USC Ostrow Secondary Overview
USC's Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry collects supplemental questions through AADSAS. Unlike NYU's long "Why us?" essay, USC focuses on application history, academic path, and professional achievements.
Database entry: USC Secondary Questions.
All USC Secondary Prompts
- Have you previously applied to the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC? If so, did you participate in an interview? (2,000 characters)
- Have you taken any classes at a community college? If so, list each institution's name and the number of units you have completed. (2,000 characters)
- Please list your professional achievements and include when and how long. (2,000 characters)
If You Previously Applied
Be direct. State the cycle, whether you interviewed, and — most importantly — what changed: DAT/GPA improvement, new clinical hours, research, leadership, or clearer career focus.
Admissions committees respect growth. Hiding a prior application is worse than owning it with evidence of progress.
Listing Professional Achievements
Treat this like a high-signal resume in paragraph or bullet form:
- Use action verbs + dates + duration
- Include research, employment, clinical assisting, leadership, publications, awards
- Quantify impact when possible (hours, patients, team size, outcomes)
- Don't repeat your entire AADSAS — highlight the strongest, most relevant wins
USC-Specific Tips
- Community college coursework: list institutions and units clearly — no need to over-explain unless there's a story of access or transfer success
- Stay factual and organized; USC's prompts reward clarity over creativity
- Submit within 2 weeks of receiving the secondary
Related guides: UCLA Secondary · NYU Secondary · Full Database
