I have a friend who selected the full ride at USC for similar reasons. However, it didn’t end up being a match either academically or socially, which was a terrible surprise. My friend ultimately transferred out and then paid full price to have a wonderful college experience elsewhere. This is nothing against USC in particular; it’s a truly excellent school and a great match for the vast majority of students considering it. College selection is deeply personal, and all that we well-intentioned folks can do is offer our thoughts. My only advice is to be sure you’re not blinded by the USC money or by the Harvard brand. If both schools are a match for you in different ways, then you are truly set and can’t make a bad decision here. In your shoes, reasonable people would choose differently from each other. From your post, it sounds like you’re doing your due diligence and carefully considering your options, so I wish you the very best!