@RivenMain I just transferred to USC as a CECS major. The CS dept evaluates CS credits from other school very strictly and most transfer students have to retake a bunch of CS courses here at USC. All the junior CS transfer students I’ve met and myself are still taking lower division CS courses in our first semester at USC(not a bad thing imo tho). I’ll say just focus on the course flowchart at BU because at this moment you never know if you’ll get admitted.
@RivenMain It is quite rare for USC to offer transfer credit for any of its CS courses. At UCLA, I would have knocked off a bit of the undergrad CS requirements had I chosen to attend. The CS courses at USC were quite a bit more difficult (competitive) than the ones I took at community college. I’d say that they covered my CC’s entire intro to C++ course in about 4 weeks. I did awesome on the first written midterm in CS103 with my prior experience, but then things sorta evened out and everybody was on the same page/level and prior experience was of no help 
When I took CS201, I was in a group with a guy from UC Santa Cruz and he had to re-take his lower division CS requirements at USC.
CS104 does have a section/module for transfer students so that they can “catch up” and get up to speed with CS at USC, so it is possible for some to get transfer credit for CS103. I’m just not sure of which courses/schools. I believe that itslife123 received credit for CS103, but I don’t recall which college he transferred in from.
Hey everyone!
18 year old sophomore applicant here, currently in my first semester at Santa Monica College.
My high school record is terribly unimpressive; I finished with about a 3.2 (W). I was an IB Diploma Candidate as a junior, but I had a number of C’s, failed pre-calculus, and ultimately dropped the program my senior year for an easier workload. My first and only SAT (new) score was a decent 1310; had I done any prep work and/or decided not to party the night before, I think I could have done much better. I have no HS extracurriculars worth talking about besides my weekend job as a dishwasher at a local restaurant.
I just moved here by myself from Atlanta, fresh out of high school, and I’m enrolled at SMC with 12 credits for this semester. I work 25hrs/week at Whole Foods to afford rent in Santa Monica. Over the Winter semester, I plan on taking 6 credits, and another 12 during Spring. My Fall GPA should be a 4.0, maybe a 3.75.
I want to apply to Marshall for Business Administration. All of my classes work towards completing my GE’s, and my writing/math requirements will be completed by the end of Spring. I’m the founding Secretary of the Out of State Students Club at SMC, and I’ll be the first person in my family to apply to college.
I’m a bit worried that the admissions office will mostly lean on my high school records for their decision, but I’ve heard that an upward trend in grades and a consistent demonstrated effort towards USC can hold just as much merit as someone with a stellar high school transcript? Also, I don’t have an impressive list of EC’s, but don’t admissions officers mostly look at grades/gpa for transfers? Lastly, if I studied and retook the SAT/ACT, would I be able to use that score? Or do they only accept scores from when you were in high school?
@zettasyntax what were your stats when you applied the first time?
@durtysouth I had between 14 to 16 units completed when I applied the first time and 48 units planned. I don’t recall the exact number, but I just remember that I was going to be slightly over 60 units by the end of the spring term. I was majoring in CS/IT (the closest program to computer science offered at my community college). I was taking 18 units in the fall, 9 in the winter, and I took 21 in the spring. Perhaps USC found it a bit odd that I was more than doubling the amount of units that I already had. Since I didn’t have many units, my GPA was a 4.0 and the majors I applied to were Undecided/Dornsife (first choice) and CS/Games (second choice). I don’t recall USC asking for my SAT scores - which is good because I never took the test 30 is the magic number before admissions won’t require your exams scores, so you may not have to worry about sending your scores in at all if you aren’t happy with them. I completed all GE’s except for the language requirement. I only had one semester of Spanish under my belt. EC’s likely don’t make much of a difference for the majority of transfers, so your EC’s are fine 
They likely only come into play if an applicant is borderline.
@zettasyntax thanks for the response!
I’ll only have 12 credits done when I send in the application, but I’ll have 30 by the end of Spring 2018. I plan on talking about my work/living situation in my application somewhere to compensate for my relatively low course load.
So they rejected you even with a 4.0? That’s a bit discouraging for me. Were those 14 or 16 credits the only credits you had when you sent in the application, or were they all the credits you had after you completed your second semester at the CC?
@durtysouth Definitely talk about that if you think it’s important I briefly discussed how I was part-time due to financial reasons and how once that was out of the way, how I really jacked up on units. I believe I sent my application in January, so I had 32 or 34 units completed. I was still in the middle of my winter semester or I would’ve had a few more units to report. Well, I did get a super specific SGR to see my grade in math - a consequence of taking an important GE/requirement in the spring before transfer. I got a B and then I was rejected. The next year, I took another 18 units per semester (brining my total to 100 units) and aside from taking another semester of Spanish, I took random classes like microeconomics that had little to do with my major. In my case, it might have been because I had no HS record and was only taking so many units prior to transfer. Perhaps they wanted to see another full-time year of good grades. Or maybe my admission counselor really did reject me over one B, lol I was paired up with a different one the second time I applied.
Hey guys! I am a junior applicant applying to USC in the fall! I’ve been so excited for this thread, I often looked at last year’s thread. I just attended the transfer day yesterday and it excited me so much about applying to USC! I graduated highschool in the spring of 2015 so technically I am in my junior year right now but I decided to deny admissions from the schools I applied to for this fall to instead try for USC for the upcoming fall! It was scary to decide to stay another year but USC is an amazing school and worth the try. So I am applying to the Marshall school of business and by the end of this fall I will have done 6 of the 8 GE’s required. I will also have done Accounting 1A and 1B, stats, business calculus, micro and macro Econ. I have also taken business law, business communication, CIM(since cal states require them). My highschool gpa wasn’t the greatest but my gpa right now is 3.77 hopefully after this semester it is around a 3.85. I also work full time, am part of accounting society club and PTK honor society. Hopefully getting an internship next semester. I am definitely scared about applying to USC, it would be a dream to get in. Excited to get to know all of you!!
Hey everyone. I got accepted for the 2017-2018 school year, so I’m also here to answer any questions you may have.
Hello everyone, quick questions regarding pre-req. What could I do if my university doesn’t offer ENGLISH ENGLSH 225; ENGLSH 225A or (Writing 130/140/150)? I’m so lost. Big thanks in advance!
@bravoyourlife I would contact your counselor and see what they propose you do.
@bravoyourlife Every university has basic and advanced English and writing courses. They have them, they are just called something else. Did you google search USC articulation agreements with your school’s name to see if they have one? That will give you course equivalencies.
I’m back! @malpais hope everythings goin well! @zettasyntax Good to see you again as well
@journalisticjay I’m looking to apply for journalism as a sophomore transfer as well! I’m currently taking courses at UT’s Moody College of Communication.
@megxhan Heyyyy! I was undecided but I met with my advisor yesterday and switched my major to public relations. i’m currently at the university of memphis in memphis, tn. wats ur social media?
@journalisticjay messaged!
I’m a CC student with a 4.0 gpa and will have about 30 semester transferrable credits when my current quarter ends at Thanksgiving. I will have completed all the SC GEs by the end of the winter quarter.
I love the USC campus and academics. I have visited many times because my brother is a USC grad working on Silicon Beach.
I want to be a Neuroscience major, because I have epilepsy for the past 15 years. I don’t have many ECs besides being an Eagle Scout since I was homeschooled and PKT at my CC. I wasn’t a good student until I had brain surgery when I was almost 16.
So, do I have a chance this year or next?
@OmaNebr Absolutely. You should go ahead an apply this year. There are transfer students that get in as sophomore transfers and others that have got in after the second try, so no reason not to give it a go this year, especially with that academic record. ECs do not factor into the transfer process nearly like they do as a freshman applicant. Being an Eagle Scout has longevity, that is a great accomplishment, but really, do not worry about a lack of ECs. Showing success in college and portraying passion is key. You have an amazing story to tell. You have been through a lot, but your positive demeanor shows through even in a few sentences. I am sure you will do the same in your essays. Good luck!
Thank you for all your advice @CADREAMIN and Fight On!
hi everyone !! first time actually commenting on this page instead of just reading all of the threads haha
im currently a sophomore at a 4year university and finally making the step to transfer to usc.
my gpa last year was 3.9 but its not as high this semester. do they focus more on this year or look at gpa as a whole?