The average high school senior expects one of three different responses to their college application: accept, reject or waitlist. (An occasional addition to this may be spring admission.)
However, certain USC applicants might receive a unique answer: The Trojan Transfer Plan.
The Trojan Transfer Plan (TTP) is rarely talked about among the USC community. It’s something that is talked about in hushed tones at TCC and on late-night walks on Trousdale; some students are ashamed and some are bewildered. It is such a behind-locked-doors secret that the average student might not even know it exists. So, here’s a roadmap to TTP told by a former TTP-er:
It all starts with a rejection letter. USC’s longtime decision-by-mail policy doesn’t make it any easier because first, the student sees the small envelope. That small envelope. The student finds out in a short paragraph hidden at the bottom of their rejection letter that “your eventual enrollment at USC is of great interest” and that they will have the opportunity to “meet one-on-one with a member of the admission staff.”
Here’s the hard part though - TTP is not a guarantee. It is so close to a guarantee that some TTP-ers claim it’s a slam-dunk when telling friends where they’re going to school. (“Oh, I’m going to USC next year. Yeah, I have this special stipulation.”) But, it’s not. In fact, there are a handful of TTP-ers who don’t get into USC after reapplying.
However, let’s first lay out the rules before getting into that: The “rules” of TTP are that you have to have a minimum of 30 academic units (typical for a full academic year), obtain at least a 3.6 GPA, take the equivalent of WRIT150, take classes to fulfill GE requirements, fulfill language requirements, and make progress in your major. You can choose to do TTP at a four-year university, abroad, or the most popular option: at a community college. Then, and only then, will you be guaranteed admission to USC--well, almost.
This decision is agonized over by students and family. Is it worth it? Do I want to go to USC that much? Will I miss out on the “freshman experience?” Students who really want to go to USC opt to take the risk and schedule a meeting with a member of the USC admissions team.
USC has partnerships with a number of universities abroad that specialize in students on the TTP path. In Rome, John Cabot University. In Paris, The American University of Paris. In Lugano, Franklin University of Switzerland. At these universities, students can still get that “freshman year experience,” while enjoying the opportunity to spend a year abroad.
In order to further their commitment to TTP, some students will live in off-campus housing near USC and take the Expo line to Santa Monica College. This way they get the USC experience by proxy and can study at a top-tier community college. Additionally, some students take a spot at a four-year university. (Though USC urges TTP-ers to not do this due to taking a spot that a student does not intend to keep throughout the four years.)
Does all that sound crazy? Sometimes it feels like it is.
TTP students work hard; harder than they may have if they had gotten into USC the traditional route. In high school, a 3.6 may have been no sweat; however, no matter where you go to college, there is a bit of a shock and that 3.6 feels a bit out of reach. Also, students must maintain the juggling act of ensuring they complete all of the criteria to get in through TTP.
TTP students may feel some longing. Perhaps they have a friend who is doing Cornell’s Transfer Option, or a friend doing a guaranteed transfer through SUNY, the College of William and Mary, or the University of Virginia. These transfer programs have--in many cases--easier requirements to hit than TTP.
The work isn’t over yet as TTP students may get the dreaded Spring Grade Request (SGR). This means that they may not receive an admission decision until June (or maybe even July) and there is a wide disparity between the timing of the notification if a student is on a quarter or semester system.
TTP isn’t easy, partly due to the lack of accessible information and an odd reliance on forums and group chats. College Confidential-- a popular forum site-- has a TTP forum each year in which students ask familiar questions: “Is this right for me?” “Am I doing the right thing?” And likely: “I cried myself to sleep last night. I can’t take this waiting. I think I did the right thing, but how do I know?” TTP is filled with misinformation and students leaning on each other. I would know. I chose to do TTP in the middle of April of 2018. It wasn’t an easy decision because I knew I was giving up a freshman experience complete with dorms and first-day-jitters. (Don’t worry, I still got plenty of the latter.)
However, I knew that USC had everything I wanted and I couldn’t give up. So, I went to a small university where I got a scholarship and knew I wasn’t taking anyone’s spot. I looked over the class listings and triple checked to make sure that I was hitting all of the requirements and taking courses that would keep my GPA up. I worked harder than I ever knew I could and my commutes were filled with worry and tuning out my comedy podcast. I spent my lunch breaks checking College Confidential and constantly refreshing the page. I got that dreaded SGR and didn’t find out until June that I got into USC. Until. June. But, I was so excited when I got in that it (almost) didn’t matter.
Was it worth it? I would say so. I wanted to go to USC and I took my best shot. I learned that I could work hard in school and at my actual job and I made a lot of really great friends that I wouldn’t have otherwise. There’s something about seeing that big envelope in the mailbox that tells you you worked hard enough.