FAQ - Undergraduate Admission

FAQ - Undergraduate Admission
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Admission FAQ
After submitting your “Admit Reply” form and enrollment deposit (or deposit waiver), you will receive a confirmation email that includes your 10-digit USC ID number. You will need that number to
activate your USC Net ID
online.
Our Financial Aid Office is working as quickly as possible to post financial aid summaries. Please make sure all necessary materials are submitted via your
Financial Aid Summary and Tasks (FAST)
portal.
Yes! Visit our
Admitted Students Events
page for more information. You can make reservations for the program(s) you would like to attend through the Explore USC page in your
applicant portal
As
one of the conditions
for
admission
to USC, e
very first-year USC student
is required to
rovid
final official high school transcripts showing proof of graduation
. Students attending high schools outside the U.S. must send both a final high school transcript and, if applicable, any leaving examination results (e.g., International Baccalaureate, A-Levels, etc.). Please have your high school send us your official transcript to our office as soon as it is available.
Yes. USC’s AP, IB and A-Level exam credit policies are documented on our
Transfer Credit Services
website.
Allow
seven (
business days after
submitting
your
“A
dmit Reply” or “Intent to Enroll” form and/or your
Commitment Deposit
to
activate
your USC Net ID
, which will
establish
your official USC email address.
In
vitation
for
Welcome Trojans
rientation
are
emailed directly to
USC
address
es
on a rolling basis beginning in April
The invitation will have all
the
details you
need to
reserve your spot
. The Office of Orientation Programs also provides
step-by-step instructions
We do not post event details on our website.
You will register for classes online, with your department, during your Welcome Trojans orientation program. Course registration for first-year students will take place in June for fall admits and in December for spring admits. Similarly, course registration for transfer students occurs in July for fall admits and in December for spring admits.
Your Pre-Registration Guide will include the necessary details for scheduling an academic advising appointment. Appointments are conducted online prior to your course registration date.
To review the requirements and ensure you are prepared for your advisement appointment and course registration, log in to
Brightspace
to
access your Pre-Registration
Guide
, where
you will need to complete a pre-advisement worksheet. This must be done prior to meeting with your academic advisor, who will guide you through the registration process to ensure you are
enrolling
in the
appropriate courses
You will meet with your advisor prior to your registration date.
You are also welcome to familiarize yourself with the
USC Catalogue
, where you can review the graduation requirements for your major.
The Office of Admission does not facilitate switching majors. A change of major is granted at the discretion of the academic departments, who set their own policies and procedures for doing so. If you wish to change majors, you must contact both your current and intended academic departments to receive the appropriate permission and advising.
If you have committed to USC and activated your
USC Net ID
, log in to
Brightspace
to access the information for your department of interest and to review the requirements for your intended major.
Some majors have a separate application process, so a change of major may not be complete in time for you to register for your first semester of classes. This means that you should plan to attend all orientation and registration activities for the major to which you were admitted. However, you should review all information and requirements for your intended major and inform your current academic advisor of your plans to change majors. They can help you select courses that will best prepare you for whichever major you pursue.
Most students who add a second major or a minor typically do so after their first semester. However, you are welcome to bring this up with your academic advisor during your advisement meeting. Please note that you will not need to—or be able to—declare a second major or minor during your registration time.
Please visit your
Brightspace
account and follow the instructions in your Pre-Registration Guide.
Spring Admit FAQ
Spring admission allows us to accommodate more students in our incoming class and offers you the unique opportunity to
spend your fall semester however you wish — from
study
ing
abroad
to
simply relax
ing
. Most spring students find
that the transition to campus life is relatively
easy
and that they arrive well-prepared for USC’s challenging academic environment.
This is our most commonly asked question, and we understand that you expected to begin your studies in the fall semester. The short answer: It’s possible, if space becomes available. These decisions are based on current enrollment levels (not on rankings, level of interest or wait-list order), so availability varies from year to year.
ncoming first-year student
s can
ensure that
they
are considered for fall admission
by accepting
their
offer of spring admission
Simply
submit
your
Intent to Enroll
form
in your
applicant portal
by May 1
Similarly,
incoming transfer students
must submit
their
Commitment Deposit
by June 1 or within two weeks of receiving a decision, whichever is later
. All students who accept the spring offer will be considered for any openings that become available in the fall.
Please do not send any supplementary information, appeals or petitions.
We expect to enroll 500 to 600 first-year students and an additional 300 to 400 transfer students in the spring.
USC housing is not guaranteed for students admitted to the spring semester. Please visit the
USC Housing
website for more information or contact
housing@usc.edu
to learn more.
Involvement with and access to university resources will become available when your classes begin in January. Proximity to campus does not dictate access to university systems or resources before you are officially enrolled.
All new students, whether entering in the fall or spring, must complete 12 USC units and earn a 2.5 USC GPA or higher to participate in Greek Life recruitment. The unit count and GPA apply to USC classes only. They do not include transferable courses taken outside of USC (community college, study abroad, etc.).
If you meet eligibility requirements,
the earliest you may
participate
in the formal recruitment process
as a spring admit
is fall 202
or spring 202
. Some Greek
organizations recruit new students every semester, although many recruit students only during the spring semester.
Visit
greeklife.usc.edu
for more information.
Yes, you will be able to purchase football tickets. In early August, spring admits who have submitted their enrollment commitment deposits should keep an eye out for an email from the USC Ticket Office.
Important updates and reminders from USC will be emailed to your USC email address throughout the summer and fall.
We also encourage you to explore these
resources and services for spring admits. You can sign up for these virtual sessions in your application portal beginning in late May:
Course planning information sessions
for students who plan to take transferable courses in the fall prior to arriving at USC in January.
Study abroad pre-departure program
for students who choose to enroll at a preferred study-abroad institution.
Course plan forms
will be available for students to submit their transferrable course plan for our review.
Transfer Admit FAQ
The Undergraduate Transfer Credit Services office will prepare a transfer credit report (TCR) for you based on the official transcripts you
submit
. Until your report is prepared, you can spend time reviewing our
articulation agreements
(most California community colleges) and
articulation histories
(other schools) to see how courses you have already completed may transfer.
Please note that articulation histories are not official nor are they comprehensive. As we do not maintain formal agreements with four-year universities or community colleges outside of California, we cannot guarantee how courses will transfer until the Articulation Office reviews your transcript. However, it is very likely these courses will continue to transfer the way they are listed on the articulation histories.
The Transfer Credit Services office
works
on TCRs as quickly as possible
, and
hey prioritize TCRs for students with upcoming registration dates. If you have not already
submitted
your final official transcripts, please arrange to have all colleges send your official transcripts electronically as soon as possible. If your school’s system requires an email address in order to send the transcript, please use
etrans@usc.edu
Physical transcripts can be mailed to the following address:
USC Office of Admission
Undergraduate
University Park Campus
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0911
Once you activate your USC NetID, you will be able to access
Experience USC
, the official
USC student portal. There, you can see your degree progress through OASIS.
Transfer Credit Services will work throughout the summer to update TCRs with new information, such as new exam scores, updated transcripts, etc. as additional documents are received and processed. Spring admits should expect their TCRs to be available by December, in time for course registration.
USC housing is not guaranteed for transfer students. Please visit the
Housing FAQ
for more information or contact
housing@usc.edu
with questions.
You will
find information for your Welcome Trojans orientation program on the
Orientation
website.
Whether you are new to USC or have been on campus for a while,
Transfer Student Soul Search
connects you to resources and opportunities to network and socialize with other transfer students. The self-discovery modules are designed to support you in finding community and learning about the benefits of being a member of the Trojan Family.
Some modules are linked with social events hosted by USC’s Transfer Student Assembly
, which
provid
opportunities to build relationships with other transfer students. To get involved or learn more about the Assembly’s programming, follow the TSA on Instagram
@usc.tsa
or contact the student leadership team by email at
tsausc@usc.edu
Read, watch, learn, make friends — and have fun!
International Admit FAQ
I-20s are available to admitted students who have committed to enroll at USC and have submitted their commitment deposit.
To apply for the F-1 visa, students must first receive their USC I-20, a four-page form issued by the Office of Admission with a USC official’s signature on page 1.
To receive your I-20
Log in to
Trojan International
and submit the “New F-1 Student Request” e-form located in the “Admission” section. New undergraduate students should request an “Initial I-20.”
Upload your financial statement, along with supporting documentation and a copy of your passport, even if you already submitted these during the admission process. You will need to upload new documents, as the Office of Admission will not be able to provide you with previously submitted copies.
Students currently attending a U.S. school on F-1 status
Follow these instructions for
transferring your SEVIS record
to USC. Submit the “New F-1 Student Request” e-form in Trojan International and request a “Transfer I-20.”
More Information
Guidelines for preparing documents:
Trojan International Checklist
General information:
Admission I-20 Processing
Acceptable financial documentation:
Guidelines for Financial Support