Considering USC

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hey guys, So I'm a little confused about USC, as a transfer from a local Los Angeles community college. I'll be applying to UCLA for Fall 2015 as a lit. major. I have a 3.9, great EC's, long history in non-profits and have been published several times. I'm a non-trad as well (just over 40). I have the savings to afford going to UCLA full time, but never considered USC because I'm frankly not wealthy and would have to take out substantial loans (right?).</p>

<p>My question is, just how expensive are we talking here? Would my numbers and stats even qualify me for transfer? I will have IGETC and major prereqs (for UCLA) done by Spring, but is that enough for USC? The biggest hold up though is financial. Can someone with no real ability to pay out of pocket tuition have a shot at reasonable loans? My wife makes over 100K, so I assume FA is out of the question.</p>

<p>Thoughts welcome. I'm only applying to UCLA and UCI as a safety, because we can't move out of LA, so USC would be an excellent alternative of course, if it can be financially affordable for someone in my situation.</p>

<p>Lastly, are there any non-trads at USC? I mean, how out of place is a 41 year old there? UCLA has a sizable non-trad community so I'd feel just fine there of course, but not sure about USC.</p>

2

<p>UCs are 15k in-state tuition each year. USC and most privates are 45k. </p>

<p>With your wife making over 100k and whatever savings you have, I expect you will get 0 in need-based aid to any school you apply too. With a 3.9 GPA you will qualify for merit-aid at some privates tho. e.g. Chapman (In Orange County) will slash it’s tuition from 45k to 33k. </p>

<p>From what I saw aid for transfers isn’t very good unless you are a URM. </p>

<p>On side-note, I see that you were really focused on prestige in that other thread and I was thinking like that too last year when I applied to the big name brand universities. i advise you to look past that and visit the smaller privates such as LMU, Pepperdine, Chapman, etc. As to sit on a class there and compared to the bigger universities. I don’t think USC is worth private tuition but I do think those other schools are compared to the UCs. </p>

<p>BTW you can take on 12.5k in Stafford loans each year where the interest is tax deductible. </p>

3

<p>Excellent advice, thanks! And yes, I’m a URM but thought it was no longer relevant in California schools?</p>

4

<p>They say it’s not relevant but from personal experience the UMRs with need qualified for full-rides at a lot of the UCs they applied to (UCLA, UCI, UCSD) but idk how it will work for you because your income is too high. Regardless make sure you put that somewhere in your essay because it’ll increase your chances of getting accepted. </p>

5

<p>Done. Thanks for the help. I’ll also look into Pepp and LMU. Thanks again.</p>

6

<p>Check out this link for required courses at USC. I personally found it too difficult to meet the requirements for both UCs and USC in a short time, so I opted to focus on UCs. These aren’t necessarily prereqs, but you will have to take them at some point.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/docs/TransferingPlanningWorksheet2014.pdf”>http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/docs/TransferingPlanningWorksheet2014.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

7

<p><a href=“USC:Transfer Planning Guide”>USC:Transfer Planning Guide;

<p><a href=“USC-Articulation Agreement”>Error;

<p>You can use those two links to see the courses that transfer over. </p>

8

<p>I forgot. Pitzer’s New Resources program is another option I would recommend you look into. </p>

9

<p>All over it, thanks so much guys, this is plenty to research. Thanks!</p>