Logo: University of Southern California

Viterbi Grad School Hosts Prospective Student day

Setting the bar introducing potential applicants to the USC postgrad community
Lisa Heckaman
November 15, 2010 —

More than 200 hopefuls vying for a chance to gain admission to the top ten-ranked Engineering school were given the opportunity to meet faculty, alumni and currently enrolled USC students in this field.

Prospective graduate students visit on Preview Day
The program for Preview Day is designed to answer questions about the school, the students, faculty and staff.

Students meet individually with faculty in their research area, have multiple opportunities to meet with current students in formal and informal surroundings and tour the facilities and research centers, while seeing what opportunities are available as a USC Viterbi Engineering Student.

The school prides itself on setting the bar welcoming prospective graduate students to campus to introduce them to the community that is Viterbi.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering Dean Yannis C, Yortsos welcomed the eager crowd, while enthusiastically communicating his vision for the engineering school and the discipline, and the Engineering+™ concept widely embraced by the School.

Kelly Goulis, Associate Dean, Master’s and Professional Programs (MAPP), provided an overview about the engineering Master’s programs, including the unique and innovative online delivery options for working professionals. Afterwards, students attended breakout sessions with department chairs and faculty members, where they had the opportunity to learn about their discipline of interest.                      

Students interested in the Viterbi School of Engineering check in to see the schedule of events planned for the annual Graduate Student Preview Day, held on campus each Fall.

The sessions were followed by a “Current Student” panel consisting of men and women from the Master’s programs, speaking to the excited crowd about their experience at USC. "I realized that the opportunities to excel - whether learning and applying theory and performing hands-on experiments in the classroom or doing research on micro aerial vehicles, or building airplanes to compete in annual competitions - were endless at Viterbi”, said Shanling Yang, MS-Aerospace Engineering Program. The prospective students spent a full hour asking practical questions of the current Viterbi Graduate students such as favorite faculty, research protocol methods, and resources available on campus.

Professor Maja Matarić, Senior Associate Dean for Research was the Keynote Speaker during the luncheon. She presented a fascinating glimpse into her own research and demonstrated the unparalleled research and opportunities at the Viterbi School. Prospective students also got the chance to dine with professors and alumni during the luncheon. The Trojan Marching Band made a surprise appearance to perform for the attendees as well.

Following the luncheon, attendees toured department labs led by Academic Advisors. This provided insight into the technology, resources, and strength of the Viterbi engineering community. Students also had a full schedule of optional events, such as tours of the Distance Education Network (DEN) with Binh Tran, DEN’s Executive Director, a general USC Campus tour, and participate in a Financial Aid Workship with Jessica Medina from the Financial Aid Office.

Camillia Lee-Shono, Director, Graduate Recruitment and Marketing at USC Viterbi MAPP was thrilled about the turnout and overall event. “Preview Day is an opportunity to showcase our unique graduate programs and talent within the school. I was so pleased to see students come from across the country – New York, Florida, Texas, and even Puerto Rico – to learn more about what the Viterbi School has to offer”.

For more information about the Graduate Programs at The USC Viterbi School of Engineering, please visit http://viterbi.usc.edu/mapp.