Parental Guidance Suggested: Applying to Colleges Is Not a "Crap Shoot"
Pardon my French (though I realize I’m actually referring to a gambling metaphor): applying to colleges is not, as some say, a “crap shoot”. It’s a common sentiment in the mainstream media. (I’d be a rich woman if I got a penny for all the incorrect information I read about college admissions in my Apple News feed. Some of those Op-Eds drive me absolutely bonkers!) I’ve also heard this from parents, whose students are sometimes applying to over 20 colleges because they’re worried about where they’ll get accepted. I am certainly sympathetic. I understand the fear, especially with selective institutions, where admission rates can be in the single digits. USC, with its 11% acceptance rate for Fall 2025 admission, certainly falls into the “selective institution” category. But, especially when it comes to selective institutions, there’s a lot of intentional work that goes into deciding who to accept and who to deny.
Whenever a school practices what it calls “holistic admission”, it’s looking at the whole application to make admission decisions. We practice holistic admission at USC. Certainly, academic profiles are important. But even that is holistic, with admission counselors doing a deep dive into each transcript rather than just thinking in terms of GPAs. Check out our blog article titled, “The Anatomy of a Transcript”, to learn what I mean. In addition to the academic profile, know that all of a student’s essays, short answers, the list of activities, and recommendations are reviewed and help inform whether it’s a yes or no. Admission counselors pour over these more “qualitative” elements to learn more about a student’s story, passions, contributions to their school or community, and so much more. We’re also factoring in each student’s context—whether it’s the opportunities available at their school and how they’ve taken advantage of them (we look at school profiles when reviewing the transcript) or any personal circumstances the student chooses to bring forward. We carefully consider these personal elements, writing copious notes about the strengths of each applicant and how they might be active members of our campus community inside and outside of the classroom.
Do we have to make tough decisions that don’t always work out for great students? Absolutely. There are too many qualified applicants and just not enough spots for them at certain colleges, including USC. But parents should take comfort in knowing that behind every student’s application, there’s an admission counselor (sometimes several) who is thoughtfully and seriously considering them, advocating for them, and even rooting for them. They’re really trying to understand what makes each student unique and special.
So, at a place like USC, we don’t throw applications against a wall and see what sticks. We don’t plug GPAs and test scores into a computer and, based upon some mathematical algorithm, decide who does and doesn’t get admitted. We don’t, as this story’s subject comes from, just roll the dice with students’ futures. I take comfort in knowing that, at least if USC and other colleges continue to do things the right way, AI won’t be coming for my job. The college admission process is a human process; and, decisions aside, I’d like to think that all the work we put into reviewing application materials also makes it a humane one.
Written by: Anne Aubert-Santelli, Associate Director - USC Office of Undergraduate Admission