Spark SC is a student-run entrepreneurship ecosystem at USC dedicated to building communities, unlocking opportunities, and expanding social impact for current and budding entrepreneurs.
Our mission is to foster entrepreneurial thought and action across communities of all backgrounds and interests within and beyond USC.
Our application is now live! It closes on January 25 at 11:59:59 PM. We wrote this roadmap to help applicants understand how we choose our members!
Application Process
🌟 Applications Open Jan 14, 2020
- Our application consists of short response questions. Your answers help us understand who you are, what you’re interested in, and how you relate to our mission. You can find our application on our website!
🎪 Involvement Fairs
Come say hi and sign up in our interest form!
- General Involvement Fair | Thursday, January 16, from 11–2pm.
- Viterbi Involvement Fair | Thursday, January 16, from 10:30–2:30pm.
- Marshall Involvement Fair | Wednesday, January 22, from 11–2pm.
👋 Info Sessions
Chat with us about Spark SC and hear stories illustrating what we do, what we’ve done, and how we envision the future of USC. (We present the same information both times.)
- Info Session 1 | Thursday, January 16, from 8–9:30pm, in JFF 236.
- Info Session 2 | Wednesday, January 22, from 7:30–9pm, in JFF 414.
⌛️ Applications Close
- Applications close January 25 at 11:59PM.
- Three Spark SC Board members will be reading and evaluating your anonymized application.
- You will find out whether you move on by evening Tuesday, January 27.
🌱 Individual Interviews
- Interviews help us get to know our applicants as people. Interviewees chat with two Spark SC members and get a chance to ask individual questions.
- You will find out whether you move on by Thursday morning, January 30.
🧩 Group Interviews
- We conduct a teamwork activity for our second round of interviews. Participating applicants use this opportunity to showcase their ability to think critically and work with others.
Criteria
We recruit people of all backgrounds who are optimistic, creative, thoughtful, driven, and passionate. We specifically look for mission alignment and cultural fit.
We require no experience and do not recruit for skills or majors. Spark SC is dedicated to have diverse educational backgrounds within every future Sparklet cohort.
Spark SC’s Board members study a diverse range of disciplines; this graphic represents our current majors.
Our Criteria
Optimism
- Do you demonstrate belief in your ability to pursue your vision or ideas?
Passion & Drive
- Do you have genuine drive for your passions?
Creativity
- Do you approach situations with unique and interesting perspective?
Mission Fit
- Do you resonate deeply with our mission and values?
Our Deliberations Process
- At Spark SC, each application is read three separate times by three different board members that do not know the identity of the applicant. All members read applications and Core Team normalizes scores.
- Deliberations are done with the whole Spark board after Individual Interviews and with a select, balanced group of Board members after Group Interviews.
- Deliberators may not discuss or advocate for/against applicants they know personally or have worked with previously.
Although there are more applicants than we can accept per semester without losing focus on our mission, you can still get involved!
- Chat at a fireside chat at Founders nights
- Get an internship at Startup Career Fair (spring date TBD!)
- Learn at a fast paced startup as a fellow in Tech.LA
- Mentor under-deserved high school students at Project Launch (applications launch in February!)
- and many more initiatives!
We wish you the best on your application!
— Spark SC ✨
