International applicants must provide official copies of academic records from all secondary or senior secondary schools, pre-university programs, and colleges and universities attended.

Applicants should:

• Have all academic records sent directly from the schools (whenever possible).
• Submit all academic records in the native language, accompanied by an English translation, if the native language is not English.
• Send external examination results or predicted results. Examples: predicted IB results, Indian board exam results, GCSE/IGCSE results, predicted A-levels, Australian ATAR, etc.
• Submit any additional documents as requested by the USC Office of Admission.

First-year students may apply for admission and scholarships to USC for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Academic Years without submitting SAT or ACT scores—though they may still submit them if they wish.

First-year international applicants should earn:

• Minimum score of 600 on the SAT Critical Reading exam (previous SAT) or 650 on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing exam (redesigned SAT) or 27 on the ACT English exam; OR
• A minimum score of 100 on the TOEFL iBT (with a minimum score of 20 in each section); OR
• A minimum IELTS score of 7; OR
• A minimum PTE score of 68; OR
• A minimum Duolingo English Test score of 120*

Remark: Applicants may still be admitted without the following minimum scores. For those who do not demonstrate English proficiency, however, USC requires the International Student Exam (ISE) prior to registration for classes. The results of the ISE determine whether or not a student must enroll in English language courses at the American Language Institute (ALI) at USC.

We strive to enroll a diverse group of students who represent a vast array of perspectives and passions, who will enrich each other’s education by challenging each other, inside the classroom and out.

Your essay and short-answer responses will help us get to know your personality and your voice.

(If required by your applied major.)

One letter is required from either your school counselor or a teacher from your school.