The University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California has an acceptance rate of 13%. The institute offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs in majors such as Accounting, Architecture, Art and Design, (Arts, Technology, Business), Business, Cinematic Arts, Communication, Journalism, Dance, Dentistry, Dramatic Arts, (Letters, Arts, and Sciences), Education, Engineering, Gerontology, Law, Medicine, Music, Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Professional Studies, Public Policy, Social Work through traditional on-campus education as well as through online arrangements.
For detailed information on admissions please visit their official site or try contacting them using these contacts.
Phone No. (213) 740-1111, 2137402311
Fax-(213) | 821-0200
Email- admitusc@usc.edu
Application Process
Applicants are requested to submit applications online through the Common Application at commonapp.org. A non-refundable fee will be charged with the completed application, although applicants with financial need may request a fee waiver.
For specific application deadlines and requirements, applicants should refer to admission.usc.edu or the Meet USC brochure.
Undergraduate Application Process
Prospective first-year students are evaluated on the content and rigor of their high school course work, their grades, standardized test scores, activity summary, essay, short answers, and counselor/teacher recommendations.
There are no absolute "cutoffs" or minimums for grades, rank in class or test scores. The institute is interested in the interplay of these elements as well as personal accomplishments and potential for success.
Some commonly required materials include:
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Completed Common Application and USC Writing Supplement
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Official Test Scores: USC requires either SAT or ACT scores from all first-year applicants. For students who take the SAT more than once, USC records the highest scores for each section. Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Mathematics even if achieved in different settings. For the ACT, USC will just consider the highest composite score. USC does not require the writing section for either the ACT or the SAT general test.
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Transcripts: First-year applicants should submit official transcripts of all high school and college coursework completed.
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Letter(s) of Recommendation: One letter is required from either the applicant’s school counselor or a teacher from his/her school. Applicants to the School of Cinematic Arts must submit three letters of recommendation.
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Portfolio, resumé, and/or additional writing samples: if required by major. Performance majors may also require auditions. Applicants must refer to the Additional Application Requirements section.
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Applicants must submit their fall grades (if available): Using the Mid-Year Report Form included in the Common Application or visit admission.usc.edu/midyeargrades to submit respective fall grades.
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Application Affirmations: Affirmations will be available in the portal after the institute receives the submitted application. The applicant’s digital signature may be submitted after the application deadline.
Further, there are additional application requirements for some programs, applicants are hereby requested to go through the official webpages of these programs as cited above for more information.
Graduate Application Process
USC does not have a university-wide minimum GPA requirement for graduate admission eligibility. Graduate applicants are evaluated on a number of criteria such as academic performance, test scores, statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, and whether or not their academic and research interests are an appropriate fit with the degree program. However, individual academic programs are free to set their own admission criteria above and beyond general university requirements. In some instances, this may include a minimum GPA. To verify their policy, it is recommended that applicants contact their intended graduate department.
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At a minimum applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. If he/she studied overseas, please review our country-specific requirements for more information about degree equivalency. Please be advised that many USC graduate programs have their own set of admission criteria, in addition to the minimum eligibility requirements noted above. For more information, please refer to the homepage of your intended graduate program or contact them directly
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The USC Application for Graduate Admission (usc.liaisoncas.com) should be used by all applicants to all programs except law, medicine, the physician assistant program, and some professional programs in the schools of dentistry and pharmacy, and the divisions of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and public health. Applicants should confirm application requirements with their intended school or academic program before application submission.
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Students applying for graduate degrees conferred by the Graduate School must hold a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university comparable in standard to that awarded at USC. Students who have earned a master's degree from an accredited U.S. institution with a GPA of 3.0 or higher may have the baccalaureate degree requirement waived after review. Diplomas granted for a preponderance of life experience, portfolio or equivalency examinations are not considered appropriate preparation for acceptance into USC's graduate degree programs and are not the equivalent of USC's undergraduate degrees. Verification of a completed undergraduate degree must be provided before enrollment in a second semester at USC.
Online Graduate Programs
Admission to the University of Southern California's online graduate programs is offered to candidates meeting the university's admission standards. USC's online programs are designed to be as rigorous and comprehensive as their traditional on-campus counterparts. Official offers of admission to some of our online programs may come directly from the administering school or college.
Prospective online program students must submit an application for admission, application fee, official academic records, and supplemental documents as required by their intended program. Applicants are encouraged to contact the department, program, or school to which they are applying for further program information and additional requirements.
Doctoral Application Process
Some doctoral programs at USC admit students with Advanced Standing (the entry with an appropriate completed graduate degree from an accredited institution).
A minimum of 36 units of course work beyond the first graduate degree, exclusive of 794 Doctoral Dissertation preparation, is required for the doctoral degree if students are admitted with Advanced Standing. Additional coursework may be required if deemed necessary by the student's faculty. Applicants are requested to visit their website or contact them using the contacts mentioned above.
International Students
Admitted international students whose first language is not English are normally required to take the International Student English Examination (ISE Exam) before the beginning of the first term of study. The examination results determine whether students must take additional English for academic purposes course work.
Proof of English Proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS/PTE)
International first-year and transfer applicants whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the PTE Academic test. International first-year applicants with minimum scores of 650 on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading test or a 27 on the ACT English are exempt from taking the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE Academic. The TOEFL, IELTS or PTE Academic must have been taken within two years of the application date.