While applying to college requires students spend countless hours navigating university websites and inputting data in the Common App, it is still fundamentally a human process. While the bots might be up to all kinds of things these days, USC continues to employ a large group of humans to serve applicants as admission counselors. Responsible for everything from presenting at your high school to attending your transfer fair to reading your application, the people in our office are happy to meet you and help guide you through this process.
Students often ask how they can get in touch with a USC counselor, and this post covers the wide variety of ways you can find that human interaction. USC does not track demonstrated interest (which means that individual contact points do not increase your likelihood of admission), so you should by no means feel obligated to reach out to us. If, however, you have questions or are seeking insight or advice, we would love to talk with you!
For all students:
- The Counselor on Contact: In the smack dab center of campus, you will find the Admission Center. Every weekday from 8:30 to 5:00 a USC admission counselor is “on contact” to give admission presentations. That person is also there to answer any personal questions you might have about the opportunities available to USC undergraduates or about our application procedures. They are an excellent resource for any student in the area or on campus for a visit. Just come to the admission center and ask to speak with a counselor!
- Your Admission Counselor: All students have a counselor in our office who is specifically assigned to work with students from their school/region. Feel free to reach out to them via phone or email at any point in the process! You can find their name and contact information here: https://admission.usc.edu/find-your-counselor/
- Department Admission Counselors: In addition to the USC Office of Undergraduate Admission, each of the schools within USC (e.g., the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, the Keck School of Medicine, etc.) has an admission team that serves as the experts on their department’s majors and programs. They are extremely helpful in answering questions about our students’ academic experiences and can connect you to resources that align with your interests. The admission contact information can be found on each school’s website.
For first-year applicants:
- High School Visits: Every year, our team visits over 2,000 high schools across the country and the world! If your USC admission counselor will be coming to your high school this fall and you’ve signed up to receive information from USC, you will get a notification about their visit. These visits, which can range in size from one student to more than one hundred students, are an opportunity to hear from the USC counselor who works with your region. They will present on the University and admission process, leaving time for you to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to pick their brains!
- Off-Campus Discover USC Programs: In the fall, we host 20 receptions across the world. These programs take place on weekends or in the evening and provide students and their families the opportunity to meet their admission counselor and (frequently) counselors from their academic departments as well. A financial aid counselor is also present at most domestic programs. To find out more about these programs and sign up for one in your area, follow this link: https://admission.usc.edu/meet-us/off-campus-programs/
- College Fairs: Though we occasionally ask alumni to represent USC at college fairs, the majority of people you see standing behind the cardinal and gold table banner are admission counselors. Don’t hesitate to stop by, grab a brochure, and ask us your questions! For tips on how to make the most of a college fair, see our previous post: https://admissionblog.usc.edu/alls-fair-in-college/
For transfer applicants:
- Transfer Fairs: USC is dedicated to attending fairs at our local community colleges. This is a great opportunity to chat with an admission counselor on your way to or from class. We will often add a presentation on our transfer process around the fair, which allows you to learn from the admission counselor who works with transfer students from your college.
- Transfer Days: Throughout the fall and into the winter, we host half day programs for interested transfer applicants. These occur on USC’s campus and are staffed by counselors from the undergraduate admission office as well as our various academic units. If you have the time to come to campus, this is a great way to talk to the experts about how to be a successful transfer student. You can learn more and sign up here: https://admission.usc.edu/meet-us/on-campus-tour-programs/#/transfer-programs
- Individual Advising: USC is, unfortunately, not able to provide individual transfer meetings on campus. On occasion, we are able to offer individual advising appointments at community colleges (if these are available at your school and you’ve requested more information from USC, you will receive an invitation). Your admission counselor is happy to discuss our transfer process with you at any time, however, via phone or email. If you’ve looked through our online materials for transfer applicants and have follow-up/personal questions, reach out to your admission counselor for guidance!