@green26knight Enjoy the first big visit! I will be at USC for an event tomorrow. 
@green26knight, glad to be of assistance. Will look forward to your report on Hotel Indigo. That does sound like a great rate! Much to explore as you said. Enjoy your trip.
Thanks for all the great hotel information. We will definitely be looking to visit USC a fair amount over the next four years as our youngest attends there. Hotels near the beach sound great as we are from the Midwest. Also, we are interested in hearing about downtown hotels near the metro so we don’t always have to rent a car. We appreciate everyone sharing hotel info as well as parking and transportation options.
@Isoinfo, I personally am not a big fan of downtown L.A. for lodging if I am going to be there for more than a night or two. It’s great for a specific sporting or music event or on an early visit to get a sense of using the metro to and from USC, but for a longer family visit to Southern CA, I prefer Hermosa or Manhattan Beach which is relaxing at the end of the day or to start your day walking along the Strand if you do not have to be at USC first thing in the morning.
On our last visit for ExploreUSC and the interview, we mixed it up. We spend the first night at the Raddison for convenience. The second night S spent the night in the Village with an Honors student while I stayed the night with my cousin in West L.A. The last night we stayed in Hermosa Beach to enjoy a little bit of the beach and relax after the interview. I normally don’t like to spend a night in a different location three nights in a row but that is how it ended up going on the last trip :-). Ultimately it may come down to personal preference.
@Nomorelurker I definitely agree with you about preferring not to spend each night in a different place, but sometimes it can’t be avoided. Being near the beach while visiting daughter at USC sounds perfect! Thanks for your insight and advice.
I got into USC’s ttp program where I can go to USC in my sophomore year. is it really worth it? I really want to go to USC but the financial aspect of it is holding me back. @CADREAMIN
hey do you guys know what a 3.0 out of 4.0 at USC looks like in terms of letter grades? Also, is this difficult to achieve generally?
@candylover132 I think you’re referring to the Trojan Transfer Plan? There’s a separate thread about it that’s very informative. I think you’ll find it more relevant for your concerns and you’ll also get more responses to your post.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/1975778-the-trojan-transfer-plan-p1.html
It sounds like a great option and congratulations on the option! Fight on!
Would a C and 2 Bs lead to getting rescinded?
Hi everyone! I finally got my FAST info and committed to USC yesterday. It appears though that I’m going to have a B+ for the second semester on my report card. I took a quarter long dual enrollment Macroeconomics course and I finished it with an 87%. The rest of my grades are super high A’s (ASB, Physics, AP English Lit, and AP Gov) so I can’t imagine them dropping below an A-. Would one B lead to me getting rescinded? It would only be my 2nd B in all of high school (my first was in AP Chem). Sorry if this is a dumb question I just don’t want my dream ripped away from me over this stupid class (I despise economics lol).
Oh goodness no. Not a worry at all. Why would you think that? You poor kids need to relax. Don’t make up unnecessary stress and enjoy what is left of senior year!
@WWWard How did your Freshman get into an apartment first year?
And how did the aid adjust when you made that housing decision?
Her senior-to-be sister was not able to remain or get what she wanted through USC Housing, so she located a 2BR/2BA apartment (set up for 4) near Troy and found two roommates but needed one more. My younger daughter just opted to go with more room & nice amenities and to live with her sister. It also allowed me to save a great deal of money compared to what USC Housing (room/board) times two would have cost me.
I do not recommend this approach for other freshmen though. You need the on campus experience (either main or Village), especially to get oriented and make new friends, etc. Ours was just a unique experience. I do not even really recommend Cardinal Gardens for freshmen (if that remains an option).
If you desire more room and a private bath, try for a Parkside or Village suite. Webb used to be an apartment option for freshmen, but it was not so last year. Not sure about this year. My older daughter lived there as a freshman. It at least though is on campus. After Parkside or the Village, I would recommend Fluor third and International last. Of course, these are just for suites. Many are fine with dorm rooms / community baths (with or without A/C) and that more traditional freshman year experience. Mine were not okay with such as a perceived trade-off for a more social environment. To them, a private bath and more space and A/C were all far more important. But they were also coming from FL… where living without A/C is unbearable. Thankfully USC affords its freshman many choices. Many colleges and universities do not.
As for aid… it does not adjust at all or from year to year based on what you actually spend. They list in your perceived need or expected cost category what the average USC student spends on room and board. If in years two to four, you actually spend $1500-4000 less, which can be common, you simply reap the benefit of spending less. They do not adjust based on your actual costs or the amounts actually spent.
What kind of grades specifically would be required to get rescinded? I know the website doesn’t specify but does anyone have a general idea of where that cutoff lies? I recently committed to USC and am concerned. Thanks!
^^^
Just speculating… but As and Bs or even one C & should remain safe. Any drop-off beyond that could be something for colleges to evaluate or question. My advice is to simply do your very best.
@Isoinfo, @green26knight and @reservationsfor3 , if S matriculates, I will probably also look into Airbnb which I’ve never used before but some friends have had good experiences domestically and internationally. By the way, @green26knight, how was Hotel Indigo?
This thread has quieted down. I am wondering if there are many out there who are still undecided between USC and other options? Whether due to financial considerations, other strong offers, or other reasons, will it come down to the wire on May 1st? How are the students and parents doing? What are some of the considerations? Is anyone considering an Ivy over USC? Also wondering if waiting too long to decide might impact the roommate search.
This is always an interesting and dramatic transition period for applicants & their families. You go from hoping for a # of admissions to now evaluating each of those admits on a variety of fronts. Eventually - you can choose to pursue only one. For many, the realizations related to cost alone become a deciding factor. I will be curious to see how the #s finalize this cycle in comparison to the prior couple years in terms of USC. Will the yield rate continue to climb (from 34% in 2016 to 37% in 2017) or not? Some will even have to commit while awaiting potential wait-list decisions elsewhere. All in all, it is now likely more about inward reflection, family discussions and financial realities than it is about any form of online discussions/debate. Ultimately, 5200 or so of the 8250 admitted this cycle to USC will likely enroll elsewhere. Many will come to that decision to part with the USC dream reluctantly… but these types of real world decisions are among the initial first critical steps on the road to adulthood. Over time, we all learn to face set-backs, rejections or merely tough choices.
Good luck to all of this year’s applicants and their families as they choose among their options. It is a four-year commitment for the vast majority… so choose wisely.