usc marshall transfer essay

Undergraduate Programs

Undergraduate Emphases

USC Marshall’s undergraduate business specializations provide unique value for students seeking to turn their ideas into outcomes in the rapidly evolving 21st-century global marketplace.

The Emphases, introduced in Fall of 2021, are optional specializations for undergraduates within the Business Administration (BUAD) degree program, complement the renowned joint, interdisciplinary programs and specialized degrees to elevate an approach that prepares students for the real world, right now.

World Bachelor in Business (WBB)

Three world-class universities. Three continents. Three degrees. One unparalleled experience.

BS Accounting and Finance (ACFN)

The USC Marshall School of Business, in partnership with its USC LEVENTHAL SCHOOL OF ACCOUNTING , has created a new joint degree, BS Accounting and Finance (ACFN). This joint degree provides undergraduates with an opportunity to formally incorporate technical accounting skills that are highly sought after in the finance industry into their degree pathway.

UNDERGRADUATE @ USC MARSHALL

USC Marshall School of Business is one of the world’s leading global undergraduate business programs. Our degrees allow students to combine in-depth knowledge of the theory and practice of business with a solid foundation in the liberal arts.

STEM DESIGNATED

All Marshall undergraduate degrees are STEM designated. Our programs are rigorous,  quantitative, and technology focused.

CUTTING-EDGE AI + ANALYTICS

Marshall students have access to a wide array of innovative   coursework in Analytics and  Artificial Intelligence (AI) across disciplines and degree programs like our AI FOR BUSINESS   program joint with Viterbi School of Engineering, BUSINESS ANALYTICS EMPHASIS , or individual  elective courses.

Global Fluency + Leadership

LINC and GLP are first - of - their - kind international experiences available to first-year USC  Marshall students.  USC Marshall’s unique  WORLD BACHELOR IN BUSINESS (WBB)   program  focuses on developing global leaders and  is the only 4 - year, 3 - continent, 3 - degree program in  the world.

Cross-Disciplinary Pathways

Marshall students complement their business education with significant coursework outside of the business school. We offer interdisciplinary joint degrees BUAI , BCA , REFD , and ACFN . USC is an intellectually stimulating campus with more than 20 top schools across which our students have access to more than 200 minors and nearly 200 majors. This gives Marshall students unprecedented ability to build their own interdisciplinary path.

Leaders in Entrepreneurship

USC Marshall is home to the nation’s first integrated entrepreneurship program. Our students learn a mindset that sets them apart and better positions them to make a positive difference in the world. Read more about the LLOYD GREIF CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL STUDIES and BRITTINGHAM SOCIAL ENTERPRISE LAB .

Hands-On Experience

The USC Marshall EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CENTER (ELC) is the nation's first applied learning program to employ professional trainers to design and conduct simulations and workshops for undergraduates.

Tremendous Resources

Marshall students have access to world-class FACULTY who are thought leaders in their areas, a team of dedicated and passionate ACADEMIC ADVISORS , and CAREER and RECRUITING resources, to ensure academic and career success.

Doing Business in the Heart of Los Angeles

Ignite your career opportunities with Marshall’s prestigious four-year undergraduate business program. Enjoy the many cultural and lifestyle advantages of living in beautiful, sunny L.A.

UNDERGRADUATE INNOVATION

As a comprehensive business school, Marshall is redefining what an undergraduate business degree can provide, from new Joint Degrees and Emphases to STEM certification and Progressive Degrees.

"Our faculty are constantly innovating and building curriculum to enable students to succeed in the dynamic and fluid world of today and tomorrow."

— Ramandeep Randhawa, Vice Dean for Undergraduate Programs

JOINT DEGREES

USC Marshall has taken the lead in creating innovative new joint-degree programs that leverage the IP of University of Southern California schools like the top-ranked Viterbi School of Engineering and the renowned School of Cinematic Arts. More partnerships are on the horizon, as Marshall continues to offer undergraduates an educational experience designed to meet student interest and marketplace demand.

BS Artificial Intelligence for Business (BUAI)

In partnership with the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, the AI for Business joint-degree program brings together the expertise of two of the top business and engineering schools in the country to create a new generation of technically-savvy business leaders.

BS Business of Cinematic Arts (BCA)

Students in the John H. Mitchell Business of Cinematic Arts Program (BCA) earn a joint degree recognized by the Marshall School of Business and the School of Cinematic Arts. Program-specific courses, internships, and networking give BCA students the competitive edge as business leaders in the entertainment industry.

BS Real Estate Finance & Development (REFD)

The USC Marshall School of Business and the USC Sol Price School Of Public Policy have announced a new world-class degree, BS Real Estate Finance and Development (REFD), that combines the strengths of Marshall in real estate finance and investment and Price in real estate development and urban planning. The joint degree program will be offered to incoming freshmen in the fall of 2024.

BS Business Administration (BUAD)

USC Marshall leads the way in business educations as a top-ranked four-year business school housed at a leading private research institution. Undergraduate students are immersed in the University's foundation of "breadth with depth,” with a core curriculum that encompasses all of the major cornerstones of business.

• UNDERGRADUATE EMPHASES

BS Accounting (ACCT)

USC Leventhal provides undergraduate students with the tools and resources they need to succeed. Our program is recognized for the immersive experience it offers accounting students. Graduates leave the program not only as qualified accountants, but as well-rounded professionals. Our students enter careers in accounting, finance, data analytics and more. Leventhal resides within the Marshall School of Business, which provides our students opportunities to interact with the top-notch faculty at Marshall.

• ALL UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES

USC Marshall’s undergraduate business specializations provide unique value for students seeking to turn their ideas into outcomes in the rapidly evolving 21st-century global marketplace. The Emphases, introduced in Fall of 2021, are optional specializations for undergraduates within the Business Administration (BUAD) degree program, complement the renowned joint, interdisciplinary programs and specialized degrees to elevate an approach that prepares students for the real world, right now.

BUSINESS ANALYTICS

Data-driven decision making.

Business Administration with an emphasis in Business Analytics teaches students analytical and hands-on skills to aid data-driven decision making, execution, and evaluation.

COMMUNICATION

Communication skills to achieve professional goals.

Business Administration with an emphasis in Communication provides students with the skills deemed most desirable by employers across all industries and fields to drive individual success as an employee, colleague, and workplace leader.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP + INNOVATION

Skills to adapt and solve in a dynamic world.

Business Administration with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship and Innovation provides students the skills, tools, and mindset to create new products, new services, new ventures, and new worlds as they meet the needs of customers and help solve the thorny problems we face as an economy and a society.

Develop skills for financial analysis, decision making, and value creation.

Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance provides specialized skill sets for students wishing to work in the finance industry, preparing them for complex tasks involving finance, economics, and advanced computer modeling.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

This program consists of courses offered by both the Marshall School of Business and the School of International Relations. Students completing the program receive a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in International Relations.

LEADERSHIP + INNOVATION

Leadership and innovation for competitive advantage.

Business Administration with an emphasis in Leadership and Innovation teaches students to lead and innovate, identify and solve critical problems, and build a sustainable competitive advantage.

Effective marketing for organizations of the future.

Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing provides students with creative and analytical skills for effective marketing strategy, execution, and evaluation across industries.

REAL ESTATE FINANCE

Dynamic growth in an ever-changing market.

The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Geoffrey H. Palmer Real Estate Finance Program provides specialized skill sets for students wishing to work in real estate finance and development, preparing them for the specific complexities of real estate finance, economics, and state-of-the-art computer modeling.

RISK MANAGEMENT

Managing risk to maximize opportunity.

Business Administration with an emphasis in Risk Management enables students to manage the risks of an increasingly complex and interconnected business environment.

APPLYING TO USC MARSHALL

As a top-ranked four-year business school housed at a leading private research institution, a USC Marshall business degree allows extraordinary students to cement their own legendary futures.

INFO SESSIONS

First-Year Info Sessions: Virtual Information Sessions designed for high school students in their third and fourth year and their families for a comprehensive overview of Marshall. REGISTER HERE

Transfer Info Sessions: Designed to give an in-depth look at the transfer process and academic life at USC. Specifically, the admission process, transfer credit policy, academics, and financial aid. REGISTER HERE

CONTACT INFORMATION

USC Marshall School of Business Office of Undergraduate Admissions Phone: (213) 740-8885 EMAIL

INFORMATION FOR ADMITTED STUDENTS

Register for an online session through the USC PORTAL . If you have any questions about attending an event, you can always reach out to the Undergraduate Admission office directly: EMAIL

CAMPUS TOURS

Learn about USC On-Campus Tours HERE . Student-Led, Self-Guided, and Virtual Tours are all available.

• APPLY TODAY

High School Students

At USC Marshall, you will develop a thorough knowledge of business fundamentals, including organizational behavior, finance and business economics, business communication, accounting, marketing, and business strategy. During your junior and senior years, you will choose courses that allow you to study one more specific area of business in depth. 

Transfer Students

Anyone who has attended college after high school and wishes to attend USC is eligible to apply as a transfer student. We recommend that transfer students seek admission after they have completed a minimum of 30 transferable units, including USC Marshall prerequisites.

The Pathways Program

The Marshall Pathways Program (MPP) is the first Undergraduate Admissions initiative designed to assist underrepresented Black and African—American undergraduate students successfully transfer to USC Marshall. Marshall Admissions partners with USC Enrollment Services Division to identify students who were on the cusp of being admitted to USC as freshmen, and invite these high achieving students to apply to USC as sophomore transfer students. 

INSTITUTES + CENTERS

Peter arkley institute for risk management.

The Peter Arkley Institute for Risk Management educates the next generation of risk management leaders for an increasingly complex and interconnected business environment. A curriculum focused on stimulating critical thinking and sharpening analytical skills equips students to meet the risk challenges of tomorrow.

Born out of a collaboration with the Southern California risk management industry, the Institute emphasizes professional development through internships, mentorships, and networking events.

Department: Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies

At the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, students learn a mindset that sets them apart and better positions them to make a positive difference in the world. This mindset is about much more than just founders and founding processes. It is about adaptable, flexible thinking; assessing and managing risk in dynamic, uncertain environments; and finding and pursuing new opportunities. 

Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab

The Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab is a Center of Excellence at the USC Marshall School of Business building an ecosystem of students and professionals equipped with the business skills and resources to advance market-based approaches to pressing societal issues. Through education, community building, research, professional development, and narrative change, the Lab is a nucleus for social impact at Marshall, USC, and beyond.

Neely Center for Ethical Leadership and Decision Making

Today's leaders are burdened with ever-growing expectations and dilemmas. The Neely Center for Ethical Leadership and Decision Making provides leaders with tools at the intersection of ethics and technology so they can make wise decisions for their organizations while feeling confident about the future. The center aims to help solve what we believe to be the most difficult, but most important, challenge of our time: how to align emerging technologies with ethical, human-centered values.

ALUMNI IN ACTION

Dean's dialogue: kevin aluwi (02/23/2021).

The Rise of the Super App: In the latest Dean’s Dialogue, Geoff Garrett speaks with Kevin Aluwi ’09, co-founder of Gojek, Indonesia’s biggest technology platform.

New Podcast: Marshall Voices

A good eye for art.

Marshall alumna Arushi Kapoor has put her business education to use in the global secondary art market.

From Student to Professional

The connector, need a tutor swipe right.

With the TutorTies app, Kyle Adomian ’22 changes the tutor-student dynamic.

Always be Closing

Entrepreneur Daniel Wiener ‘16 launches Autobound, a startup that solves major inefficiencies faced by Business-to-business sales teams.

STAY CONNECTED

Resources for current students.

Current students, please visit STUDENTS.MARSHALL.USC.EDU for more information on Advising, Academics, Career Services, Global Programs.

Internal Transfers

Current USC Students seeking to transfer into the Marshall School of Business their second year can find more information on this process at STUDENTS.MARSHALL.USC.EDU  under 'How to Apply'.

Undergraduate Admissions: (213) 740-8885 | EMAIL

Undergraduate Advising and Student Affairs: (213) 740-0690 | EMAIL

Undergraduate Career Services: (213) 740-5705 | EMAIL

Undergraduate International Program: (213) 764-8447 | EMAIL

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

How to Write the USC Supplemental Essays 2023-2024

The University of Southern California has a few supplemental essays and creative short answers that students must complete. Your essays are one of the only opportunities you’ll have to show an admissions officer who you are beyond the numbers, and with USC’s many different prompts, it’s clear this school wants you to seize that opportunity.

Here are our tips for responding to the USC essays in a way that will help your application stand out!

Read these USC essay examples written by real students to inspire your own writing. 

USC Supplemental Essay Prompts

All applicants.

Prompt 1: Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests and why you want to explore them at USC specifically. Please feel free to address your first- and second-choice major selections (250 words).

Prompt 2 (optional): Starting with the beginning of high school/secondary school, if you have had a gap where you were not enrolled in school during a fall or spring term, please address this gap in your educational history. You do not need to address a summer break (250 words).

Short Answer Prompts: Respond to all the prompts below (100 characters unless otherwise specified)

• Describe yourself in three words (25 characters each)
• What is your favorite snack?
• Best movie of all time
• If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
• What TV show will you binge watch next?
• Which well-known person or fictional character would be your ideal roommate?
• Favorite Book
• If you could teach a class on any topic, what would it be?

Viterbi School of Engineering Applicants

Prompt: The student body at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering is a diverse group of unique engineers and computer scientists who work together to engineer a better world for all humanity. Describe how your contributions to the USC Viterbi student body may be distinct from others. Please feel free to touch on any part of your background, traits, skills, experiences, challenges, and/or personality in helping us better understand you. (250 words)

Engineering and Computer Science Applicants

Prompt: The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and their 14 Grand Challenges go hand-in-hand with our vision to engineer a better world for all humanity. Engineers and computer scientists are challenged to solve these problems in order to improve life on the planet. Learn more about the NAE Grand Challenges at http://engineeringchallenges.org and tell us which challenge is most important to you, and why. (250 words)

Dornsife Applicants

Prompt: Many of us have at least one issue or passion that we care deeply about — a topic on which we would love to share our opinions and insights in hopes of sparking intense interest and continued conversation. If you had ten minutes and the attention of a million people, what would your talk be about? (250 words)

All Applicants, Prompt 1

Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests and why you want to explore them at usc specifically. please feel free to address your first- and second-choice major selections (250 words)..

The tricky bit about this prompt is that it essentially combines the “ Why This Major ” and “ Why This College ” essay archetypes into one essay with a strict cap of 250 words. That’s a lot of information in not a whole lot of space, which might feel overwhelming. The first thing you should do is figure out the content of your essay.

Step One: Think about your academic interests (i.e. your majors). 

• How did your interests develop? 
• Why are you passionate about your interests? 
• What are your goals within your interests?
• How will pursuing your major help you achieve your goals in life? 

Step Two: Think about the answers to those questions in relation to USC. 

• How will USC help you to further develop your interests? 
• What resources does the university have that will help you achieve your goals? 

While your essay should explore resources that will aid in your academic pursuits, you should also keep it as specific to USC as possible—this essay should not be able to be copied and pasted for any other university! Here’s an example of how to achieve the specificity you need:

Bad: USC is a great school, located in the beautiful city of Los Angeles, with unparalleled academics and renowned instructors.

Why is this bad? This sentence could just as easily apply to UCLA. Without the bit about Los Angeles, the reasoning could even apply to any decent school in existence.

Good: At USC, I plan to participate in the Joint Educational Project (JEP) to find a community of students who, like me, are passionate about the intersections of teaching and social justice. Through JEP, I will be able to actively use the teaching principles I learn in my classes about the Dynamics of Early Childhood.

Why is this good? It references a unique resource at USC and relates to the student’s academic interests.

The Final Step: Write a cohesive essay that tells admissions officers why you are pursuing your field and why USC is the right place for you to pursue it. Some examples could include:

• An Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering student who was obsessed with the launching of the Antares rocket, movies like Gattaca and The Martian , and their physics summer camp as a middle schooler. They could describe their goal of working for NASA, then discussing their interest in the USC Rocket Propulsion Laboratory (RPL).
• An English student who ultimately wants to write romance novels discussing the Creative Writing Hour series that is hosted by English faculty. They might want to reference some of the big-name professors at USC—like Maggie Nelson, Aimee Bender, Dana Johnson, and T.C. Boyle—who have inspired their love of writing.
• A Fine Arts applicant mentioning the Fisher Museum of Art that is on USC’s campus. It was after a school field trip to the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) that they first tried working with graphite and learned of their life goals. They know the power of art museums for inspiration and are excited to have a constant source of inspiration just minutes away.

If you are worried about the word count, one way to maximize the little space you have is to find a way to relate your first- and second-choice majors. This way, your explanations of each wouldn’t read like separate essays; rather, they would be telling different parts of the same story. A student with a first-choice major in Physics and a second-choice major in English might want to write about their ultimate goal of writing Science Fiction novels. A student with a first-choice major in History and a second-choice major in East Asian Languages and Culture might write about their goal of curating Asian American history museums.

Make sure you focus on your academic interests/goals and tell admissions officers the ways that USC will help your academic dreams come true, and you will be set!

All Applicants, Prompt 2 (optional)

Starting with the beginning of high school/secondary school, if you have had a gap where you were not enrolled in school during a fall or spring term, please address this gap in your educational history. you do not need to address a summer break (250 words). .

USC’s second prompt is optional and won’t apply to most students. However, if you do have a gap in your educational history, then be sure to use this space to address it. Give a brief explanation of the reasoning for the gap—be it illness, a move, etc.—as well as an overview of how you spent this time outside of school. 

For example, let’s say your family moved across the country and you took a term off during the transfer. You can describe your role in the move (perhaps you were in charge of organizing a yard sale), why the circumstances warranted an educational gap (maybe the new school doesn’t allow mid-term transfers), and any other projects or commitments to which you dedicated your time. 

Ideally, you want to demonstrate how you made the most of this time off and why the time off was necessary.

All Applicants, Short Answer Prompts

Respond to all the prompts below (100 characters unless otherwise specified), 1. describe yourself in three words (25 characters each), 2. what is your favorite snack, 3. best movie of all time, 4. dream job, 5. if your life had a theme song, what would it be, 6. dream trip, 7. what tv show will you binge watch next, 8. which well-known person or fictional character would be your ideal roommate, 9. favorite book, 10. if you could teach a class on any topic, what would it be.

In this section, USC lets you have a little fun. The questions ask for short, rapid-fire responses that give you the opportunity to let your individuality shine.

The most important thing to keep in mind with the short answer supplements is that USC is asking you to provide new information that sheds light on different aspects of your personality. 

Don’t repeat tidbits you’ve already mentioned, although you can and should develop new angles of themes you’ve already established. Most importantly, have fun in this section! If you’re having fun writing it, chances are your admissions officer will have fun reading it.

You can leave descriptions or notes in your responses, though remember that you have 100 characters max. If your choices are more offbeat, we recommend giving a brief description, as your admissions officer certainly won’t have the time to look things up. If your choices are pretty well-known, you can still leave a note about why you chose them (as in the sample response to #8). It’s another opportunity to share your personality, which is valuable!

• Describe yourself in three words (25 characters max each).

Example: Cinephile. Cynophile. Logophile. 

Tip: Be creative!

Example: My Gram’s Lebuchken, tiny gingerbread-esque German cakes that my family devours each holiday season.

Tip: This is an opportunity to show your roots or quirky favorites. Make your response more interactive by including descriptive words that appeal to the senses, especially taste and smell. Also, if you’re using another language or describing a less common food, feel free to provide a short description or explanation so that someone who’s never heard of it before can still imagine it. 

Example: October Sky; Homer’s rockets remind me of my own homemade science creations, like my DIY lava lamp.

Tip: A lot of applicants will write Harry Potter . Be genuine in your response, but take this opportunity to stand out rather than providing a generic answer. 

Example: A math professor; sharing my love of topology to positively shape students’ view of the subject. 

Example: Crossword Puzzle Writer; my mornings aren’t complete without a cup of OJ and my daily brain teaser.

Tip: If you go with a serious answer, make a clear connection to your major to show that you’re focused on your academic path. Don’t give a generic answer like “doctor” or “lawyer;” talk about what specialty or subfield interests you most. That said, you could also go for a more lighthearted answer, like a crossword puzzle writer, to use the space to show personality.

Example: The [TV show] Intro; I’d like to think of myself as a [character], but I have to admit I’m more of an [character]. 

Example: Happy Birthday by AJR – a catchy tune with funny/sarcastic lyrics about the reality of modern life.

Tip: Just as with the best movie prompt, you may want to avoid mainstream selections and instead put forward a title that says something about you. What song would you want the admissions officer to play while reading your application? Make sure the song you choose is appropriate. 

Example: Road trip around Iceland’s perimeter; stops include Thingvellir National Park and the Geysir Springs.

Tip: Be more specific than simply “Hawaii” or “Europe.” Also, just as with all the prompts, you want to convey something about yourself in your response, so avoid mainstream or overly luxurious answers.

Example: Aggretsuko (anime about a red panda who relieves job stress by singing death metal at karaoke bars)

Tip: Follow similar guidelines to the theme song prompt—mainstream selections are fine and are potentially relatable to the reader, but that quirkier show you have your eye on might make for a more fun response. If your selection is lesser-known, consider adding a brief description.

Example: Rory Gilmore – there definitely won’t be a shortage of coffee or good conversation.

Tip: It’s okay to go with a more well-known character here, since that will allow the reader to relate. It’s just important to use that extra space to elaborate on why you’d want to live with this person.

• Favorite book

Example: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight – I read the entire book in my favorite pair of Air Max 97s.

Tip: Follow the same advice for best movie of all time.

Example: SETI: Using the Drake Equation to Find E.T., complete with a field trip to outer space!

Tip: You can have some fun with this prompt; try thinking outside the box of the generic “Intro to Calculus.” You can also have the class relate back to your intended major, though that’s not absolutely necessary.

The student body at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering is a diverse group of unique engineers and computer scientists who work together to engineer a better world for all humanity. Describe how your contributions to the USC Viterbi student body may be distinct from others. Please feel free to touch on any part of your background, traits, skills, experiences, challenges, and/or personality in helping us better understand you. (250 words)

USC’s engineering school is extremely competitive to get into, forcing admissions officers to choose between many qualified applicants who look relatively similar on paper. This essay wants to get down to the heart of why they should pick you over others. 

The most important word in this prompt that should job out to you is “contributions”. In this essay, you need to convey what you will bring to the engineering community that is unique. You might be saying to yourself “what can I contribute to an established university?”, but there’s actually a lot to work with here. The prompt gives suggestions of sources that could contribute to your uniqueness so let’s look at some examples of traits and how they relate to contribution to USC.

Trait: You’re from a coastal town in Florida that is experiencing flooding.

Contribution: You plan to join the Structures and Material Lab in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering to discover which materials are erosion-resistant.

Trait: You’re the only daughter among four brothers.

Contribution: Since you’re no stranger to asserting your voice as a woman in a male-dominated setting, you want to become a mentor through the Women in Science and Engineering’s Young Researchers Program and encourage female high schoolers to pursue STEM.

Trait: You have OCD.

Contribution: Rather than being a hindrance, you channel your obsessive tendencies into meticulously completing complex calculations which you are excited to do as an Aerospace Engineering major.

Trait: You started an iPhone repair business out of your garage in high school.

Contribution: Your experience working with technology has given you insight into specific aspects of hardware design that could be improved that you plan to experiment with under the supervision of X professor.

As you can see from these examples, there are many ways to approach what you can contribute to the Viterbi community. When it comes to actually writing this in your essay, you should start by highlighting the unique aspect of yourself that you are choosing to focus on with a short anecdote. For example, the student writing about being from a coastal town might open with a vivid description of the damage caused by erosion from the most recent flood.

Once you’ve caught the reader’s attention and communicated what your unique background is, explain how that has positioned you to bring something special to the USC community. It’s important to be as detailed as possible by including specific programs or institutes, professors, classes, or research projects you are interested in. You can also mention more than one way that you will contribute—just ensure that each one is fully fleshed out.

Finally, end your essay with a concise conclusion. This might look like returning back to your anecdote from the beginning, talking about your future plans and how USC will get you there, or something else entirely. 

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and their 14 Grand Challenges go hand-in-hand with our vision to engineer a better world for all humanity. Engineers and computer scientists are challenged to solve these problems in order to improve life on the planet. Learn more about the NAE Grand Challenges at http://engineeringchallenges.org and tell us which challenge is most important to you, and why. (250 words)

Before you can start answering this prompt, you need to do a little research! Once you go to the website linked above, click on the Challenges button at the top of the page and it will take you to the 14 Grand Challenges that engineers across the globe are committed to addressing. These challenges are broken up into four categorical themes (Sustainability, Health, Security, and Joy of Living) and they range from providing access to clean water to improving urban infrastructure to engineering better medicines to preventing nuclear terror attacks.

Your job is to pick one of these challenges that speaks the most to you. Keep in mind, we didn’t say pick the challenge you think is the “trendiest” or the admissions officers would be most impressed by; in order to write a successful and engaging essay your genuine passion and fascination with the issue has to come through. 

Once you have a challenge in mind, now you have to connect it to you. This is where you will bring in your previous experiences, your academic interests, and personal anecdotes to demonstrate why that particular issue resonates with you. For example, maybe you picked Manage the Nitrogen Cycle because your favorite memories from when you were little were gardening with your grandma which started your fascination with how plants sustain themselves and interact with the environment.

It’s important to connect to the challenge with both past experiences and future goals. So, continuing the nitrogen cycle example, maybe your dream one day is to own your own farm that is pesticide-free, so you are passionate about engineering nitrogen-free fertilizers. They don’t all have to be this personal—it’s just as valid to say you are committed to providing clean water because you dream of a world where no one is denied basic human rights like water—but you should have some explanation of the impact overcoming one of these challenges would have on you and the broader community. This helps demonstrate to the admissions officers that you appreciate the weight of these issues.

One thing to remember that trips up some students: you aren’t asked to solve the challenge in this essay. Although you can definitely contribute ideas you have, especially if you have previous experiences that relate to addressing the issue, it’s not required. The major point of this essay is to learn more about global issues you care about and why you are choosing to address them through an engineering perspective.

Many of us have at least one issue or passion that we care deeply about — a topic on which we would love to share our opinions and insights in hopes of sparking intense interest and continued conversation. If you had ten minutes and the attention of a million people, what would your talk be about? (250 words)

This prompt requires less deep thought than the former. The “education” prompt asks students to think deeply about a question they have probably never thought about before, while this prompt asks you “what are you thinking about all the time?”  

If an idea comes to mind when you first read this prompt, that’s probably where you should start. USC is not looking for wild answers where students turn the holes in swiss cheese into a complex metaphor—they really just want to hear what you care about. That being said, what you care about can totally be weird or nuanced, as long as your interest in the subject tells admissions officers something about you.

Some examples of how you could work this prompt:

• Writing about a social justice issue. Introducing a specific anecdote (that you would introduce during your hypothetical talk). Providing insightful and unique commentary on the issue—whether that be how we got here or where we should go from here.
• Writing about a school of thought in science or philosophy. Explaining the importance of certain types of questions. Giving specific examples (historical, fictional, and anecdotal) that show that you have thought through the importance of rationalism, taoism, sensationalism, or any other school.
• Writing about a lecture on a specific book. Discussing how White Teeth, Giovanni’s Room, or Moby Dick tells multiple important life lessons in one pretty package. Drawing connections between the fictional world and the real world.
• Writing about the valuable lessons that can be learned from another culture. Introducing stories from your past that show the value of Japanese respect, Persian hospitality, or Indian selflessness. Recognizing negative aspects of cultures, but recognizing the lessons that can be learned when you take the time to learn them.

While these are just some examples, this prompt leaves the door open for you to explore whatever you care about. Because this essay is the simpler option, make sure that your writing is impeccable if you choose this second prompt. Engage with anecdotes and a unique personal voice to keep your essay engaging. Don’t give the reader the option to stop reading!

Where to Get Your USC Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your USC essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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University of Southern California (USC) 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Early Action: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Dec 1

You Have: 

University of Southern California 2023-24 Application Essay Questions Explained 

The Requirements: 2 or 3 essays (depending on major selection) of up to 250 words; 2 short-answer lists.

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why , Oddball , Short Answer , Community

Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests at USC. Please feel free to address your first- and second-choice major selections. (250 word limit)

This is USC’s take on the classic Why essay. In asking how you plan to pursue your interests, admissions is really trying to suss out your core reasons for choosing USC. While college will offer you a wealth of social and professional opportunities, its primary function is academic — and your primary role is as a student. So, what kind of student do you hope to be? Where do you hope your studies will take you? What resources and opportunities does USC offer that will meet your needs and guide you towards your goals?

To answer these questions, set aside an hour or two to pore over the USC website (there’s no hack, you’ve just got to put in the time). Beyond the basic departmental listings, look up information about news and research coming out of your department, the kinds of courses available, the opportunities that other undergrads have had studying in your area of choice. Even if you have a wide array of interests, consider explaining how two to three departments might complement each other or foster your interest in a larger idea or theme. Your ultimate goal is to show that your interest in USC (just like your intellectual curiosity) runs deep!

Describe yourself in three words (25 characters).

Your answers do not need to be so outlandish that admissions needs a thesaurus to look them up, but they should avoid the generalities that so often populate these questions: loyal, kind, smart… you get the idea. We’re sure you are all of these things — and they are lovely qualities to showcase in the stories you tell elsewhere in your other written responses — but these sorts of terms can ring hollow. Think about how different people in your life would describe you. Though this assignment is short, you may need to spend some time wordsmithing different combinations. When the prescribed format is a list, order matters just as much as content, so use every element of the assignment to your advantage!

The following prompts have a 100 character limit:

What is your favorite snack, best movie of all time:, if your life had a theme song, what would it be, dream trip:, what tv show will you binge watch next, which well-known person or fictional character would be your ideal roommate, favorite book:, if you could teach a class on any topic, what would it be.

Behold! USC’s attempt at being quirky! You’ve been limited to less than the length of a tweet for each answer, so you’d better make every word (and character) count! These prompts don’t have time for generalities or gentle introductions, so you’ll have to cut straight to the point. The more specific your words are, the more memorable your answers will be. Favorite snack? Don’t just say, “popcorn and Junior Mints.” How about, “A box of junior mints melting over hot popcorn as I watch a horror movie” (72 characters). If you can paint a funny picture or display a knack for wit, take this chance, but don’t force it. You also don’t exactly have to think of this as filling in the blanks, but more as filling in any blanks in your application. Anything that doesn’t feel like it merits a full essay can go here as a tweet, hot take, punchline, or elegantly-worded sentence.

USC Dornsife Applicants: Please provide an essay of no more than 250 words on the topic below. In your response, we encourage you to write about something that you haven’t already discussed elsewhere in your application.

For more information, please click here ., many of us have at least one issue or passion that we care deeply about – a topic on which we would love to share our opinions and insights in hopes of sparking intense interest and continued conversation. if you had ten minutes and the attention of a million people, what would your talk be about (250 words).

We at CEA love this question because it’s a unique way of asking applicants: what do you care about and why? What’s important to you? What information do you wish other scholarly minds had access to? Start by making a list. Maybe you’d like to use your ten minutes to speak about media literacy and how we can and should consider what we see online through the lens of the powers that dictate how and when we receive information. Perhaps you’d want to spread the word about the dangers of climate change and the irreversible impact it will have on the planet if we don’t take action swiftly. What keeps you up at night? What kind of positive effect do you want to have on the world? These are the questions you should be asking yourself when brainstorming for this prompt. Bonus points if you can speak to how a USC Dornsife education will prepare you to address this issue head-on in the future! 

USC Viterbi Applicants:

The student body at the usc viterbi school of engineering is a diverse group of unique engineers and computer scientists who work together to engineer a better world for all humanity. describe how your contributions to the usc viterbi student body may be distinct from others. please feel free to touch on any part of your background, traits, skills, experiences, challenges, and/or personality in helping us better understand you. (250 words).

USC Viterbi School of Engineering wants to accept students who will contribute to diversity on campus. When considering an aspect of your identity or background to expand upon, we recommend choosing one that has had the biggest impact on the way you experience and interact with the world. Ideally, the unique aspect you select should come with a couple anecdotes. Maybe you want to write about your experience as a person living with a disability and how this has shaped your interest in engineering, design, and accessibility. Perhaps you embody #BlackGirlMagic and will bring a fresh perspective to a field in which women of color are underrepresented. Regardless of the part of your identity you choose to address, be specific about how it impacts your worldview and how it will add a distinct perspective to USC Viterbi.

The Engineering Grand Challenges (for USC Viterbi Applicants):

The national academy of engineering (nae) and their 14 grand challenges go hand-in-hand with our vision to engineer a better world for all humanity. engineers and computer scientists are challenged to solve these problems in order to improve life on the planet. learn more about the nae grand challenges at http://engineeringchallenges.org and tell us which challenge is most important to you, and why. (250 words).

Strong responses to this prompt will showcase self-reflection, care for the greater good, and ambition. Review the fourteen Grand Challenges and see which you connect with the most. Maybe you’re passionate about providing access to clean water, since you know firsthand what it’s like to not have that access in your hometown in Michigan. Perhaps you hope to engineer better medicines in honor of a loved one you lost to illness prematurely. Maybe you’ve always been fascinated with outer space and would jump at the opportunity to engineer new tools of scientific discovery. Make sure to relate your own life experiences and/or interests to the challenges the world is facing and emphasize how you’d like to be part of the solution.

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USC Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Prompts and Tips

September 1, 2023

When applying to a school like the University of Southern California, it is important to grasp that their acceptance rate in 2023 is lower than Harvard’s back in the late 1990s. Last cycle, USC received roughly 80,000 applications and admitted just 9% from that pool (their first time in the single digits). We don’t bring up these numbers or the Friends -era Harvard comparison to cause future applicants unnecessary fear. Rather, we want aspiring Trojans to realize that in addition to strong high school grades and standardized test scores, they need to excel in other critical areas of their application as well. This brings us to the topic of the USC supplemental essays.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into the University of Southern California? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into USC: Admissions Data and Strategies   for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

The supplemental essay section offered by USC is a fairly epic one and presents just such an opportunity for students to differentiate themselves from swarms of other qualified applicants. In addition to several short essays, you are also required to answer 10 short answer questions. Below are the USC’s supplemental prompts for the 2023-24 admissions cycle along with tips about how to address each one.

2023-24 USC Supplemental Essays – Required Prompt #1

Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests and why you want to explore them at USC specifically. Please feel free to address your first- and second-choice major selections. (Approximately 250 words)

This is part “Why Us?” and part “Explain Your Major” and your aim is to seamlessly touch on both topics in a tightly woven 250-word composition. For a deeper dive, let’s examine a list of characteristics of a winning USC “Why Us?” essay:

• How did your interest in your major of choice begin and how has it matured over the years?
• While pursuing your majors(s)/interest(s) of choice, how will you take advantage of the university’s immense resources both inside and outside of the classroom? Be sure to cite specific  academic programs ,  professors ,  research opportunities ,  internship/externship programs , and  study abroad programs . Discuss why they pique your interest.
• Feel free to touch on  student-run organizations  related to your field of study that you would like to join.
• Lastly, don’t ignore your second-choice major in this essay.

In any “Why Us?” composition, you need to show that you’ve done your homework on a given school, but you don’t want it to read like a robotic list of items that you Googled ten minutes before writing the essay (even if the timing of the Google search is roughly accurate). In addition to the pure research element, a lot of the time and skill required in creating a stellar USC essay will involve connecting the classes, professors, opportunities, etc. of interest that you have uncovered to your distinct values, talents, aims, proficiencies, and future goals.

USC Supplemental Essays – Short Answers

(#1 provides 25 characters for each word, and #2-10 provide 100 characters each)

• Describe yourself in three words.
• What is your favorite snack?
• Best movie of all time
• If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
• What TV show will you binge watch next?
• Which well-known person or fictional character would be your ideal roommate?
• Favorite book
• If you could teach a class on any topic, what would it be?

USC Supplemental Essays (Continued)

It would be a bit silly to try to advise you on what your favorite snack is. Obviously, the USC admissions committee wants to hear “Pepperoni Pizza Combos” but will also accept “Ranch-flavored Bugles.” As such, we’ll keep our advice on these a bit broader:

• This is a chance to make a personal connection with an admissions officer. Don’t overthink these or pick movies, books, songs, or trips that you think an admissions officer will find impressive. Just be genuine.
• For #1, try to avoid words like “interesting” that are…well, not very  interesting , or words that could describe most of USC’s applicant pool, like “hard-working” or “dedicated.”
• For #10, don’t pick a general topic in a traditional discipline. Instead, pick something about which you are passionate. This could be a blend of pop culture and academics or a highly esoteric topic that you happen to be obsessed with (e.g., the Beatles 1965-67 mid-career era, the history of jai-alai, or how to groom a ferret).
• You have 100 characters to utilize, so do include some short explanations that infuse your answers with extra personality. For example, you could jazz up Ranch-flavored Bugles as follows: “Ranch-flavored Bugles, me and my mom’s go-to Jeopardy snack.”
• Final tip: if you feel stuck, try brainstorming a few options for each one before choosing your favorite.

USC Supplemental Essays – School-Specific Prompts

In addition to the required essays noted above, you’ll also need to answer at least one additional essay question that is dependent on the school or college you are applying to at USC. Below, we’ve broken down the most popular options:

Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Many of us have at least one issue or passion that we care deeply about – a topic on which we would love to share our opinions and insights in hopes of sparking intense interest and continued conversation. If you had ten minutes and the attention of a million people, what would your talk be about? (250 words)

What makes you tick? What keeps you up at night? Which subjects could (and do) you talk about for hours if given the opportunity? If you could address one problem in the world, large or small, what would it be? Here’s your chance to tell us all about it. You’ll then want to explain “why”—why will (or should) your passion/topic of choice be made relevant to a wider audience? Why is it so important that others hear your message? Your answer will give admissions readers greater insight into what type of issues are most important to you.

Viterbi School of Engineering

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and their 14 Grand Challenges go hand-in-hand with our vision to engineer a better world for all humanity. Engineers and computer scientists are challenged to solve these problems in order to improve life on the planet. Learn more about the NAE Grand Challenges at  http://engineeringchallenges.org  and tell us which challenge is most important to you, and why. (250 words)

The NAE Grand Challenges list is expansive and includes a number of pressing issues, like clean water access, solar energy, and nuclear terrorism. Basically, you are 100% guaranteed to find at least one item on this list that resonates with you. After reviewing the options, which one are you most passionate about, and why? Is there something from your personal background or experiences that inspired your interest in this area? Alternatively, have you engaged with this topic either inside or outside of school, and if so, how? What would you still like to learn about it? If you choose an issue that you are genuinely interested in and clearly convey your reasoning for doing so, you’ll be well on your way to a compelling response.

The student body at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering is a diverse group of unique engineers and computer scientists who work together to engineer a better world for all humanity. Describe how your contributions to the USC Viterbi student body may be distinct from others. Please feel free to touch on any part of your background, traits, skills, experiences, challenges, and/or personality in helping us better understand you. (250 words)

Take note of the wide-open nature of this prompt. You are essentially invited to talk about any of the following topics:

• A perspective you hold
• An experience/challenge you had
• A community you belong to
• Your cultural background
• Your family background
• A personality trait
• A skill you hold

Although this prompt’s open floor plan may feel daunting, a good tactic is to first consider what has already been communicated within your Common App personal statement, activities list, and other USC essays. What important aspects of yourself have not been shared (or sufficiently discussed)? The admissions officer reading your essay is hoping to connect with you through your written words, so—within your essay’s reflection—be open, humble, thoughtful, inquisitive, emotionally honest, mature, and/or insightful about what you learned and how you grew. No matter what type of story you tell, the goal is to have the reader come away saying, “I can definitely see this applicant as a contributing member of our talented and engaged Viterbi community.”

How important are the USC supplemental essays?

There are five factors that USC considers to be “very important” to their candidate evaluation process and the essay section is one of them. Along with GPA, standardized test scores, rigor of high school coursework, and recommendations, the Common App and supplement essays play a huge role in the USC admissions staff’s decision-making.

Want personalized assistance?

Lastly, if you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your USC supplemental essays, we encourage you to  get a quote  today.

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USC Supplemental Essays 2023-24

Are you interested in applying to USC? Strong USC supplemental essays can make all the difference in the application process. In this guide, we will discuss the University of Southern California’s supplemental essay requirements and application deadlines. We will cover what role essays play in your application review and discuss how to write a strong why USC essay. Additionally, we’ll provide some examples of USC school-specific supplemental essays.

University of Southern California Background

The University of Southern California, often known as USC, is one of the nation’s premier research universities. Located in Los Angeles, California, USC offers undergraduate and graduate degrees to almost 50,000 students. In addition to USC’s academic accomplishments, it also provides students with a great environment in a bustling city. Impressively, USC is ranked # 25 of all the private and public colleges in the country.

Logically, as such top ranking university, USC enrolls some of the best students in the world. In 2022, USC received almost 70,000 first-year applications. But, they admitted just 12% . Unsurprisingly, those students accepted had impressive academics: an average GPA range of 3.82-4.0 and an SAT range of 1410-1540. Selective institutions like USC receive thousands of applicants with high GPAs and SAT scores. Therefore, this means that they look for students with impressive personal attributes, extracurricular involvements, and essays. 

Keep reading to learn more about the USC essay requirements and how you can use them to your advantage.

USC Essay Prompts: Quick Facts

• University of Southern California Acceptance Rate – US News ranks the University of Southern California as a most selective school, with an acceptance rate of 12%.
• 1 Why USC essay 
• 10 short answer essays 
• Early Action: November 1 st
• Regular Decision: January 5 th
• The USC admissions application is hosted on the Common App . Additional required materials include transcripts, letters of recommendation, optional test scores and a portfolio or additional writing sample if required by major. 
• Some academic programs have their own USC essays, so be sure to research those USC supplemental essays as well. 
• Why School and Why Major essays can be a great way to display how you will fit into the campus community. Don’t forget to mention the academic opportunities in and out of the classroom. 
• Don’t overthink your short answer essays. They are meant to be brief and insightful. 
• Start creating an outline for your essays well in advance. Use that outline to create a structured essay. This will allow you to stay organized and avoid writing your essay at the last minute.

Please note that essay requirements are subject to change each admissions cycle, and portions of this article may have been written before the final publication of the most recent guidelines. For the most up-to-date information on essay requirements, check the university’s admissions website. 

Does USC have supplemental essays?

Are you wondering how to get into USC? Like many other selective institutions, USC requires applicants to write USC supplemental essays. Therefore, these essays will play an important role in your application.

In addition to impressive high school transcripts and glowing letters of recommendation, strong USC supplemental essays can positively impact your application. Unlike some of the materials mentioned above, the USC essay prompts allow students to speak directly to the admissions committee. As such, your USC essays are the perfect chance to showcase your personality, interests, and motivations. 

Since USC does not have an admissions interview, the USC supplemental essays are likely the best way to make a personal connection. 

Check out the USC supplemental essay requirements: 

• 1 required Why USC essay
• 10 required short answer essays
• 1 optional educational progression essay

Technically, that’s a total of 11 USC supplemental essays and 1 optional USC writing supplement. In this guide, we’ll summarize the Why USC essay, the short answer USC supplemental essays, and the USC requirements.

Overall, don’t be intimidated by the number of USC supplemental essays. Instead, view your USC supplemental essays as a chance to highlight what makes you stand out.

Additional USC supplemental essay requirements

The application also requires prospective students applying to certain majors to complete additional USC essay prompts. The USC supplemental essays for these majors vary, but they all center around specific academic interests. 

If you are interested in one of these programs, you may need to complete additional USC supplemental essays: 

• Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Science
• USC School of Architecture
• Roski School of Art and Design
• Iovine and Young Academy for Arts
• Technology and the Business of Innovation
• Marshall School of Business (World Bachelor in Business)
• USC School of Cinematic Arts
• Kaufman School of Dance
• USC School of Dramatic Arts.

Keep reading to learn more about the USC supplemental essays and USC essays for specific majors. And, test your knowledge of college admissions with our free quiz below!

Why USC Essay

The Why USC essay prompt is one of the most important USC writing supplements. As such, all students applying to USC must complete a Why USC essay. Luckily, the Why USC essay uses a similar format to many Why School or Why Major essays. So, you’ve probably seen similar prompts. Now, let’s review the prompt below and discuss how to structure a compelling Why USC essay. 

PROMPT #1: Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests and why you want to explore them at USC specifically. Please feel free to address your first- and second-choice major selections. (250 words)

As we can see, the Why USC essay prompt asks the student to articulate their academic plans on the USC campus. Therefore, a strong Why USC essay should show that the student has done their research and is passionate about their academic interests.

In your Why USC essay, try to highlight specific features of USC that excite you. This can take many different forms. For example, some Why USC essays might discuss a high-powered research lab on campus. Alternatively, other Why USC essays might focus on the unique studio culture found at the USC School of Architecture (one of the best architecture schools in the country). 

Most importantly, showing your passion for your desired USC academic program should include evidence and context. So, in your Why USC essay, share what sparked your initial curiosity and what you have done to further explore the discipline. For example, a student applying to the Iovne and Young Academy could discuss how starting an e-commerce business during the pandemic sparked their interest in entrepreneurship and human-centered design. 

Undecided students

Fortunately, admissions officers also understand that not all students have a solidified career plan. If this is you, you can still write a stellar Why USC essay. How? Well, students can still craft a compelling Why USC essay by discussing their academic interests more broadly. Even if you haven’t chosen your career path, you can use your USC essays to highlight your intellectual curiosity and academic strengths. 

Looking for more information on how to write a strong Why USC essay? Then check out our guide on how to write a strong Why Major supplemental essay to help you craft a strong Why USC essay for your major. 

USC Short Answer Essays

In addition to the Why USC essay, the USC requirements also include 10 short answer USC supplemental essays. But, don’t let these short supplemental essays intimidate you. The admissions office looks for responses that reflect your interests, passions, and motivations. Therefore, like the Why USC essay, your answers should be unique to you. However, the answers to each of these questions should be no more than 25 words.

The short answer USC supplemental essays are:

1. Describe yourself in three words. 

2. what is your favorite snack, 3. best movie of all time:, 4. dream job:, 5. if your life had a theme song, what would it be, 6. dream trip:, 7. what tv show will you binge watch next, 8. which well-known person or fictional character would be your ideal roommate, 9. favorite book:, 10. if you could teach a class on any topic, what would it be.

The beauty of the short answer USC supplemental essays is they are incredibly personal. This allows you to separate yourself from what you think the admissions committee wants to hear and allows you to foreground who you really are. As such, there is no single right answer to this collection of USC essay prompts. In fact, there are many possible excellent answers.

USC School-Specific Supplemental Essays

Additionally, a handful of majors at USC require applicants to submit a USC writing supplement as part of the admissions application process. So, keep reading for a few examples of school-specific USC requirements and USC supplemental essays. 

Check out the list below to find out more about all the programs that require additional USC essays.

But, what are the major specific USC supplemental essays? Well, keep reading for a few examples of USC essays required by specific programs on the USC campus. 

USC Dornslife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences

The USC Dornslife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences includes the natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities. Whether you want to major in computational neuroscience or art history, USC Dornslife wants to learn more about your passions through its USC writing supplement. 

Most importantly, a strong application to USC Dornsife includes introspective and well-constructed USC essays. There is one required essay for the USC Dornslife College of Letters, Arts and Science. Now, let’s review and discuss the best way to approach this essay. 

Many of us have at least one issue or passion that we care deeply about – a topic on which we would love to share our opinions and insights in hopes of sparking intense interest and continued conversation. If you had ten minutes and the attention of a million people, what would your talk be about? (250 words)

This USC essay asks the student to discuss a topic that they are passionate about. A strong response to this essay prompt may directly connect to your major or another interest. However, don’t forget, there is no right answer here. First and foremost, this is your opportunity to discuss what you are passionate about. Likewise, you may even connect your academic interests to this passion. But, when choosing what to write about, be sure to stay true to yourself. While you may be inclined to discuss a major world problem, don’t shy away from the smaller topics and messages that might resonate with a large audience. 

Next, we’ll discuss USC supplemental essays for the School of Architecture. 

USC School of Architecture Supplement

Impressively, the USC School of Architecture is one of the best architecture schools in the nation.  The School of Architecture offers a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Inventive Technologies.  Applying to the USC School of Architecture requires students to complete two additional USC essay prompts and a video prompt. 

Our school views architecture as a “human right,” and that design should exhibit “social consciousness.” How do you think architecture can contribute to the greater social consciousness?

At usc architecture we will teach you to become strong critical thinkers. with that in mind please tell us about a piece of architecture that you’ve personally experienced and how its design resonated with you..

The first prompt requires students to connect architecture to the world around them. How might architecture and the built environment contribute to social consciousness? For example, you might focus on sustainable design or buildings that prioritize community spaces. 

This prompt requires reflection, so don’t hesitate to workshop a few essay ideas. Then, choose the one that best suits you. The second prompt asks students to name a specific architectural work that resonates with them. This USC essay also provides the perfect opportunity to share how the world of architecture influences your daily life. 

USC Architecture aims to engage students as critical thinkers through their USC supplemental essays. Therefore, these USC essay prompts ask students to think beyond their favorite skyscraper. Instead, you should consider how architecture and design interact with society, social consciousness, and you as a person. 

USC Video Essays

In addition to the USC essay prompts, the USC School of Architecture also has a USC supplemental video prompt.

Video Prompt:

Please produce a video that presents what you consider to be your favorite project in your portfolio and why. try to be as informative and concise as possible when you’re speaking about the project but also remember to be yourself. we are looking for students that are passionate with a keen curiosity about architecture and design..

In your video response, make sure you choose a project that reflects your interests and potential. Don’t focus on using lofty language—instead, highlight where your ideas came from and how your critical thinking skills inform the work you produce. 

Next, we will discuss the USC supplemental essays for the Viterbi School of Engineering. 

USC Viterbi Supplemental Essays

The USC Viterbi School of Engineering offers a variety of degrees in engineering and computer science. Like other programs, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering requires two additional USC supplemental essays.  Most importantly, the Viterbi USC essays seek to get into the minds of future engineers . Like the School of Architecture USC supplemental essays, the Viterbi USC essays require students to reflect on their personal experiences. 

The student body at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering is a diverse group of unique engineers and computer scientists who work together to engineer a better world for all humanity. Describe how your contributions to the USC Viterbi student body may be distinct from others. Please feel free to touch on any part of your background, traits, skills, experiences, challenges, and/or personality in helping us better understand you. (250 words)

The national academy of engineering (nae) and their 14 grand challenges go hand-in-hand with our vision to engineer a better world for all humanity. engineers and computer scientists are challenged to solve these problems in order to improve life on the planet. learn more about the nae grand challenges at http://engineeringchallenges.org and tell us which challenge is most important to you, and why..

The USC Viterbi School of Engineering wants to learn more about you through the USC supplemental essays. In the first USC writing supplement, applicants should talk about the ways their unique traits and experiences add to the USC Engineering student body. In fact, the USC Viterbi admissions blog summarizes this prompt as ”How will you make a unique contribution to the USC student body?” 

You might find some inspiration from your Why USC essay, but be sure to make each of these USC essays unique. 

Additionally, in the second Viterbi USC supplemental writing prompt, students are instructed to review key engineering challenges laid out by the National Academy of Engineering. Students then choose a specific challenge and discuss why it’s important to them. 

Structuring your essay

As you review this prompt, pay attention to the directions. Most importantly, make sure you only choose one challenge and craft a strong argument about why it matters. According to the Viterbi Admissions blog , the challenge does not have to be related to your major. Additionally, you don’t have to provide a solution to the challenge, and there is no right answer.

In each of the Viterbi USC supplemental essays, students respond to USC essay prompts that allow them to represent their most authentic selves. If you aim to study engineering or computer science at USC, these USC supplemental essays give you the chance to share your unique story and perspective. 

Does USC care about essays?

Absolutely! In fact, the more selective the institution, the more your essays might matter. Logically, highly selective schools receive many applications from students with high GPAs and test scores. Therefore, having stellar USC essays can help you stand out to the admissions committee. And, given the USC acceptance rate is just 13% , the USC essay prompts let you set yourself apart. 

In other words, admissions committees look for ways to envision you on their campuses. Indeed, they want to make sure you would enrich their community. So, your Why USC essay is one of the ways you can discuss why USC is the perfect match for you. 

USC essays are one of the ways that the admissions committee can get to know you as a person. Have you heard college admissions representatives encourage you to use “your voice” in your essay? Being authentic and introspective can allow the admissions team to learn more about you while reading your USC supplemental essays. 

What is the application deadline for USC?

Now that you know more about USC supplemental essays, let’s discuss application dates and deadlines. 

USC has two application plans: Regular Decision and Early Action. However, majors requiring a portfolio or audition are not permitted to apply Early Action or Regular Decision. Instead, they have a deadline of December 1 st . Check out this list of majors with a December 1 st deadline.  

The Early Action USC application deadline is November 1 st . The Early Action plan is non-binding and non-restrictive. Therefore, you can apply to as many colleges as you wish and there is no obligation to enroll. Early Action applicants will be notified of their results in January. The Early Action plan leaves ample time for students to review financial aid letters and visit campus before deciding on where to enroll. 

If you are not ready to submit your application in November, the Regular Decision USC application deadline is January 15 th . The Regular Decision plan is also non-binding and non-restrictive. These applicants will be notified of their admissions decision on April 1, 2024. Whether you are applying Early Action or Regular Decision, your USC supplemental essays are due on the application deadline. 

If you are already in college and are interested in transferring to USC, transfer students have a USC application deadline of January 1 st if they are already enrolled at USC and February 15 th if they are currently enrolled at another college.

Starting early

No matter what admissions plan you choose, it is critical to begin working on your USC supplemental essays well ahead of their deadline. Overall, it is never too early to begin brainstorming ideas and creating an outline. By getting organized early and not procrastinating, you can ensure you submit the strongest application possible. 

Your USC essays will also be used in your overall review for merit scholarships. But don’t forget to view the USC scholarship and financial aid deadlines! All students interested in being considered for a USC merit scholarship must apply Early Action (or by December 1 st if their major requires a portfolio or audition).

Keep reading for more resources to help with your USC essays. 

More USC Resources to explore

Are you looking for more insight on how to get into USC and craft strong USC essays? Well, CollegeAdvisor has got you covered. Now that you know more about the USC Supplemental essay requirements, check out these examples of USC supplemental essays. 

Additionally, as you are researching the USC essay prompts, don’t forget about merit scholarships and financial aid. In fact, learning about USC merit scholarships and prestigious external awards, like the Questbridge scholarship, can ease anxiety about the financial aspect of enrolling at USC.

CollegeAdvisor also hosts tons of interactive webinars to help you learn more about USC essays and admissions in general. So, get informed and watch them! Specifically, check out this Q&A webinar with former Georgetown and USC admissions officers. 

Remember that the University of Southern California is just one of many great schools in the State of California. Check out this guide to see how USC stacks up to other California colleges. 

Also, check out USC Admission’s resource videos on YouTube! The video below offers tips for approaching this year’s USC supplemental essays as well.

USC Supplemental Essays – Takeaways 

As we’ve seen in this article, USC supplemental essays are a critical part of the USC admissions application. Here’s a list of 7 takeaways to help you write strong USC supplemental essays.

7 USC Supplemental Essays Takeaways

1. usc has 11 required essays: the why usc essay and 10 short answer essays. all students, regardless of major, have this requirement., 2. your why usc essay is a great opportunity to show why you would be a great fit for usc. , 3. your short answer essays are meant to be brief and authentic. don’t overthink these , 4. depending on your major, you may have additional usc essays to submit. refer to this guide for the list of majors that have additional usc essays. , 5. the deadline for your usc essays is the same as the application deadline. so, it is incredibly important that you prepare by giving yourself ample time to write and edit your usc essays., 6. the usc office of admissions views essays as a valuable part of the application. in fact, they just might be the thing that makes you stand out., 7. be yourself these essays are structured to get a closer look at who you are. don’t shy away from this element..

Looking for more guidance on the USC essays? CollegeAdvisor is here to help. Click here to schedule a meeting with our experts today and start receiving personalized college admissions guidance.

This essay guide was written by Chelsea Holley. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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USC Transfer Essay Success: An Example

The USC transfer essay can be quite daunting, especially if your GPA and extracurriculars are not very impressive. Fortunately for you, dear reader, you may still fulfill your dream of becoming a Trojan!

Below we have a successful USC transfer essay from a very fortunate and generous applicant. They were able to get accepted into USC with some rather average scores. No, not average compared to a lot of students; we mean average as in average for the rest of the transfer applicants to USC. So, what did their stats look like? Their college stats before transferring were something like this compared to the competition.

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Their GPA: 3.8

Average USC Transfer GPA: 3.7

Okay, so that’s not exactly a large advantage amongst the rest of the admissions pool. With that said, our applicant must have had something to compensate for their competition.

Remember: it’s not enough to be average to get in to your dream school (unless you want to rely on the luck of the draw), you want to have something to show you are better than the rest of the admissions pool to maximize your admissions chances.

With that said, they did in fact have something to compensate for it! And no, we don’t mean bribes. They were able to play the college admissions game right by constructing their story for the college essay as well as possible. Though they do not have all of the traits that we put in our college application services, due to their having consulted us only after their submission, they were a fantastic writer who nonetheless hit most of the good points.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at our applicant’s successful USC Transfer Essay.

USC Transfer Essay: The Prompt.

Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve. You can type directly into the box, or you can paste text from another source. (Approximately 650 words)

I want my success to be determined by what I do, not who I am. Growing up as a Vietnamese-born immigrant, I have been influenced by the culture of my parents as well as that of my peers. At a youth conference that I attended in Vietnam, two businessmen proclaimed that a woman’s appearance was more important than her professional capabilities in defining her potential for early career success. This unfortunate yet earnest piece of advice, stemming from years of cultural and societal conditioning, had been impressed on me as the status quo, complicating an already convoluted path for a young aspiring lawyer like me to navigate. I was not born with privilege, nor was I expected to become particularly successful in my future career, but I had always wanted to be self-made and a professional involved in law and politics. Relying on my grit, and with my husband’s support, I forged a plan that involves attending a University to realize my goal to become a lawyer. After a tumultuous experience in High School, I had seized the opportunity to attend Pasadena City College so that I could better prepare both financially and academically for the opportunity to transfer to a leading University to study Political Science. It had become clear at the end of High School that I needed such a stepping stone in order to build a stronger foundation and strived to improve my study habits, while using the experience I gained from a part-time job as a fashion model to build confidence and fearlessness as a woman. My academic interest was in political affairs and I was especially drawn to how externalities influence political outcomes, such as how the appearance of a woman running for office can become a deciding factor over her campaign platform. Just like how the social sciences have double blind studies and the life sciences have experimental controls, I would like to learn about the science of politics and how we can apply scientific principles to the development of greater political competency. I also want to be better prepared for entry into a law school, where what I accomplish as an undergraduate will help me secure the strongest opportunity forward. I believe that the world class faculty at USC and perhaps a scholarship or two would allow me to proudly accomplish my goal and represent the next generation of young professionals who are what they do.

Here we will show you some of the positive attributes that make this college essay so powerful. We will show you what they did in their essay (that is covered in our editing services) that gave them the competitive edge to get accepted by USC.

• Interesting Intro: The introduction here could be optimized more to bring out some of the gravity of the situation. Nonetheless, it’s a rather well-written part. The first line suggests that there was a problem with the way the our applicant was seen and she later clarifies it by describing the businessmen. The introduction should have something interesting in it that makes the whole admissions essay stand out. Having a good topic to write about, especially if it is about social pressures and fighting against the status quo, will help you have an incredible advantage against other applicants. There are plenty of ways to find good topics to make your intro look good.

On the topic of good introductions and good admissions essay topics, you can find our articles about it here.

Topics Article

Good Introduction Article

2. More Questions than Answers: This is a technique that is implemented by more talented writers, so it may be rather difficult to execute properly. The gist of this is that the writer answers a question, or begins to answer a question, with background information that obscures. This means that they made the admissions officers more confused than they are informed. This may sound like a rather bad idea; after all, who would want to just make the admissions officers more confused than necessary. Bear with us here.

The goal of doing this is mostly in the intro. The writer writes enough about their background to inform eh admissions officers but leaves out very critical context to make the situation seem more dynamic than it may be.

Our applicant here does exactly this. Instead of just spilling all the tea by saying “People said a woman’s anatomy is more important than their business sense, then I proved them wrong”, she puts more detail into suggesting the disgust she feels about this viewpoint and, in the end of the paragraph, implies that something will happen where she prove them wrong.

Note: As effective as this is in convincing admissions officers (it certainly helped with our applicant) this is very difficult to do properly. We’ve seen plenty of rough drafts fail to do this without our intervention or help. Thus, we suggest that if you are looking for a good introduction with this stylized writing, you should consult with one of our expert admissions editors first.

3. Rising From Ashes: In the USC transfer essay, and in just about every admissions essay at that, it is vital to have a description of personal growth or development. The only exception to this is if the essay prompt asks something of you that makes it impossible to bring up personal growth. (which is very rare since it’s such a common topic!) This doesn’t mean just getting better at something: everyone has that. A good moment of personal growth is going through a “fall” or “dark times” that inspire you to make yourself better. A wealthy student from a nice neighborhood in New York working through personal struggles may not be as impressive as one who had been living through oppressive forces all their lives.

Now, this does not mean you have to have had a bad backstory in order to demonstrate personal growth. However, it does mean you should find an instance of “lacking” in your life that had become the catalyst to your personal growth. Everyone has one, no matter how big or small; you just have to be able to dig through it and write it in the right way to make it work for you.

We do understand that this may be very difficult for people who have a hard time finding “low-points” in their lives; for that we recommend that you shoot us a message! We deal with situations where students cannot write their admissions essay to its maximum capacity all the time. When you talk with our admissions experts, you will have a better prepared USC transfer essay that will maximize your chances of admission.

122 thoughts on “USC Transfer Essay Success: An Example”

I liked the course very much. It extended my knowledge about USC transfer essay writing. Thanks a lot for the great post! I liked how detailed and helpful it is..!

Hi there Anna! We’re glad that this was helpful! Let us know if you’ve any questions and let’s keep in touch!

I want to apply to USC so bad! Is there any way you can give me more advice and tips to get in as a transfer?

Hi there Isa! No problem. I can send you an email and we can discuss your current application there!

Best, Jason Xie

I’d love if you can also do the same with me. Im currently applying and figuring out the right approach on how to write my essays.

Hi Yonathan! I just sent you an email. Thanks!

Hey Jason, I am also looking for help on how to write my USC essays properly. I would love it if you could do the same with me.

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Hi Audrey! Thank you for the reply. We can help you, no problem! I just sent you an email and we may discuss further from there.

Hi Isa, I am planning to apply to USC for transfer can you help me too?

If you’re looking for help with your USC transfer application, I can certainly help. I just sent you an email!

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Hi Kwon! Just sent a message. Thank you!

I’m writing a transfer essay to USC could you help me please?

Hi George! No problem. I just sent you an email!

Hello Jason! I’m working on my essay for the transfer application too, can you send me some help with my essays? Thank you!

Hi Jeff! I just sent you an email. As a reminder, please reply to our email with the best callback number for my team and I to reach you! Thank you!

Hello! I am interested in getting feedback on my use transfer essay

Hi Kassidee Avila! Thank you for your response. I sent you a message to your email.

Hi Jason, can you please help me on my USC application as well? Thank you so much.

No Problem Claire Kim! I just sent you an email!

Hi jason, I am currently applying to transfer to USC as well! do you think you could help me with my application? Thank you so much

Hi Nate! I just sent a reply to your email. Please take a look. Thanks!

I am writing essay for transfering to USC. Could you give me more sample essay? I am stuck that I don’t know what to write.

Hi Connie! I sent you a reply through your email. We may discuss further there. Thanks!

I am applying to USC and would move some help with my transfer essay.

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No Problem Kēhaulani McAllister! I sent you an email just now. Thank you!

Hi Jason, I’m applying to transfer to USC, and was wondering if you can help me also with my transfer essay? Thank you

Thanks for the comment Nicole! I sent you an email just now and we can talk about how we can help!

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No problem Dan! I just sent you an email!

Hi I am in the process of applying to USC and would greatly appreciate any help possible, thanks

Hi Danica! Just sent you an email. Thanks!

Hi I am in the process of applying to USC and would greatly appreciate any help possible, thank you

Hi Danica! I sent you an email and you can take a look. Thank you!

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Hi Lauren! We certainly can! I just sent you an email and we may discuss our services there. Thank you!

Hello: I am applying to USC as a transfer and I would love some feedback.

Hi Freddy! Great! I just sent you an email and we can work from there!

Hi there! Would it be possible to assist me with the essays or take a look at it? Thanks.

Hey Fernando! We certainly can. We just sent you a message to your email. Thank you!

Hi! I am currently applying to USC as well and would love to receive any sort of help or additional sample essays.

Hi Joey! We can definitely help with your essays. I sent you an email. Thank you!

Hello! I am currently applying to USC and I would love to receive any help with my essays or just an overview of my application if possible.

Hi Lila! We can help with your USC essays! I just sent you a reply to your email!

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Hi Tommy! Thank you for your comment. We can help and we’ve just contacted you through email. Thanks!

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Hi Sabbi! Thank you! We’re glad you liked it! We can certainly talk more about how we can help you. I just sent you an email.

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Hi Tadashi! Thank you for the comment! We can help and we just sent you an email.

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Hi Dianne! We just sent you an email so we can talk about how we can help you out. Thanks!

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Hi Alexis! We just sent you a message through your email and we can discuss how we may help you there. Thanks!

Good morning!

I would love some help with my essays

Hi Alexis! *See previous comment* Thanks!

Hey! Can you also help me with my transfer essays? I will be trying to transfer into the CSBA program.

Hi Emily! Thank you for your request. We can certainly help with your transfer essays. We just sent you an email and we can help you from there. Thanks!

Could you help me with the transfer essays too? I am trying to transfer as a CSBA major.

Hi Emily! *See previous comment* Thanks!

Can you send me an email? I need help with my essay.

Hi! Can you please help me with my transfer essays too? I would really appreciate it!

Hello Kristina! We just sent you a message to your email and we can go from there!

Hi! Can you please help me with my USC transfer essays too? I would really appreciate it!

Hi Kristina! We can certainly help! We just sent you an email.

I am applying to USC as a transfer student. Can you check it out?

Hi Jacob! No problem. I just sent you an email, thanks!

Hey Jason! I enjoyed your insight and breakdown on the USC prompt. I would love to get more wisdom on my application from you!

Thank you Samuel! I just sent you a reply to your email.

Hi, I’m planning on applying as a transfer as well! Can you guys take a took at my application?

Hi Alan! Of course! I sent you a message to your email.

I am a transfer applicant and would love to get some support with my application

Thank you for your reply. Because we are in the last few days of the admissions season for USC Transfer, we are experiencing high volumes of clients and requests. As such, the available services may change. However, we may still help you and anyone coming after in whatever way we can! I sent you a message to your email!

This is great! I also would love to get more tips on essays!

Thank you! We’ll be sending you a message to your email.

Hey Is too late to get feedback on my responses?

Hi Michael! You reached us when the deadline had already passed. However, we can still provide feedback! We just sent you an email.

I am applying as a transfer student to USC for Fall 2022.

Can I please get guidance with my essay?

Thank you, Zayn

Hi Zayn! No problem. We just reached out to you through your email. Thanks!

I am also applying as a transfer student to USC for Fall 2022. I would very much appreciate some guidance on my essay

thank you, Dai

No worries. I just sent you an email and we can work through it from there. Thank you!

Hi Jason I see that loads of students are interested in feedback. I’ll be transferring for the fall semester of 2022. May I receive some guidance? Best, David

I am also applying as a transfer student to USC for Fall 2022 as a CS major. I would very much appreciate some guidance on my essays.

Thanks, Rohit

Hi Rohit! I can certainly help you through a free consultation over the phone (or zoom depending on what you prefer). We actually get quite a few CS majors requesting help, so I’d be glad to help however I can! I sent you an email.

I am also applying as a transfer student to USC for Fall 2022 as a Business Administration major. It would be amazing if I could guidance.

Sincerely, Daymen

Thank you for your request for help! Some of our advising and guidance services have changed indefinitely and we won’t expect services to return to their original format until around mid-March or so. I’ll provide more info on this through email. I’ve sent you an email!

Need help with transfer essay

Thank you for your request for help. We apologize for the late reply; we’ve been quite busy with helping clients on their USC essays due to the close deadline! The deadline has been extended to the 16th, though, which gives us some spare time. We can provide some advising and guidance services, but some are limited indefinitely. I’ve sent you an email!

I am not sure if this page is still active, however, It would be beyond appreciated if I could receive some help. I am applying to Transfer to USC for Fall 2023. I have already composed my essays and have been editing!

Thank you for your reply! We’ve recently been swamped with requests for hourly and package services; so, replies for free consultations had to slow down a bit. However, we still have space and can help with your essays. I sent you an email!

Hi! I am applying to USC for fall 2023. Would I be able to request some feedback on my essay?

Hi Jolie! No problem; I just sent you an email!

I am applying to USC for 2023. I would appreciate to have some advice on my essay:)

Thanks for the request; I’d be happy to help! I sent you an email!

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Hi Naya! Thanks for requesting help with your USC application; I can certainly help. I just sent you an email!

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Hi Emma! Thank you for requesting help! I would be glad to help with your USC transfer essays; I just sent you an email!

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Hi! I am applying to transfer for fall of 2023 to USC. I would love some help!

Thanks so much for the request! I’d be happy to help and I just sent you an email, thanks!

Hello, I am applying for transfer for Fall 2023 and could use help with my essay. Can you please give me information on your process?

Hi Francesca! Sure! However, the deadline is quite close so I may be limited in how much help I may provide! I sent you an email!

Hi! I am nearing the deadline but would love some last minute pointers. I am close to being done- could you help me out a little bit?

My apologies! We received your request quite late into the deadline and thus don’t have any available spots for reviews! However, we are still available to help out with other colleges that are past the February 15th deadline! I just sent you an email about that!

Hiꜝ, I am also thinking of transferring to USC next term. Could I also ask for some help?̊̈ The post was beneficial. Thank you so much. Have a great day.

Hi Victoria! Thanks for the request and I’m glad you like my post! I just sent you an email where you can reserve a free consultation with me! (:

Hello, I am applying for a transfer for Fall 2024 and could use help with my essay. Could I also ask for some help?̊̈ Thanks!

Hi Sean! Of course! I would be happy to help and have just sent you an email where you can reserve a free consultation. Thanks! (:

Hi! I’m applying to USC for Fall 2024 as a transfer student. I don’t know if it’s a little late to ask for some help in formulating my essay, as the due date is next week. I hope to hear back soon. Thank you!

Hi Nadya! It’s certainly not too late to ask for help with the essays, and I’d be happy to help! I just sent you an email!

Hi! I’m applying to USC for fall 2024 as a transfer student and could use some help with writing my essay. Thanks!

Hi Nadya! I responded to the previous comment and just sent you an email!

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Hey everyone, I'm thinking about transferring to USC for their business program. Does anyone know what the specific requirements are for transferring into their business school? Are there any recommended courses, a minimum GPA, or other factors to consider?

Hello, it's great that you're considering transferring to USC for their business program. Here are the specific requirements and factors to consider when transferring into USC's Marshall School of Business:

1. Recommended Courses: You should complete several prerequisite courses before transferring, as this will strengthen your application and make the transition smoother. Key courses include:

- Two semesters of English composition

- One semester of college-level math (calculus or statistics recommended)

- Microeconomics and macroeconomics

- One semester each of financial and managerial accounting

2. Minimum GPA: While there's no strict minimum GPA requirement, USC Marshall is highly competitive, so it's advised to have a strong GPA when applying. Most successful transfer applicants have a GPA of 3.7 or higher.

3. Course Rigor: Demonstrating that you can challenge yourself academically and succeed is important, so taking a rigorous course load before transferring can make you a more competitive applicant.

4. Extracurricular Activities: USC values well-rounded applicants who showcase engagement in activities outside the classroom. Prioritize quality over quantity: focus on activities that demonstrate leadership, commitment, and passion in personal and/or professional development.

5. Essays: USC requires transfer applicants to complete several essays, including the Common App essay and additional Marshall-specific prompts. Take time to craft thoughtful responses, reflecting on your personal, academic, and professional goals in relation to the business program at USC.

6. Letters of Recommendation: USC typically requires transfer applicants to submit two letters of recommendation, one from a college professor and another from an additional college faculty member or a supervisor/employer. Choose recommenders who can speak to your strengths, work ethic, and potential for success in the business program.

Lastly, note that the number of transfer spots at USC Marshall can be limited. Therefore, it's essential to put your best foot forward in every aspect of your application. Good luck!

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Tuesday Tips: USC Marshall Application Essays, Tips for 2023-2024

The USC Marshall School of Business reflects the diversity and dynamism of the Los Angeles area. These USC Marshall application essays allow you the space to express how you will fit into the community. Though Marshall is a community of its own, the larger USC Trojan Family is an integral part of the school’s identity and offers additional academic opportunities for MBA students.

“At Marshall, our focus is on producing leaders with the skills to turn ideas into outcomes for the real world, right now,” says Dean Geoffrey Garrett.

“Our award-winning faculty thought leadership and experiential learning environment creates leaders who are visionary and adaptable; prepared not only for the jobs of today, but also for future careers not yet imagined that the Marshall community will help shape.”

Because community is so vital to this USC Marshall application, the admissions office wants to know who you are as a person. As such, the AdCom team doesn’t subscribe to the concept of the “perfect” or “ideal” candidate. Everyone has a unique story.

As you prepare your USC Marshall application, make sure to do your research. Remember to include talking to current and former students so that you can better understand the culture in depth. To learn more about the program, visit the USC Marshall website .

Are you curious about your chances of getting into a top business school? Contact us to talk strategy with a free 15-minute advising session  with an SBC Principal Consultant. 

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team .

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School HBS MBA

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School Kellogg MBA

Director HBS Admissions at Harvard Business School MBA, the Wharton School

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School

Director HBS Admissions at Harvard Business School HBS MBA

Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)

Asst Director MBA Admissions at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) Director MBA Admissions at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business

MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) Minority Admissions, the GSB Diversity Programs, the GSB

Associate Director MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute

Director, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania Professional Writer

Assistant Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS) NYU Admissions

Assistant Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS) M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania

Associate Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS)

Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure.  Ashley  holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years,  Ashley  was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions. Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and  ...

A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally.  Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM.  For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).  In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds.  Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students.  In additio ...

Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years.  Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.  In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School.  Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications.  She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford.   Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year.   Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team.  During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students.  She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS).  During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business. At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director.  Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

Essay #1 (Required)

What is your specific, immediate short-term career goal upon completion of your mba please include an intended position, function, and industry in your response. (word limit: 100).

With only 100 words to use here, stay brief, and focused in this USC application essay. Consider your plan when you graduate from USC. And make sure your resume and other application materials support this next step.

For example, if you are career switching, highlight any transferable skills in your resume. Another idea is to ask your recommenders to comment on your future plans. Further, as you craft all of these strategies, make sure you highlight how you will use your MBA to reach your goals.

What if your next job is a logical step from your prior experience to your MBA? Even if you think it’s obvious, it’s essential to be specific about your career goals. Describe the job you plan to pursue with as much detail as possible.

Essay #2 (Required)

Please draft a letter that begins with “dear admissions committee” (word limit: 600), this letter serves as your personal statement that provides the admissions committee with an understanding of your candidacy for marshall beyond what is evident in other parts of your application., this essay is purposely open-ended. you are free to express yourself in whatever way you see fit. the goal is to have an appreciation for and an understanding of each candidate in ways that are not captured by test scores, grades, and resumes..

Showing who you are as a person is essential to your USC Marshall application. Ideally, you can demonstrate that you understand the USC culture and values with your answer to this essay question.

First, start with your statistics and data. USC Marshall will see your GPA, your test scores, and your transcripts. Second, the admissions committee will see your career progress on your resume. Third, you will add some personal color to your application through the recommendation letters. These elements should show that you have leadership potential, academic promise, and a well-rounded personality. This essay is the place to fill any gaps.

Consider what you need to communicate to show all sides of your candidacy in this USC application essay. For example, if you are someone who has a standard career history, you might describe something interesting in your background. Perhaps you have an unusual hobby, have made an impact on the community, or have a unique family heritage.

Another aspect of your USC Marshall application that may not appear in your data is your passion for learning. For instance, if there is a professor you would want to work with, this question is an opportunity to discuss their work. Similarly, you may want to join or lead a club or community effort that isn’t obvious from the other data you submit.

Essay #3 (Optional)

Please provide any additional information you would like the admissions committee to consider. (word limit: 250).

This USC application essay offers an opportunity to add more information or to discuss a concern. Therefore, if you have a low GPA, a grade below a C in a quantitative subject, an employment gap, or any other issue in your background, this is the place to explain it.

However, if you want to highlight anything else about your career path, experience, or personal background, this essay allows you the space to do so. And, if you need to explain an area of concern, clearly explain what happened and what you have done to improve or address the issue. Focus on the future in a positive manner to leave the strongest impression.

For more information on applying to USC Marshall, please visit the school’s admissions page . To talk to Stacy Blackman Consulting about your Cambridge MBA essays, don’t hesitate to contact us!    We offer multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our  All-In Partnership  to hourly help reviewing your MBA resume.   Contact SBC today for a  free 15-minute advising session to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.

With deadlines around the corner, you may be interested in the world-famous SBC Flight Test . Once a full set of application materials for your initial school have been drafted, but not finalized, the application will be sent to a former admissions committee member for a one-time review, adcomm style. You’ll have the benefit of a true admissions committee review while still having the ability to tinker and change.  You will receive written feedback within two business days after submitting.

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Marshall Internal Transfer Essay