Average GPA for USC?

I'm really keen on USC, but slightly worried as my GPA might not be up to their standard (it isn't bad, just not perfect). Does anyone know the average high school GPA of admitted students? And do they focus more on weighted or unweighted GPAs?

The University of Southern California (USC) is indeed a competitive institution, and it's great that you're thinking about the academic requirements ahead of time. As per recent data, the average unweighted GPA of admitted USC students tends to be around 3.8 on a 4.0 scale. This means that USC is extremely selective. The best way to reach this average GPA would be to mostly get A's in your high school courses.

In response to your question about weighted and unweighted GPAs, it's essential to understand that USC, like many other schools, looks at both. Unweighted GPAs are valuable because they provide a baseline for evaluating academic performance across different high schools. Weighted GPAs, which consider the difficulty level of the courses you choose (like AP and honors courses), can also play a significant role by showing the school you can handle a challenging curriculum, which is quite important in the admission process.

However, academic metrics like GPA are merely one part of your application. Admissions also consider your extracurricular activities, recommendations, essays, and other portions of your application. Good luck with your application process to USC! You're more than just a GPA, so be sure to present your most authentic self throughout the entire application.