Academic Honors and FellowshipsThird Year: Focus & Prepare
Focus this year:
Reflect on the experiences you’ve built over the past two years and begin connecting them to your future goals. Strengthen your writing, seek feedback from mentors, and prepare thoughtful, authentic applications that communicate your interests, values, and potential.
Tips to keep in mind:
- Create a list of fellowships want to explore and make note of deadlines
- As your portfolio grows, look for connections between your experiences rather than simply adding to a list. Identify recurring interests, skills, and values that can help you tell a cohesive story about who you are and where you want to go.
- Start identifying which faculty and mentors you want to ask for letters of recommendation
- Continue meeting with USC Pre-Professional Programs and how they can help prepare you for future career goals
- Meet with your academic advisor to learn more about directed research courses in your major (490x courses)
- Use Handshake and the Career Center to find internship and summer opportunities
- Connect with the Writing Center for support with scholarship and fellowship application essays
- Start researching what Commencement Honors you might want to apply for, including USC Scholar Distinctions
How to Prepare
This is the time to synthesize your experiences and communicate your goals with clarity and purpose. The following are suggestions for building a portfolio in your third year:
Refine your academic direction
Take challenging and intentional courseworkthat aligns with your interests and long-term goals. Consider electives that deepen your expertise, expose you to interdisciplinary perspectives, or support future fellowship, graduate school, or career aspirations.
Maintain and strengthen faculty relationships
Stay connected with professors and mentors who know your work well. Schedule conversations about your recent achievements, academic interests, future plans, and opportunities for research, collaboration, or letters of recommendation.
Meet with AHF to begin application processes
Identify which opportunities in our Advising Portfolio align with your interests and future goals and complete an Intake Form during the appropriate advising period to meet with a fellowship advisor.
Expand leadership roles beyond positional influence
You don’t need to go after the fancy titles. Take on meaningful leadership roles by leading a project, mentoring others, or deepening the impact in your community.
Reflect on high-impact experiences
Whether you’ve studied abroad, completed an internship, conducted research, or participated in community engagement, spend time reflecting on what you learned and how those experiences influenced your goals. Reflection often becomes the foundation for compelling essays and interviews.
Study abroad in the Fall or Spring semester
If you aren’t able to take a whole semester abroad, consider short-term opportunities like Maymesters, Julymesters, Problems Without Passports & Summer Programs
Attend AHF writing and application workshops
Participate in writing workshops, information sessions, and Fellowship Friday offerings, to strengthen your writing, receive feedback, and learn strategies for competitive applications
Practice communicating your story
Look for opportunities to talk about your experiences; through presentations, mock interviews, networking conversations, or class discussions. The more you practice articulating your goals and experiences, the more confident you’ll become in future applications and interviews.
Seek opportunities to share your work
Present your research, creative work, or projects through campus symposiums, conferences, performances, publications, or community events. Sharing your work demonstrates initiative while helping you build confidence communicating your ideas. Consider presenting and attending our spring Signature Events.
Applications to Consider
Third 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
Beinecke Scholarship
$34,000 of need-based graduate school funding for Ph.D. or terminal degree in arts, humanities and social sciences.
junior
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 U.S. Student Program
One year Study/Research grant in over ~140 countries OR one year English Teaching Assistantship grant in over ~75 countries. USC campus process begins spring of junior year at the earliest.
senior and alumni
Marshall Scholarship
Graduate degree funding in the United Kingdom to promote US and UK exchange. USC campus process begins as rising senior at the earliest.
senior and alumni
Rhodes Scholarship
1-3 years of graduate degree funding at the University of Oxford. USC campus process begins as rising senior at the earliest.
senior and alumni
Truman Scholarship
Up to $30,000 for graduate school for students with extensive record of public service intending to pursue careers in government or other public sectors.
junior
Udall Scholarship
$7,000 merit-based scholarship for students pursuing careers in tribal health, tribal public policy, or the environment.
sophomore – junior