FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions for Freshman Applicants

What GPA and test score is required for admission?

What were the average GPA and test scores of the most recent admitted class?

Are SAT II exams required?

What standardized tests does USC require for admission?

What is the last SAT or ACT sitting that USC will accept for fall applicants? 

How does USC treat Advanced Placement (AP) exams? Are AP scores factored into admission decisions? What kind of advanced credit does USC offer for these exams?

How does USC treat students who have pursued an International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum? Are IB test results factored into admission decisions? What kind of advanced credit does USC offer to IB students?

Can college units taken before high school graduation satisfy general education requirements? What kind of credit may be earned by college courses taken during high school?

If I am applying for scholarships, do the recommendation letters from my teachers and/or counselors need to be submitted by December 10 as well?

Does USC accept late applications? 

Are USC application deadlines postmark deadlines?

I am not a California resident. Will it be harder for me to gain admission? Will my tuition and fees be higher than those for California residents? 

English is not my native language. Am I required to take the TOEFL exam?

Is a personal interview required? 

Does USC offer early decision or early action admission?

Does USC accept freshman and transfer applications for the spring semester?

What are USC's tuition and fees?

 

What GPA and test score is required for admission?
There is no minimum requirement or absolute "cutoff" for grades, class rank or test scores. USC evaluates prospective students through an individualized, comprehensive review process that takes these, and many other factors, into account. Regardless, we have found that GPA and standardized test scores are powerful predictors of success at USC, so they do play a significant role during our review process.

 
What were the average GPA and test scores of the most recent admitted class?
Admissions statistics are available online in the Freshman Profile PDF 2007-08.

 
Are SAT II exams required?
SAT II Subject Tests are optional for most students  but strongly recommended. These exams can be very helpful in evaluating scholarship applicants.  If you attend a high school not recognized by one of the regional accrediting associations or if you are home-schooled, you are required to take three SAT II Subject Tests, (including the writing exam and one of the math exams), in addition to the SAT I or ACT.

What standardized tests does USC require for admission?
Scores from the SAT or the ACT (plus optional writing exam) are required from:

- All freshman applicants (including international students) who are attending high school in the United States (and strongly recommended for students in Canada);
- All freshman applicants who attend overseas American or International Schools;
- All international freshman applicants; SAT Subject test results are optional, but they can be very helpful in evaluating scholarship applicants;
- For students who take the SAT more than once, USC records the highest sub-score achieved, even if achieved in more than one sitting. For students taking the ACT, USC will record the highest composite score.

 

What is the last SAT or ACT sitting that USC will accept for fall applicants?
We suggest that freshman applicants take all SAT and/or ACT exams by December of their senior year. Although we will accept scores from later sittings, we cannot guarantee that your results will reach us in time to be considered by our admission committee.

How does USC treat Advanced Placement (AP) exams? Are AP scores factored into admission decisions? What kind of advanced credit does USC offer for these exams?
USC strongly recommends that students take the AP exam for each high school AP course in which they enrolled. However, this is not required, and AP results have no bearing on our admission decision-making.

AP exam scores of 3, 4, or 5 in most subjects will be granted 4 units towards the total number of units required for graduation.  No credit is granted for AP scores of 1 or 2, and AP scores do not earn course equivalence. (For exams taken in spring 2009 and later, a score of 4 or 5 is required on all exams to earn credit.)

Test scores of 4 or 5 on certain tests can fulfill General Education requirements. Each admitted student will receive a Transfer Credit Report from the USC Office of Degree Progress indicating unit credit, GE and foreign language awards for AP exam scores.

A maximum of 32 units will be granted for AP exam credit. Students may not receive credit for both an AP exam and a college course taken before high school graduation covering the same subject mater, nor for an AP and an IB exam covering the same subject matter.

* Please note that a score of 4 of 5 on the AP Physics B exam will waive Architecture majors of the USC Physics for Architects (Physics 125) requirement. 

For more information about AP exam credits, please visit the USC Office of Articulation.

How does USC treat students who have pursued an International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum? Are IB test results factored into admission decisions? What kind of advanced credit does USC offer to IB students?
USC believes that students who earn the IB diploma are well prepared for university studies. The IB courses are factored into the evaluation for admission, and the grade point average is adjusted to reflect the relative difficulty of this rigorous curriculum. 

USC grants either (1) 20 units of credit to students who earn the International Baccalaureate Diploma with a score of 30 or higher or (2) 6 semester units of credit for each score of 5, 6 or 7 on the IB Higher Level exams, up to a maximum of four exams, whichever is higher. No credit is earned for the Standard Level exams. Advanced Placement (AP) credit can be earned in addition to IB credit for a maximum of 32 units. However, credit cannot be earned for AP and IB exams on the same topic.

Transfer credit: Elective credit is awarded by the Articulation Office upon receipt of official IB scores.  In addition, the following IB exams fulfill USC subject requirements:

USC GE Category I  (Western Cultures and Traditions):
- History: Europe   

 

USC GE Category II (Global Cultures and Traditions) if  taken Spring 2008 or later:
- Islamic History
- History: East and South East Asia and Oceania
- History: Africa
- History: South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa   

 

GE Category III (Scientific Inquiry):
- Biology, Chemistry, or Physics  

 

Equivalence to USC’s ECON 203 and 205 (Microeconomics and Macroeconomics):
- Economics

Can college units taken before high school graduation satisfy general education requirements? What kind of credit may be earned by college courses taken during high school? All undergraduate students entering USC may receive a combined maximum of 32 elective units for college courses and/or examinations (e.g., AP or IB) taken before graduation from high school. A maximum of 16 of these 32 units will be allowed for college courses taken before high school graduation. These courses must appear on a college transcript as part of a regular college curriculum and are expected to be taught on the college campus by college faculty. These courses (as well as AP and IB exams) will not receive course equivalence or credit toward writing, diversity, foreign language or general education requirements (except for general education categories I and III, where appropriate). However, departments may use them as a basis to waive prerequisites or specific course requirements on a case-by-case basis. Students may not receive credit for both an AP exam (or IB or other international exam) and a college course taken before high school graduation covering the same subject matter, nor for an AP and IB exam covering the same subject matter. Students who began full-time college bachelor's degree programs at four-year institutions before completing their high school diplomas can submit transcripts for course evaluation. More than 16 units may be granted. Programs which award a high school diploma concurrently with first- or second-year college level work are typically conducted on the post-secondary institution's campus and are taught by the regular faculty. These programs will be evaluated on an individual basis, along with the student's high school record, to determine both the student's admissibility and the transferability of courses. Students entering full-time college programs at two-year colleges before graduating from high school are subject to the 16 unit maximum stated above.

If I am applying for scholarships, do the recommendation letters from my teachers and/or counselors need to be submitted by December 1 as well?
We prefer that scholarship applicants submit all required materials by the December 1st deadline.

Does USC accept late applications?
Applications postmarked after USC's deadlines will be considered late and may not be considered for the term in question. If this is the case, USC will automatically consider the application for the next available semester (the applicant will be informed if this is the case).

Are USC application deadlines postmark deadlines?
USC application deadlines are postmark deadlines. Therefore, as long as an application or other materials are mailed and postmarked by the deadline date, they will be considered on-time.

For students submitting online applications, anything submitted by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) of the deadline day will be considered "on time."


I am not a California resident. Will it be harder for me to gain admission? Will my tuition and fees be higher than those for California residents?
USC is a private university and thus has no state residency requirements. We recruit nationally and internationally and almost half of our student body comes from outside of California. Tuition and fees are the same for all students, regardless of state of residence or national citizenship.


English is not my native language. Am I required to take the TOEFL exam?
Academic success in the United States depends on your ability to communicate effectively in English. A degree from USC signifies that the holder has achieved the proficiency in English that is required for professional and academic endeavors.

Therefore, all new international students whose native language is not English must demonstrate language proficiency by taking USC's International Student Examination (ISE) prior to their first registration. The level of achievement on this exam determines whether a student must enroll in intensive English classes at USC's American Language Institute (ALI) before or during the initial period of study. Achieving proficiency in English may require as much as one additional year of study.

More information on USC's International Student Examination.

Exemptions from taking the ISE are allowed for:

- students with TOEFL scores of 600 or more on the paper-based test (250 on the computer-based test), or
- 100 on the Internet-based TOEFL (IBT) with no less than 20 (out of 30) on the listening, reading, writing, and speaking components; and
- students with scores of 600 or more on the Critical Reading section of the SAT.

  
Is a personal interview required?
Personal interviews are an optional part of the freshman application process.  The University's Office of Admission offers on- and off-campus interviews throughout the fall. USC’s admission interviews are evaluative in nature, and the notes from each interview are considered by the committee during the review process.  The School of Architecture does not conduct interviews.

The size of our applicant pool preludes the University from interviewing every applicant, therefore this element of the application is strictly optional. Appointments are limited, and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Past history has shown that there is no appreciable difference in the admission rates of students who are not interviewed.

To sign up for an admission interview, please Click Here.

 
Does USC offer early decision or early action admission?
USC does not offer early decision or early action admission programs. All students who apply to the university by the appropriate deadline (December 1st for freshman scholarship applicants, January 10th for all other freshman applicants and February 1st or all transfer applicants) are given equal consideration in the application review process. 

Does USC accept freshman and transfer applications for the spring semester?
USC no longer accepts freshman or transfer applications for spring admission. However, a small number of fall applicants may be offered spaces in the spring semester.

 
What are USC's tuition and fees?
See a full listing of tuition and fees on USC's Financial Aid Office website.