trasnfer to usc as sophomore

any tips on how to better my chance of transferring to usc? im currently a freshman at a 4-year university, and i really want to begin my education at usc my sophomore year. usc has always been my dream place. however, my high school grades were terrible so i know that can effect a lot of things ):
any advice will help me, truly. ty.

What’s wrong with the school you’re at?

If you are applying to transfer as a sophomore and since you would not quite have a year of college grades completed, USC admissions will want to look at your high school grades, records and SAT/ACT scores. To have some chance in getting accepted, you should achieve a near 4.0 GPA in your freshman year, especially since you did not perform well in high school. Even a 4.0 is no guarantee. Your chances would increase if you apply as a junior and maintain at least around a 3.7 GPA.

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well, the current university i attend does not have many resources & courses that support my focus - barely actually.

@christinayaki As mentioned, if applying with under 30 units (which you will be at time you apply), your high school records are in play, particularly your test scores. USC is super competitive, but I get that you feel the school you are at may not be the best for you. Are there any other school’s that interest you in terms of tranferring? USC or bust is a risky plan, perhaps spend a little time researching other schools that may appeal to you…what is your academic interest area? Are you wanting a certain part of the country? Size of school? We may be able to suggest schools that have something you like/be a good fit in addition to USC.

my focus is on health and human sciences, and i’m truly interested in schools within california. i’d also like schools with a comfortable social setting. my current university is very small with no social scenes at all /:

@christinayaki My best friend’s D transferred from big east coast public (great school but she felt like a fish out of water in east coast/southern school setting having come from CA) to LMU for health and human sciences and she just passed her tests for certification to become a Physician’s Assistant. What a grind that was! But she really got what she needed from LMU - the right cirriculum and contacts for the experience she needed to get to get into PA school, etc. So while it doesn’t have all the pizzaz of a USC, and may be too small for your liking, the location is great and it may be worth looking into? Not sure if you are looking private v. public and what your budget is, but a couple other socal privates are Chapman, USD. USC is a rare bird in being a large private, there aren’t that many of those actually.

You may want to stay in the 4 year college world throughout, but there’s also the entire UC system, not sure if you are willing to move to a JC route for a year to then move to one of those as a junior…I am not as familiar with their transfer process, but I know some/most only take junior transfers (not sophomores). And remember, if you do that, even transfer app deadline is Nov. 30 for the next fall - super early compared to other deadlines!

You may want to start a thread in the College Search and Selection forum to get more varied responses and input, we are glad to help in terms of USC over here, but others in the other forum may have some good ideas too. They redesigned this site and it can be challenging to move around in it nowadays, but this might be a good place to go. Those that post on here tend to have experience and are sincerely interested in helping (versus the snarky and judgemental internet types, ha). Good luck, always glad to help with anything USC!

http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/