In addition to the strong support and endorsement of your high school counselor and principal or headmaster, you will need at minimum:

• An A- GPA.
• USC requires a standardized writing exam. We will accept either the new SAT or the ACT (please note that you must also submit your ACT writing section score). In rare cases where 2008 applicants are unable to complete the new exam formats, we will accept the old SAT I if accompanied by a score from the SAT II: Writing exam. A minimum combined SAT I score of 2050 or composite ACT score of 32 is required.
• A charged resume that demonstrates a readiness for college work.
• Evidence of the high level of maturity necessary for entering college.

In the past, RHP class score averages have been over 2200 on the SAT I or 33 on the ACT, and the average GPAs have been over 4.0.

Applicants to the Resident Honors Program will be required to include a $65 application fee with submission of their RHP Application Part I.  Checks should be made payable to the University of Southern California

As a Resident Honors student, you will become a freshman at USC and will thus pay the RHP application fee ($65), tuition, fees, room and board, as well as the cost of books, supplies, transportation, and personal expenses. The estimated total cost of attendance for the 2008-2009 academic year is $51,968.

As an RHP student, you will receive a substantial merit scholarship each year for four years or until you have completed your degree, whichever comes first.  You must maintain a 3.0 GPA.  Last year's scholarship was approximately $9,000 per year.  In addition, you will be eligible to compete and perhaps interview for other merit scholarships with all other entering honors freshmen (including the half-tuition Presidential Scholarship and the full tuition Trustee Scholarship).  Apply to RHP by the priority deadline of December 1, 2008, to ensure your eligibility for these competitions.

USC guarantees to meet 100% of your USC-determined financial need, provided that you meet all University, state, and federal requirements and deadlines.

• Register for and complete the 2009-2010 CSS Financial Aid PROFILE as soon as possible after October 1, 2008, at www.collegeboard.com/profile.  Complete the PROFILE using your best estimates of 2008 parent and student income.  Enter USC's CSS School code: 4852.
• Complete a 2009-2010 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible after January 1, 2009, www.fafsa.ed.gov.  Use your best estimates of 2008 parent and student income. On your FAFSA, fill in USC's Federal Code: 001328.
• If you are a California resident, a Cal Grant is worth approximately $8,000 annually at USC. Have the registrar at the school you currently attend or have most recently attended complete a Cal Grant GPA Verification form. Submit it to the California Student Aid Commission as soon as possible. GPA Verification forms are available from your high school or the college you currently attend. The Cal Grant application deadline is March 2, 2009.
• Complete copies of your and your parents' signed 2008 federal income tax returns including all schedules and W2 forms to the USC Financial Aid Office as soon as possible after Jan. 1, 2009. If you are not legally required to file a federal income tax form for 2008, complete the 2009-2010 Student Non-Filing Statement. If your parents are not legally required to file a federal income tax form for 2008, they will need to submit a 2009-2010 Parent Non-Filing Statement form.
• If your custodial parent is currently single, divorced, separated, remarried, or was never married, send the completed Custodial Parent Form with the appropriate documentation to the USC Financial Aid Office. USC will determine an expected contribution for the custodial parent, the non-custodial parent, and the step-parent, as appropriate. In order to determine this contribution, we may ask the student to submit each parent's 2008 federal tax return.

The RHP Application Part I and Part II can be downloaded from this website beginning in September. DO NOT apply using the online application off the main USC admissions website.

Many bright students are unsure of what they would like to specialize in, since they often have many interests and strengths. You don't need a major to apply to RHP. We welcome applications of all strong students. Just list your major as "Undecided" and tell us about your various interests. You will have plenty of time when you're in college to explore different options and make a choice. The academic advisors at the Thematic Option Honors Program and other academic departments will be here to help you shape your education as flexibly as possible, without sacrificing quality or rigor. Certain majors require a separate and special application. These are listed in the RHP Application Part II, available in late September.

Some of your courses will be taken through the Thematic Option Honors Program, the University's honors general education curriculum. (All students accepted to Resident Honors are strongly encouraged to participate in Thematic Option.) This is a challenging interdisciplinary program where you will read, write, analyze, and challenge the assumptions of various fields of study. A description of the Thematic Option Honors Program and samples of courses are available on the web.

We will stretch you, but your workload will be manageable. RHP students usually take 16 units, a normal courseload, which is typically comprised of four 4-unit courses. You can take up to 18 units. Your major requirements may determine your courseload.

Some high schools will issue former students honorary diplomas after completing a year at USC. If yours will not, you may take the GED. However, once you graduate from USC, your college degree will serve as your first educational credential.

The decision to enter college early should be a family decision. Ideally everyone in your family will appreciate the wisdom of your choice and support you in your efforts to begin your future now. In addition, the campus offers many resources that help students adjust to college life and deal with problems that may arise. Your primary resource will be the Resident Honors staff, who will work with you throughout the year. We have frequent meetings to keep in touch with you as a group, and our doors are always open to help with anything that comes up, including academic, administrative, medical, or personal issues. Other resources available to you will include the University Residential Student Community (URSC), your residence hall's staff and faculty-in-residence, and the Student Health Center, Counseling Center, and Career Planning and Placement Center on campus.

All student housing is staffed with trained residence advisors that monitor and participate in life on campus. Many dorms also have faculty in residence. The Resident Honors Program staff stay in close contact with students at all times. Students will have more freedom than in a high school setting, however a staff member can always be found.

In your first year, you will live on campus in one of the traditional University residence halls, where students from many programs on campus, as well as specially selected faculty-in-residence, live together. A sense of community develops when you study together in the wee small hours of the morning, discuss what you're learning over meals, and participate in various social activities and discussion programs. After your freshman year, USC offers many housing options, including various dorms and apartments on and off campus.

Students are not allowed to bring a car to campus their first semester. In the second semester, we leave that choice to parents. We expect students to get to know USC's campus during the first semester. There are plenty of activities for students throughout the year and all necessities can be bought on or near campus. The University and the Resident Honors Program provides transportation for many events. A public bus stop and a subway station are located near campus. USC also runs a free tram service to and from Union Station in Downtown L.A. as well as Campus Cruiser, our safe ride home service.

Although the University maintains computer labs, we strongly recommend that students bring their own computer and printer. The desktop/laptop, PC/Apple decision is up to you. The USC Bookstore offers many computer options at a discounted educational rate.

Definitely yes. RHP students have participated in various social, political, and cultural activities on campus, including the USC Trojan Marching Band, the Daily Trojan Newspaper and Student Action for the Environment. Other rewarding experiences that students have are more casual, like making friends with other students in their classes and residence halls. They have also found time to explore L.A.'s cultural scene and nightlife, go to the beach and Pasadena, go skiing and hiking, etc. The possibilities are endless . . . the challenge is learning how to best structure your time to suit your needs. The Resident Honors Program will provide tickets and transportation to several theatre, musical and sports events around L.A. throughout the year.

When you enter RHP, you make a commitment to stay for the year. After that year, you will be considered a sophomore at USC. Almost every student in the Program continues on at the University. However, if you decide to leave USC, you would have to apply to another university as a transfer student, not an entering freshman. This means you will need to be aware of how your units at USC will be counted at the university to which you are applying.

The RHP priority postmark deadline for applying is December 1, 2008. (From then on, we will pursue a rolling admissions policy, considering later nominees only as space permits.) Take your SAT I or ACT as early as possible but no later than December 2008, for the best merit scholarship consideration. Apply for financial aid by February 1, 2009 (you can use estimated 2008 tax information on the forms). If you are accepted to the Resident Honors Program, we will send you a timeline to help you keep track of additional deadlines related to housing and Deans' Halls, financial aid, and admissions.

Dates to Remember:
PSAT	October 15, 2008 October 18, 2008
SAT I	October 4, 2008 November 1, 2008 December 6, 2008
ACT	September 13, 2008 October 25, 2008 Decmber 13, 2008

Call either Dr. Pennelope Von Helmolt or Allison DeRaad at the Resident Honors Program office at (213) 740.2961 or (800) USC.2961. We also welcome calls from parents, counselors, and teachers.