Not getting into USC is a bummer. There is no way around it, but if you were banking on Southern California next year, it is time to make a new plan. You still have time; it just takes a little determination and some work.
USC’s early action round is still a relatively new policy. 2022-2023 was the first application cycle they even offered an early option, so there isn’t a ton of data about it. However, last year, their early acceptance rate was actually lower than their regular decision rate. This is really unusual, but it might have been due to the new nature of the program. USC saw the most applicants they had ever had last year, with over 80k apps and a record-low overall acceptance rate of around 9%.
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We say this because getting into USC was really hard last year, and you shouldn’t beat yourself up for not getting in this year, as we expect to see similar trends. Now, the important thing is to set yourself up nicely for the next round, and there are some steps you need to take.
Step 1: Breathe
If USC was your dream school, a rejection can make you spiral a little. It is okay and natural, but it isn’t helpful. Take a day. Take some breaths. Grieve. Then, it's time to get to work, and you need to be in the right headspace to get things done.
Step 2: Strategize
A considerable part of our job is crafting a strategy for our clients that optimizes their application season. It isn’t too late to inject your RD round with some strategy. One of the best tools to do this is your college list. You need a balanced list: usually 8-12 schools and a healthy mix of reaches, targets and safeties. If you don’t know where to start, we have a blog all about how to craft a great college list. But we have a few more tips specifically for students coming off a rejection.
First, you need to relook at your target and safety schools. They should constitute over ⅔ of your list, but many students treat them like an afterthought. These schools need to be schools that you actually want to go to. Sometimes, it is helpful to think about what you loved about USC and find similar schools. In our experience, students who like USC often like schools like the University of Miami, Fordham, NYU, Loyola Marymount University, Santa Clara, and Tulane, to name a few.
It is essential to back up your list with data. Sometimes, students choose their safeties and targets based on hunches. You need to look at the data to ensure that you categorize your schools correctly. This means looking at Common Data sets, checking class profiles, and even using probability tools. It also isn’t a bad idea to speak to a counselor, whether a trusted high school college counselor or a private counselor like us, to double-check your list.
You don’t need to delete all your reach schools from your list just because you were rejected. However, it is worth looking at them again. You want to make sure they feel “in reach” and not like too big of a stretch. Your list should still have spots for 1-2 reach schools, but you want to make sure they are working for you and not against you.
Finally, it's time to make an ED2 plan, if possible. We highly encourage students to choose an ED2 school before they even apply in the ED1 round, but there is still time to add one. Many schools offer a second “early decision” round. During this round, they offer a higher acceptance rate in exchange for protecting their yield rate. This is a powerful tool that you should highly consider using. FYI, the schools we mentioned above (U Miami, Fordham, NYU, Loyola Marymount, Santa Clara, and Tulane) all offer an ED2 round.
Step Three: Essays
Don’t hate us for saying this, but you most likely need to rewrite your Common App essay. We often work with students after an ED rejection, and we always check their essays. Nine out of ten times, they need to be entirely reworked or rewritten, and one out of ten times, they need a serious edit.
The Common App essay is just one factor that admission officers consider. However, it is important for a couple of reasons. First, it helps you stand out. USC gets too many applications from qualified applicants. Trust us, not everyone with a 4.0 gets in. Your essays allow you to stand out from a competitive field. You need to showcase your winning personality; your essays are the place to do that. Second, it is a factor you can still control. You can’t change your GPA or scores at this point, but you can make sure your writing is as strong as it can be.
We just published our Official Common App Essay Guide for 2024-2025; read it over and edit your essay. We also publish college-specific supplemental essays if you need help with supplements. TLDR: all your writing should be as good as possible because it can make a difference. Trust us; we specialize in helping students craft essays that help them get into schools that they are statistically unlikely to get into. If you are nervous or need more help with essays, email us. We can help.
Step Four: Ask for Help
Hey, we just said that! It isn’t weak to ask for help when you need it. We even offer a specific package, the “It’s Going to Be Okay” package, for students in your exact position. It's an RD boot camp intensive where a dedicated counselor will check your college list, essays, and more. They will ensure you are set up for the best chance of success. There is a lot of work to be done in the next couple of weeks, and if you need bespoke help, we can help you with that!
While getting rejected stinks, it isn’t the end of the world. Follow these steps, and you will set yourself up well for a successful RD round. And again, if you need help, we are here for you.
Let’s get started on RD. Contact us today!