Until recently, you couldn’t get deferred by USC. They only recently introduced an early action option. However, since 2023, The University of Southern California (aka USC) has started deferring students from their EA round to the RD round. Since it is such a new program, they are still figuring it out, and the rules have changed since last year. If you have been deferred from USC, don’t worry; we are going to walk you through it.
First off, it's ok to be upset. Getting deferred is really disappointing. Not getting accepted to a school is hard, especially if USC was the dream. However, you weren’t rejected and still have another chance to get in during the regular decision round. Don’t beat yourself up. If you didn’t have a good enough application to get into USC, you would have been rejected. USC says it themselves on its admissions blog, “Not being admitted at this point is not indicative of your likelihood of admission later. Your application is still very much under consideration. ”
They just need more time with your application. USC takes around 60% of its class during the RD round. USC hasn’t officially released its EA acceptance rate or the number of students who applied during the early round, but it has recently gotten harder to get into USC. Last year, they had around a 10% acceptance rate, a historic low for the school.
This is all to say: keep your head up. The most important thing is not to let this fully derail you. There are a couple of steps you need to take, and we want to help.
If you need expert help, we are here for the RD round! Contact us to learn how to increase your chances this admissions cycle.
Before you start this process, try to get your mind right. Getting deferred can be really stressful. Take a deep breath and try to get some perspective. Once you have done that, it's time to jump in.
FILL OUT THE EA DEFERRAL FORM
The first thing you need to do is log on to your USC applicant portal and fill out the EA Deferral Form. The form will ask if you want to be considered in the Regular Decision round. They won't consider you if you don’t fill out this form. Full stop. You need to fill it out.
Once you have done this, you need to pause on USC and look back at your other schools.
REVIEW YOUR COLLEGE LIST
Maybe you thought USC was a lock. Perhaps it was your top choice. Maybe it was one of several schools that you applied to early. Whatever your situation is, it is important to reassess your college list and make sure it is balanced.
Your college list should ideally include three target schools and three foundation schools (sometimes also called ‘safeties'). Your list can also include reach schools. Just because you got deferred doesn’t mean you should delete your reaches, but it is worth taking another look at them and making sure they still feel “in reach.” And these categories shouldn’t be defined by hunches. You want data to back them up. While you can find some of this data online, if your school counselor has access to probability tools like Naviance, asking them will be a huge help.
REASSESS YOUR COMMON APP ESSAY
Students often come to us after an early deferral or rejection. The first thing we like to look at is their Common App essay, and we almost always see room for improvement. Likely, your Common App essay isn’t “bad.” However, likely it could be better. The Common App essay is your time to showcase a little more about who you are as a person. You can’t change your grades or test scores, but you can make sure you are showcasing the best version of yourself and highlighting your personality.
You want to make sure your essays are the best they can be. We actually specialize in helping students craft essays that help them get into schools that, statistically, are unlikely for them. We have compiled a guide with some of our best advice on how to approach the 2024-2025 Common App Essay. We highly recommend reviewing it before you edit your essay and making sure your essay is as strong as possible.
PRESS SUBMIT
Procrastination is easy. However, you don’t actually have that much time between EA decisions and RD deadlines to apply. Get your applications ready, and then press submit. We always advise submitting apps when they are done instead of waiting until the deadline.
Once you have done this, you might ask yourself, what else can I do about USC?
LESS IS MORE
You might be feeling the urge to send USC more information. The only other piece of information they need outside of the deferral form is your mid-year report. The mid-year report has your updated grades for the semester, and USC needs to receive this information. Your counselor should already know to send it, but it isn’t a bad call to double-check with them to make sure they send it to any school you have been deferred from. However, this is the only additional information USC asks for.
They say it very clearly.
“In the interest of equity, we are not considering new application materials, nor will we accept revisions of previously submitted materials.”
They specifically say they will not consider letters of continued interest or additional recommendations. They also will not consider standardized test scores if you applied test-optional. It can be really hard not to update a school. You probably have things that you want them to know about you; however, it's time to respect their boundaries and not send additional information. You have to be confident in your original application.
We know this process is stressful, but all hope is not lost. Take a deep breath, follow these steps, and don’t beat yourself up too much. We know you will end up at a great school. And if you need help, we are here for you.
We help students like you all the time. Contact us to learn more.