Georgia GirlRegistered UserPosts: 3,771Senior Member
Huliaj,
Torrey Pines is not a large feeder high school to SC. Last year SC had the 5th largest number of NMScholars enroll in the U.S.
Were you aware SC had 18 Fulbright Scholars in the 2008 year? In addition, there was a Carnegie Scholar, Luce Scholar, two Goldwater Scholars, the only John Heinz Scholar as well as many other prestigious awards. In the 2007-2008 academic year there was a Marshall Scholar and a Rhodes Scholar, one of two in California.
I think you are not aware of the rising standards of admission and the worldwide appeal of SC to top international students who now apply in large numbers. Also, over 60% of the student body receives financial aid. Yes, some students are wealthy. There are wealthy students at every selective college in the U.S. There are also many students enrolled at SC who have a 100% financial need.
President Sample remarked in his February 2008 speech that SC's law school graduates now pass the bar exam at a higher rate than UCLA or Berkeley.
However, if you think about it, it doesn't really matter because the people YOU are going to be interacting with the most are people with your same interests, depending on which clubs, classes etc. Besides, stereotyping people is awful, it gives you bias before you even meet them. Just don't label people, go to college, meet new people, have fun. :D
As for the OP's second question, what do we do for fun besides football? ( I never really watch SC football games btw) well... anything normal people do for fun. Go to the beach, see a movie, go bowling, whatever your little heart desires.
I still believe the stereotype, considering that my area is the biggest feeder to USC. It's a generalization but I believe that it is somewhat accurate. Every person who goes there from this one high school in my area (Torrey Pines), says that it is just a bigger version of that school... which is not something good.
The kids that I know who currently attend USC are all wealthy, a little stuck up, and not very intelligent. But I'm sure there are a number of great people at USC
Believe what you want to believe but my daughter said the most stuck up kid that she encountered at USC came from some area like Oakland, which is known to be urban and poor. While the kids who have wealthy parents are much friendlier. And she also believes that students who make generalized statement about 33,000 students of any college tend not to be very intelligent at all.
huliaj, you obviously have no idea what you're talking about: You don't go to USC, and you're not in authority to talk about what kind of students go to this school. To make a statement such as "poor academics" is just ignorant in your part, and really shows that you have no idea what you're sayin', just some idiot who goes by "what other people say." Truth is, you will never be able to attend USC. You're just not that smart.
USC and Carnegie Mellon are very different schools. I suggest that you choose your university based upon the best match of academic program that meets your interests, NOT based upon the kinds of kids who go to these schools. For example, you not only apply into a specific major at Carnegie Mellon, it can be difficult to change majors within Engineering there. At USC Viterbi Engineering, you also apply into a specific Engineering major, but it is generally easier to switch majors within Viterbi. Also, Viterbi has more female engineering students than Carnegie Mellon. These schools are very different. Visit and see for yourself, and the differences are much greater than the kinds of kids who go there.
I came from the midwest and I was very concerned that the students were going to be all blonde, thin, pretty, and extremely stuck up and wealthy. I am very happy to say that I was wrong and that I have actually met very few of these people. (Yes, they exist, but they will exist at any school... and they are mainly contained in one sorority here so I just don't have to interact with them - I am sure this will elicit some negative responses however I am just speaking my opinion). There is a very diverse population here and whatever kind of people you like to hang out with, you will be able to find them here.
USC? Weak academically? Are you kidding me? #1 it's ranked 27th on USNWR but also one of the top 5 up and coming schools as it is attracting more and more kids that are NMF and such. People around my area, (torrance) think of USC as some stuck up school and yet they place UCLA on some pedestal as if it is the greatest school in America. Truth be told USC will probably surpass UCLA academically in the next couple years.
You can't really judge USC against the UCs simply because the difference between public and private schools is too great. The UCs dont get nearly as much funding and as USC, and so their resources are scarce for the huge amount of students they have. The rankings take endowment greatly into consideration, which is why the top 20 schools are ALL privates. In terms of academics, each school specializes in different areas. USC has a prestigious cinematics school, while Cal's research and graduate schools are world reknown. But none of these schools are "academically weak."
Large diverse universities are blessed with enough kids so almost anyone will find their own special group of friends. At USC, you get a lot of talented, smart and fun students to choose from. For partiers and football fans, there are great parties and a lot of winning games. But that's far from all the school offers. For serious scholars, there's Thematic Option honors classes that offer high achieving students special classes for their GE requirements with top professors. If singing is your thing, there are a cappella groups--one of which recently won a national competition. And there's everything else you could think of, from kids into ballroom dancing, racquetball, sororities, working with inner city kids, clubbing, religious groups, skiing, and kids who are serious students in every academic area from marketing to chemical engineering to neuroscience. At USC you will find people with similar interests, senses of humor, from all across the country and the world, quiet types or wild ones, fashionistas or anti-fashion, and you'll form your own community.
There are always going to be kids from your HS that you don't respect or care for that end up at your university--it can happen no matter where you end up. At a large university it's much less of an issue--you just end up hanging with completely different crowds. Whatever college you select, get involved right away in clubs and activities and classes that reflect your true interests because that's where you will meet the people you will want as friends for life.
Gotta agree with the cute little kittens thing... and puppies too. Usually they get a kitten and puppy to fight until they injure themselves gravely, then throw them in a bag, beat them up with Tommy Trojan's fake sword, light a fire with dollar bills to burn the poor things to death, and then drive to the ocean in their parent's Mercedes to toss the body in the water. Then they go to a stuffy Beverly Hills restaurant to celebrate the event. Every horrible stereotype you have heard is true!
OK, I am kidding... just a tiny little bit. A university of that size can be whatever you make it to be. The downside is that you should not expect to be pulled along by a strong current established by the rest of the student body.
Replies to: What are USC students like?
Torrey Pines is not a large feeder high school to SC. Last year SC had the 5th largest number of NMScholars enroll in the U.S.
Were you aware SC had 18 Fulbright Scholars in the 2008 year? In addition, there was a Carnegie Scholar, Luce Scholar, two Goldwater Scholars, the only John Heinz Scholar as well as many other prestigious awards. In the 2007-2008 academic year there was a Marshall Scholar and a Rhodes Scholar, one of two in California.
I think you are not aware of the rising standards of admission and the worldwide appeal of SC to top international students who now apply in large numbers. Also, over 60% of the student body receives financial aid. Yes, some students are wealthy. There are wealthy students at every selective college in the U.S. There are also many students enrolled at SC who have a 100% financial need.
President Sample remarked in his February 2008 speech that SC's law school graduates now pass the bar exam at a higher rate than UCLA or Berkeley.
However, if you think about it, it doesn't really matter because the people YOU are going to be interacting with the most are people with your same interests, depending on which clubs, classes etc. Besides, stereotyping people is awful, it gives you bias before you even meet them. Just don't label people, go to college, meet new people, have fun. :D
As for the OP's second question, what do we do for fun besides football? ( I never really watch SC football games btw) well... anything normal people do for fun. Go to the beach, see a movie, go bowling, whatever your little heart desires.
Believe what you want to believe but my daughter said the most stuck up kid that she encountered at USC came from some area like Oakland, which is known to be urban and poor. While the kids who have wealthy parents are much friendlier. And she also believes that students who make generalized statement about 33,000 students of any college tend not to be very intelligent at all.
There are always going to be kids from your HS that you don't respect or care for that end up at your university--it can happen no matter where you end up. At a large university it's much less of an issue--you just end up hanging with completely different crowds. Whatever college you select, get involved right away in clubs and activities and classes that reflect your true interests because that's where you will meet the people you will want as friends for life.
OK, I am kidding... just a tiny little bit. A university of that size can be whatever you make it to be. The downside is that you should not expect to be pulled along by a strong current established by the rest of the student body.