Student Perspectives: Five Tips for Applying as a Transfer
Hi! My name is Heejae Sofia, and I’m double majoring in Theatre and Public Relations and Advertising. I was a transfer student for Fall 2023. I came in as a Theatre major but USC also gave me the opportunity to double major within the School of Annenberg for Communications.
Now that I’m a USC student, I love being part of the Admission Center (I am a tour guide!), the Women’s Ice Hockey Team (we compete in Las Vegas this Spring!), the Transfer Student Assembly (I meet other transfer students and attend professional workshops), the Concert Committee (we help organize free concerts for USC students; this Springfest, Don Toliver is headlining!), Trojan Catholics (I attend Sunday mass with my friends), and more!
Applying to universities can be challenging and confusing. As a first-generation immigrant student, trust me, I understand. When navigating the transfer process, here are 5 things I did to keep track of college applications:
Tip 1: Research. Research. Research.
As a transfer student, you probably have a program/major you might be leaning towards. Research the program you are interested in! I had a chance to visit the School of Dramatic Arts and learn more about what resources the program in acting offers and I fell in love with USC SDA. This might sound simple, but visit the campus if you are able to. You can sometimes observe classes and get a sense of student life, to see if you can imagine yourself there. Yes, academic resources and professional or activities opportunities are important, but so are your preferences when it comes to weather, location and transportation. The worst thing that could happen is if you hate the winter and you end up at a university where it’s freezing and snowing 4 months of the year. My friend Maya only applied to schools in Southern California for that guaranteed sunshine. If you can’t make it in person, most universities have information sessions online. USC also has specific academic sessions available both in-person and online. Find more information here.
Tip 2: Use All the Resources.
After you find ideally 5 to 8 schools that you can imagine yourself happy attending, it’s time to look into transfer credits. As a transfer student, depending on the universities and programs to which you are applying, schools might not accept some of the classes you took due to differences in requirements, number of units or classes allowed to transfer, etc. So, if you already have your heart set on a specific university and their major, you want to review online resources and start reaching out to their undergraduate admission counselors early on, preferably a year or so before. This also helps if the program requires or recommends that you take certain courses before applying. If you’re applying to USC, start with the Transferring to USC brochure and compare courses with your current institution’s Articulation Agreement (transfer agreement) or Articulation History (list of courses that have previously transferred). If you have specific questions after reviewing these materials, USC has assigned an undergraduate admission counselor assigned to every school in the world who can help make sure that you are on the right track. You can find your admission counselor here.
Tip 3: Make a Spreadsheet
As the deadline for transfer application approaches, you might panic and feel overwhelmed with all the information to keep track of. It’s probably a good idea to keep organized. My advice: a spreadsheet. Create a spreadsheet with all application due dates, letters of recommendation, supplemental application materials (for example, applying for theatre majors, I had to audition.) Each major may have different requirements depending on the program.
My format was:
University; Major Name; Counselor contact info; link to Personal Statements; audition dates/requirements; Letter of Recommendation contacts; Financial Application Due Date; Application Due Date. Cater this towards your needs. Embed links like the Common App website on university names so everything in that spreadsheet is at your fingertips.
Tip 4: Reuse, Recycle and READ OUT LOUD
Writing personal statements can be hard, but you don’t need to write different personal anecdotes for each school when you are sharing your story. When I was writing my USC personal statements, I reworked some of the things I had written for UCs and other private universities. I just geared by existing personal statements towards why I wanted to attend USC, highlighting how USC connects to my academic/artistic goals. I read what I had written out loud to my friends, family and even some of my professors to make sure that they sounded like me and NOT like academic writing. Personal statements bring out your personality; they show a side to you aside from your GPA. You may have had one pivotal moment when you discovered your passion and talent. You have a unique story, so show it to the university.
Tip 5: Relax!
After you click that “submit” button, now it’s your time to relax. I remember after I submitted my application to 8 different universities, I was so tense waiting to hear back from USC for MONTHS. I wish someone had told me: Go to the beach and watch the sunset. Make a breakfast burrito. Get matcha with your friends. Binge watch your favorite TV shows. (Some of the shows I recommend are Arrested Development, Grace and Frankie, and Santa Clarita Diet.) You deserve it! I promise you that you will end up where you’re meant to be. And, as always, Fight On!