The Trojan Transfer Plan

@usccalitrojan will they still accept you if you have D’s in your high school senior year?

I don’t believe they will. You had to be offered the TTP because you were borderlined with so many applicants, the USC admissions liked you, and there were just not enough spaces for many of the 50K+ applicants. If you had been offered the TTP before finding out about the “D”, you should discuss it with the admission office.

Bumping for current TTP students to go through…

Bumping for this year’s Trojan Transfer Plan applicants - good luck!

This is a rehash and a bit of an update of the first post of this thread. While it describes the TTP process, it is also a prompt for those applying as TTP applicants to ask any questions they may have as they await decisions in March-April. Then it can roll into March again…

For those who got TTP in their denial letter last March, you may be applying now. Good luck!

What is TTP?
Some students were “denied” last year but encouraged to apply now as a transfer. These are not borderline applicants, these are students they want - some are 4.6 kids with the 34 ACT, or super creative types that they just don’t have room for, some are legacy, some are not, some applied to a major that just had too many great applicants. They have a very good chance of being accepted as a sophomore transfer if they have a good gpa, and took the right classes. For those not familiar with TTP - some are offered the TTP in their rejection letter - it is not offered to everyone, nor can it be requested. They can attend a CC, a state school or any 4 year university for that first year. They can do study abroad through universities that USC partners with. They have more articulation agreements (a list of courses that are acceptable at USC from another school) available from CC and state schools, but it is completely acceptable to come from a 4 year, and there are some articulation agreements on those as well. Obviously some may attend a 4 year and decide to stay, and say heck with the TTP. Those that still want to go to USC apply as a transfer applicant before February 1st during freshman year (back to the common app again, weeeee). So here we are again on Feb 1st.

How does this differ from a regular transfer applicant?
The difference - you are given the opportunity to meet with a USC advisor in June or July BEFORE freshman year to make sure you understand what is best for you to take during that first year at your other college - what looks best to increase your transfer chances. They do not go over specific courses at your college, but just an idea what fits into their GEs, and what is good to get over with and bring to USC. They do not offer this consult to “regular” transfer applicants. It may be a way for them to meet you as well, but it is more to go over stuff with you. The power hungry admissions advisory may remind you over and over it is not guaranteed when you meet with them in June. That blows, not very re-assuring. A nice secure advisor will tell you there is a super good chance. This will likely impact your response and they need to realize that. Apparently, if you meet a 3.7-3.8 recommended gpa first year and get the credits you need (30), you are almost guaranteed a spot. (There is a little leeway with gpa for engineering.) Note almost, they need to say guaranteed, but they just won’t ugh. It means you have a little edge over those applying as a transfer without TTP, but nothing is ever guaranteed in college admissions till you get your packet!

What do I do after getting offered TTP?
You plan on attending another school first. Then you can pursue the TTP by expressing interest and signing up for meeting in summer. Then go to your other school. If it is a CC (2 year), you can work really hard to make the transfer happen. If it is a big 4 year school, I would embrace it, commit to it, and give it a chance. If you don’t love it after first semester, you can apply by February 1st for the transfer as a TTP applicant. If you have adjusted, love your new school and forgot about USC - then just don’t apply. It’s that simple.

Hmmmmmmmmmm…
Personal thoughts - for those that are 100% committed to graduate from USC it can work out and let you still have your dream, and even save a good amount of money (if you go to a cc for a year for example). For others, it’s not a bad back up plan - you can go to another school and if you don’t like it, go for this. For others, you can turn it into a hostage acceptance and you hang in limbo for a year while trying to meld with your other school and don’t because you still dream of USC. How you treat it is up to you. I would strongly think about whether you really want to change plans or give up another great 4 year college and the freshman experience you could have on a maybe from USC. It doesn’t matter if you are coming from a 2 or 4 year. So don’t feel like you have to attend a cc or state school, or something other than you intend currently, thinking it this will make USC happy. It doesn’t matter. GPA and the correct credits do.

@CADREAMIN just to be sure, we didn’t have to indicate anywhere on the app that we were ttp, we just applied regularly right?

No you don’t, it is all part of your file, they know. Good luck!

@CADREAMIN - thank you for the detailed notes. Just wanted to make sure, they can go to any college (including CCs) and apply within a year correct? They don’t have to wait to transfer in Junior year like most Transfers. Is this different from studying abroad in Rome or Paris and transferring in Sophomore year? or do they all come under Trojan Transfer Program? Greatly appreciate all your help and guidance on these forums!

TTP’s can go to any 2 or 4 year school. The rumor is that you have to go to a CC and that is not true, although it may be suggested because obviously USC doesn’t want to be seen by their peer school administration as telling someone to go, and then quit, a four year university (our advisor said that). But they do not care if you make that choice. The students that do Rome or Paris are part of TTP that choose that route because they want to, and some feel it is more certain that way. But if you are TTP, and meet with them in the summer, and you take the classes you should, then hit the gpa of 3.7 you will get accepted regardless of whether you attend the 2 or 4. The correct classes and gpa are key and they spell them out (not exactly but which categories are important) in your meeting with them. I also understand the abroad kids have more flexibility in that gpa because it obviously takes more adjusting to go abroad as a freshman.

I do understand there was a small group (around 10 maybe) that were offered a guaranteed pathway to come in sophomore year. I had never heard of it and only one poster mentioned it. With such a small group/sample size, the odds of more posting here are small, but they said it was clear it was guaranteed. This is different from TTP if it is called a guaranteed pathway.

Lots of great info on this thread. Thanks @CADREAMIN. I am reading your posts on lot of CA schools. Lots of into and advise. Thanks and appreciate it.

I have one question regarding the TTP. Hopefully, someone can answer.

What are the chances of getting merit based aid for TTP students?

@CADREAMIN Thanks for all the detailed info. I was only really aware of Spring admits. Can you tell me, are students in TTP offered places in their first choice major, or undecided? Also, do you have any idea how many applicants receive this offer?

Thanks for the kind words everyone!

Unfortunately, TTP won’t get merit aid unless they apply for separate departmental type scholarships. TTP are generally accepted into the major they applied to. Ya know, I actually have no idea of the number, but quite a few. I would guess a couple hundred - but only a guess - based on activity here and the small sample that is cc. Of course many offered TTP go on to attend other four year schools and stay there (and may have merit money from those schools that they know they won’t get at USC now). TTP can be a great for those that feel in their heart that USC is the only place they want to graduate from. Some people use it to save money and do the cc route - but then you give up that freshman year of college experience at a four year, so it certainly has trade-offs.

When do TTP decisions come out?

They could be with regular decisions this week or over the next 2-3 weeks. If you don’t get an SGR, soon if you do it can take longer than that as well. Very few TTP folks get SGRs but it can happen.

@CADREAMIN How do you know so much about USC admissions? Do you work for them?

I came home today and my son said, “There’s letter on the table…” So, I knew he was rejected from USC, his top choice. It was expected since his stats are not as great as his sibling’s were when he was admitted, but I read the letter and there was the TTP offer, which he did not see because he stopped after the rejection part. He is very happy to have that option and will probably take it. He has gotten into some good schools, but it’s nice to know that if things don’t work out there is path to USC for him.

@CADREAMIN My question is, I don’t see mention of studying overseas the first year in the letter and info sheet they sent. Do they offer that up front for some people? They just offered him a counseling appointment. Just curious if that would even be an option for him.

Yes it will be! USC Rome, London and Paris are options for TTP. Several TTP kids do that, I think it is all based on if you and the student can handle that big of an adventure for first year. When it’s first child to college it can be harder than if you have experience with them going away, all depends. But yes, abroad options are very popular. Here ya go and be sure to book the appt with advisor, the most important thing you can do is have the meeting. Pick the best classes, keep gpa at 3.7 (leeway with the kids abroad they get it is harder to adjust) and you are golden to get in as a sophomore. The meetings aren’t until June into middle of July, I think you sign up in May if I remember correctly. They have room (don’t fill up kind of thing) just want to do it at a time good for you. They are fast and frankly not always that helpful, but it is best to show the commitment.

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

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

https://www.richmond.ac.uk/study-abroad-at-richmond/trojan-transfer-plan-ttp-freshman-year-in-london-program-in-partnership-with-the-university-of-southern-california-usc/

Thanks for the links @CADREAMIN !

is anyone considering studying abroad at one of the usc partnership schools

@trojans4life How do you do that? I may consider it too.