• Junior in high school (11th grader) at time of application

• Currently hold a 4.0 weighted GPA or above

• Enrolled in Algebra II, Trigonometry or above

• Demonstrate financial need

• Have taken Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate courses, if offered

• Actively enrolled in a high school curriculum within the U.S. or U.S. territories

We offer the program at no cost to students or families. 

USC will pay for transportation to and from campus for students coming from outside of Southern California.

• This is a three-week summer intensive program that requires full participation. This is an intensive program. We do not recommend that you be enrolled in any online courses during this time. We want to make the most of our short, in-person time together.

• The program doesn’t end after three weeks. During your senior year you will work with your admissions coach to receive support and feedback as questions arise, throughout the application and decision-making process.

• January 17, 2025 at 5pm PT – Application deadline

• March – USC Bovard Scholars will be selected and notified

• July 14-August 2, 2025 – Three-week summer intensive

• Fall 2025 – Work with your Bovard Scholars Admissions Coach as you complete your college, financial aid and scholarship applications

• Spring 2026 – Our Admissions Coaches are available to you as needed to help with your college selection

• Complete and submit the online application.

• Request that your counselor complete the Counselor Evaluation Form

  • • 1. 1. 1. • The Counselor Evaluation Form should be completed by your high school guidance counselor, who will be asked to comment on your academic achievement and attach a copy of your transcript. Additionally, your counselor can also choose to attach an optional letter of recommendation. Once you complete the portal registration, you will be able to send an electronic request to your counselor to complete the form. Please note, all required documents are to be submitted before the application deadline.

• All communication from the USC Bovard Scholars program — including application status, acceptance notification and program updates — will be sent to you via email. When registering for the online application, please be sure to use an email address that you check frequently.

• The review process is holistic, which means that all parts of an application will be considered before making a decision. All questions on the application are important; the answer to an individual question will not automatically include or exclude a student from consideration. The application will be reviewed in its entirety.

• The information provided in an application will be kept confidential and will not be shared with anyone outside of the Bovard Scholars program.

• Applications will be reviewed by the selection committee. 

LEARN HOW TO ATTEND TOP-TIER SCHOOLS

• We’ll walk you through each question of a college application and let you know what admissions committees are indirectly asking. When a college application asks for your “possible career or professional plans,” what should you say? Why do they want to know if English is not your first language? When they ask for optional information regarding “special circumstances and additional qualifications,” should you respond — and what would be an appropriate answer? We’ll help you showcase your personal achievements in a way that optimizes your strengths and resonates with the selection committee.

• You will also learn how to attend top-tier schools for free or a fraction of the price. Just like shopping for a car, you shouldn’t expect to pay the sticker price to attend a prestigious college. We’ll help you navigate the scholarship and financial aid process and make sure you understand how to fill out those complicated forms.

RECEIVE SUPPORT IN ASSESSING AND DEVELOPINGYOUR IDEAL CAREER

• You need to deeply understand yourself to make optimal choices about your future. What do you value? What are your passions? What makes you unique? How can you best convey who you are in your college applications?

• You will receive support in assessing and developing your ideal career profile and path, along with an action plan to help get you there. In addition, we’ll take you behind the scenes to some of the world’s most innovative companies — including the Jet Propulsion Lab, Children’s Hospital of LA, Fox Animation, Latham & Watkins, GOLIN, Los Angeles City Hall, Counsel General of Mexico, USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, Disney, Hulu and more.

• You’ll experience what it’s like to build rockets bound for space, explore cures for cancer or establish a startup venture. You’ll hear from recent college graduates about the intricacies of their work environments, how they landed their positions and how you might pursue a similar course — or chart your own path.

PERSONALIZED TEST PREPARATION TAILORED TO YOUR FOCUS AREAS

The program offers the highest quality, personalized test preparation tailored to your focus areas.

You’ll take numerous practice exams that simulate the real thing, helping you build confidence and understand what to expect. At the completion of our program, you’ll have reached your personal best score.

FOSTER EDUCATIONAL, CAREER AND PERSONAL GOALS

Learn the language and culture of American higher education while staying true to your roots. We engage students in a systematic process intended to foster educational, career and personal goals by connecting you with a broad spectrum of institutional and community resources. Our process honors life experiences — both achievements and roadblocks — as you work to build the future of your dreams.

We’ll help you build time-management and study habits that will help you succeed in college. You’ll learn how to access student support resources. Where do you go for help on campus? How do you talk to college professors? What style of email will elicit the most useful response? Help-seeking is a sign of maturity, not weakness, so we’ll help you get comfortable asking for what you need to succeed.

Students apply for USC Bovard Scholars during their junior year in high school. Selected students receive one-on-one guidance — personalized to meet their individual needs. We offer the program at no cost to students or families. USC will pay for transportation to and from campus for students coming from outside of Southern California.