Chances of getting into Annenberg?

Hello, everyone! I am a transfer student currently struggling to decide between UCSB and USC.

I have spent the last 3 years finishing my IGETC and obtaining my AA in Communications.

I got into UCSB in early May, and went to visit shortly after. I loved the campus and the students’ enthusiasm, but I am currently a pre-comm major, and will need to take 3 5-unit comm classes with a 3.0 GPA in order to get into the Comm major and start taking any upper division comm classes. I also got the impression that UCSB doesn’t like students staying longer than 2 years, as you must petition to stay after your 2nd year is over. I’m transferring with a 4.0, so while I find this process intimidating, I have some confidence that I can get into my major and get out in 2 years.

However, I just found out this weekend that I got into USC. Their communication school is one of the best in the country, so if I got into that program, it would be a no-brainer. I instead got into my second-choice major, psychology. I genuinely enjoy studying psychology, but I don’t know what I’d do with my degree. I see more of a future for myself as a comm major. USC said in their letter that I have the ability to “contact the department of your first-choice major to explore the possibility of
entry into that program at a later date.” I know how competitive and prestigious Annenberg is, so I am nervous that I won’t get into the program even if I wait it out. But I enjoy that USC has more guidance for students than UCSB and much smaller classes.

Overall, there is no clear answer at the moment, so I was hoping for some opinions and advice!

@reptarly This is a very big decision for you, so you need factual info that you can only get from USC. If you were a freshman coming in, I would say not a problem. However, since you are a transfer and on a different time schedule, you need to know if you have to wait a semester or year to change and if so, can you take/get into classes for Annenberg straight away. It may be simply having a certain gpa and taking a class or two, but get it from them. Please call the Annenberg Admissions folks and speak to them. You are already accepted and they are there to help you work through this.

https://annenberg.usc.edu/admissions/contact/admissions-team

Please let us know if you get your answer and your decision! Congrats on great choices and good luck!