1
Why USC?
~250 words · Academic/creative direction + USC-specific fit + what you'll actively do
~250 words
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.
What to include
- Start with what you're already doing — a habit, project, or sustained interest, not a future aspiration
- Define your direction: what you're trying to pursue, understand, or build
- USC match: 2–4 specific schools, programs, or opportunities — each connected to your direction
- What you'll actually do at USC: research, projects, labs, productions, communities
- Close with continuation — what you want to build toward, grounded and specific
Avoid
- Writing like BU (too dry and functional) — USC wants personality, not just a plan
- Being too generic about LA — location ≠ fit; programs and culture ≠ fit
- Listing USC programs without showing what you'd do inside them
- Talking about future interest without showing current engagement
Structure (~250 words)
40–60 wordsWhat you're already doing — a real habit, project, or current engagement
80–110 wordsYour direction + USC match: 2–3 programs/opportunities + what you'd do inside each
60–80 wordsWhat you'll build at USC — specific, action-based, and grounded in your interests