Everything You Should Know About Being a Spring Admit
By: Anna Lipscomb ‘19
If you were admitted into USC for the spring semester, you may be wondering what this means. I can relate - me and many other students at USC have been in your place. Here’s everything you should know about being a spring admit, and the reasons why I would make the same decision again.
What is spring admission?
Spring admission is exactly what it sounds like - you’re being admitted for the spring semester. Instead of starting in the fall, you come to USC in January.
I didn’t even know that spring admission existed until now - why does USC do this?
I had the same question. As we all know, USC is extremely selective and cannot offer a spot to every qualified applicant that applies. In order to allow more qualified students the opportunity to join the Trojan Family, USC offers them a spot in the spring. It balances out since more spaces are available as people graduate early or study abroad. You are guaranteed a spot at USC, which is different from being put on a waitlist.
What are the pros/cons?
The list can go on and on, but here are the main ones that I could think of:
Pros
-You have time to rest between high school and college. During this time, you have the freedom to do something that you may not have had the time to do before - get a job, volunteer, travel abroad, etc.
-If you take classes at a community college, you can stay on track (or even get ahead!). A lot of spring admits take GE classes - you’ll find that they may be easier at the community college than at USC. Once you start at USC, you can no longer take GE classes at other institutions, so I recommend that you take advantage of this opportunity to get more challenging GEs out of the way.
-You have more time to spend with your family and friends.
-You can go to new places! Explore the world through study abroad, move to LA early, etc.
-You can save money.
-You get to know other spring admits through the Spring Admit Facebook page (you can find the link on your you.usc.edu portal).
-You can still attend football games and cheer on the best team in LA :)
Cons
-You have to explain what being a spring admit is to people.
-August and September can be hard because you see your high school friends go away to their colleges.
-Waiting is hard.
-Fall goes slowly and spring goes quickly
-Once you get to USC, you have to put more of an effort to get involved, meet people, and find opportunities. They are out there, but you have to be more pro-active and sometimes take matters into your own hands.
-You may not be placed in freshman housing
-Depending on your major, you may be behind if you don’t take classes in the fall or have AP credit to transfer over.
- It’s not for everyone. Each person is unique, so you need to consider your own situation and thoughts/concerns to decide whether or not spring admission aligns with your goals.
What can I do fall semester?
Based on my observation, these are the two most popular paths:
1) Study abroad (through a USC program or an outside organization). The USC option is pricier, but it is much easier to get GE credit and transfer credit if you do it with USC’s partner institutions. I found my own study abroad program in Spain, and had to go through a separate process to get credit for the classes I took there. For me, that process was extremely long and tedious, but in the end I did receive elective credit at USC.
2) Study at a local community college (or one in LA) and/or get a job/internship. This option is popular because you are able to stay on track for graduation and get GEs out of the way. Quite a few spring admits move to apartments close to USC (Gateway is popular) in the fall and studied at a community college. This allowed them to start living in LA, be close to USC and the activities, and get to know their fellow spring admits better. Working or interning in the fall is also a smart option because you are able to gain valuable experience that will help you in the future.
How can I get involved at USC during the fall?
My first tip is to reach out to people you know. Do you have a friend, family friend, relative, etc. at USC? Reach out to them and talk to them. Arrange to meet up in the fall or in the spring.
Interact with other spring admits on the Facebook page for spring admits. If you know your roommate(s), you can get to know each other. If you’re thinking about renting an apartment rather than going through USC housing, you can find other spring admits to live with.
If you’re in the LA area, go to the football games! As spring admits, you still have access to the student ticket deals.
If you move to LA during the fall for work/study, you should consider moving to a place close to USC’s campus where you can still participate in some of the events.
Will people know I’m a spring admit?
Only if you tell them.
Do spring admits still have Welcome Activities?
Yes, we have Spring Welcome Week. It’s smaller than Fall Welcome Week, but there are still a lot of activities for spring admits to meet each other and get familiar with the campus. I know a lot of spring admits met some of their closest friends here, so I definitely recommend going to as many activities as possible. My personal favorite was the ExploreLA trips for spring admits - USC arranges everything and you can go to different places in LA with your new friends (or meet new people there!). I went to Santa Monica Pier - I strongly recommend this one. Make sure you sign up for these trips early because they fill up quickly!
You will receive more information about Welcome Week activities during the fall. Another important thing to take note of is the Involvement Fair. This usually happens the first week of the semester. Be sure to check it out so that you can get involved on campus! If you have class during that time, you can still get involved by looking at the list of clubs and organizations and sending them an email asking to be placed on their email list.
What should I consider before choosing spring admission?
Here are some important questions to ask yourself:
- Does USC have a strong program for my major?
- Am I willing to put myself out there during the spring to make sure I get integrated on campus?
- How much do I care about the “traditional college experience”? Ultimately, your college experience is whatever you make out of it. If you choose to embrace spring admission, your spring semester will be as great as any freshman semester. Are you ready to take control and create your own college experience?
- Is money/financial aid a consideration? (Being a spring admit can actually save you money because you’re only paying one semester of USC tuition for that school year)
What are my chances of being “bumped” to fall?
It’s possible, but not very likely. It’s usually a very small handful of students. In other words, I wouldn’t expect it to happen.
Can I still have a “freshman” experience?
Absolutely. Even though your college experience may be starting a bit differently than most, you can still enjoy your freshman year and be involved as any other freshman. However, this will be up to you to decide and choose. You will have to put more of an effort into meeting people, getting involved, and making that freshman experience for yourself.
How does being a spring admit change my college experience?
I think spring admission mostly affects the beginning of your college experience since you’re starting later and adjusting to college life. By my second semester (the next fall semester), I felt like a normal USC student. Yes, being a spring admit puts you in a unique position at first, but once you find your place at USC, I think you will be satisfied with your college experience.
Does being a spring admit put me at a disadvantage academically?
No. You got into USC because you are smart and talented. Adjusting to college is an adventure with it’s up and downs regardless of which semester you start. If you take classes during fall semester, you should still be on track to graduate on time. Academics at USC are rigorous, but if you learn how to balance your time and get your work done, you should be fine. If you’re still worried, there are many resources on campus to help you such as the Writing Center and Math Center.
In a similar way, being a spring admit doesn’t necessarily put you at a disadvantage for applying for positions or programs. Even though I had only been at USC for a semester, I was still able to apply for jobs, leadership positions, and USC summer programs.
What am I going to do about housing?
As a spring admit, you may apply for USC housing for the spring. However, be aware that you may not be living in a dorm like most freshmen. You could be in a dorm, apartment, on-campus, off-campus, etc. My freshman year, I was placed in Parkside Apartments (which was an on-campus apartment). My roommate was also a freshman from the fall (who had reassigned to Parkside). I really enjoyed this experience because even though I was in an upperclassmen apartment, I still had a freshman roommate and my apartment was next to other freshman buildings (Parkside Arts & Humanities and Parkside International Residential College). Many other spring admits that I’ve talked to were placed with other spring admits. There’s a chance that you may be placed with upperclassmen, but I would try to look at that as an opportunity - they would have more experience and wisdom to share with you.
If you want to have more control over housing and roommates, consider getting an apartment nearby with other spring admits.
Why did you choose spring admission?
First, choosing spring admission at USC made sense for my financial situation. My financial aid package was better at USC compared to most of my other college choices, and only being there for one semester that school year helped us save a lot of money. This varies from person to person and their situation, but only having to pay for one semester helped lessen the financial burden on my family.
Second, being a spring admit would not affect my graduation time. This largely depends on your program and course load (and amount of units that you transfer over), but I’m able to double major in International Relations and East Asian Languages & Cultures and still graduate on time (with the possibility of graduating early). None of my other colleges offered the same flexibility and quality.
Third, I knew that I could use the fall semester to do something I always wanted to do. I spent a semester in Spain improving my Spanish. Many other spring admits travelled the world and studied abroad too - not many college students get this opportunity so early on in their college career.
Finally, I chose to be a spring admit at USC because I fell in love with the school. The campus was beautiful, the people were welcoming, and the programs/opportunities/academics were excellent. For me, waiting a semester was worth it to join the Trojan family and receive the high quality education and opportunities that USC has allowed me. Since coming to USC last January, I have conducted summer research in China under a faculty member, gotten a job, learned a new language, written and published blog posts and news articles, and met some of the most inspiring, intelligent people in my life. Being a spring admit does NOT hold you back. You hold yourself back. At first being a spring admit was challenging, but that served as motivation for me to get involved at USC when I arrived and to put myself out there to find my niche and community.
Looking back, I would make the same decision. The first semester of college is always a bit scary whether you’re a spring admit or a fall admit. However, by my second semester (Fall 2016), I felt as if I was no longer a spring admit and I was just a normal USC student.
Additional Resources for Spring Admits
Wishing you the best in your decision-making, and fight on!
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