Mumbai: The University of Southern California (USC), one of the world’s leading private research universities, successfully concluded its India tour to bring together various opportunities and prospects open to Indian students. Katharine Harrington, Vice President of Admissions and Planning, visited leading schools across Mumbai and Delhi, engaging with students and parents, and connected with a large alumni base during the event.
USC, based in Los Angeles, has always placed an equal emphasis on achievement and inclusivity, expanding admissions outreach across the globe. Recently in a survey released by Wall Street Journal & Times Higher Education that emphasizes results ahead of reputation, the university recorded high scores across all four measurement categories: Outcomes, Resources, Engagement and Environment and has been ranked number 15 among 1,000 U.S colleges and universities.
India has always been a strong contributor of exceptional students to the University of Southern California, and is its second largest market after China. Since 2012, the university has witnessed an increase of 63 percent in the total number of enrolment of Indian students, with the number of graduates and undergraduates from India doubling in the past four years from 1,319 in 2012 to 2,153 in 2016.
In addition to Mumbai and Delhi, the University has been reaching out to students from reputed schools in Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Ooty and Kodaikanal. Some of these schools include the likes of Aditya Birla World Academy, Dhirubhai Ambani International, Podar International, John and Cathedral, and Campion. Every year, the university visits around 40 schools across the country, connecting with students and providing information on the different programs the university offers.
The University has a PhD scholarship agreement with the Science and Engineering Research Board in India to support PhD students coming to USC. The university’s Viterbi School of Engineering is especially active in India, with a number of partnership and collaboration agreements with the leading Indian Institutes of Science and Indian Institutes of Technology, all around India. USC also offers a unique programme, ‘Hollywood Health’ for Indian screenwriters, to highlight current socio-economic issues the country is facing.
Renowned business icon, Mr. Ratan Tata is a sitting member of the board of trustees and was inducted into the prestigious National Academy of Engineering. Mr. Girish Karnad, who has played an instrumental role in reshaping Indian theatre in the second half of the 20th century, has also been among the few to be awarded an honorary degree at USC in May 2011.
Katharine Harrington, Vice President of Admissions and Planning, and Dean, Academic Records, The University of Southern California (USC) shared, “The university has placed a dual emphasis on achievement and inclusivity, expanding admissions outreach to include more than 2,000 high schools in the U.S. and continuing to recruit across the Asia Pacific to identify the best students possible. India continues to be a strong contributor to the pool of exceptional students and houses some great talent. We are extremely elated by the overwhelming response from Indian students and the educational fraternity in India.”
