The University of Southern California is the oldest private research university in California. USC has been famous for its sports for years, but the university has much more to offer. Located in downtown Los Angeles, USC has an undergraduate population of about 21,000. Last year their acceptance rate was about 12%. USC has one of the more creative supplements that can be fun for some students and nerve-racking for others. So let’s break all the dos and don’ts down of the USC supplement.
Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests and why you want to explore them at USC specifically. Please feel free to address your first- and second-choice major selections. (Approximately 250 words)*
USC starts its supplement with a super standard question. Many colleges phrase this type of question as, “Why do you want to come here?” but USC gives you a little more focus. This essay is all about why you want to go to USC academically.
Start by choosing a major to talk about. You can also choose a second, but this essay is pretty short, and you want to use the word count to make a strong case for your first choice major. USC has a lot of really unique and specific majors, so do a little research before starting this essay.
We have a kind of formula for this type of essay. The first step is to tell a short personal story about when you realized what you want to study in college. For example, if you want to pursue the Law, History, and Culture major at USC, you could write about interning at a local law firm or taking an online History of Law course. You want to capture the moment your passion was sparked and say how that moment lead you to want to study your intended major at USC.
Once you have introduced your intended major, you want to back up your interest with specifics. These specifics should include 2 higher-level courses in the major. Look for 300 or 400-level courses, for example, 385 Literature and Justice or 441m Cultural Diversity and the Law. Explain why you are excited to take these courses.
You should also mention a professor that you would like to do research with and what drew you to their research. You can also mention any specific opportunities in the department that offers the major or at USC at large. This could be research opportunities, honors, or any other unique program offered by the school.
This essay is short, so your conclusion will most likely have to be fast. Just try to summarize your points and restate how USC is the school for you.
Starting with the beginning of high school/secondary school, if you have had a gap where you were not enrolled in school during a fall or spring term, please address this gap in your educational history. You do not need to address a summer break. 250
Most students won’t have to write this essay. However if you have taken time off school, use this to spin it as a positive. Often leaving school doesn’t feel like a positive at the time, but try to focus on how taking time off was good for you. Tell your story and give it an uplifting spin. Again, most students won’t write this essay.
Now we get into the fun part of this supplement. USC has a ton of questions with micro answers. These are questions where the answer will often be two or three words. Many of these don’t really have a wrong answer, but some answers work better than others for some. Either way, feel free to have fun with these, students often can freak out because they don’t know what they should say or why USC would want this information. We don’t think USC is using this section as a make or break, get in or not, type of thing. It's more to add some extra color. TLDR, as long as you don’t say anything crazy you should be fine, but let’s break it down.
Describe yourself in three words.
There are 2 ways to approach this. One is using three positive adjectives. For example, motivated, creative, and adventurous. Our brainstorming method for the Common App essay often involves asking family members and friends for adjectives. If you did this, you can use ones that you didn’t end up incorporating in your Common App essay or you can brainstorm new ones.
The other route you can take is a playful three-word sentence. For example, “Always making plans.” This is certainly a more fun approach, so just make sure your sentence shows you in a positive light.
What is your favorite snack?*
There is no wrong answer here. If you get stuck, however, here are some things to think about. Sometimes it helps to get specific. Instead of just Oreos, maybe double stuffed or vanilla flavored? Choosing something from your culture or something that connects to where you live is also not a bad call. Think esquites, hummus, Michigan cherries, or old bay potato chips.
Best movie of all time:*
We try to have students stay away from anything that would be on a top ten movies list. Just because they are a little overused. Not saying you can’t say the Godfather or Citizen Cane or Paddington 2, but choosing something else might say more about you. On the other hand, we would stay away from anything that feels like a meme, like Shrek 3, Minions: Rise of Gru, or Paddington 2. Think of some of your favorite movies. They probably say a lot more about you than an obvious choice or a joke.
Dream job:*
Make it related to what you said you were going to study. For example, if you are applying to their business school, say Portfolio Manager and not Supermodel. It doesn’t have to be exact. Not everyone who studies history is going to become a historian, but being a teacher, museum curator, researcher, etc. makes more sense with your plans than being a nurse.
If your life had a theme song, what would it be?*
Stay away from cliches. You can get more creative than Don’t Stop Believing or Eye of the Tiger. If Rocky could have run upstairs to it, it’s probably overplayed. Also, we can’t believe we have to say this but don’t do a wildly inappropriate song… no Thot Sh*T, no Margaritaville (we assume there aren’t a lot of 17-year-old Buffet-heads anyways.)
Dream trip:*
There really isn’t a wrong answer to this one, but if it’s freaking you out, you can always hit us up with questions.
What TV show will you binge-watch next?
Most answers are fine here. We probably wouldn’t again choose anything that has been too meme-ified. Choosing something a little unique here is a great opportunity to show off an interest you have as well.
Which well-known person or fictional character would be your ideal roommate?*
Think about what you would want in a roommate and then think of a person/character that shares some of that. Maybe you want someone tidy like Schmidt from New Girl or Marie Kondo. Maybe you want someone you could study with like Lisa Simpson or Chidi from The Good Place.
Favorite book:*
For this one, you have to stay away from anything that would be on your high school reading list. It makes it seem like you don’t read if you choose the Great Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye, or Of Mice and Men. We also suggest staying away from YA books. Think of books you have read for pleasure. You can choose a novel. Many of our favorite books are novels. We love The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, The Midnight Library, and BIGLAW. You can also choose non-fiction books. Nonfiction books usually work best if they are connected to something you are interested in. For example, if you hope to go to USC for Cognitive Science, choosing The Anatomy of Violence isn’t a bad choice. Even if it’s related to what you want to study, you don’t need to choose the most obvious book on the subject.
If you could teach a class on any topic, what would it be?*
There are a couple of ways to approach this question. You can choose an academic or a personal route. If you choose an academic class, stay away from the obvious. If you said you want to be a Spanish major, don’t say Spanish 101. It doesn’t say anything about you. Instead, be specific, Mexican Poetry and its Political Effects or Spanish Painters from de Pereda To Picasso.
The other route is choosing something non-academic that lets them know about a fun interest of yours. Advanced Giftwrapping, The Perfect Poached Egg 101, Opera Appreciation for STEM Majors, etc. It’s a chance to playfully show an interest that hasn’t been mentioned elsewhere on your application.
USC wants you to have some fun on this application but also show you are serious about your academic path at USC. If you can do these two things, you have set yourself up well to turn in a great supplement. We know there are a lot of questions, but remember most of them are going to be around 3 words. Feel free to have fun, get creative, and let your personality shine through.
Need help starting supplements? It’s what we do! Reach out here.