Established in 1920 as the College of Commerce and Business Administration, University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business was renamed after alumnus Gordon S. Marshall in 1997 after a generous $35 million donation.
The Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, established in 1972 as the Entrepreneurship Program, was the pioneer in its field in the United States and is recognized globally.
Part of the USC Trojan Family, Marshall School of Business has 82,000 active alumni across the globe. The school also organizes regular networking events, for its alumni, that can be found in abundance on the school’s official website.
Marshall Cost of Attendance 2021
| Costs | First-Year | Second-Year |
| Tuition (based on 2020-2021 tuition) | $64,575 | $62,525 |
| Fees: | ||
| USC Central Services and Health Fees | 621 | 621 |
| Loan Fees (if applicable) | 1,548 | 1,548 |
| MBA Program Fees | 600 | 300 |
| Books/Supplies | 3,100 | 2,000 |
| Total Living Expenses | 25,252 | 23,924 |
| Total Cost | $95,696 | $90,918 |
Marshall Application Process 2021
| Application Checklist | Requirement |
| Essay Questions | The application consists of the following questions:
Essay 1 (Required) – What is your specific, immediate short-term career goal upon completion of your MBA? Please include an intended position, function, and industry in your response. (word limit: 100) Essay 2 (Required) – Please draft a letter that begins with “Dear Admissions Committee” (word limit: 600) This letter is meant to be your personal statement that provides the Admissions Committee with an understanding of your candidacy for Marshall beyond what is evident in other parts of your application. This essay is purposely open-ended. You are free to express yourself in whatever way you see fit. Our goal is to have an appreciation for and an understanding of each candidate in ways that are not captured by test scores, grades, and resumes. Essay 3 (Optional) Please provide any additional information you would like the admissions committee to consider. (word limit: 250) |
| Professional Resume | A current professional resume must be attached to the application. |
| Transcripts | Transcript submission is a two-step process:
Step #1 – You must upload scanned copies of official transcripts to the online application. Please note that these must be official transcripts printed on university letterhead. Print-outs from online student portals, screenshots, and photographs of transcripts are not acceptable. Step #2 – After you submit your application and have received your 10 digit USC ID number, you must also submit (by mail, courier, or electronic service) official transcripts from all colleges, universities, and other post-secondary institutions you have previously attended. |
| GMAT/GRE | The applicant must report their valid (no less than 5 years old) GMAT/GRE score on the application.
GMAT: 389-9C-23 GRE: 4852 |
| TOEFL/IELTS/PTE | Every applicant whose native language is not English is required to submit valid TOEFL/IELTS/PTE scores during the application process. |
| Application Fee | Not required |
Marshall Application Deadlines 2021
| Round | Application Deadlines | Decision NOTIFICATION |
| Round 1 | October 15, 2020 | December 21, 2020 |
| Round 2 | January 5, 2021 | February 28, 2021 |
| Round 3 | February 28, 2021 | April 15, 2021 |
| Round 4 | March 31, 2021 | April 30, 2021 |
| Round 5 | Rolling Round |
What does the Marshall admissions committee look for?
Collaboration not Competition
Competition is an integral part of any MBA program, so it can never be completely out of the picture. However, at USC Marshall, the small MBA class size of roughly 200-220 students is more collaborative than competitive.
The Marshall community believes in teamwork, and the admissions committee will also be looking for an applicant that can thrive and contribute to such an environment. Most projects that MBA students at Marshall participate in are group projects of 4-5 students.
This makes being a team-player one of the most important virtues for a Marshall student.
Know your Professional Goals and how a Marshall MBA will help you
Two-Years in an MBA program might seem like a long-time during applications, but it isn’t. With the rigorous curriculum set by the faculty at Marshall, you won’t even realize that the program is over when your graduation day arrives.
Every business school wants to know exactly why you chose them, so does Marshall.
The only real way to answer this question is by doing some pre-MBA networking. This will also portray you as taking initiative in the eye of an admissions committee member. However, don’t let your research for the school be limited to networking only.
Rather than answering ‘Why Marshall?’, try answering, ‘How does Marshall’s location benefit your career?’, or ‘How is the program structure at Marshall different from other top schools and how does that benefit you in particular?’.
While the MBA program at Marshall will help you recognize your strengths and chisel out your career path, you will require a rough sculpture to start with. This is why your professional goals matter to the admissions committee. This also helps them analyze how much of a help Marshall can be in your career path, and better understand your reasons for choosing the school.
