@dmdwelle hey! Could you tell me about the transition to USC Marshall: the difficulty of classes and meeting people? Also do you know if USC marshall sends spring grade requests for calculus 2 if you have completed calc 1 in accordance to the articulation guide? Thanks for taking the time to answer questions!!
@dmdwelle do you think taking all the GEs and Pre Reqs give you a competitive edge if you have the avg GPA like a 3.7? I took like 4 classes i didn’t need at CSULB, all in hopes to be more competitive. At the end of this semester ill be done with all the courses recommended in the articulation agreement. I hope its worth it.
Thanks , I really hope i get into Marshall!
@juniorwhooper101 Hi! At community college I was almost a straight A student; in my first semester at 'SC, I took the following courses:
BUAD 305: Abridged Core Concepts of Accounting (A)
WRIT 340: Advanced Writing for Business (A)
ECON 351: Microeconomics for Business (A-)
SOCI 210: Science, Technology & Social Conflict (B+)
Some people will tell you differently, but I honestly didn’t feel that the coursework differed significantly from community college in terms of difficulty. The main difference is that you will likely be doing more group projects/presentations as Marshall wants its graduates to be effective collaborators. Another thing is that, compared to community college, there are TONS of opportunities for involvement on campus (workshops, receptions, info sessions, community service, sporting events, concerts, clubs, etc.) that may leave you feeling a bit crunched for time.
As far as meeting people, this can be tough for transfers - particularly if you’ll be commuting. But, it’s not that hard if you’re willing to work at it a bit. You just have let your guard down, smile, and introduce yourself to your classmates. Be friendly. Exchange numbers. Everyone will be feeling exactly the way you do, so don’t worry about trying to be cool. As I mentioned before, there are myriad clubs for almost anything you can imagine… http://sait.usc.edu/stuorgs/ for more info. Or, if you’re interested in Greek life, there will be opportunities to pledge frats and sororities which can help your social outlook.
Regarding calculus, you will almost certainly receive a SGR from Marshall if you this requirement is currently in progress (sorry!). But don’t despair, I was taking calc 2 during my final semester at CC, received a SGR, earned a B in the class, and still was admitted (I was REALLY sweating when I got that B!).
@dmdwelle Hi! So I applied to Dornsife as a sophomore with a major in political science. I used the transfer planning guide, and have 4.0 GPA. I might get a B in political science 1 this semester, which will bring my GPA down to a 3.9. I didn’t do too well in high school, and had a 3.3-3.4 GPA. I also didn’t do well on the ACT. What do you think my chances are? How strongly do you think my high school performance will affect their decision?
@jucery13 I’m not sure about whether or not it will make you more competitive or not. The admissions folks say that completing more GE’s demonstrates commitment to USC. However, I know a LOT of people (myself included) that transferred in with little or no GE’s completed.
I will say this: transferring in with the maximum possible GE’s will serve you very well, financially speaking. If you don’t transfer in any of the GE’s then your time to degree completion is basically extended for an extra semester, which translates roughly to another $30K in tuition-related costs. And if you were thinking that you could just take those courses at your old community college in the summers after you come to 'SC, bad news: most courses will not be accepted in transfer once you matriculate.
I hope you get in, too!
@MichelleSafarian If you are transferring in with 30 or more units under your belt, they probably won’t care about what you did in high school at all.
My partner applied to 'SC as a Poli Sci major last year… his transfer GPA was 2.7 and he was accepted outright! No SGR or anything. So, your 3.9 will be just fine. Grades aren’t everything.
@dmdwelle I regonize you from last year’s thread!
@dmdwelle Thank you! That was very informative! :)>- . I just have one more question regarding the Calculus II class. I understand that USC will send out SGRs for major prerequisites that are in progress, however, I have already fulfilled the Calculus requirement with Calc I as I am on the semester system and Calc I at my cc is equivalent to USC’s Math 125. However, would USC want to see my grade for Calc II even though I have completed all the major prerequisites?
Also, how is BUAD 305? Is that class doable for someone lacking accounting knowledge?
@dmdwelle wow your partner got in with a 2.7? I’m assuming he must be a great writer, or he had some amazing ECs either way thats impressive!!! I have another question. How does it work if you applied for two different schools, I applied for Business (Marshall)as my first, and Psych (Dornslife) as my second. Do i find out in order? or how does that work?
@juniorwhooper101 I see. For my CC, the second semester of calculus was equivalent to MATH 118 at USC, so I assumed…
Anyway, if you’ve already met the math requirement, they will treat your current calc course as if it were any other elective. I doubt they will need to see that grade, unless perhaps you received a questionable grade in your first calculus course. I’m only speculating, of course.
@jucery13 Yeah, we were pretty surprised! He ended up choosing UCI instead though for financial reasons (at least it wasn’t UCLA!!).
If you applied to two different schools at USC, they route your application to the preferred school and they’ll make a decision. If yes, you’re admitted to that school and that’s it. If the first school says no, they send your app over to the second choice school and then they make a decision. You won’t receive two decisions.
@juniorwhooper101 BUAD 305 was easy for me because I had a lot of work experience as a bookkeeper. Others found the course to be a bit more challenging than I did, but I still think it’s very doable.
The thing is, BUAD 305 is essentially a substitute for BUAD 280 & 281, for students that have already completed two semesters of financial accounting in transfer. If you have not taken any previous accounting coursework, you will take BUAD 280 & 281 instead of BUAD 305.
@dmdwelle do you know how hard it is for students to transfer from Dornsife to Annenberg? Was just thinking in case I change my mind about my major…
@dmdwelle Hi! i have spent the last couple days browsing through last years thread and i recognize you! and in last years thread i remember reading about how some applicants who applied to Marshall got rejected from Marshall but were accepted as undecided which i am assuming is what they put for second choice major. I applied to Marshall and put undecided as my second choice. Since Marshall is super competitive and my GPA is around 3.6 or 3.7 my chances for Marshall may not be so great so do you think i could still have a chance in getting in as an undecided ?
@theneoarcadian I don’t know a lot about Annenberg, but if you’d like I would be happy to get you in touch with a friend who studies there. DM me with your contact info if you’re interested. (The best part of being a Trojan is getting connected with the Trojan Family!)
@ForeverGymnast21 I wish I could tell you something definitive, but I don’t know much about Undecided majors, since most of the people I talk to are already in Marshall or Leventhal. But with a 3.6 or higher you are already competitive for Marshall! As I’ve said, USC cares about more than perfect academic performance. I’ve heard of several people getting into their first choice major with GPA’s in the 2’s.
@dmdwelle I think I remember you too. Weren’t you always reminding us to post our stats in the decisions thread? 
@zettasyntax ALWAYS POST YOUR STATS in the decisions thread!!! Hahahaha 
@dmdwelle Hey, I have a question.
I applied as Policy Planning and Development as my first major. How would I look to the school if I have a bunch of units in science like organic chemistry and multivariable calculus as some of my highest completed courses? These classes have obviously brought by GPA down way below the average; I am at a 3.1 transfer GPA for USC but I plan on brining it up to a 3.4-3.5 by the end of next fall. Anyway, do you think they will disregard my science coursework when making a decision? PPD has, like, no science requirements whatsoever and the classes they asked me to complete, along with the other GE’s are classes I’ve gotten all A’s in. I hope they will look at my application and see that I can obviously handle the curriculum if I took advanced science courses, despite what my “low” GPA appears to be.
Thanks for your input!
@dmdwelle Do you know of anyone that did not receive a SGR/WGR yet still had core classes in progress? I just finished my last Calculus course last quarter and for some reason I still haven’t received a WGR. I’m thinking about sending my transcript w/ the updated grades to USC anyway - is this recommended?
Thank you for all your help!