USC GPA and SAT Requirements

August 9, 2022
By AdmissionSight

USC GPA and SAT Requirements

The University of Southern California is a public research university that was founded in the year 1880 and is located in Los Angeles, California. The university takes great pride in its long and illustrious history of academic achievement; it is the oldest research institution in the state.

It has produced 11 Rhodes scholars and 12 Marshall scholars over the course of its history, and 29 of its graduates have gone on to become billionaires.

In addition, the school’s faculty and alumni have produced one Turing Award winner, ten Nobel laureates, and six MacArthur Fellows. In addition, the school has produced ten Nobel laureates.

As the place where the Domain Name System was initially conceived, it was an essential contributor to the growth and development of the internet. Antivirus software and image compression are a couple of the other technological achievements that USC has contributed to.

USC abbreviation written using a chalk.

As a result of these accomplishments, USC has been complemented by a number of different observing outlets. To put it more succinctly, the University of Southern California is widely considered to be among the nation’s top educational institutions.

USC will only consider admitting the most qualified applicants who come extremely close to meeting the demanding requirements for admission, particularly the minimum USC GPA and SAT requirements. We will provide a more in-depth breakdown of the USC GPA and SAT requirements in order to help you make the most of your application.

What SAT score do you need for USC?

What SAT score do you need for USC admission?  The purpose of standardized testing is to provide colleges with a single point of data that can be used to compare all applicants and to determine whether or not a high school student is prepared to continue their education after high school.

The scores you received on standardized tests will be considered by college admissions officers, along with your high school grade point average, the subjects you studied in high school, letters of recommendation from previous instructors or mentors, extracurricular activities, admissions interviews, and personal essays. The weight that each institution places on SAT scores in relation to the process of applying to colleges and universities varies.

Students at the University of Southern California are not required to turn in their scores from any standardized tests that they take. However, they are free to include the results of any standardized tests that they took as part of their applications.

Young female student writing in her desk in a room full of students.

 

People who view standardized testing as an unnecessary distraction and an additional annoyance that teachers force students to endure during their time in high school might find that statement to be perplexing.

However, tests such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Testing Program (ACT) can be excellent indicators of an applicant’s potential for success in higher education.

The following table, based on official USC internal data, presents the average SAT scores of students who have been admitted to USC in the past. These scores can serve as the foundation for USC’s SAT requirements for the academic year 2022-2023:

SAT Section Average Score (50th Percentile) 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
Reading & Writing 700 660 740
Mathematics 740 690 790
Composite Score 1440 1350 1530

The first column contains the average SAT score of first-year students who were accepted to the university. This indicates that if your total score is 1440 or higher, you will be considered to be in the USC SAT target applicant bucket. If you score in the 25th percentile, which is equivalent to around 1350, you have a below-average score but are still eligible for consideration.

On the other hand, if you score in the 75th percentile, equivalent to over 1530, you have a score that places you above the average or above 75 percent of other successful test takers.

Does USC Score choice?

Does USC Score choice test scores? The University of Southern California superscores the SAT, which means that they only consider the highest section from each individual test attempt. Students would select the test score that represented their best performance in a particular section across all of their examinations.

The ability to combine and compare the results of individual sections taken on different test dates typically results in a “superscore” that is higher than the composite score obtained from a single sitting of either the ACT or SAT. This is in contrast to the Score Choice policy, which instructs colleges to look at the applicant’s best SAT composite score.

Therefore, if the current value of your SAT superscore is lower than 1530, we strongly recommend that you give serious thought to retaking the test after you have prepared for it. You have a very good chance of improving your score, which will significantly increase the likelihood of you being accepted into the program.

Female student writing an essay on a notebook while sitting on her desk.

The fact that the Superscore allows you to concentrate all of your efforts on a single part of the game at a time is an added bonus. If your score on the Reading section is lower than your scores on the other sections of the test, you should focus solely on improving that score before taking the SAT. Then, put your attention on math so you can do well on the next test, and so on. You will achieve the maximum possible Superscore if you do this.

Does USC require SAT Subject Test?

Does USC require SAT Subject Test in admission? Some applicants to colleges are required to submit standardized tests covering individual academic subjects. These tests are known as SAT Subject Tests. There were a total of twenty different tests, and each student was permitted to take a maximum of three SAT Subject Tests on any given day of testing.

The College Board organized the SAT Subject Tests into the following five primary categories: mathematics, science, English, and history and languages. USC is not one of those colleges that requires all applicants to submit a certain number of SAT Subject Tests like other colleges do.

However, Subject Tests are a great way to bolster your application, and some USC departments may even require certain scores on SAT Subject Tests relevant to the fields of study they offer.

Does USC require SAT?

Does the University of Southern California require applicants to take the SAT? It is possible to apply to USC as a first-year student without submitting your SAT or ACT scores. When students apply to USC for the fall of 2022 or 2023, they will be asked to indicate whether or not they plan to submit scores; if they indicate that they do plan to submit scores, USC will wait until they are received.

Young woman writing in an essay.

If applicants choose not to submit their SAT or ACT scores, they will not be penalized in any way, nor will they be put at a disadvantage. The process that USC uses to choose its students has always been comprehensive, and they are confident in their ability to determine a student’s potential by considering all of the information that is provided to them.

In addition, applicants who attended home schools will not be required to submit test scores as part of the application process. However, USC finds it helpful to have work that is externally graded or examined. Because of this, USC recommends submitting either SAT/ACT results, AP exam results, transcripts from college courses, or the results of other accredited online schooling programs if at all possible.

The pandemic of COVID-19 is just one of the many difficulties that families and communities are currently confronted with. The pandemic, the economic downturn, and the country’s anti-racist social reckoning all require us to pay greater attention to how USC processes can best serve the diversity of students and families that we seek to add to the USC community.

This requires us to pay greater attention to how USC processes can best serve the diversity of students and families that we seek to add. USC plans to conduct an analysis of the effects of its test-optional policies over the next two years and make a decision regarding the university’s long-term stance on standardized testing by the spring of 2023.

USC GPA requirement

What is the current USC GPA requirement for admission? A student’s grade point average (GPA) is one of the most important requirements for admission to the University of Southern California because it reflects the student’s overall academic achievement. The minimum cumulative grade point average required by USC is typically around 3.79.

This figure represents the average grade point average of successful applicants who were granted admission to the University of Southern California; however, the university does not explicitly state this information anywhere on its website. Because of this, USC is an extremely competitive college, and in order to attend, you will need to maintain very high grades throughout your academic career.

Young female student typing in her laptop in a squat position.

Having said that, highly regarded educational institutions such as USC don’t often stipulate a minimum grade point average for applicants, as this criterion is subject to change depending on the applicant’s intended field of study and overall application. Because the University of Southern California uses a holistic evaluation process for all applicants, having a GPA or SAT score that is below average will not automatically eliminate you from consideration.

As a general rule, you should aim to obtain four ‘A’s for every ‘B’ in order to prevent your GPA from falling below 3.79. It has the potential to assist you in the formation of a portfolio that is more substantial, which is required by USC. Changing your grade point average in time for college applications, however, can be difficult if you are a junior or senior in high school. To improve your overall USC Score today, you will need higher USC SAT Scores or ACT Scores. If your GPA is equal to or lower than the school’s average of 3.79, you will not be admitted.

Even if a candidate’s GPA is lower than 3.79, there is still a chance that they will be accepted into the University of Southern California (USC) if they have outstanding accomplishments in extracurricular activities, sports, great scores on standardized tests, or any other outstanding achievements that set their application apart from those of other applicants.

Additional USC Admission Requirements

The following is an exhaustive list of all of the fundamental requirements that must be met in order to be admitted to USC:

  • The Essay for the Common App
  • The official standardized test results for the USC Writing Supplement.
  • High school transcripts can be obtained on request if they are not already in your possession.
  • Letter(s) of recommendation – the total number of letters required varies depending on the program and school that you select.
  • A writing sample, portfolio, or résumé are examples of additional resources.
  • Students can send in their grades for the fall semester using either the Common Application or the MYRF (Mid-Year Report Form).

The length of time it takes for your application to be reviewed is directly proportional to the department and degree that you choose. You will be provided with a written notification once a decision has been made.

USC Scores for International Students

The University of Southern California will maintain its test-optional policy for the next two years, which means that international applicants will not be required to submit their SAT or ACT scores as part of their application to USC in 2022 or 2023. Scores on the SAT or ACT, if submitted, will be taken into consideration during the admissions process alongside any other pertinent academic information.

However, please be aware that international applicants who wish to demonstrate their English language proficiency by using either the SAT or ACT will have their scores evaluated for both English language proficiency and general admission review. This applies to both the SAT and the ACT.

In addition, individuals whose first language is not English will be required to continue submitting their test results from an English proficiency examination such as the TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo English Test, or PTE Academic English.

USC Acceptance Rate

What is the current USC acceptance rate? The University of Southern California is one of the top 50 most competitive schools in the world for undergraduate admissions, as determined by the school’s admissions statistics. The University of Southern California is a highly selective institution.

Over the past eight years, acceptance rates at the University of Southern California have continued to decline, and it is almost certain that this trend will continue into the future as well. This pattern is typical of the admissions climate at all of the nation’s top universities.

The competition to enter the University of Southern California as a member of the Class of 2023 was unprecedented in terms of its level of difficulty. The University of Southern California received 66,000 applications from students interested in enrolling in the Class of 2023; out of those applicants, 7,260 were selected to enroll.

This results in an acceptance rate of 11 percent overall. Compared to the previous year (2022 to 2023), the total number of applications increased by 2.7 percent, going from 64,256 to 66,000.

Admissions Chances

The admissions process at the University of Southern California is extremely competitive, with a low acceptance rate and high USC GPA and SAT requirements on average for applicants. Nevertheless, USC utilizes a holistic admissions process that takes into consideration a variety of factors in addition to your grades and test scores.

Your application can be strengthened by writing compelling application essays, obtaining glowing letters of recommendation, and participating in meaningful extracurricular activities in addition to maintaining a rigorous course schedule.

Applicants to USC are encouraged to review the specific requirements for their intended major in order to familiarize themselves with any additional requirements that may apply to their intended major like USC GPA and SAT requirements.

The majority of applicants who are successful in getting into the University of Southern California have grade point averages of A, SAT scores (ERW+M) that are higher than 1200, and ACT composite scores that are higher than 25. More than seventy-five percent of admitted students reported an ACT composite score of thirty or higher and a combined SAT score in the vicinity of one thousand three hundred.

This indicates that a higher USC GPA and SAT requirements will increase your chances significantly. However, even if your grades and test scores are on par with what USC requires, there is no assurance that you will be accepted. Keep in mind as well that there are some students who are admitted despite having scores that are slightly below the average range. Students who fall into this category typically possess some kind of exceptional ability or have extraordinary life experiences.

Furthermore, providing proof of concept through experience gained in the real world is a good way to demonstrate this drive to admissions committees. This is one of the best ways. You can demonstrate to the university that you are capable of applying the theories and concepts that you have learned in school and show your expertise in your field of study if you participate in an internship and work in environments that are similar to those found in businesses.

If you need help putting the finishing touches on your early applications, or want some advice on whether or not applying Early Decision or an Early Action is a good option for you, at AdmissionSight, we have over 10 years of experience guiding students through the competitive admissions process, including our athletic recruitment program.

AdmissionSight can help you put your best foot forward when applying to college this fall. Contact us today for more information on our services.

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