<p>On other college forums the issue of meal plans has been heavily discussed in previous years. If there is a consensus, it is that parents need to overcome their natural desire to protect their offspring by buying the biggest meal plan (ie, the most meals per week), and instead provide the most flexible meal plan. It seems like there are not too many options at USC (which is probably good), but I would suggest planning to eat at the largest variety of places; you can always reduce variety if you are satisfied, but going the other way can be expensive.</p>