparing you to a whole new pool of people?
2022 is the first time USC has offered an early application option for prospective students. For this first go-around, they’ve opted to only offer non-binding Early Action, and they say the reason why is that students, parents, and college counselors have been clamoring for it. We’re not entirely convinced that a statistically significant number of students have been calling up the office asking for an earlier deadline, but USC says offering EA will give students for whom USC is their first choice a chance to make that clear by getting their application done, and submitting, early.
It's worth noting, though, that they don’t plan to admit a higher percentage of students Early Action than they do Regular Decision, bucking the trend of schools being more generous towards early applicants, at least as far as acceptance rates go.
Should You Write an Update Letter?
As this is the first time that USC has offered an early application option, it’s not clear what the admissions office wants from the students they defer. While they’ll most likely make their expectations clear in the deferral notices, we think it’s worth planning ahead even if you haven’t received your decision yet.
If you’re deferred, most schools will offer you an opportunity — or even invite you — to write a letter updating them on what has been going on in your life. Some schools, on the other hand, specifically don’t want you to do this. They don’t want to hear from you while they make their final decision, even if you won a national cheese-identification contest (Is it a thing? Maybe.).
Let’s assume that USC will want to hear something from you, so plan to write a short, one page maximum, letter that includes 1-3 significant updates that augment your application in a meaningful way. Have you been elected to a new position, won an award, or taken on a new responsibility? That’s exactly what you need let them know about so that they can incorporate it into your application profile, increasing the chance that your application readers will remember you when they give you a second look. We help students write these, so let us know if you want our imput.
Reconsider Your College List
In the meantime, you should also give your college list another look. Not getting into USC Early Action doesn’t mean that you aren’t qualified to attend a high-caliber school. If you weren’t qualified, they would have rejected you. You weren’t rejected, so you shouldn’t be freaking out. You should, however, still give your college list another look. If you don’t have a good mix of targets, safety schools, and reach schools, this is the time to fix that. Making sure that you have a well-distributed college list is the best thing you can do to ensure you’ll be happy with your options once all your decisions roll in.
Keep Working
Remember that update letter you’ll be working on? Now is the time to make sure that you have something to write about. Look for opportunities to take on additional leadership opportunities, and try to raise your grades even just a smidge. USC will be receiving a mid-year grade report from your counselor, so even a small improvement is a great way of showing them that you’re committed to excelling at USC is they let you in.
Relax…a Little
As you continue through the stressful slog that applying to college has become for so many (but not the students who work with us!), you need to set some time aside for being a teenager. Hang out with friends, watch a movie, each junk food, or read a book that isn’t assigned. Giving yourself time to take a break and enjoy life will only help your applications, so cut yourself some slack.
If a deferral has you freaking out, send us an email. We help students like you bounce back from deferrals by crafting compelling applications.