The most accurate AI grader for USC essays.
Kolly was built and calibrated on hundreds of thousands of essays from students who actually got into University of Southern California and the rest of the T20.
USC essay prompts for 2025-26
Copy the prompt you are answering into the prompt field above, then paste your draft, so the readers grade the answer against the question it has to answer.
These are the most recent USC prompts Kolly has verified, checked . USC may have updated them since, so check University of Southern California admissions before you submit.
Why USC & Major
Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests and why you want to explore them at USC specifically.
250 words max · Required
Outside Academics
Outside of academic pursuits, what do you hope to explore, contribute to, or get involved in to enrich your campus community?
250 words max · Required
Essential to Understanding You
What is something about yourself that is essential to understanding you?
100 words max · Required
All USC supplemental essays, with word limits and the published source.
How Kolly grades a USC essay
The grade covers the same six dimensions as every Kolly read: hook, theme, detail, authenticity, reflection, and writing, each scored from 0 to 5. The big number is a percentile that shows where your draft lands among accepted essays of the same type from top US schools. USC readers, like their counterparts at peer schools, read fast and form an impression in the first paragraph. The verdict quotes the line that lands and names the weakest moment, so you know what to fix first.
Why Kolly instead of a ChatGPT read
ChatGPT and other general models grade against writing in general, which is not what USC readers do. Kolly grades against essays that got in, and four readers argue over the draft before they vote, so a polished answer that says nothing specific gets called out instead of praised. The quick read is free without an account. A free Kolly account adds the full review: a stronger scoring model, notes on each paragraph, and a fix-it plan.
Grading your personal statement?
Use the main college essay grader for a Common App essay that goes to every school on your list. For acceptance rates, test scores, and cost, see University of Southern California admissions.