Hello I am admitted to both USC and UCSD, I am a psychology major, however, UCSD admitted me under their Sociology Major with a concentration in Culture and Communication. USC did admit me under their Psychology major.
I understand that USC is expensive and it is in a ghetto area, but it admitted me under Psychology, whereas UCSD admitted me under Sociology.
Any help would be appreciated! I only have 20 days left to decide.
You can transfer freely into Psychology at UCSD, so that’s a non-factor
@hiitsmic Please look through the CC threads on the USC board that discuss USC’s location. There’s no denying it’s in an urban area but based on my (albeit limited) visit, I have to disagree with your description of it as “in a ghetto area.” USC is not the same campus it was 20 or even 10 years ago.
Certainly, you have to be mindful of your surroundings and don’t make decisions that put you at risk, like walking around alone late at night. I found the area immediately surrounding the campus is to be well patrolled, and security is quite visible. My son and I walked from University Village to a hotel on the main road about 10 p.m. one night, and saw two security officers in half-mile walk.
As for the other factors, I don’t know about the transfer policies at UCSD, or if your major is impacted, because I’ve heard that it’s hard to graduate in four years if you’re in an impacted major. If your’re a CA resident, then cost is a factor, as USC is private and UC is public.
USC experts are @CADREAMIN and @WWWard so they or other USC parents and students may chime in to give you some good firsthand advice.
Good luck on your decision.
USC is located in an ever-improving neighborhood… one that is far from anything remotely related to a “ghetto”. I had two daughters there at USC (a senior who just graduated / and a rising freshman, sophomore to be). We have had zero issues or concerns. IMO, you simply need to be slightly more conscious of your surroundings when off-campus. On campus is highly secure. USC also has a DPS zone extending well beyond campus that is extremely well monitored. If you are off-campus and within that DPS zone, you are also fairly secure. Students simply need to take common sense precautions.
I suggest utilizing the free campus cruisers and/or free Lyft rides within the zone allowing for such.
Here is a link to the map delineating the DPS zone if you are curious… it also details a lot of info about student safety measures…
I would also recommend to anyone considering USC to take a few minutes to view this excellent video about USC and its L.A. location…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eERe0-E4Zpg
I just spend 4 days there and walked around the campus consistently. I had zero concerns. And you simply cannot miss the USC security presence. They take student safety very seriously.
Good luck with your decision…
@hiitsmic, In my opinion, the deciding factor should not be the location of the school, but it can be a consideration. UCSD is located in a beautiful area of La Jolla very close to the Pacific Ocean, whereas USC is quite urban. The upside of that is that you have access to internships in the city and downtown.
Not far from USC (within a couple of miles, the area becomes socioeconomically depressed). It is not a “ghetto” but it is also not a place to be walking around at night. Within the immediate perimeter of USC is good security so safety is generally good, but one should always be vigilant of surroundings.
You mentioned the cost being expensive at USC. UCSD will likely be close to $50,000 less per year than USC (assuming no scholarships or significant financial aid). Is that affordable for your family? If school spirit and/or Greek life is important to you, it can’t be beat at USC. UCSD might be a little boring in that regard. USC has a very diverse student body. I believe UCSD is approximately 45% to 50% Asian undergraduate population like many UC campuses. USC and UCSD would likely be different college experiences, even if studying the same major.
USC is NOT in a “ghetto” area. Frankly I find that comment highly offensive, on multiple levels.
I apologize for my ignorance. I’ve only visited the school once and my comment was solely based on what I’ve been told or what I’ve read throughout multiple threads. I appreciate everyone that corrected me and gave me advices that helped with my decision.
I will certainly visit the school multiple times again in the near future and see it with my own eyes. Thank you!
I’d call the neighborhood a few blocks to the west and beyond about a half-mile south of USC, lower-middle class. The homes and apartments often have bars over the windows, but otherwise the neighborhoods are rather tidy and well maintained. Certainly not what I would call a ghetto. You don’t have abandoned, rotting homes or buildings. There’s a park with all kinds of museums just to the south of USC. One of the space shuttles is on display, and they just built a new MLS soccer stadium there. If the area was that bad, they wouldn’t have done that.
To the north towards downtown, it’s very commercial.
To the east of the school, it’s light-industrial with lots of warehouses. No real reason to head that way, since there’s nothing there.