From India · 2026–27
Applying to University of Southern California from India
Free. Your plan checks it against the rest of your list.
What's specific to students from India
Your school system
USC asks for external examination results and/or predictions, and names Indian board examinations among them. Records must come directly from your school or the testing agency.
Official source · read on September 25, 2026
For every international applicant
English test
If your native language isn't English, USC requires an approved English exam and grants no waivers. Approved: TOEFL, IELTS (7), Cambridge C1 Advanced (185), PTE (68), or SAT Reading and Writing 650 / ACT English 27. The Duolingo English Test isn't on the list.
Official source · read on September 25, 2026
Financial aid
USC offers no need-based aid to international applicants: when you apply, you document funds for at least the first year's full cost. International applicants who apply by the deadline are eligible for merit scholarships, but none covers the full cost.
Official source · read on September 25, 2026
The basics for 2026–27
- Application fee
- $85 (international applicants)
- Common App fee waiver
- Accepted
- SAT / ACT
- Optional
- English proficiency tests accepted
- Listed on the university's site
Your essays
Leave the board-exam essay behind
Board exams reward a thesis, a plan and a conclusion. A personal statement starts in a moment and lets the reader follow you through it. Watch for Indian-English phrasing such as “do the needful”, “prepone” or “I am having”, and explain things like JEE coaching in half a sentence: your reader may never have heard of it.
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