Transfer Talk Tuesdays: Journey from a Community College
Transfer Talk Tuesdays are a series of personal blogs where current USC transfer students dive deeper into their real-life stories, perspectives, and experiences in transferring to USC. Note that each transfer application is unique and there are no guaranteed paths to transfer. For guidance on how to put together a competitive transfer application, please review our Transferring to USC brochure.
The transfer process was an immensely enlightening project that allowed me a chance to seriously consider my academic interests for the first time. Before my application to USC as a second-year transfer student, I applied to other colleges for freshman year admission, but the process was very haphazard. My mindset departed very little from the immature notion that college was a mere step towards a generalized ideal life path. While I received offers from several colleges with scholarships, my own uncertainty and doubt prevented me from ascertaining a sense of direction at any of the universities that admitted me. The year in community college where I took GE (General Education) courses and did my best to correspond my coursework with the guidelines laid out by USC gave me a needed boost of discipline, rigor, and confidence to confront the overwhelming question of, “what I want to do in college?” Going into the application process with a much-needed sensible approach, I was able to truly envision myself at USC. With USC’s research focus, I realized the institution could allow me to continue my search for the greater truths within my academic interest. In many ways, students are scared to research their colleges in fear that research would reveal truths that shatter their idealistic illusion of college; but my maturation in community college has allowed me to shake away this unfounded fear. I applied to USC not because I became enchanted by their football games or culture, but because I developed a liking to their research focus in the realm of my historical interest and their generous financial aid.
Overall, the process went without many issues. I attended a community college that had a Articulation Agreement with USC, so I was able to gain necessary counseling and advice through both in-house community college advisors and email communication my USC Admission Counselor. However, I must stress this notion that it is very much a necessity for you to do individual research on USC; there is plenty of available and accurate information on the USC website. While the act of talking and confirming with knowledgeable people is an amazing tool to fully understand whether USC is the right institution for your goals, please conduct your careful research of the school.
Written by: Tae Jin Suh, 4th year, History (transferred from El Camino College)