If someone gets in as a Spring Admit (so they would do community college in the fall and perhaps summer,) and has about 7 AP classes with 4 or 5, could they realistically graduate or pay for USC in 3 years?
Depends on major and work ethic but yes with summer classes and taking max credits each semester. If you maintain a 3.75 you can take credits over 18 for free, up to 21. (I think I have those specifics right…). My CS major did that a few semesters and could have graduated in three from CS also with a minor, but realized life is too good at USC and is staying for that magical senior year with major/double minor. Did take one of the brutal CS classes during a summer so it made the semesters easier. If you don’t quite make it in three, you can also take under 12 credits and be a “part time student” as a senior and pay by credit for what is needed versus the whole tuition.
So realistically is up to how hard you want to work in those three years.
@CADREAMIN Yes, the specific you shared is correct. I think they call it Academic Achievement Award entitling a sophomore meeting certain qualifications like GPA and minor to take up to 21 units. With his IB credits, my son can work on finishing his degree in 3.5 years. But you are right, life is so good at USC that he is enjoying his stay and would like to take up additional minors.
@skeptile Do you mean 3 years or 3.5 years?
Actually I was thinking one semester would have been community college, and a second semester although spread out over the years would have been a semester less due to elective credits from AP classses. If no scholarship, I’m just trying to see if there are other options.
I would’ve liked to do this, but the issue for me was that USC didn’t offer any REAL financial aid (only loans) over the summer. The course offerings are also severely limited. It depends on your major, too. I was in the film school and very little was offered save for some critical studies classes.
Yes, a student can do this–depending on the major. Some specific majors have a sequence of 4 years of courses, and sometimes only offer the Year 1 course only 1 semester per year–in other words, you must be there 4 consecutive years. But many (maybe even most) majors are achievable in 3 years of attendance at USC (+1 semester of CC courses and AP credits you specified). It takes extra special attention to scheduling/registering for classes, and I’d suggest you tell your advisors from the very start so they can direct you. You would not likely be able to fit a minor or 2nd major into such a schedule, but my S2 could have graduated at the end of his 3rd full year at USC, without summer classes or even an 18-unit semester. He chose to stay the 4th year because he wanted to take more advanced courses in his major; a lot of career opportunities/mentorships/internship opportunities come up in your 4th year and he wanted that boost, and because he was fortunate to have a Trustee scholarship that covered full tuition.