Supplemental essays · 2025–26 application
University of Southern California supplemental essays.
The essay question University of Southern California asks this year, word for word, with the word limit and how to approach it.
Checked against admissionblog.usc.edu on October 17, 2026
What you write: Answer the Why USC short answer, plus USC's one-line Quick Takes in the application.
Wording from USC's admission blog; its 2025 post confirms the 250-word limit. Dornsife, Viterbi and World Bachelor in Business majors add questions once you pick them. Check the exact wording in your application.
Why USC
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.
How to approach it
- Name things you could only find at this college: a class, a professor, a program, a tradition.
- Tie every detail to something true about you.
- Swap test: if another college’s name fits your sentence, it’s too general.
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