<p>@ tramsyrevur
I believe they mentioned earlier in the thread but I think you have to have 30 credits before you apply or they look at your high school transcripts.</p>
<p>@tramsyrevur</p>
<p>Good question because as you stated there are conflicting answers. I saved this post from last year and I think it does a great job at answering the 30 unit question.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/11714895-post817.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/11714895-post817.html</a></p>
<p>Hi everyone!</p>
<p>I am also hoping to transfer to USC in the fall of 2012 as a junior. I will have around 60 units from one year at a private 4-year school in CA and one year at a CC. The thing is, I have a very complicated situation and I am looking for advice. Or if anyone knows what I should do, please let me know! So I have things that could both hurt me and help me:</p>
<p>I applied as a freshman out of HS with pretty good grades (around a 3.9) and did not get in. So, I attended a private 4-year college for a year and did not love it so decided to follow my dream of attending USC. I did not have the best grades at my old school (first semester around a 2.8 gpa and second around a 3.1). I was on the Business major track and took both macro and micro econ, but got C’s in both (C- in one), which I know hurts because they are Business major-related courses. Also I have two W’s in Calculus (one from my first school and one from CC this fall), because I was placed too high in math and should not have taken it right away. Transferring back to CC also created confusion with counselors and my placement in courses. So, right now I am thinking very carefully about everything and which major I should apply to as my first-choice and second-choice. Predominantly because Marshall requires you to have Calc completed so I will have to take it again in the spring (obviously without another W). But I have been thinking that maybe I should just take Stats or another math that you need for Annenberg, because that is what I would apply to if I scrapped the Business major. But how bad will 2 W’s in Calc look? Would it be better to take it again or just take a lower math and apply to a different major?
I also have things that could help me: I have been in contact with admissions counselors (through e-mail and meetings at USC), I am a legacy (both of my parents graduated from USC), I have strong ECs from HS (tennis, tutoring, volunteer work, service hours, honor roll, clubs, etc) and my first year of college, and I work. I feel like if I have a very strong essay stating why I want to attend USC so badly and explain why I have Ws somewhere, and also raise my GPA this year I could maybe have a chance of getting into one school? I just don’t know what to do major-wise 
</p>
<p>Sorry about the super long post but if anyone could help that would be great! Thanks and good luck to everyone!</p>
<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>How does USC take into account multiple pre-req classes under the same category? Meaning for USC, WRIT 130/140 must be completed (one of them) now what if I am in progress for both of them but withdraw from one and get an “A” in the other one? How does that work? Thanks.</p>
<p>Hey so I have a question. USC is using the Common App this year, and I’m wondering how we go about our essay. Do we say why we want to to go to USC specifically with practical and valid reasons, like before? I guess I’m wondering what a sample successful USC transfer essay basically looks like. Would they want to see something like “I want to go to USC for x, x, and x reasons” or “I got rejected from USC the first time and am trying again and here’s how I struggled…”, etc. How is everyone going about their essays?</p>
<p>@teddygrams: Well, as the prompt asks for why and what you want to achieve, I plan to discuss my future plans and how SC will help me get there. As I know of a few specific programs that they offer, I will definitely be mentioning that in my essay.</p>
<p>IMO, the more specific and concise you can be, the better. Research is key! For example, they are already aware of their business school, the question is why specifically them and not anywhere else?</p>
<p>Yeah, same. I was just wondering if they were looking for/we should give them a more personal look at the applicant somehow. Because it just seems like saying “I want to do this and this is how this program helps me, etc. etc.” can come off as really impersonal and straightforward and general. You know? Too much content doesn’t leave room for context,and too much context doesn’t have a lot of content, if that makes any sense haha. Last year they got to do the “why transfer” and something like “what are you good at” or something, which gave better chances. I guess we’ll just have to make our concrete reasons spin with a personal flair.</p>
<p>I heard that USC only lets you change majors if you plan to stay there for more than 2 years… I am a transfer student and I am wanting to change my major from chemistry to biological sciences if I do get in there. Do you think its okay to go as undeclared first and then change majors? I have solid EC’s and a decent/ok GPA but I wonder if my major would have any effect on my chances of getting in… any suggestions? I also wouldn’t mind staying there for 3 years cause that’s what I plan to do anyways.</p>
<p>Also,</p>
<p>I heard that it doesn’t matter how many units or credits you have for transferring… the more you have, the more it is an advantage yeah? I’m so scared for decisions…</p>
<p>@jumbo11 Which year are you transferring as? I don’t know if they let you switch majors at the Junior level, but I’ve HEARD UCLA doesn’t so it’s possible you’re confusing the two. If you have a good amount of classes that could possibly facilitate a Biological Sciences major, you could try to transfer into that course from your current school if you have good reasons for wanting to study it at USC. And the major might make a difference for your chances, but you have to make sure you don’t come off as having this primary agenda (ie. you go from Chemistry to Psychology all of a sudden might look a little suspicious). </p>
<p>As far as credits, you need to have 30 or more TRANSFERRABLE credits to transfer as a sophomore without high school record considered, and about 60 or 64 (you’ll have to check) to transfer as a Junior or something like that. Remember it’s about transferrable credits, not just credits in general. They look for around those numbers for those levels, I don’t think a lot of credits with average grades would be an advantage over lesser credits with really high grades. But that’s just me, soo</p>
<p>I am applying as a junior standing I think, but if I have to stay for three years, then I’m fine with that. Im just worried because if I change my major to biological sciences, which is very impacted, I wonder if it would affect my chances of getting in instead of transferring with Chemistry which isn’t as compact as Biological sciences. But I heard that since USC is a private school and they want your money… why wouldn’t they let you change? What would happen If i apply as a undeclared major? would that affect anything you think?</p>
<p>@jumbo11: Yeah I know what you’re saying. You should call an admissions representative and ask if they let you switch at the Junior level. If bio sci is more impacted than Chemistry, I’d just stick with Chemistry for the application if they will let you switch majors. It seems like you’re just trying to get in in general, so you’re best bet would be to just stick with the major you have the class backing and EC’s for and list as a second-choice something that’s less compacted. Also check if you even can apply as an Undeclared major at the Junior level, that you might not be able to do. I think most schools expect you to know what you’re going into by Junior year. Also keep in mind Freshman and Sophomore-transfers are put into Undeclared if they get rejected from their first two majors, but still get accepted into USC as a whole, so you’d be up against both of those groups even if they did let you declare it.</p>
<p>I’ve said this before but the USC admissions rep told us at a workshop that if you are not accepted into your major they will reevaluate your application automatically to see if they want to still admit you to USC as undeclared. This was last Fall but I couldn’t imagine it being any different this year.</p>
<p>@LAladyy: that’s still true, but only for freshman applicants and sophomore transfer applicants.</p>
<p>Oh really? Because it was at a transfer workshop so there would be no freshman applicants. Maybe he was just talking about sophomore transfers. I think I’ll email him and double check. Thanks for the correction!</p>
<p>How much will one “W” hurt my chances of transferring to USC Marshall?
First semester Freshman year, I attended an out of state university and was going through emotional and homesickness, problems and not enjoying school at all. At the time I wasn’t really ready to be so far from home and alone and those feelings severely affected my academic performance which led me to drop one class that semester.</p>
<p>Since then my GPA has been in an Uptrend and I have an overall GPA of 3.79</p>
<p>Im in the Honors Program in my Community College and have many ECs</p>
<p>I wouldn’t think it could hurt you too much, that’s a really good GPA, and HP and EC’s never hurt. If you have the right amount of credits and the course doesn’t seem to have affected anything, I wouldn’t think it’d be too bad. You could try to explain that^ in your application to them if you feel you should.</p>
<p>Does anybody know which of the Common App forms we have to submit? I thought we would have to submit all four, but on the website it says that they don’t use the school official’s form.</p>
<p>@Cminor - I asked my counselor about that and he said not to worry about those forms as SC will request them as needed. Only focus on sending in your transcripts for the time being :)</p>
<p>I have a question, if I come up with 24 total transferrable credits by the end of the spring semester as a sophomore transfer, and my high school GPA was about 3.3 with mostly As and Bs and some Cs, but my COLLEGE GPA is ~3.9-4.0 with all A+'s, do you think they’d take that into consideration regardless of the <30 credits?</p>