<p>My guess is there was a lot going on that day, UCLA as you mentioned brings in a ton of people and if over winter break, many families are visiting campus with their high schoolers. I have been to campus many random times (I have an athlete there) and while there is always hustle and bustle at USC, I feel like I am the only mom in the crowd. The only place I feel the big crowd is around the food center which seems like a street fair - I love that atmosphere (even if I am older and out of place 
) So I think you were there on some kind of event day. I never liked how Stanford feels more like a tourist destination than a school (way too many buses and giant groups of people with cameras). USC is nothing like that madness, but there is always stuff happening, I love how alive the campus feels. And if you are there on a football game day - that is an experience all it’s own walking the streets of LA to the game!</p>