<p>I am going to be a transfer student graduating from a Massachusetts community college with a 3.7 GPA. I have already transferred to a four year for Kinesiology, decided it wasn’t the path I wanted to continue down and went back to my community college to get my Associate’s Degree and to take a few more courses I could transfer into a business program for cheap. My high school extracurriculars are decent, but since then I’ve just been working and going to school. I think I did very well on my essays and was sent an invitation to join Phi Theta Kappa (which I know nothing about). USC is my first choice partly because I’ve lived on the East Coast my whole life and I feel like I need a change. The problem with this is that I don’t have the required calculus course completed to be considered by Marshall, as it is not offered at my current institution. I was told by one person in admissions at USC that it could be overlooked under certain circumstances, and by another that it is a requirement period. Has anyone been admitted to Marshall without having completed the required calculus or English course prior to applying? Is Phi Theta Kappa well regarded and something that could help my chances of being admitted to and/or recieving scholarships to these schools, or would I be throwing $60 in the garbage? What are my chances of getting into these three schools? I understand that all of these schools are competitive and I have Bryant University(much higher acceptance rate and a smaller university) as my fourth choice, so any insight on admissions there is also appreciated.</p>
<p>So let me tell you my story. I lived in LA my whole life. Went to community college for 2 years wanting to transfer to USC Marshall (I have a lot of friends/family there). However, I didn’t get in and I’m at BU SMG now. I know EVERYTHING about transferring to USC Marshall because I spent my last 2 years learning about it. USC requires a Calculus course (MA 118, or 125). This can be a General Calc course like premed calc, or a Business calculus. Also, they would want a English composition course. This is the absolute prereq to apply. After that, they would recommend (but actually highly recommend) 2 courses in economics (macro/micro), and the general education requirements. It would also help if you took any other business related courses (ex. Accounting, Bus law). If you decide to take both accounting courses, you can take an abridged course once your transfer. Phi Theta Kappa is a very prestigious honor society (I’m in it however I am not active). When you apply, the common app actually asks “are you in phi theta kappa?” It will help, but it is somewhat insignificant. The club does have its perks though. </p>
<p>I would also ask you to find out what you want to do with Business. USC is known for real estate, marketing, accounting, etc. BU is known for its Finance, Operations Management, etc. USC also has a bigger alumni base and endowment. USC is in the heart of LA (ghetto actually), and can help with business entertainment. BU is in the heart of the Finance capital of the U.S., where they can help you with start-up companies. Also the vibe/culture at both schools are very different. </p>
<p>I would say if you have the completed courses for USC and applied under a 3.7 (not knowing your SAT or HS grades), your chances are average. Marshall is little more selective and they want students with a 3.6-4.0. Note, you can always try to apply to another school and internally transfer into Marshall (which can be easier, but may take more time). </p>
<p>BU SMG accepts less transfers, however I feel that their average GPA is around (3.6-3.9).
Northeastern I have no idea, however I heard it is somewhat easier to get into than BU. </p>
<p>I hope this helps. Please message me if you need anything! </p>
<p>Phi Theta Kappa (an honor society) can only be beneficial to your application. It is one of the drop downs in choices on the common app for something to the effect of “are you a part of any of these…” </p>