As the USC campus begins the spring semester, USC President C. L. Max Nikias and Mrs. Niki C. Nikias welcome students joining the Trojan Family during a formal convocation ceremony and a post-ceremony reception. Many of the new spring students are transfer students who elect to complete their studies at the University of Southern California. In 2013, the average GPA of college transfer students was 3.7, and more than 1,400 highly competitive students join the student body each year.