First-Year Students
Dates and Deadlines
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Application Deadline: November 1
Early Action (EA) is non-binding, non-restrictive, and is not available for majors requiring a portfolio or audition.
Students must apply EA in order to be considered for USC Merit Scholarships, unless their intended major does not participate in Early Action.
Students applying to majors requiring a portfolio or audition will be considered for USC Merit Scholarships as part of the Regular Decision process (see below).
Applicants selecting Early Action will be notified of their admission or option to defer to Regular Decision in mid- to late January.
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Application Deadline: November 1
Students who are sure that USC Marshall is their first choice, and are prepared to make a commitment to attend, can apply Early Decision (ED) to USC Marshall. Please note that the World Bachelor in Business major is not open to applicants applying ED.
In addition to submitting the items on the Application Checklist, students must also submit an ED agreement.
Early Decision is binding. Students may not apply ED to any other college or university and, if admitted, must enroll at Marshall and withdraw any outstanding applications to other schools.
ED applicants will be considered for USC Merit Scholarships.
ED applicants will be informed of their admission decision or option to defer to Regular Decision by December 15.
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Application Deadline: December 1
Students applying to majors that require a portfolio or audition must apply Regular Decision by the December 1 deadline. Candidates applying to these programs by December 1 will be considered for USC Merit Scholarships.
This is the final deadline for students applying to majors in the following schools:
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
World Bachelor in Business (Marshall School of Business)See Additional Major Requirements for information about additional application materials for these programs.
Regular Decision applicants will be notified of a decision by April 1.
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Application Deadline: January 10
Final first-year deadline for majors not requiring a portfolio or audition.
Regular Decision applicants will be notified of a decision by April 1.
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Early Decision Deadline: November 1
Early Application Deadline: December 15
Regular Decision Deadline: February 1Applicants who want to be considered for need-based financial aid must submit the FAFSA* and CSS Profile applications by the appropriate deadline.
*Undocumented or DACA students should submit their 2024 tax return and third-party letter confirming undocumented status instead of the FAFSA.
Cal Grant Application Deadline: March 2, 2025
California residents should apply for Cal Grants by this date.Visit our Financial Aid page for more information. To check on the status of your financial aid application, visit the FAST page in your applicant portal.
Deadline FAQs
Visit our Deadline FAQs for answers to commonly asked questions.
Extensions for application deadlines are considered on a case-by-case basis. Students who are unable to meet the published deadlines should contact their admission counselor to request an extension.
Application Checklist
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1
Submit the Common Application.
If the application fee poses a financial burden, you may request a fee waiver through the “Profile” section of the Common Application.
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For students who submit test scores, USC records the highest scores from tests taken more than once. The highest scores for each section of the SAT and ACT exams will be recorded, even if achieved in different sittings. USC does not require the Writing section for either the ACT or the SAT. Find answers to any questions you may have about how our test-optional policy will affect your application.
Our SAT school code is 4852.
Our ACT school code is 0470. -
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First-year applicants should submit official transcripts of all high school and college coursework completed.
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One letter is required from either your school counselor or a teacher from your school. Some programs may require additional letters of recommendation. Refer to the Additional Application Requirements section below for more information.
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Provide a portfolio, a résumé and/or additional writing samples, if required by your intended major. Performance majors may also require auditions. Refer to the Additional Application Requirements section below for more information.
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Use the “Mid-Year Report” form included in the Common Application or visit your applicant portal to submit your fall grades.
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Affirmations will be available in the portal after we receive your application. Your digital signature may be submitted after the application deadline.
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International applicants are required to submit the “Financial Statement of Personal or Family Support” and, if applicable, English proficiency exam scores at the time of application.
Please refer to the International Students page for additional information.
The USC Office of Admission reserves the right to make admission decisions with unofficial documents and may collect official documents post-admission or enrollment.
Additional Application Requirements
If you are applying to a major in any of the schools listed below, it is your responsibility to complete your application by the appropriate deadline. Unless otherwise noted, all deadlines are the same as those listed in the Dates and Deadlines section. Be sure to obtain any required supplementary forms and to fulfill all departmental requirements.
Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Roski School of Art and Design
Iovine and Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation
Home-Schooled Students
Home-schooled applicants must also submit answers to the home-school questions on the “Common Application Secondary School Report.” Be sure to include information about your home-schooling philosophy, curricular choices and textbooks used. Although the application process for the 2025-2026 academic year is test-optional, we still find it helpful to have work from home-schooled students that is externally graded or examined. Therefore, we recommend submitting either SAT/ACT results, SAT Subject exam results, AP exam results, or transcripts from college courses or other accredited online schooling programs, if possible.
Interviews
USC does not conduct admission interviews. However, prospective students are welcome to contact their USC admission counselor with any questions about the admission process. To learn more, please visit our Find Your Counselor page.
International students interested in providing additional evidence of English- language ability should visit our Additional Requirements page for more information.
Undocumented and DACA Students
Information for undocumented and DACA students can be found on our Immigration & DACA Status page.