University of Southern California

Personal statement required (250-650 words), plus 12 supplements, plus more depending on your college or program:

1. Required · 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

   This is USC's 'why this major' plus 'why USC' essay. College Transitions renders the limit as '(Approximately 250 words)'.

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2. Optional · 250 words

   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.

   Applies only to students with a gap in enrollment.

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3. Required · 25 characters each

   Describe yourself in three words

   Quick take 1 of 10. College Transitions renders the limit as '25 characters for each word'.

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4. Required · 100 characters

   What is your favorite snack?

   Quick take 2 of 10.

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5. Required · 100 characters

   Best movie of all time

   Quick take 3 of 10.

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6. Required · 100 characters

   Dream job

   Quick take 4 of 10.

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7. Required · 100 characters

   If your life had a theme song, what would it be?

   Quick take 5 of 10.

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8. Required · 100 characters

   Dream trip

   Quick take 6 of 10.

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9. Required · 100 characters

   What TV show will you binge watch next?

   Quick take 7 of 10.

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10. Required · 100 characters

    Which well-known person or fictional character would be your ideal roommate?

    Quick take 8 of 10.

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11. Required · 100 characters

    Favorite book

    Quick take 9 of 10. CollegeVine capitalises it as 'Favorite Book'; College Transitions and AdmissionSight print 'Favorite book'.

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12. Required · 100 characters

    If you could teach a class on any topic, what would it be?

    Quick take 10 of 10.

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13. Required for Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences applicants · 250 words

    Many of us have at least one issue or passion that we care deeply about—a topic on which we would love to share our opinions and insights in hopes of sparking intense interest and continued conversation. If you had ten minutes and the attention of a million people, what would your talk be about?

    Dash style varies by publisher: AdmissionSight prints an em dash with no spaces, CollegeVine an em dash with spaces, College Transitions an en dash with spaces. Wording is otherwise identical across all three.

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14. Required for Viterbi School of Engineering applicants · 250 words

    The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and their 14 Grand Challenges go hand-in-hand with our vision to engineer a better world for all humanity. Engineers and computer scientists are challenged to solve these problems in order to improve life on the planet. Learn more about the NAE Grand Challenges at http://engineeringchallenges.org and tell us which challenge is most important to you, and why.

    AdmissionSight and CollegeVine present both Viterbi prompts as required additions for Viterbi applicants; College Transitions presents the pair as choose one. Treat the choose-one question as unsettled.

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15. Required for Viterbi School of Engineering applicants · 250 words

    The student body at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering is a diverse group of unique engineers and computer scientists who work together to engineer a better world for all humanity. Describe how your contributions to the USC Viterbi student body may be distinct from others. Please feel free to touch on any part of your background, traits, skills, experiences, challenges, and/or personality in helping us better understand you.

    Second Viterbi prompt. See the note above about whether Viterbi applicants answer both or choose one.

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