When my rejection letter from USC arrived, I immediately questioned whether I would ever truly belong at this school. After appealing, I was ultimately accepted as a spring admit. It was like proposing to someone and getting a “maybe,” and I often wondered whether this delayed start would permanently mark me as different. 

The truth is, spring admission feels like being invited to a function after it’s already started. Everyone has formed their friend groups, the best clubs have finished recruitment and you’re constantly playing catch-up. 

The distinction might fade by sophomore year, but that crucial first-year experience is fundamentally altered in ways that the University doesn’t fully acknowledge.

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For those funneled through the American University of Paris pathway, the experience is a mixed bag. While Paris offers undeniable cultural benefits, it’s a glorified placeholder semester that often sets back progress toward your actual degree. The inability to take most major-specific prerequisites while abroad means spring admits are behind from day one at USC. There are other universities you can attend while abroad, but the sentiment remains the same.

As a pre-med or engineering student, this can translate to compressed course schedules and potential summer classes just to stay on track with fall admits. USC markets this as “global perspective[s],” but it’s worth questioning whether it’s truly an educational enhancement or merely a convenient solution for the University’s enrollment management.

Many spring admits, like myself, choose community college to complete general education requirements. While it is more affordable and practical, it lacks the prestige and networking opportunities for which many students choose USC. However, I thoroughly enjoyed my semester at community college, and am glad I had the opportunity to experience it.

The University has created some support systems for spring admits, but these often feel like afterthoughts. Winter orientation is a condensed shadow of the fall experience. This year, we didn’t get a proper convocation due to the Los Angeles wildfires. It took place on a Tuesday in February. 

Housing options are typically leftover spaces as fall students shuffle and create vacancies, so most spring admits end up in apartments. I won’t ever get the chance to live in a dorm, which is not an issue for me, but for some, it’s a fundamental part of the college experience. 

Despite official messaging, many student organizations still haven’t adapted their recruitment timelines for the spring, which creates structural barriers to campus life. If anything, I believe spring admits should be allowed to choose housing and classes before all other students for the next year, because we already had to face more obstacles in coming here in the first place.

What spring admits do develop is resilience and self-advocacy. We learn early to seek out advisers and find community rather than expecting it to form naturally around us. We become expert planners out of necessity, mapping our degree requirements with precision to ensure timely graduation.

To me, spring admission initially felt like accepting a compromise. I questioned whether I was getting the authentic college experience or some watered-down version of it. 

Over time, I’ve recognized that it’s simply an alternative pathway into the same community, but one that requires more independence and determination. My experiences hearing the perspectives of older spring admits has freshened my perspective, reassuring me that it’s tough in the beginning but it’s up to us at the end of the day to decide what defines our experience.

In all honesty, there’s something about USC’s spring admission that feels transactional, even if there is no real evidence that supports it. The University needs to fill seats and maintain revenue streams, so spring admission provides a convenient solution to achieve these goals. Universities are businesses after all.

In my opinion, you can’t relate to the “freshman experience” with your hometown friends, even if you love being at home. And if you don’t love being at home, you’re out of luck.

I have nothing against the spring admission process, but I will admit, it has tested my patience at times. Still, I have yet to meet someone who regrets being a spring admit. 

My advice for prospective students receiving spring admission letters is clear-eyed: It’s not the traditional college experience and there are real drawbacks, but if you’re willing to be proactive, resilient and self-directed, you can still create a meaningful journey for yourself at USC as a spring admit. It will likely be vastly different than the one you might have initially imagined, yet valuable nonetheless.

Four years later, nobody remembers or cares when you started. What matters is what you do when you get here.