February 9, 2026
Dear fellow Trojans,
I am pleased to announce that University of Southern California will expand upon its admissions practices beginning with new student applicants seeking admission for the 2027-2028 academic year. After a successful pilot that occurred this past fall within the Marshall School of Business, the university will offer an Early Decision option to nearly all undergraduate programs in response to growing demand from students who are confident that USC is their top choice college.
Later this morning, the Office of Admission will announce to 40,000 college counselors and community-based organizations nationwide that USC will implement an Early Decision admissions option for Fall 2027 applicants. Students applying Early Decision will be required to submit their applications by November 1, 2026, and may not apply Early Decision to any other institution. If admitted, these students must agree to enroll at USC and withdraw any pending applications to other colleges or universities. Admission decisions on Early Decision applications will be released in mid-December 2026.
Please note that Early Decision will not be available for the USC Kaufman School of Dance, USC Thornton School of Music, or the USC School of Dramatic Arts, whose programs will continue to be considered for admission and scholarships through the Regular Decision deadline of December 1.
I will also note that Early Action and Regular Decision application pathways will remain available to meet the needs of the many student populations who seek an education at our great university. Applicants not admitted through an early round will be deferred to Regular Decision. All admitted students will continue to be considered for need-based financial aid, and students applying early will remain eligible for USC merit scholarships. The admissions website is in the process of being updated with these details and will include an FAQ in the near future.
I offer my sincere thanks to the Office of Admission for their hard work to facilitate a successful pilot and the future demand the Early Decision process will certainly require of them.
Sincerely,
Andrew T. Guzman
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs