At USC, an international student is an individual of foreign nationality who will be entering, or has already entered the United States with a student visa. Students already residing in the United States and holding other non-immigrant visas (for instance, O1, H2, R1, R2 or L2) are also considered international students.
International applicants are expected to follow the same application procedure that domestic applicants follow. There is no special international application for admission; however, international applicants are required to submit a few extra items that are not required from domestic applicants. Additionally, the academic review process for international applicants can be time consuming; thus international applicants are encouraged to submit official transcripts and test scores by the published application deadlines. Failure to do so could cause the entire application to be withdrawn from consideration.
The following additional application materials are required from all international applicants:
- English Language Proficiency (Test Scores) – Submit by application deadline
Undergraduate Requirements
Graduate Requirements - Academic Records – Submit by application deadline
Undergraduate Academic Record Requirements
Graduate Academic Record Requirements
Specific document requirements by country - Copy of a valid Passport (to be submitted only if a student is admitted, and accepts the offer of admission)
- Confidential Statement of Financial Support (to be submitted only if a student is admitted, and accepts the offer of admission)
Undergraduate requirements
Graduate requirements
It is not necessary to submit proof of financial support or passport copies to be considered for admission to USC Thornton.
The I-20 Process
When an international applicant is admitted to USC and the Thornton School of Music, the applicant must accept the offer of admission (submit the statement of intent) before an I-20 will be issued. After the Statement of Intent has been submitted, international students may then request an I-20 following the instructions on the I-20 Website, and the Trojan International Checklist. The applicant’s financial support documents will be evaluated, and if acceptable, an I-20 form will be prepared by the USC Office of Graduate and International Admission and will be sent to the applicant. The applicant will then use the I-20 to apply for a student (F-1) visa at the nearest U.S. embassy in their home country. The process to submit the I-20 request, receive the I-20 and apply for a visa can be time-consuming. International students are encouraged to begin the I-20 process immediately upon accepting an offer of admission from USC Thornton.
Questions?
Please refer to the detailed FAQ section available on USC’s Graduate Admission website or the askUSC resource for undergraduate applicants. If your questions can’t be answered by the FAQ, you may contact the Thornton Office of Admission with any questions you may have. (213) 740-8986 or uscmusic@usc.edu