No. We have members from all majors at USC, from CSBA to Music. DPE prides itself on our diverse academic involvements.

No, but we recommend that you come to as many events as you can to make the most of your experience! You can submit an application even if you cannot attend all of the events. While recruitment events are not mandatory, they are a fundamental part of us learning more about you as a potential new member. For this reason if you have any circumstance preventing you from attending recruitment events please feel free to reach out (dpedelta@usc.edu) about your situation so we can evaluate your application holistically!

Come as you are! Be yourself. Attend as many events as possible and talk to as many Actives as you can. There is no required preparation to rush DPE, just bring yourself and an open mind. We are excited to get to know you!

To be considered, we expect a headshot and resume. We understand that a lot of applicants have just joined college, so we do not weigh in on your resume heavily, it helps us get a snapshot of your experiences and how it relates to your application. We also understand not everyone has a professional headshot, therefore, a selfie is more than enough. If you attended recruitment events, it can help our actives to better identify you with a name.

Statement Regarding Headshots & DEI

We request that each applicant submits a headshot to help us match applications to potential new members that we met during recruitment events. Recruitment events are a great way for our organization to get to know you, and we do not want your participation to be lost during our review of applications. Formal headshots are by no means a requirement; a selfie works as well. We simply request this for identification purposes. - Sam Augustin, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

As USC’s premier foreign service society, we recognize that a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion strengthens our community as well as bolsters our members’ development within our four pillars. Thus, we encourage applicants of all backgrounds, majors, and years to apply. During our recruitment process we employ a holistic review of each applicant; we consider every facet of an applicant’s application- question responses, resume, as well as involvement during recruitment week.

New member dues are $295 and Active dues are $250. However, we do provide need-based scholarships and we meet 100% of all needs. Dues are used to fund professional events like symposium, humanitarian events like Week of Action, and community events like Invite, Retreat, and Mixers.

Your time at DPE is what you make out of it. As a new member, you can expect to put aside at least 3-4 hours per week. However, most of these are a part of meeting other actives, attending professional events, DEI Workshops, Professor coffee chats, or Humanitarian work.

DPE boasts of a successful alumni base with alums who work for the State Department, Goldman Sachs, Teach for America, and attend law or graduate school at esteemed institutions. You can always seek mentorship through them. We also host professional events where we work on your resume, interview skills, casing skills, and host a bi-annual career symposium where you can meet with industry professionals and academia.

Absolutely, we do not consider class standing when evaluating our applications. Some of our most involved members joined as juniors and/or as seniors.