16 Applicants must complete additional units to meet or exceed state and local high school graduation requirements. In choosing these electives, students should consider the recommendations given in the preceding listing for specific prospective majors. All applicants are advised to include one unit of computer science, if it is available. Applicants must apply for and take the required entrance examinations well in advance of the term for which they seek admission, and they are responsible for having the results of these examinations sent to the University. Entrance examination scores may be required in the absence of satisfactory credentials or evidence of potential.
Some programs require entrance test scores for all students, regardless of age.
An applicant who, having graduated from high school, has attended another post-secondary institution and attempted one or more courses is a transfer student, regardless of credit earned. Some major programs at USC Columbia require SAT or ACT results and high school records for all applicants, regardless of college credits or the age of the applicant. All applicants for transfer admission must be eligible to return to the last institution attended as a regular student The applicant must submit official transcripts of all previous college courses attempted whether or not credit was earned, and regardless of whether the applicant wishes to transfer any credit. An official transcript must be sent directly to the Admissions Office from each institution attended. Failure to report all attempted college courses may constitute sufficient cause for later dismissal from the University.