Next up in our series highlighting early round acceptance rates at top colleges is the University of Southern California — the oldest private research university in the western United States with an undergraduate population of around 21,000. USC, located in Los Angeles, CA, consistently ranks in the Top 25 National Universities.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: EARLY ACTION OPTION
USC began its Early Action program last year and they estimate 20-25 percent of admissions spots will be offered during this round. According to USC’s site:
Applying by the Early Action (EA) deadline enables you to plan for college earlier, should you be accepted during this round of application reviews. It also ensures that you will be considered for USC Merit Scholarships. Early Action (EA) is non-binding, non-restrictive, and is not available for majors requiring a portfolio or audition. Students choosing to apply under USC’s Early Action (EA) plan will need to submit their application materials earlier in the process but will receive an admission decision (or deferral to Regular Decision) sooner than Regular Decision applicants.
Please note that applicants to the World Bachelor in Business program must apply Early Action.
USC’s Regular Decision (RD) plan follows a more traditional timeline: If you submit your application by December 1 or January 15, depending upon major, you will receive a decision by April 1.
The following programs do not participate in Early Action: (application materials due by December 1 to be considered for admission and USC Merit Scholarships)
- Iovine and Young Academy
- Kaufman School of Dance
- Roski School of Art and Design
- School of Architecture
- School of Cinematic Arts
- School of Dramatic Arts
- Thornton School of Music
See Highlights From The Daily Trojan Article Below:
The University of Southern California admitted roughly 7.2% of early action applicants to the Class of 2028. About 41,000 students applied under USC’s combined early action and merit scholarship program.
USC’s acceptance rate for the Class of 2028 is expected to be 9.2% which would mark a new record low after last year’s admissions cycle saw the first sub-10% acceptance rate ever — 9.9%. Additionally, the combined early action and merit scholarship acceptance rate increased by 1 percentage point from last year.
Around 40,800 students applied under USC’s regular decision deadline this year. The total number of applicants bumped up by about 1.3% from last year.
The university admitted 8,032 first-year applicants for the Class of 2027, with 3,633 of the admitted students matriculating for a 45% yield rate. USC received a total of 80,808 applications last year.
USC’s transfer acceptance rate last admissions cycle was 24.4% with 2,310 of 9,488 applicants being admitted.
The university will release regular admissions decisions by April 1.
TTA Takeaway: USC began its Early Action program last year mainly due to public opinion in favor of a more formalized early option. Previously, many students missed out on the chance to qualify for merit scholarships because they were unaware of the earlier December 1 deadline. USC’s Early Action program is non-binding, and applicants are either accepted or deferred to the regular round, so there is really no risk or downside besides the more condensed timeline. Interested applicants, especially those looking to secure a merit scholarship, should ensure they have all admissions materials ready early in the fall in order to take advantage of this new opportunity at USC.
At Top Tier Admissions, we are committed to making the college admissions process more transparent. Easy access to clear data helps families understand trends in college admissions to make more informed decisions. We’re collecting early acceptance rate data at selective schools and providing insight and analysis of our own. For historical data, see our collection of Ivy League and Top College Acceptance Rates and Admissions Statistics, including the Class of 2027 Ivy League admissions data and admissions stats for a range of additional selective schools.
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