Joe Allen has been USC’s dean of admission since October 1993. In the following interview, he sheds new light on USC’s admissions process for alumni and SCions.
Related Stories
Yes We Want Talented Students
Q&A with Dean of Admission
Then & Now: Gererations of Trojan Families
Related Links
Our goal is to see that every student who enters USC is able to excel academically. The key is preparation. With this publication, with our admissions literature, with presentations at schools and alumni groups, we are attempting to be very clear about our expectations for students’ academic achievement, extracurricular activities and evidence of leadership. The earlier students and their parents know what we expect, the more likely they are to meet USC’s standards for admission because they can plan ahead.
WHAT DO YOU VALUE MOST IN THE ADMISSIONS FOLDERS?
Here it is: academic preparations reported on the transcript. Transcripts reflect the quality of the courses that students have taken and their performance in those courses. From transcripts, we can tell whether students have challenged themselves or taken the easiest and safest route through school.
HOW DO YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SCHOOLS? ISN'T IT TRUE THAT AN A IN ONE HIGH SCHOOL DOESN'T MEAN AN A IN ANOTHER?
I have reassuring news for parents and students alike: We know the high schools. We keep complete records about the courses available and the number of applicants, and we’ve kept them over many years. We know, for example, how well students coming from specific schools have done at USC. We factor in this information when we review students from particular schools. There are some high schools where getting an A is nearly impossible. We know them. There are others where grade inflation is rampant. We know them too. We are most impressed by students who do well in good schools, of course, but we evaluate students in the context of the schools they attend, and we want to see students take advantage of the curriculum available to them. Sometimes parents whose children are in private high schools believe that if their children went to the local public high school, they would be getting straight A’s. I want to reassure them that admission to USC is not a game of A’s and B’s. There is far more subtlety in the review process.
HOW DOES STANDARDIZED TESTING FIT INTO THE REVIEW PROCESS?
Standardized tests provide a way to compare students nationally. The SAT or ACT is meaningful to us as one measure among many. Often, it leads us to ask questions when scores are at the extremes. If a student with a very high SAT score has low grades, for example, it might lead us to wonder is this a bright but lazy student? On the other hand, a student who receives strong grades in demanding classes but scores low on the SAT may simply not do well on tests. Or maybe he or she began school speaking a language other than English, which we know affects scores on the SAT. We try to balance all these elements.
WHAT ELSE DO YOU LOOK FOR?
It’s important for applicants to know that we’re trying to construct the fullest possible picture we can of each student. As I’ve said, the transcript is part of this picture, and so are test scores. But we are also interested in knowing more about our applicants—what motivates them, what passions they have, what they would add to the next class at USC.
At USC we look at students individually. We take their entire record into account. It’s something that we consider uniquely human and humane. We take great pride in the fact that the students who attend USC are able to look beyond the campus and be active in the community as volunteers and interns, that they understand the university’s commitment to the neighborhoods that surround us and the Southern California region. So where a student shows a willingness to step outside the normal confines of high school and work in a project or volunteer activity in a real leadership role, we find that very impressive. I guess you could say that we honor leadership and service.
DO SCIONS ENJOY ANY ADVANTAGES IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS?
Yes, SCions do receive additional consideration in the admissions process. Being the son or daughter of a USC alumnus does not guarantee admission, however we review each SCion very carefully, and apply additional weighting. If we cannot offer immediate admission, we provide personal counselling to plan an appropriate transfer path back to USC. The best assurance of admission is sound academic preparation and an application that reflects leadership, potential and growth.
Features -- Urban Education -Robert Lipsett - Elizabeth Holmes Fisher - Office of Admission
Departments -- Mailbag - On Stage - What's New - In Support - Alumni News - The Last Word -