UG First Year Students​
Welcome to the University of Southern California’s first-year undergraduate program! You are about to embark on one of your life’s most exciting and rewarding periods. As you prepare for your first year, here are some helpful tips for navigating campus and preparing for classes.
USC undergraduate first-year students
If you’re an undergraduate year student, it’s essential to understand the dates and deadlines for your first semester at USC. We’ve created a checklist of everything you need to do before classes start in September–from applying for financial aid, enrolling in classes and registering for housing through MyHousing@USC.
Check out our guide below for more info about how to prepare as an undergraduate first-year student:
Check out our guide below for more info about how to prepare as an undergraduate first-year student:
Dates and deadlines
You may have heard about early action (ea) and regular decision (rd). These are two different types of applications that you can submit to colleges. Each has its deadline, which is the date by which you need to send your application for it to be considered by a school.
Ea: The Ea deadline is typically earlier than rd, so if you’re applying early decision at one school and a regular decision at another, make sure that both applications are submitted before their deadlines!
Re: If you’re applying rd at multiple colleges, make sure all of your applications are sent out before their respective deadlines–it’s better to take your time with them!
Ea: The Ea deadline is typically earlier than rd, so if you’re applying early decision at one school and a regular decision at another, make sure that both applications are submitted before their deadlines!
Re: If you’re applying rd at multiple colleges, make sure all of your applications are sent out before their respective deadlines–it’s better to take your time with them!
Checklist for undergraduate first-year students
Arrival date: A few weeks before orientation, you’ll receive an email with details about your arrival. You can also access this information on your MyUSC account.
Accommodations: If you’re a first-year student living on campus, you can choose from various housing options at USC Village or University Park Campus (UPC). For more information about housing options and how to apply, visit the Housing website.
Orientation: Your first day at USC will include an introduction to life at school–from academic advising sessions and exploring campus resources to meeting new friends and participating in fun events! We recommend arriving two weeks before the start date listed on your acceptance letter so that we can help ensure everything goes smoothly for you upon arrival. To learn more about our Orientation program, visit uscnewstudentinfo/orientation/.
Accommodations: If you’re a first-year student living on campus, you can choose from various housing options at USC Village or University Park Campus (UPC). For more information about housing options and how to apply, visit the Housing website.
Orientation: Your first day at USC will include an introduction to life at school–from academic advising sessions and exploring campus resources to meeting new friends and participating in fun events! We recommend arriving two weeks before the start date listed on your acceptance letter so that we can help ensure everything goes smoothly for you upon arrival. To learn more about our Orientation program, visit uscnewstudentinfo/orientation/.
DREAM Act students – DACA law
You are eligible to apply for financial aid if you meet all of the following criteria:
1. You are a U.S. citizen, national or permanent resident (Green Card holder).
2. You have been admitted to an undergraduate program at USC for the upcoming academic year.
If you think you may be eligible for DREAM Act assistance, please contact us at [email protected] before March 2nd so that we can help guide your application process and answer any questions.
1. You are a U.S. citizen, national or permanent resident (Green Card holder).
2. You have been admitted to an undergraduate program at USC for the upcoming academic year.
If you think you may be eligible for DREAM Act assistance, please contact us at [email protected] before March 2nd so that we can help guide your application process and answer any questions.
Interviews, on-campus events and more…
Interviewing for a job :Â Â If you are interviewing for a position in your field of study, you can expect to be asked about your research and why you chose that topic. If they hire someone with the same skillset and interests, they will want to know how well you fit into their team. The interviewer may also ask what kind of work environment would be best for someone like yourself or what goals you have for the future.