Thank you so much for the detailed explanation. This is very helpful as always!
@5OnTheHill We kept ours on our PPO and opted out of the school provided insurance. We are in CA so it made it easy to know everything worked great. They still had access to the health center (you do pay health center fee as @WWWard mentioned but not for insurance by completing a waiver) but were not limited by the school’s policy when they went off campus (they can’t see just anybody like they can on their PPO). We had some bad experiences at the health center (not always but a couple things that mattered) and were glad we could easily see outside doctors in certain situations that wouldn’t have been covered in the Aetna network. And we didn’t want to deal with referrals from the health center. The health center has gotten better in last 3 years or so compared to several years ago.
@5OnTheHill You’re welcome.
@CADREAMIN
Thank you! Super helpful to have another perspective.
@5OnTheHill Not trying to sell anything, but just something to add to your consideration is your student’s current doctor(s) - if they like them, would they be covered on the Aetna plan? Likely not?
Mine have seen the same physician/family doctor through college (the one they got after the pediatrician) that they still see. Point is, because they have a relationship with that doctor who knows their histories, my student could email/video call what was up and they would treat/prescribe to CVS anywhere (and could pick up in LA), without the hassle of having to prove yourself worthy of an antiobiotic or whatever at the health center. Sometimes the health center works well, sometimes is does not. We have been on the “doesn’t work well side” more than once so I am admittedly a bit jaded here.
So we have used the health center for some immediate need stuff, but have also opted out and just gone to other urgent cares or doctors in LA, but they keep their relationships and visits with their regular doctors, dentists, dermatologist, ob/gyn, etc., back home over holidays and summer breaks.
S20 has his freshman, fall term schedule. Still doesn’t feel real. 
@CADREAMIN
Thank you. This is exactly what we do with our older daughter at Cal Poly, although there, the student health center provides a lot of services very inexpensively. I appreciate your perspective!
@5OnTheHill my D is still on our PPO. Like others have said, the campus health center is hit or miss. She has found an urgent care close to campus that she really likes. She is accident prone and gets sick a lot so has had to find several specialists through Keck. She’s had great luck with all of them- dermatologist, ENT, and a couple of orthopedics (depending on which body part she’s injured ?).
As a parent, I can still vividly recall some of the various discussions – and especially those involving certain warnings – that I had with each of my two daughters before they headed off to USC. One key area of discussion involved alcohol and drug use and warnings about drug interactions.
I suggest that both parents and incoming freshmen… regardless of the future college or university… review this linked to article below about the 4 drug-related deaths that unfortunately occured last year at USC. The cruel reality is that some students will be more susceptible to issues related to stress management or even depression. Some students will also look to college as a time to experiment further with alcohol and various drugs. Some college programs are even more likely to promote elevated tensions and added pressure among those taking those majors. All of this should be considered and possibly discussed in detail further.
While it may be impossible to prevent all such dangerous outcomes, as detailed in this article, one key step in the right direction is further and even extended education on the topic and some frank / direct communication between students and their parents and among student peers themseleves.
Hopefully this article will simply enhance some reflection on managing the college experience…
While we await USC’s announcement of move-in dates for fall freshmen, wondering if current parents can give a view on how long parents may want to plan to be in town during move-in? I assume students will be wanting to meet dorm mates and do orientation activities and that parents likely book travel to depart the day after move-in? Or would it be advisable to stick around an extra day to do any needed shopping runs?
Son will be in McCarthy and normal schedule is to move-in a full week before classes begin on 8/17, but guessing this may be compressed this year. Trying to rough out summer schedule and who needs to be where and when. Thanks for any input.
I guess it depends on where you are coming from. I have heard of CA parents driving in and out all within the same day or maybe just staying 1-2 nights in some cases. As I was coming in from FL, I usually stayed 2-3 nights whenever I flew out. I was usually there at least one full day after move-in for what you describe… shopping trips, etc. But my time out there has also involved sight-seeing, exploring L.A. and even Disney. This year will like be very streamlined for most though due to covid… unfortunately. If available, the USC Hotel is super convenient, but I have also stayed in downtown L.A. and Koreatown.
Very helpful, much appreciated. Will also be flying in, and have a few questions about those logistics.
How did you manage transporting all the stuff? Ship it in advance, carry it on board, pick up at local UPS store, pick up pre-orders from retailers like Target or Bed, Bath, and Beyond? Any lessons learned gratefully received.
I expect the school will give direction after dorms are assigned, but wondering if we’ll be able to ship boxes, collect them on campus on move-in day, and help student get them to dorm room that day? I expect this is all hard-wired and runs smoothly, just not sure what to expect. Or how early in August to start packing and shipping.
Personally, my daughters flew in on Southwest, so that they could have two bags checked in for free and also carry on-board a backpack and third smaller bag. We also ordered a complete linen kit to be delivered to the quad on move-in day via Residential Hall Linens ( ocm dot com ) But there are a # of services like that. That way, they did not have to pack or ship towels, linen, etc. And then once there, I drove them to Bed, Bath and Beyond and Target for other items. There are of course many approaches to this. But, as they start to accumulate things rapidly once there, they really only took the essentials on the plane in terms of clothing, laptops, etc.
Yes… you will get more updates via the school directly too. Once you know the room assignment, you can always send things to their delivery point. This link shows all the customer service centers:
https://housing.usc.edu/index.php/csc/#new-residential-college
Each dorm is assigned to one customer service center. They accept/deliver your mail and packages. I would arrange for things to arrive on move-in day or better yet the 1-2 days before.
And the last suggestion, use Amazon Prime (or the student discounted version, if you do not have a family plan) to have delivered anything else missing or needed over time.
Good luck with it all…
@saltyandpeppery , how do you know your S will be in McCarthy?
DD tells us she hasn’t heard about dorm assignments yet.
dunno, you’re right that room not yet assigned, just guessing McCarthy is likely since it’s the traditional dorm for Honors students who have ranked it as top choice
in this virus year, though, perhaps they’ll reduce density, and any assignment would be fine
The latest I’ve heard is that room assignment and assigned move in date will be released in mid July. I’m sure it is subject to change.
@saltyandpeppery did you register for housing on Feb 3?
Question for the “veteran” parents like @WWWard. We received an “additional info required” from financial aid FAST page. (Our C Schedule - which we had already submitted with our tax returns.) We received our FA decision over a month ago. Can they reconsider/reevaluate? We’re worried because they gave us just enough to be able to comfortably afford the school. With all the cutbacks they’re having to do - can financial aid be one of them?? Thx for any insight! We have registration today! 
@VivienL are you sure it was for your Schedule C and not for the final transcript or something else?
@saltyandpeppery , @lkg4answers , thanks for your replies. I was getting concerned that D had received her dorm assignment but wasn’t aware of it or didn’t let her parents know.
@VivienL I would just resubmit. It happens quite often. This year, they have asked us to resubmit like three things already. While they could potentially reconsider, you could also appeal any negative change. My daughter is still waiting on her FA summary for next year. As a continuing student, those usually arrive by mid-May. So, they are clearly scrambling this year and facing many new challenges. Good luck…