Academic Honors and FellowshipsSecond Year: Build & Engage
Focus this year
Build on the foundation you established during your first year by deepening your involvement in activities that matter to you. Seek opportunities to take on new responsibilities, explore your interests more intentionally, and begin connecting your experiences to the impact you hope to make in your community, field, or future career.
Tips to Keep in Mind
- Connect with upperclass peers to learn from their experiences
- Check in with professors at office hours about research or project experiences
- Use Handshake and the Career Center to find internship and summer opportunities
- Apply for campus grants and scholarships to support your goals
- Meet with your academic advisor to learn about Honors programs in your declared major(s)
- Explore the resources and support available through USC Pre-Professional Programs
How to Prepare
Remember: You don’t have to have it all figured out. Curiosity and consistency will take you far. The following are suggestions for building a portfolio in your second year:
Select and work towards declared academic programs
Consider programs with an interdisciplinary emphasis and look into the Renaissance Scholar Distinction.
Gain research or creative experiences
Identify a question or topic you want to explore further. Assist a professor with research, join a lab or studio, or pursue an independent project.
Seek internships and opportunities
Explore internships, part-time jobs, or shadowing experiences aligned with your interests.
Consider study abroad or short-term programs
Explore programs that expand your perspective. Identify funding opportunities on campus that can make this a possibility.
Develop leadership skills
Take on a leadership role in a student organization or project you care about. Lead by listening, collaborating, and showing up.
Get involved in your community
Volunteer, tutor, or participate in service programs that connect to causes that you care about.
Participate in mock interviews
Practice, practice, practice. Interview skills are developed to discuss and articulate your goals clearly and successfully.
Continue building your portfolio
Add new experiences, projects, and reflections. Note which skills you’re developing. Research opportunities available to juniors so you can begin preparing application materials accordingly.
Attend our USC Signature Events
Attend our Undergraduate Symposium and Writers’ Conference. Reflect on what issues, communities or topics sparked your curiosity and keep a list of topics you might want to explore further.
Applications to Consider
Second year applicants may be eligible for the following opportunities:
USC Academic Achievement Award
Funding to support USC undergraduate student traveling to African countries for study, research, internships, or service-based learning. Available to current students that started their studies at USC before Fall 2025.
sophomore – senior
USC Africa Student Fund
Funding to support USC undergraduate student traveling to African countries for study, research, internships, or service-based learning.
first-year – senior
USC Leonard D. Schaeffer Fellows in Government Service
10-week, full-time government service summer internships with elected officials and agencies at the federal, state or local level.
sophomore – junior
Astronaut Scholarship
$10,000 scholarship recognizing exceptional undergraduate STEM research.
sophomore – junior
Boren Scholarship
Up to one year of study abroad, with focus on language study and future career paths in national security or the federal government.
first-year – senior
Critical Language Scholarship
8-10 week summer overseas intensive language and cultural immersion program to learn 1 of 15 critical-need languages.
first-year – graduate student
Fulbright UK Summer Institutes
3-4 week summer academic and cultural immersion programs at universities in the United Kingdom.
first-year – sophomore
Gilman International Scholarship
Year-round study abroad funding for Federal Pell Grant recipients.
first-year – senior
Goldwater Scholarship
$7,500 scholarship for undergraduate STEM majors with highly competitive GPAs intending to pursue a research career.
sophomore – junior
Udall Scholarship
$7,000 merit-based scholarship for students pursuing careers in tribal health, tribal public policy, or the environment.
sophomore – junior