<p>Thanks for all the great info on this Forum; I am a big fan, but have been a lurker so far! For experienced USC parents or students: 2 questions. I will be heading to Explore USC with my DD this weekend and am worried about her sleeping on a dormroom floor the night before her interview. Is a sleeping bag going to be comfortable enough, or should we bring a camping type sleep pad/mattress of some sort to put under the sleeping bag?Are the floors carpeted? Also, she is signing up for AP tests this week. We know you need to score at least a 4, but are the elective credits worth seeking, since they are not good for waiving classes?? Do they help in getting electives out of the way for a double major or minor or generally not even helpful?</p>
<p>W/ Re: to sleeping on the floor, it’s not all that uncomfortable, and sometimes the explore host will have an air mattress available (unlikely though). It’s just one night, not necessarily worth all of the extra effort. Regarding AP tests, most of the credits you get are completely empty, as (depending on your major) you will need to take a full array of classes that are required to graduate. Where they can help is for the ones that can place you into a higher level (B/C Calculus, Chemistry, and some others) or those that satisfy a GE requirement.</p>
<p>Yes, the floors are carpeted. A sleeping bag should be sufficient, but you’re welcome to bring as much as you would like. Your daughter is young and should be able to last a night on the floor.</p>
<p>You can get out of a few requirements with AP credits listed here: [USC</a> ARR : Articulation : AP Exam Credit at USC](<a href=“http://www.usc.edu/dept/ARR/articulation/apexamcredit.html]USC”>http://www.usc.edu/dept/ARR/articulation/apexamcredit.html), if she is taking any of those I would recommend doing well enough to get a 4 or 5. </p>
<p>As for elective credit, it can be helpful in order to graduate early or lighten the load if you want to slow down the pace and have more free time. However, if your daughter decides to double major or minor then the elective credits really aren’t worth much since she will fulfill the unit requirement with those courses.</p>
<p>I (student) just returned from Explore this past weekend. The program was awesome but the sleeping arrangements were terrible. If possible, I would send your kid with something like a twin sized air mattress. I brought a sleeping bag and a pillow, slept like chit, and felt awful the next day. I still nailed the interview, of course, but sleeping the night before was brutal. The ground is hard and a sleeping back won’t do much. The carpet is like a paper-thin layer over concrete. An air mattress is recommended.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice everyone! If anyone else has thoughts about these 2 topics, please let me know.</p>
<p>Sports stores and stores like Target sell roll up foam camping sleeping pads for about $20, and self-inflating pads for about $30. My kid was lucky to have a mattress to sleep on at Explore, but has survived on dorm floors in a sleeping bag elsewhere, no problems, it probably depends on the kid and the flooring.</p>
<p>I don’t know the details of AP testing or graduating early, but several of my kid’s friends will graduate after 3 years or with a Masters after 4 at least in part due to AP credits.</p>
<p>Oh I forgot to mention that future class registration (2nd semester not 1st semester since this is done at orientation) is done in order by total number of units completed. Elective units from AP/IB/CC count towards this number and the difference between someone coming in with 32 units and someone coming in with 0 units is usually about ~2-3 days. Earlier class registration allows for a better chance at getting preferable times for classes/labs/discussions.</p>
<p>I am a freshman at USC and just hosted someone for Explore! I let the guest have the bed and I slept on the floor (air mattress). That’s what my host did last year, so maybe we started a trend! As for AP credits, I came to USC with the maximum and I am glad I did. Some satisfy GE credits and some allowed me to “waive” requirements for my major. USC is awesome and is more than I could have ever expected! FIGHT ON!!</p>
<p>D has used her AP/IB credits to waive some credits and replace some classes…and it definately helps in registration. She loves USC, and has added a second major, but will still graduate on time.</p>
<p>(Her high school uses AP classes as the first year of the 2 year sequence for HL classes for IB.)</p>
<p>Thanks so much. At Target, I found a Swiss Gear travel single high airbed that comes in a its own rolling duffel bag with room for a little bit of bedding. I am in love with this thing! It self-inflates (just plug in to an outlet) in about 1 minute! It was not cheap, but even my DH thinks it is a handy item to own. If she has a well-prepared host like texascoed, then she won’t need it, but I feel better that at least she’ll have a decent chance at sleep.</p>
<p>Thanks for the AP input. She decided to take 3 tests this year and has 2 from last year</p>