Wait, What Do You Mean I’m Admitted to Spring? Helpful Advice from USC Spring Admits
This coming year, USC is excited to welcome between 500 to 600 freshman students to campus in January as spring admits. Rather than instituting a waitlist that students may never get off, USC provides a guaranteed offer of admission to a small segment of our applicant pool for the spring semester each year so that we can admit even more students that we think will be a great fit on our campus. You can learn more about the different options students undertake during their fall semester at our website. In this blog, we want to introduce you to a few of our spring admission ambassadors who will share their experiences, along with some great advice as to how they made the most of their spring admission!
Lindsay Luchinsky is a sophomore from Kansas City, KS. She is currently majoring in Environmental Studies and plans to pursue a progressive degree in Public Policy (MPP). During her fall semester, she attended her local community college and interned for a congressional campaign.
Chevy Peschl is a junior from Carson, WA who is on track to graduate in December 2019 with a degree in Human Biology. During her fall semester, she enrolled at one of USC’s European partner schools, Franklin University in Lugano, Switzerland.
What was your initial reaction to receiving your spring admission letter?
LINDSAY: I was so excited – USC was my first choice university, so I was relieved to get in. The confusion and questions about my spring admission were my next reaction. I was worried about making friends and feeling a bit left behind by staying home while my high school friends went off to school. However, after talking things over with my parents (and exchanging many emails with Jessica Nielsen, Director of Student Development Programs), I realized this opportunity was a blessing in disguise.
CHEVY: When I first received my letter, my mom brought it to me where I worked. I opened it and did not even read that it said spring 2017 as my admission date. Once I found out, which was probably a day or two later, I was confused as to what that meant.
What did you do during your fall semester prior to entering USC and how did you make this decision?
LINDSAY: During the fall semester, I stayed in Kansas City. I worked as the intern coordinator and a finance deputy on the political campaign Tom Niermann for Congress (3rd district of Kansas). I had interned for the campaign during the summer after my graduation and was offered the job in August. I also took four classes at my local community college. Three of these classes transferred to USC, which I was very excited about considering that there was no previous articulation agreement between the community college and USC (meaning no one had transferred credits from the community college to USC before).
CHEVY: I attended Franklin University in Switzerland in the fall semester before attending USC. My original plan was to move to Los Angeles and live in University Gateway in order to be close with students and get accustomed to the city. After more consideration, I decided I would not enjoy attending community college in Los Angeles as I had already done two years at a community college before graduating high school. I have always known I would study abroad during my college years, so I decided to take advantage of that option. I messaged some friends I had met at spring explore and some told me they had decided to go to Switzerland, so I was excited.
Has being a spring admit had an impact on your experience at USC?
LINDSAY: In terms of my experience at USC, it’s not like you come here in the spring with a giant, red “SPRING ADMIT” label on your forehead! The first month or two was awkward, as it is for any college student, but I was still able to meet people and feel included in campus social life. Further, after gaining some independence during my fall semester at home, I was not nearly as afraid to put myself out there and try new clubs or introduce myself to people in my classes.
CHEVY: I made my very best friend through being a spring admit. I met her in Switzerland and I could not imagine not meeting her! I had the opportunity to study abroad, which may have been challenging given my major here at USC.
Were there any benefits to being a spring admit rather than a fall admit?
LINDSAY: For one, it solidified my fascination with politics/public policy. I also believe that the experience of working and going to school without all of my high school friends still in Kansas City pushed me to become more independent. I was forced to mature quite a bit during this time. The fall semester pushed me to be more of a self-starter, in that it was up to me to build the experience and mold it to what was best for me.
CHEVY: A great thing about being a spring admit is that it makes your experience different from the majority of fall admits. It gives you an opportunity that other students did not have the choice to do.
Any advice for students considering a spring admission decision?
LINDSAY: I received the following advice from my college counselor regarding the fall semester before USC: “when else will you ever have 3-4 months to do whatever it is that you want to do?” Make the most of this experience, and try to see it as a “gap semester.” This is an opportunity to go abroad, to knock out GEs, or to work in the field you may think about going into.
CHEVY: My advice for spring admits is to look at the decision as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. It is a great way to take a break between high school and college and an opportunity to grow tremendously. Looking back, I realize I learned more about myself while I was in Switzerland for those four months than I would have without them.