Holistic Admission Is Not "Whole"-istic: So How Do You Tell Your Story?
In the college admission process, you’ll probably hear a lot about holistic admission at selective institutions. This is often in contrast to schools who have a formulaic process, where they plug your GPA and test score into a mathematical formula and… voila… you know if you’ve been admitted or not. On the USC admission website, we try to explain this complex process by which we’re not simply looking at your GPA and test scores (should you choose to submit them). Check out the What We Look For page on the USC Undergraduate Admission website.
While it’s absolutely true that USC and other selective institutions look beyond “the numbers”—at all parts of the application process—what some applicants don’t realize is that a holistic process isn’t “whole”-istic. It would be impossible to know the “whole” you. We haven’t lived with you for 16, 17, 18, or 23 years (shout out to transfers). We weren’t there when you uttered your first words—which were obviously “Fight On”—or when you experienced your first loss or heartbreak. We have about 20 pages of information about you from which to make a monumental and hugely difficult decision—to admit or not to admit.
I’m not saying that a holistic process is flawed. I wholeheartedly believe it’s the right way to make admission decisions. The only challenge is that it’s limited. So, the key is understanding how to work within those limitations. How do you do this, you ask? TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EVERY PART OF THE APPLICATION TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF.
For first-year students, the Essay basically has endless prompts to choose from, including “topic of your choice”. In other words, your options are unlimited. So, tell us about that one experience or person or passion that has been most impactful (though I’m sure there are many). For transfers, we very directly want to know why you are looking to transfer from your current institution.
Don’t be fooled by the fact that the USC Short Answer is “short”. Make sure you answer both parts of the question: (1) why your academic interest and (1) why USC?
Use the Optional Information section if there’s contextual information we might be missing.
Make sure your Activities List is well curated—that it focuses on what actually matters most to you, that it’s not just a laundry list of everything you’ve ever done.
Okay, so you might have a little less control when it comes to your Letters of Recommendation, which are not required of transfers (except for specific majors). But, you might schedule a time to talk with your recommender about what you’d like them to focus on or provide them with something other than a “brag sheet” (because they’ll then just summarize what we’ve already learned in other parts of your application). Maybe provide some bullet points about your unique story, interests and personality.
I know that we’re asking a lot of you—especially when you’re applying to several colleges and universities, all the while trying to balance academics, activities and life in general. But, in a way, being the narrator of your own story gives you more power in this process than you think. There are few things as satisfying as when I’ve finished an application and everything just makes sense; that I’ve gotten to learn as much as possible about you—what makes you tick, what contributions you’ll make to our campus and more. Even if—and we know this—you’re so much more than just your application.
Look out for posts with more details about how to make the most of each part of the application in the coming months.
Written by: Anne Aubert-Santelli, Associate Director, USC Office of Admission