From the Director's Chair

"Justin" asked a question about the probability of admission to Carolina if a student has a good overall record but may be missing a required course.   This can be a difficult question to answer, because each case is a little different.  But, here is how we approach a situation like this:

We expect applicants to complete 19 required high school courses as a minimum requirement for admission.  We hope applicants will take a challenging college preparatory curriculum that will prepare them for success at the collegiate level, and therefor students that take a more challenging curriculum are generally more likely to be admitted than those who do not. 

But, we also realize that there are circumstances that arise that may prevent students from completing the required curriculum, and we will take that into account.  So that we can consider such circumstances, we provide in the application for an optional personal statement.  This is the opportunity to explain why one may not have completed the required units in high school, or any other factors that may have impacted a student's academic record or performance.

When a student does not complete a required course, we first ask why that was the case.  Was the course available to the student? (Some high schools may not offer all the courses we require, for example.)   Did the student suffer an illness or injury that required the student to drop the course?  We also consider everything else the student did take, and how successful the student was in his or her other coursework.  Since the primary reason for a college prep curriculum is to help insure preparation for success at the college level, we try to determine if the overall body of work the student has presented suggests the student is prepared for college and competitive with the rest of the applicant pool.  We look for improving grade trends in higher level courses. We look at overall GPA.  We look at test scores.  In a nutshell, we consider the student's overall record in the context of the environment and circumstances in which the student performed.

Now, with that in mind, I will give you two hypothetical situations, and you get to be the director of admissions and make the decision:

Student #1 has good grades and SAT scores. She took French I and struggled a bit, making a C.  So, instead of taking French II, she switched to Spanish and took Spanish I and made an A.   Her high school only requires students to take two years of foreign language, but  they don't have to be in the same language.  According to USC's admission requirements, a student must have two years of the same foreign language.  When asked about French, the student said she really didn't get along with the teacher. The French Teacher at her school has a reputation for being tough, and a lot of students don't like him.  Also, she likes Spanish better in part because Spanish is spoken regularly in her home.    Should we make an exception for this student?

Student #2 has overall good grades and SAT scores as well.   He  is very good at science and wants to be a doctor, so he took all the science and math classes his school had to offer, including AP courses.  Because he took mainly science and math electivies, he did not take any other academic courses that will count as academic electives.  According to USC admission requirements, students must take academic electives in at least three subject areas; he only has electives in two areas.  Not only is the student really good at math and science, he really did not enjoy classes in social studies, art, music, or  foreign language, because they are "not analytical subjects."  Should we make an exception for this student?

If you think about these examples a while, the question can be very complex and there is not always a simple answer.  So Justin, my advice to you is to take the most rigorous and complete college preparatory curriculum you can reasonably tackle.  Take courses you are interested in and have a talent for, but also take things you need to take to be a well-educated and well-rounded person.  And most importantly, check the college prep course requirements early in your high school career and do you best to complete those courses, because exceptions are usually rare, and only granted when every other aspect of the student's record is really strong.  Only a very small number of applicants will not have completed our required high school course curriculum, and very few of those that are missing a required course will actually be admitted as an exception. I recommend contacting the admissions office to speak with an admissions counselor about the specifics of your situation.

Good question, Justin.  Thanks for asking.

Posted by Scott at 08:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I have had a few good questions about admissions recently to which many people may appreciate knowing the answer:

Q:  Some people know they have been admitted already.  How are they finding out so quickly?

Answer:  I bet they have figured out how to check their application status on-line at our secure site:  https://as.sa.sc.edu/.  Students can check their status and see if we have received required credentials, such as transcripts and SAT or ACT scores, and if they have been admitted, that will display as well.

Q:  I applied by October 1 but have not heard anything yet.  Is that a bad sign? 

Answer:  No, it is not a bad sign at all.  We received 5,000 applications by the October 1 early answer deadline.  It will be some time yet before all are processed and early answers are mailed.  We process applications in the order we receive them, once they are complete, so don't worry if you haven't heard anything yet.

Q:  I did not apply by October 1, is it too late?

Answer:  No, absolutely not!  The October 1 date is an early answer application date only.  Students that apply by October 1 will hear from USC no later than December 20. The decision is non-binding, so students that applied by Ocotber 1 are not committed to USC.  Students that did not apply by the early answer date still have until December 1 to submit applications.  Everyone that applies by December 1 will receive equal consideration for admission.  There is no advantage to applying by October 1, except that you may hear from us sooner than if you wait until December 1.

The admissions process can be confusing, so don't hesitate to ask us questions, either by phone or e-mail. Or, If you have a question you would like answered that you think others may also want to know the answer for, please post it to my blog and I will post the answer for all to see.

Posted by Scott at 02:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

After a summer hiatus, admissions is back in full swing and my blog is back in action as well.  Today is October 1, which is our early answer deadline.   The "Early Answer" program is new for USC this year.  The way it works is this:  if you would like to hear from us in the early round of admission decisions, apply and get everything in (okay, postmarked) by October 1, and we will guarantee a quick decision, no later than December 20 when the University closes for winter break.  The decision is non-binding; it is NOT an early decision program. You still have until May 1 to make up your mind if you want to attend Carolina.  Also, there is no advantage in the admission process if you apply by October 1, just an advantage to you because you will hear back sooner. 

If you didn't apply by October 1, no worrys.  As long as you apply by December 1 (or November 15 if you want to be considered for the South Carolina Honors College) you will receive equal consideration for admission.  If you apply after December 1, however, you will be considered on a space-available basis. 

Thanks for reading my blog.  And I want to extend an invitation to you to ask me questions, and I will post the responses for all to see.  Go Gamecocks!

Posted by Scott at 08:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)