Does anyone know how I could get off the spring admit list and onto the fall list? USC has been my dream school since I was little kid but my parents are dead set I start school this fall, so if I cant get off I don’t think I’ll be able to go.
Only luck of a space opening in your major, and you could find out anytime from June till August. Can’t request it. Sorry, not a thing you can do to push it along. Just about everyone would rather start in fall, and they know that.
Can you go to a community college in the Fall?
Absolutely. Your advisor will even help.
Please check post #4572 and 4592 in this thread, there is some really helpful info by @romns116, whose son was a spring admit and it worked out great for them.
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Is there a possibility of finding out in May as well?
about spring? No. they don’t have the data they need at that point, they are still processing transfers, etc.
Thanks @CADREAMIN !
Hello Spring Admits and parents, ask any questions here and I’ll try my best to help. This forum is full of parents/students who have asked the same questions, so I’m grateful for the opportunity to help.
I scan the questions now and reply to the ones I can answer.
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As stated, you cannot do anything to help get pushed to Fall. It’s based on availability and some luck.
That’s said, I’d suggest you understand what the Spring Admit experience truly entails. Start with your counselor. We had the same concern, without son possibly missing out or having a less than full college experience. Not the case at all. You’re a Trojan through and through, and the counselors do a good job of hand holding and guiding you through the short 15 weeks before you arrive on campus.
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Absolutely! That’s what our son did. He was guided by his USC academic counselor to choose GE courses at a local CC (in TX) that USC has never heard of. They were great in assuring his classes would transfer. He viewed it as a 35k grant from USC, because that’s how much he saved by attending CC in the Fall 
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Thanks @romns116! My son has submitted his intent to enroll and is looking at CC near us for the fall. He also cares a lot about football and we live in the Bay Area so he should be able to travel to several games.
We are looking into the study abroad programs overseas at AUP and John Cabot. Both programs look amazing and slightly cheaper than a semester at USC 
. There are lots of hoops to jump through but seems both programs are very structured. Lots of info to wade through.
Can someone correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems you don’t even have to fill out another Common App for the schools (as stated by an acquaintance of ours who sent her kid 4 years ago). Back then, they had to fill out the Common App and write more essays.
Another thought, about CC in the Fall. We had a big send off party for our son, with friends and family full of emotions and well wishes. (It almost felt like the closing scene of Dances with Wolves), only to see him back at home 2 months later due to the pandemic.
So he enters his Junior year at USC this Fall, and he’s been on campus a total of 8 weeks. Tony ideal, but he’s never felt less of a Trojan ever. The students and staff are in constant communication. USC is keenly aware of students feeling isolated and distant, and did their best during the pandemic to connect.
If your student chooses to attend CC in the Fall, I’m sure they’ll feel the same. It goes by very quickly.
Edit: the CC experience, in our case, was a perfect stepping stone to the campus experience because he came from a very small school.
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I have very limited experience with abroad programs, but we did entertain the idea of our son attending AUP because they had option for film students. It ended up not financially feasible for us, but we did find a couple of students who shared their AUP experience as Trojans on YouTube. It sounded like an amazing opportunity.
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Our D21 is, ironically, thinking more about the finances than me her mother 
. She thinks more like my husband. She is considering the CC closer to home option and getting a part time job. Either way, I feel grateful to have all the information at hand and available to us through this forum.
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What a wonderful and thoughtful D! No doubt a product of wonderful parenting 
Our son had a similar thought. With full COA covered at two other excellent schools, one being a top 10 for his major and <100mi from home. When we noticed he was thinking more about our finances than he should, we told him not to overthink it. Choose where he’ll be happy, no regrets.
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If full COA is covered elsewhere, unless you have a 75% or more covered at USC, you have to go elsewhere. He’s right!!!
You can go to any school and have a bad prof or bad roommate - it could not go to plan. Or you can go to one of the others that you don’t love and meet your bff or spouse. Your son is right (in my opinion) - even if you are wealthy.
What other school, major?
Hi @tsbna44 in our situation, attending USC was very close to the other offers. Completely agree with COA being covered being the priority (he was a Questbridge finalist, but didn’t match to USC) so finances was at the top of our criteria.
His major is Film Prod, he was in at UT Austin (RTF, Moody Honors) and Michigan (Shipman scholar). He was also offered full COA at BC, wonderful school but not for his major.
So he got money…dang, BC is a great school but yeah, if you can’t pursue what you want, I get it. Just don’t put yourself in financial death - it’s not worth it. The stress alone will take years off your life.
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Couldn’t agree with you more. Student loans were such a burden for me for too many years. He saw the burden and prioritized graduating debt-free (or close to it) over the “dream school”. We’re exhorting D23 to follow the same counsel.
The best schools for merit, btw, if you can get past they’re not the elite names - Arizona, Alabama, South Carolina (#1 Honors College), etc. if you are planning for the future. Good luck.