nice job to the OP who started this thread. after much deliberation, I’ll also be reapplying for the coming year although I am coming from a 4 year school. nice to see you again @zettasyntax!
@Vesper7 I definitely plan to stick around for at least one more transfer cycle 
Hopefully I can be even more helpful now that I’ve graduated 
Best of luck. The second time was the charm for me when I tried to transfer.
Got rejected last year as incoming freshman so gotta do this again. Anybody else applying as incoming sophomores?
@zettasyntax your expertise is greatly appreciated by everybody!
thank you, I hope so as well. I already talked to my new admissions counselor, as I’m in a different region, and he has been more than helpful in keeping in contact with me and explaining the new transfer process I’ll have to undergo when the time comes. I really am keeping my fingers crossed this time around.
@clairen I will also be applying as a sophomore. Best of luck to you!
@HenAMPM You too! What major are you?
@clairen I will be applying as an Applied and Computational Mathematics major. What about you?
@HenAMPM I’m applying for mathematics!
Seeing this thread makes me a little nervous to apply! I’m going to apply for Fall 2018 to Dornsife for archaeology from a community college in Texas and I’m nervous as to how many of my credits won’t transfer over. My current GPA is 3.79 and my SAT and ACT scores weren’t good in high school although I was in the top 11% of my class. I’m taking basic classes for psychology (although it’s classified as social and behavioral science AA) since that was my original major.
Where do we input grades on the common app, I am having a hard time finding it
You input grades in the USC supplement to the common app for regular applications (not transfer) - it is within this section that USC asks for classes and grades to be reported. You do not report grades on the common app. When you add USC as a school you are applying to, their own stuff comes up that only USC requires. Same for other schools.
For transfer apps, you send transcripts and complete the writing supplement, but you do not report grades. There is a place called “Current or Most Recent Year Courses” but they just want course names there. At least that’s how it has been.
so usc won’t look at high school grades when we have 30 units. Is it 30 before we apply, or before end of this school yr?
how can I contact my advisor?
@CADREAMIN thanks, thats the conclusion ive come to but ive been trying to get this specific answer. I just find it odd that it isnt more similar to the UC app where they have ur grades readily available from user input instead of having to match it with ur transcript. Also I am a junior transf applicant so “Current or Most Recent Year Courses” would be the courses I take from Fall2017-Spring2017 correct? These courses arent set in stone so what if they change?
The transfer app isn’t due till Feb 1st, but if your spring courses change between when you submit it and the deadline, just shoot an email to your admissions advisor that can be found on the web (link above). Agree with your comment on the manual component of matching grades, but I think they can tell a lot from a student’s first year college results and the second year look is to make sure classes are correct and there is not a downward trend. So I don’t think the process is as specific as people think if that makes sense, the look at the transcript is pretty quick. It is competitive enough that an upward trend in grades from the first year to the second year doesn’t mean much; a student needs solid grades both years.
@CADREAMIN Good advice. Also about the essay, I always hear people say to write specifically for that school. They would be referring to the supplement essays and not the main “Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring…” essay sent to all schools?
@swg3hnna I transferred into Viterbi in the last cycle. I don’t remember those common app details but I think you are supposed to write a main essay for each school you apply to?(so each school get different main essays.) The best tip I can give is to know everything/details about the program you’re interested in and show them what you know about USC/the program. In my main essay, I basically mentioned some clubs and CS/EE courses offered at USC which I was interested in and the reasons.
@malpais thank you, hmm i guess i have to figure out how to write different main essays now
found this http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/transfer-students/1058579-multiple-why-transfer-essays-on-the-common-app.html still dont know how to do it tho