The Trojan Transfer Plan

@Adzilno Does it cost money to apply to the abroad schools? Or is it just a form that we fill out since its part of TTP?

@AnArcticMonkey Yea, I’m considering AUP and Richmond mostly, but honestly idk how to go about weighing the pros and cons of each school.

Does anyone know if the June meeting with admissions must be in person or can be via Skype or face time?

They only had in person a year ago, but maybe they have other options now - I would call and ask.

@AnArticMonkey
Hi: Yes, my son had that “ties to the Trojan Family” sentence. Both my husband and I are USC alumni and our daughter is part of Class of 2014 (she applied to USC kicking and screaming and did it as a “favor” to me). It has always been my son’s dream to attend USC; he even wanted to be a part of the Trojan Marching Band.

My father-in-law was a USC professor and chairman of an academic department for 30 years. He even donated money when the tennis stadium was being built.

My son was also offered that Trojan Transfer Plan as well. He was actually insulted at that; if he wasn’t good enough to be admitted, what makes them think he will be good enough to transfer?

Being the diehard Trojans that we are, my husband and I were thinking of having him appeal the rejection. At that point, he said he didn’t want to go to a school that didn’t want him. So, he has decided to attend Pepperdine, which offered him a scholarship! I think Pepperdine is a better fit for him, and he’s really excited about studying in Malibu.

I hope this helps. I guess USC just wasn’t meant to be, and my son is making the best of this.

Good luck with whichever school you wind up at.

I will call them next week @CADREAMIN - thought I would give them a chance to breathe! He did an interview with Admissions last fall, so I hope they will consider that along with the fact that we live on the other side of the country.

@scfamily I can see why the decision would leave you and your son cold. Those are certainly some strong ties to USC. Best of luck to your son at Pepperdine! Wonderful school/beautiful campus. I think my son will be happy elsewhere as well, but I feel like we should leave the transfer option open just in case the other school isn’t a good fit.

Our son was offered the TTP apparently (I didn’t get to see it because he was so ticked off by the rejection letter that he burned it in the backyard without letting me see it). My husband is an alum & was miffed as well, but since we don’t endow scholarships or name buildings at USC, we figured our measly $100/year doesn’t count for anything. Son was offered guaranteed transfer option at Cornell, however, which is far less rigorous & guaranteed, so he may do that rather than put himself up for another potential rejection at USC. Plus, USC seems to require at 3.7 GPA (which is really hard to do at the top school he is considering) vs Cornell’s 3.0. The GE classes can be tough for students who don’t have any interest in them (bio, calc., writing). Good luck to all who go down the TTP path!

@jmek15 Leaving it open as a backup plan can be a good idea. They change and grow so much the next 12 months and it will be clear if you need the option or not. You can see it all the way through and not decide till after freshman year (they admit TTP in mid-late April). After " the meeting" this summer, he doesn’t have to do anything until the application opens in December (due Feb 1st) and it is so much easier the second time - no recommendations and they don’t care much about ECs. GPA and the right classes rule. I think the important thing is he goes and commits to his new school - Plan A - and doesn’t feel mentally held hostage by USC, but rather knows it is simply a plan B option. Feel free to PM me if you have an questions!

Going to commit to AUP this week. Anyone else committing soon?

anyone else get an email regarding the TTP? I got one yesterday

And is it okay to attend UCSB for my first year, under the TTP, and then hopefully try and transfer to USC next year??

@kingshahhh Absolutely.

@KingShahhh this is what USC wrote in their email:
We do not recommend you promise to attend a four-year institution while also intending to transfer away. Your success in higher education depends on your level of engagement, so if you do not intend to stay at the institution you choose, you should enroll in the extension program, or another visiting-student status.

That is verbiage they put out there because USC doesn’t want to be perceived as jacking other students from fellow four year institutions, you can attend where you want to attend. They also know if you go to a four year you are less likely to transfer as some TTP students go to their 4 year, like it, and stay. So you will hear you should go to a CC, but it really doesn’t matter. Where you go is your decision and does not influence getting in. You do not have to give up that traditional freshman experience at a four year school to do TTP, and without a formal guarantee, why would you? They apparently have accepted every TTP applicant that hit gpa and course requirements, but it is not a guaranteed transfer like some schools offer. While a lot of “regular” transfers come from CC, many TTP students come in from 4 years.

@AnArcticMonkey Did your application decision for AUP already come out? I filled out the form for TTP students but I have not received a response yet.

Also, there is a new FB group page for students who are considering TTP (also includes spring admits) called “USC Spring Admits / Trojan Transfers Class of 2021”.

@kettlecorn14 yeah I got my decision confirmation on the 31st. They instruct you to pay the enrollment fee a week after receiving the decision.

@kettlecorn14 you should probably give it a few days, I’m sure they will send you the confirmation soon.

My daughter received the TTP and is thinking about AUP. Does anyone know from last year, for example, the percentage of students who successfully transferred into USC? I’m concerned that the GPA may be challenging to attain given it being freshman year, studying in a foreign country, etc. What happens if you don’t make the grades and get accepted? Are you back at home for your sophomore year looking at community college?

I totally get the concern about it not being a guarantee and the worry of an issue that prevents a good enough gpa. It’s a big decision! Below is a post I wrote last year and I suggest you go through the 2016 thread, you may also find people there you can PM that have gone through it.

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/1874398-trojan-transfer-plan-for-the-class-of-2020-p1.html

Here is an excerpt from post #50 in that thread:

My understanding is that those that study abroad as freshman have more of a guaranteed path back to USC, they call it a direct pathway back to USC as a sophomore - so there are better articulation agreements in place with those schools (like Paris below).

https://www.aup.edu/admissions/undergraduate/university-of-southern-california-freshman

On the Rome page, it says exactly what you mention:
“Earn a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.30 in USC-transferable courses, with no individual grade below C (2.0). You might notice that the Trojan Transfer Plan typically requires a 3.6 GPA or higher; USC recognizes the challenges faced by students who choose to study overseas for their freshman year and so has lowered the traditional GPA requirement.”

http://www.johncabot.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/university-of-southern-california-freshman.aspx

Another comment made on the site:
“Is this a guarantee of admission to USC? This is a path to admission - not a guarantee of acceptance. USC typically finds a space for each student who submits a suitable application, avoids misconduct, and meets the conditions specified above.”