<p>USC has occasionally been criticized for its constant pushing of school pride as this is often associated with “jock schools” that do not put much effort into figuring out what they want to do with young minds.</p>
<p>Please share any experiences you may have had that show that USC does have academic values.</p>
<p>(Thanks for the idea, GroovyGeek!)</p>
<p>I think the Thematic Option program is one of the best examples of how important academics are for USC. It is considered to be one of the best honors programs out there, and it is definitely held in esteem by the university. TO students get the best professors in the school, and the classes concentrate on integrating several fields while looking at a specific topic. Students participate in a research conference in their freshman year, so they get the opportunity to present papers early on in their college experience. The community is small enough that you really get to know the students in your classes, and open discussion of controversial subjects is encouraged. Lots of funding goes to this program, and I’ve been able to do everything from visiting a heart specialist’s office to watch an ultrasound of a heart, to going on a retreat to Big Bear, for free. </p>
<p>Another awesome program is Visions and Voices, which encourages learning outside of the classroom as well as inside the classroom. This year, I went to Avenue Q, saw John Williams conducting his own music, and went to the LA County Museum of Art’s Islamic Art exhibit, where the curator of the exhibit presented it all to us. There are tons of awesome programs, and all of them are free for students.</p>
<p>since Nikara already brought up TO, I’ll speak a little about Freshman Science Honors. The classes are very small for intro level science courses (this year we have 74) and the professors who teach the classes are amazing and are enthusiastic about teaching them. The SI leaders for FSH, Brenda and Andrew, are very good at their job (although Andrew’s a senior so this is his last year).
There’s also the little things- at the beginning of the semester we got to have lunch with our professors in small groups. And there’s the winter break reading thingy (um, forgot the name of it)… the director of FSH, Judy Haw, chooses like 3 or 4 books, and if you want you choose one of the books, Judy buys it for you, you read it over winter break, and in January there is an event to go with each book group. I chose “Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science” (which is a really good book, btw) and in January I get to have dinner with 9 other FSH students who read that book as well as 2 MD’s.</p>
<p>Whats there for the academically competitive student…although not as smart as those in To or FSH??
Im not as smart as those guys but i am definately lookng at attending USC for its academic values…whats in it for peope like me? …for the average USC student who cares about his studies.??
An btw…74 students a class isnt small at all…i mean mst classes here in India are smaller</p>
<p>It is very small in comparison to comparable courses at other 4 year universities. UCLA or UCSD for example general chemistry is typically well in excess of 300 people.</p>
<p>This sounds like an amazing program. When are students invited to participate? What are the requirements?</p>
<p>Students are invited to participate in the spring. Those invited for scholarships and some others are invited to apply. You can also request an application. They have a website- just search for “Thematic Option USC” and you’ll come up with it. </p>
<p>Another program that I don’t know much about, but is offered to all students is Learning Communities. You can take classes based on a specific interest with a small group of students and a professor specifically mentoring you. Search “Learning communities USC” for more info on that one.</p>
<p>[USC</a> Learning Communities](<a href=“http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/cas/LearningCommunities/]USC”>http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/cas/LearningCommunities/)</p>
<p>This is a great program. But is this for the undecided only? Can you combine this with TO ?</p>
<p>From the FAQs at [USC</a> Learning Communities](<a href=“http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/cas/LearningCommunities/faq.html]USC”>http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/cas/LearningCommunities/faq.html)</p>
<p>Who is eligible to join a Learning Community?</p>
<p>All new incoming students are welcome to join the Learning Community Program. Although the program is intended for students who are Undecided or Undeclared, if you are a student with a declared major in the College of Letters , Arts and Sciences, you can also join a Learning Community. Only students in the College of Letters , Arts and Sciences can join the Learning Community Program</p>
<p>I think that a 21% acceptance rate, average SAT scores that apparently are higher than UCLA’s (keeping in mind that USC superscores), Sample’s leadership in raising endowment funds and attracting top faculty, USC’s rising reputation over the last few years, are some things that speak for themselves regarding academic values.</p>
<p>The Renaissance Scholar is also encouraging students to major in different widely different interests which should help broaden one academic experience.</p>
<p>[USC</a> Renaissance Scholars](<a href=“http://www.usc.edu/programs/ugprograms/renaissance/]USC”>http://www.usc.edu/programs/ugprograms/renaissance/)</p>
<p>From what I’ve read there is a Renaissance Prize to go to graduate school. Can somebody confirm this?</p>
<p>Record FullBright Scholars at USC</p>
<p>[Record</a> 13 Fulbright Scholars So Far](<a href=“http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/15222.html]Record”>http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/15222.html)</p>
<p>Sequoia: what does it mean “USC superscores”?</p>
<p>Tuition, it means that USC takes the best section of all SAT sittings. For example if you got 700/650/750 in one sitting, then 600/700/800 in second sitting, a superscore would be 700/700/800.
ACT however is not superscored.</p>
<p>UCLA superscores as well.</p>
<p>GeorgiaGirl: The UCs don’t superscore…I’m pretty sure of that.</p>
<p>Sequoia,
We had long discussions about this on the football boards. Go to the UCLA site. Download the UCLA application. It states clearly a prospective student may select his/her best scores.<br>
On the football board a poster copied the application as many of the men did not believe UCLA did this. Unless policies have changed in the last two
months this was stated on the application then.</p>
<p>GeorgiaGirl:
My D applied to several UCs. Her application did state to enter best scores, but it was the best one sitting score.
Instructions are : SAT Reasoning “highest set of scores from a single test date”
We still have a copy of the application.</p>
<p>^Conflicting info- UC Admission Requirements page says otherwise:</p>
<p>“…The SAT Reasoning Test with critical reading, mathematics, and writing scores from the same sitting.”</p>
<p>[UCLA</a> Undergraduate Admissions and Relations with Schools: UC Admission Requirements - Freshman](<a href=“http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/Prospect/Adm_fr/fracadrq.htm#tests]UCLA”>http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/Prospect/Adm_fr/fracadrq.htm#tests)</p>
<p>Edit to add: I beat you by seconds, Sequoia!</p>
<p>To all of you…
Oops! Apologies are in order. I should have rechecked the application form before posting. As Sequoia wrote the highest scores are submitted from a single test date, although the test may be retaken.
Thanks for pointing out the error. I do try to submit factual posts.</p>