HECTIC?? (admitted student questions about usc)

WWWard
Tue, 24 Apr 2018 14:53:38 +0000

I have been to San Diego (great city from what I have seen), but I have never been to UCSD. I also know very little about it. I will thus simply answer in terms of USC. I am not sure what you dislike about the USC campus. It is very nice IMO. Its surrounding neighborhood is really USC’s only drawback, but it is also improving yearly. The new USC Village is amazing.

1. For USC students, L.A. is not really hectic at all unless you choose to make it so. Many do remain in a bubble. I have two daughters there now, and they do venture away from USC often. They enjoying exploring or going off to clubs, shopping venues, the beaches, concerts, etc. L.A. is not right out of your doorstep. You can be in downtown L.A. within 10 mins or so... or head to Venice, Santa Monica, Hollywood, etc., but you have to make the choice to head there.

If you are qualified enough to gain admission to USC, you should not be overwhelmed by an unrelenting course load.

1. The Trojan family & the global strength of its alumni network is very real.

2. The value of a name or reputation is up to you. It will clearly matter to employers eventually though.

3. If you don't know exactly what you want to do, will you get lost in the crowd? No. There are scores of kids annually who arrive at USC unsure or undecided. Switching majors and adding minors, etc, is also all very common.

4. More older daughter is an introvert. She has survived well and graduates next month. My younger daughter is an extrovert. Her USC path seems very different. USC can accommodate all types. You are free to create your own path and journey there.

5. There are many gyms, pools & outlets for physical health. There are also many outlets for mental health, etc.

My daughters especially found the Niche college rankings & surveys helpful, as they included the student & alumni surveys and went into a much broader spectrum of topics of interest to them as potential students other than just comparative academic prowess… like dorms, student life, party scene, athletics team support, etc. You may what to check it out for yourself… and compare the survey results to those for UCSD.

Overall, USC gets an A+ and is currently ranked 19 overall among national universities. Its scores were… Academics A+, Value A+, Diversity A+, Campus A, Athletics A+, Party Scene A+, Professors A+, Location B+, Dorms B+, Campus Food A-, Student Life A+, Safety B. There are also a list of rankings on many topics too numerous to mention. USC is ranked as the #1 big college in America (out of 126) and # 10 out of 1501 colleges in America in terms of the best student life.

Good luck with your decision…