USC defines a transfer student as anyone currently enrolled in college or anyone who has attended college since finishing high school. We encourage bright, motivated, involved transfer students to apply to USC Dornsife.  Our students benefit from challenging courses taught by world-class faculty members and numerous innovative research, study abroad, and service-learning activities.  We have programs that push you to excel and achieve more than you ever thought possible.  And you can do all this within a university that houses more than 700 student organizations, exciting Division I and intramural sports, and plays, concerts and speaker series throughout the academic year.

Successful transfer applicants have generally completed a year of rigorous academic courses, including two semesters of English writing and, at minimum, Algebra II in high school or Intermediate Algebra in college.

Application Deadline: Fall 2013

• February 1, 2013: Transfer Application Deadline for Scholarship and Regular Consideration

It is your responsibility to ensure that all required application materials are sent to USC by the posted deadlines. Applications postmarked after the deadline listed above are not guaranteed a priority review. In no case will applications be returned or application fees refunded.

Application Process

Complete the USC Application for Undergraduate Admission

USC is pleased to announce that in an effort to streamline our application process, we now use the Common Application exclusively.

1. Submit the Common Application and the USC Supplement (both avaialble at www.commonapp.org), any application supplemental materials, and the application fee. The application fee for USC is $80. Application materials may be mailed to the following address:

2. Send by mail official transcripts from each college you've attended.

3. Send by mail official, final high school transcripts.

4. International Students in need of a student visa must file a Financial Statement of Personal or Family Support.

If you still have questions about the application process, please visit the Admission website.

 
Basic Academic Requirements
In planning your transfer to USC, keep in mind the following academic requirements:

• If you are applying to enter at less than junior standing, you may either choose a specific academic major or apply as "Open (Still Deciding)."  If you will be a junior (64 of more semester units), you must declare a major.  Some majors have a significant number of lower-division requirements that may be completed prior to applying.
• Concentrate on USC-transferable courses that build on your high school record, satisfy general education and other requirements, and include preparation for your major. Seventy-five percent of the transferable courses should cover these areas, and you are expected to have at least an “A-/B+” average on transferable work.
• There is no minimum number of transfer units you must complete before applying for admission. However, if you have completed fewer than 30 units, we will focus primarily on your high school record and results from the SAT or ACT.
• You must submit secondary school records and proof of graduation. At minimum, your high school record should consist of 16 year-long courses, including 13 in academic solids and up to three in acceptable electives.
• You must complete two semesters of English composition before enrolling at USC.
• You may need to complete nontransferable skills-building courses in writing and mathematics prior to admission to USC. Placement exams offered at your current college will determine your need for any remedial course work.
• We encourage you to take advantage of the strength of USC's General Education Program. In fact, you do not have to complete all transferable general education requirements or all prerequisites elsewhere to be admitted.
• We consider trends in your grades and college attendance patterns. Consistent degree progress and strong recent performance are important.

For more information on whether specific courses will transfer to USC, please click on the following links:
Transfer Credit & Policy
Core Academic Requirements

When will you hear from us?
All transfer applicants who submit a complete application by the deadline will be mailed an admission decision or a request for spring semester grades by June 1st. USC does not have an early decision program. Only notification from the USC Office of Undergraduate Admission constitutes an offer of admission.

Helpful Materials
You may find the following downloadable brochures (.pdf copies) helpful in planning to transfer to USC Dornsife:

Transferring to USC brochure
Transfer Planning Worksheet
Additional Course Requirements