<p>I have a friend who was valedictorian of her class at a large private school and had high SAT’s (in the 1300’s I think). She didn’t even get offered Capstone and was given no scholarship money at USC. She chose it anyways and is doing well. She was also OOS. The competition for USC is becoming tougher and tougher. It seems that not only are the scores rising every year, but the incoming class is also getting bigger, which means they’re raising their standards. Typically when you think a larger class is coming in, you think the standards would be lower because there are more seats, but that’s being proven false.</p>
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Not my experience at all. I don’t know what long lines your son would be talking about. Paying tuition at the beginning of the semester in person can take about an hour, but if you do it online, it’s quick and easy. Lunch lines at 12 are pretty bad (from what I hear), but those can be avoided by just eating earlier or later (which is what I always do). Other than that, I don’t know what lines you’d be waiting for.</p>
<p>Some things are frustrating, like housing, but in the end, every returning student at USC was offered a place to live on campus even if it was in traditional-style despite the fact that USC only guarantees housing to new freshmen.</p>
<p>To be honest, I haven’t really seen that many advantages of being in Honors. By that, I mean, as a non-honors college student with a 3.952, I’ve never really seen the advantage for me personally to apply to the Honors College. Yes, they have some amazing things to offer, but I’m perfectly happy as a normal student at USC and I really don’t think that being in the Honors College will make or break your experience here. While the Honors College might add to it (with some cool classes, study abroad scholarships, and the Honors dorm), I don’t think that not being in the HC really puts you at a “disadvantage”.</p>
<p>I had small classes. My only large class was Stat 110 with 180 people. All of my other classes ranged from 7 people to about 20. I had some really great professors. I’m getting to take some really great classes. I got to live in a really neat learning community. There’s a lot that the university offers to every student, not just the special ones who are in the Honors College or are student-athletes.</p>