Does anyone know if you can stay in dorm all 4 years at USC?
no you can’t. but there are lots of appts surrounding USC, many owned by the University , and are available through the Housing office.
@WWWard The $50K from CMU was a combination of merit and need-based. CMU calculated that my EFC is around 20K (same as FAFSA) while USC calculated that my EFC is 64K. As you can tell I’m pretty confused by the different calculations that USC has used.
@onlyamom1, I am sure it is frustrating to not have been offered as much fin aid as other schools. Were they similar in terms of being private universities vs. public? Hope USC will reconsider your situation so at least you can visit and keep it in the running. Good luck with your appeal.
@vimold Well I would just contact FA & confirm that USC has a complete picture… and maybe ask them how two different institutions (both committed to meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need) came up with a different calculation of perceived need. Good luck.
@cheekychapstick: I would concur with opinions expressed earlier that at least one consideration is the area of the US you might wish to settle. At the risk of stating the obvious, if good weather, a bit less congestion and stress sounds appealing, then USC would be the better option. I work in finance (investment management) and while there are of course numerous financial services firms in NYC, I can tell you definitively that there are a LARGE number of financial services firms in CA; I typically talk with 3-5 different ones each week.
While others with experience can attest to the value of the Trojan network (and others may also be able to speak to the quality of USC’s finance dept), I would expect that if you’re on campus at USC with a good academic record, you would likely have no issue lining up an internship, and ultimately full-time employment, with any number of these firms. To this point, suggest you review USC’s career services dept website and possibly its finance dept website to get a sense for the variety of finance-oriented firms recruiting there regularly, as it’s much easier to get an interview with a company that regularly recruits on your campus (albeit with more competition). Good luck with your decision!
@vimold : First, congrats on getting into both schools! As for CMU, we just got back from a visit to it and several others on the East Coast last week. Have you visited CMU? What do you intend to study? I must confess I was quite impressed, and a lot of preconceived notions about CMU, its student body and location were quickly discarded. Our daughter plans to study materials engineering, and we were very impressed with their labs, plus a professor spent about 45 min with her one on one, and another PhD gave her a tour of all the undergraduate labs–and even one grad lab. It’s about 5 mi south of downtown Pittsburgh, they’ve completed several new engineering/science bldgs recently, and the new Tepper Business School bldg under construction is almost complete–and quite striking. After the trip, I’m fairly confident our daughter will apply there next year. I will defer to others on this forum for their takes on USC, as we haven’t visited yet. Best of luck, and let us know what you decide!
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@“Idaho Father”
Thank you! I’m excited about both schools!
I’ve visited CMU and intend to get a BCSA (Bachelors in Computer Science and Art). From where I’m from, CMU is definitely an extremely reputable school for STEM (especially engineering and CS) and your daughter should definitely apply! My only concerns with CMU is its location (I’m from California and not thrilled to be giving up the sun) and the fact that it’s a smaller school. I agree that the facilities are amazing though and I’ve been treated very well by the school - from meeting with professors to speaking with admissions counselors there. It was my top choice for a very long time until I visited USC a few months ago which quickly became my new dream school.
This will definitely be a difficult decision and I have to admit that both schools are truly amazing 
If I signed up for housing on Wednesday morning and requested all McCarthy room types, will I be guaranteed housing there? I am a trustee recipient.
I 100% want to live in the village and would be really bummed if I couldn’t.
@piranhavator Everybody thinks they would be bummed to not get their first choice housing but somehow they survive. A good lesson to learn in college is to be adaptable. You should be fine and will find out for sure when everyone else does.
Does anyone know if SCA Tv and Film productions students can double major?
@WWWard How much is the student health fee? What items are apart of the “Personal & Miscellaneous” section in the COA? Why is estimated housing cost on my financial aid package more than all the costs of the housing options at USC that I saw in the booklets they sent me?
@SexMeUpLadies, the housing options printed in the booklets that were sent to students with the admission packet is for one semester, not two! That is one reason the costs are not the same as on your financial aid statement that estimates the total cost of two semesters of lowest cost option dorm housing at USC.
Student health fee is roughly $1,000. If you or your family have your own health insurance, USC will remove that cost from your total if you request it. However, you can not remove the mandatory fee that includes having access to the student health center on campus.
Finally, the misc section includes transportation. A $500 allotment is included but seems to be low for out of state students, especially those coming from the East Coast. Seems like $500 would cover one flight to move in for one person (grossly underestimates move in) and with no travel allotted for holidays such as Thanksgiving, Xmas, spring break…
@piranhavator, you should be good to go for the Village, as a Trustee Scholar. Understandable that you would be disappointed if you could not. There are some advantages to other dorms outside of the village, but S would also seek out McCarthy, as a Presidential, if he attends USC.
These were the actual semester charges seen for my current freshman last fall (for Fall 2017)…
07/21/2017 New Student Fee Fa2017 $350.00 (only charged once)
07/21/2017 N. Topping Student Aid Fund Fa2017 $8.00
07/21/2017 Student Health Center - Fa2017 $334.00
07/21/2017 Student Programming Fee - Fa2017 $64.00
07/21/2017 Student Health Insurance Fa2017 $670.00 (can be waived if your family insurance is sufficient)
07/21/2017 UnderGrad Tuition, Flat Fee Fa2017 $26,724.00
07/24/2017 Apartment Meal Plan Fa2017 $630.00
Had she been in USC Housing, it would have also included a Room charge and a much higher Board charge.
There is no actual cost breakdown or charges for “Personal & Miscellaneous”. It is simply a presumed need. You do not necessarily have to spend it. Everything in the COA is simply perceived need other than the real costs above… or for actual room/board costs that you experience.
If you end up spending less… and most can especially do so after the freshman year, you simply reap the benefit or do not spend it. They still list it as a perceived need for every semester going forward based on costs for the average student (and not you specifically)… and for many, grants and aid are based on that perceived need… even if you really spend less. For those receiving significant FA, this can then work out in your favor… especially over time or if you do not spend as much as the estimates.
USC FA estimating your housing costs or board costs to be more can then potentially be to your advantage… if FA is involved.
Has anyone gotten the FIRST Robotics Scholarship?
I have a question about the various admitted student programs. Are they basically designed for students who haven’t decided if they are going to attend USC or another school? We have already paid the enrollment deposit and I’m not sure if I want to drive my kiddo into LA an extra time if the program is basically a sales pitch for something we’ve already committed to.
Who would be the correct person to contact to see if it’s possible to increase a merit scholarship? I know it’s a long shot but a small increase in the University Scholarship my son received would probably make USC possible. Called Financial aid but they said they don’t deal with merit scholarships. Would it be an admissions counselor?
@NotJustAMom2022 If you have already visited and are committed, I would skip the events now and simply schedule an orientation session instead for over the summer.
@naevia I would email the assigned admission counselor directly and ask him or her.
@WWWard Thanks!