USC fall acceptance rate drops to 11 percent, record low


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USC received a record number of 66,000 freshman applications for its 2019 admission cycle, bringing the admission rate down to 11 percent — the lowest in history. This marks an increase of 2,000 applicants from last year’s application cycle and a 2 percent decrease in admission rate, according to the University.

According to USC News, the University’s admission rate has steadily declined since it was 17.8 percent in 2014. The rate then dropped to 17.5 percent in 2015, 16.5 percent in 2016 and 16 percent in 2017.

Mary Basilious, a  senior at Village Christian School in Sun Valley, who was recently admitted, said she felt intimidated by the University’s low admission rate and was excited about this year’s record rates.

“USC seems to be a very diverse school,” Basilious said. “It’s much more diverse than a lot of elite universities, so I’d feel a lot more comfortable going there.”

The University earned the 22nd spot on the U.S. News and World Report Best College Rankings for 2019, tied with Georgetown University and UC Berkeley.

The incoming Class of 2023 is the most diverse admitted class in USC history, with underrepresented minority students making up 29.5 percent and first-generation students making up 15 percent of the admission pool — a jump from last year’s respective 26 and 14.28 percent.

USC said 36 percent of admitted applicants hailed from California, 3 percent drop from last year.

Simmone Stearn, a senior at San Dieguito High School Academy in Encinitas said she was happy to be admitted and is hopeful that the University will do more to increase diversity and ensure its student population reflects the demographics within California.

“I think it’s great [the University] … is trying to find students of different backgrounds,” Stearn said. “That definitely would make me want to go there more, if they’re continually striving to make it a more diverse place.”

The University has yet to release statistics on admitted applicants concerning grade point averages and SAT and ACT scores. Detailed breakdowns of the admitted class based on race, gender and geographic location have also not been released.