Do you have to be in dornsife? Could I apply if my major is in Viterbi?
Yup, TO is open to everyone.
All schools but fall admits only.
All schools and very competitive to get in. Wonderful program though.
On the other hand, TO is kind of obsolete so you’re fine if you don’t participate. Decades ago it was formed to provide top entering students a reason to be at USC. Now, however, most of the freshmen are top students, so it’s outlived its original purpose. What’s more important is that you take courses that will help you in your major and/or grad school.
My son love TO. We were afraid that the BFA Acting would be a bit light on traditional Academics and that TO would help round out his studies and encourage him to keep up with his writing. For him, it has been a nice addition to the required courses in his major.
Thematic Option is absolutely not obsolete. It is an excellent way to get general education requirements in smaller classes with great professors and the best of the best students and often have special outings and events. Courses are topically themed. As a member of TO students also have TO advisors that get to know them well and will assist with all phases of their education- not just for TO classes.
Do you have to have a 4.0 UW to get in? How many people apply?
Not sure how many apply, but your acceptance (or not) is totally, 100% based on the TO essay! Or at least this is how it was explained to me last year. They said they don’t even see your application. Only TO essay.
It’s interesting. While it is true that USC’s incoming class is stellar, that doesn’t mean that when this group of 18 year olds hits college, they will all be equally inclined to love every req’d GE classes. Some will. But some are more excited to finally get to focus on their specialty/major, whether that’s Theatre, Physics, Engineering, Marketing, Filmmaking, Math… and on. In truth, lots of smart and driven undergrads are less invested in digging deeply into humanities or arts or sciences than they are about preparing for careers, doing well in their majors for future grad school apps, making great friends for life, participating in internships, or just getting to know LA nightlife. Not everyone wants the burden of extra reading, highly invested classmates, and top professors who expect each class member to get engaged in classroom discussions. For such students, the regular track of GEs offers many more options in course topics, a mix of great professors (and good ones mixed in), a less time-demanding workload than TO, and simply less pressure in their GEs. It doesn’t mean this cohort isn’t equally smart, it’s just an honestly different fit for students with other priorities. OTOH, for those who like to participate in class discussions, keep up on their reading assignments, get coached by top brain-power professors and have a much more intimate, LAC -style connection to their classmates, TO is a superb center for such students. Neither one is better, but the intensity and general feeling in the classroom is distinctly different. A strong student who does her/his work and meets with the professor will thrive equally well in TO or GE–neither gives an advantage towards gpa. But for kids who do better with a challenging curriculum and peers, TO is amazing. For kids who like to balance their workload with other important priorities, GE may be less intense.
Yes, @madbean . I just asked my son and his roommate about this when visiting. His roommate is a CS major. He chose not to apply to TO. He said that while his Core lectures may be large, the professors are good and they break into MUCH smaller classes for discussion…maybe 15-25 students. Two different kids, both enjoying their USC experience.
Agreed, most of us thought it was overrated back in the 80s (a few left the program) and I’d like to think USC had evolved to the point of gutting it altogether. But like any bureaucracy, TO will survive because of faculty resistance. The best of the best generally avoid it because they are very iconoclastic and independent, and like I, found it too insular and restrictive, and full of the same students. My GE classes afforded the same close interaction with professors and the cream always rises to the top. Ironically some of my major profs were also TO profs. The TO advisers were no better than major advisers, and in fact, you can find any grad student willing to act as a mentor if you search. In short, USC offers a wide variety of academic disciplines and the important thing is to make sure your classes, from GE upward, are practical enough to prepare you for grad or professional school. For example, you might be better served taking calculus, philosophy and history than symbols, values, and concepts as GE courses.