College Application Tips from a USC Student
photo credit: iStock
by Kathryn Aurelio ‘25
Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re well into the college application process or waiting until Thanksgiving break to crank out your essays (which is perfectly fine, that’s what I did!). You might be frantically watching endless TikTok and YouTube videos for advice on choosing the right major, deciding which colleges to apply to, scholarship deadlines to keep in mind, and how to write a compelling personal statement or the UC’s Personal Insight Questions. It's safe to say I was very overwhelmed with the ocean of opinions that sometimes clashed with one another.
When filling out my application during COVID-19, stuck in my living room, it was difficult (impossible) to take some of the “college influencers’” advice to tour and talk to students on campuses. With the changing times of shifting to remote/hybrid work, colleges have also segued into more immersive resources available online! While I snuggled under a fluffy blanket, I was able to watch endless informational sessions for school/major-specific programs from Cambridge to NYU to Boston University to UC Berkeley to USC without moving an inch. So, with the ever-changing landscape of college admissions and applications, here are some tips to navigate this process as someone who has been through the struggle recently:
Choosing Your Major
If you’re an indecisive person like myself, this is single-handedly the most difficult decision of the entire process. From taking endless Buzzfeed quizzes and going down a long rabbit hole of videos to get a sense of possible majors, I finally landed in the field of public relations/communications/media. I found it combined a range of my key interests including writing, creativity, and design that could be applicable to any industry. I was invested in both the political and entertainment/music industries at the time. But, the biggest thing when it comes to college applications is that you choose a major that you can “defend” with your resume/experiences/activities/essays.
To choose your major, consider how you rank the following factors that will hopefully narrow down your choices: work-life balance, stability, salary, flexibility, and passion. I also find that 99.99% of current college students or young professionals would love to chat and provide guidance if you ask! This way, if you have a certain niche major/combination of minors you’d like to pursue, you can get first-hand insight.
BUT! Don't overstress this part. Many college students end up switching their major or adding on majors or minors throughout the course of their university career. Also, if you’ve ventured onto “Careertok” (Career TikTok…yeah you can tell I’m stressing about post-grad), you find many professionals say it doesn’t really matter what you major in, you can go into any role as long as you have the base qualifications. For example, it was smarter for me to apply to a non-stem major because 1) I didn’t have an interest in the field, but 2) I did no high school activities that involved STEM nor put as much effort into those classes as I did with English, history, art, and ASB. Also, don’t feel tied to a specific major – be flexible with areas within your field of interest because not every college will have exactly what you define as your perfect major.
Narrowing Down Where to Apply
Congrats! You made it to phase two. This part comes with less stress, per se, as you probably already have an inkling of where you’d like to spend your next four years. Whether that’s staying close to family in your hometown, traveling a few hours to your in-state school, venturing out to the other side of the nation, or embarking abroad, there are probably already a few choices you’ve ruled out.
After choosing the general distance scope of geographical location, outline your core values and what you want out of a school. Much like relationships, there are non-negotiable and flexible things to take into consideration when choosing your next pursuits. So ask yourself: What matters to me? Location? Political culture? Student culture? The arts scene? Nightlife? Traditional college life? The city? A strong football/sports culture?
Once you have that outlined, you can research schools to add to your Common App/USC portal! Depending on your financial situation or if you attained fee waivers, aim for a good bunch of 6 to 12 schools. Aim for 20% of your schools to be “safeties” (your GPA/test scores are higher than that of their average admitted students; commonly, these schools are your local community college or state school), 60 to 70% by “targets” (your GPA/test score match that of admitted students), then 10 to 20% be “reach” schools (your GPA/activities fall under the average admitted students’; commonly, reaches are Ivy Leagues).
For example, here is my list of what I consider to be my safety, target, and reaches that I applied to:
Safety: CSU Long Beach, UC Santa Barbara
Target: UC San Diego, UC Irvine, Boston University, Northeastern, Syracuse University, Emerson College
Reach: USC, UC Berkeley, UCLA, NYU
Here were my “stats” for context:
Unsubmitted SAT’s/ACT’s
International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma (this was an AP alternative that emphasized a global curriculum focused on writing); scored 36/45 (good for American schools… LOL)
AP Language (4), AP U.S. History (4), AP Psychology (3)
Also, see which schools consider “demonstrated interest” (if you attend info sessions, get on their mailing list, tour, etc.), they will take it into positive consideration when reviewing your application.
Next, organize your schools into columns that track deadlines and what application materials are needed. For me, I really like Google Sheets/Excel so I can organize, sort by the deadline, and color-coordinate my potential schools. Whether it be in a notebook or digital file, make sure you list the details of the school, its location, the major you will be applying to, how many/what essay questions are needed, and which teachers you’ll be asking for recommendation letters.
Choose When You Want to Apply
Many schools offer multiple deadlines to apply including early action, early decision, scholarship, portfolio, and of course, the regular decision date. Here’s a quick breakdown of what each of these terms mean:
Early Action: non-binding, you can apply to as many schools “early action” as you please; there is a smaller application pool which mayyyy lead to higher chances of acceptance. The best benefit is definitely hearing back before your other applications for some sense of security!
Early Decision: you will get your decision back much sooner than your peers, often in mid-December. But, this is binding, meaning if you get into the school you applied to ED, you must accept their offer and withdraw your other in-progress applications.
Scholarship: some schools *cough cough USC* have early application deadlines for the sole purpose of scholarships.
Portfolio: some schools require a portfolio if you have a specialized major like art, film, dance, etc. Be sure to keep this date in mind so you have ample time to compile your projects.
Regular Decision: the hard deadline to apply to any school – no special perks.
Essay Tips
Embarking on the journey of college essay writing can be a daunting task, but fear not—here are some strategies to help you craft a compelling narrative that truly reflects your unique identity. Begin by knowing your strengths; delve into the qualities that set you apart. Narrowing in on one specific aspect of yourself can anchor your Common App essay, providing a focal point for readers. Either on a napkin or a Google Slides presentation, create a Venn diagram to visually explore the intersection of 3 to 5 key elements that make up your identity! Look for connections between these aspects. Through brainstorming, find what was a situation that demonstrated a spark/change in you (aka your "canon event") that encapsulates 2 to 3 facets of your identity. Flesh out a descriptive anecdote and weave it into your essay for a vivid and personal touch.
In the process, list your distinctive traits and emphasize how you stand out—how are you "not like the other girls"? After you have a solid draft, have an someone else review your writing to make sure you’re writing with clarity. While it might be uncomfortable to share your writing, especially with certain family members or friends, there are plenty of resources on the internet or even current students who are at the college you’re applying to that will gladly look over your essay. Social media platforms or LinkedIn are amazing tools for connecting with people to provide constructive feedback.
Take a deep breath during this process and don’t overwhelm yourself with telling your entire life story (you have the supplemental essays for that). Write with vulnerability and authenticity, and reassure yourself that it will all be alright. The journey of college essay writing is a challenging but rewarding one, and each step brings you closer to presenting your best self to the admissions committee and toward the life of your dreams.
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