University of Southern California Top Questions

The best thing about USC is the strong alumni network and the fact that the school instills within each student pride for the school and an innate connection with all other alumni, past, present, and future. I'd change the area around USC to make it nicer. For instance, a University Village that isn't crap. USC's size is just right. When I tell people I go to USC they think I'm smart and rich. With each year at USC, I've spent less time on campus outside of class. Next to CASA events on campus or class, I'm otherwise off campus. Not a good college town. "What college town?" USC's administration has done a great job in transforming the school into a powerhouse in almost every facet. The worth of a USC degree will only increase in value. They're messed up plenty of times but seem to realize it when they do and try their best to fix whatever problems they may have created. The Galen Center is a testament to the administration's ability to be effective. The demolition of the current student union and student center is another step forward, but we will have to see how they handle the construction phase/years in regards to providing for the students. The Coliseum leasing agreement. Loads of school pride. No shortage there. The strength of the alumni network is indeed unique. There are too many experiences to choose one. The majority of them were created by my own initiative through my student organization, CASA. LAPD being dicks about "jaywalking" or certain bicycle riding issues.

The best thing is the variety of people and opportunities you'll encounter. I would add more on-campus housing. I'd say it's just-right in terms of size, maybe a little cramped sometimes. People say, "University of ... South Carolina?" at home, but in L.A. they say "fight on!" There are plenty of things to do in L.A., of course. The administration is fair enough, the latest controversy was a big party that was broken up by police north of campus, there is definitely a lot of school pride!

USC was an incredible undergrad experience for me. While I was there, the school was (and still is, to my knowledge) going through a period of significant change as the administration is working to play down USC's reputation as a "party" school and vault it into the top tier of American universities. This has had obvious benefits and drawbacks. For students, it means that after you graduate, your degree will likely continue to appreciate in value, especially if you majored in engineering, communications, or business. Unfortunately, it also means that the school is frankly becoming less fun. The Greek system is under incredible scrutiny by the administration, who seem to view the Row as a liability. Although they can't arbitrarily curtail the significant Greek presence at USC (because a significant amount of donations come in from Greek alumni), they are looking for any excuse to kick the "old guard" of fraternities off campus and replace them with organizations that are more friendly to the administration. Parties on and off the Row are routinely broken up by DPS (campus police) before midnight, and there seem to be no efforts by anyone with any sort of power to find alternatives, as the downtown bars are a chore to get to and do not really cater to USC students. Despite all this, though, the social scene at USC has proved highly resilient, and although the campus may not be as fun as it used to be, it's still a great place to spend four years. It's all about finding that niche that you're comfortable in, finding people who want to do the same things you want to do and are willing to resist efforts to shut you down. For a student body which gets such a bad rap for being politically apathetic, just watch what happens when you try to shut down a party or campus event at USC (we had three full-on student riots in the four years I was there).

The best thing about USC is the fact that it is soo big and there are just so many different types of people that you are bound to find many friends who will remain in your life. One thing I'd change is the social scene. It seems almost clique-y, like high school, but honestly not as bad as it could be. USC is the perfect size. You meet new people all the time but you also see the same ones around campus. People from home (NJ) think its amazing that I came this far. I got a lot of support from those around me, telling me how great the school was and how lucky I was to be able to live in Cali where sunshine reigns, while my friends back on the East Coast have to sit through snow storms. I mean, I went swimming outdoors in February!!! That is something you cannot do in New Jersey... I spend most of my time in my friend's dorms or at Parkside, EVK, or TroGro. Well, other than the time I spend in class... The college campus is like its own, self-sufficient town. The area around USC isn't that great, but I live off campus and its been like 8 months and nothing bad has happened so its not too much to worry about. USC's administration is kind of distant. We only see them at ceremonies and stuff. They don't seem to be available for the students to talk to. The biggest recent controversy? Definitely the 30th street block party!!! I was there. It was absolutely amazing, then DPS and LAPD got involved, and then the school issued a letter saying how disappointed they were in us. HA! School Pride? Are you kidding me? Of course there is school pride!! There is tons of school pride!! This is, after all, USC... On any given day, I see about 10 fucla shirts and tons and tons of USC shirts of all types. So many people love being here. It's amazing. Not to mention football game days... Anything unusual about USC... no. Its a pretty normal college campus. One experience I'll always remember? Viterbi Ball definitely!! While most of my friends were at Snowball, I went to Viterbi Ball with my best friend and her boyfriend and it was at the Peterson Car Museum on the Miracle Mile. Best Dance Everrr!! Most frequent student complaints is that the school doesn't do much, but thats okay, because the students do a great job of running things!

I absolutely love USC. as long as you put time and effort into joining student organizations and meeting new people, you will definitely come out of it having experienced so much in college. usc has so many opporunities, and the campus is beautiful. it stinks not having a car in la, but you find ways to get around :) i cant even think of my favorite thing because i just love my school so much!

Besides our fabulous football team, I would say the best thing about USC is the passion that students, alumni and faculty feel for the university. We all bleed cardinal and gold and genuinely love our school. Everyone is very friendly and outgoing here- very southern California. If I could change one thing about USC I would say I wish it got snow once in a while rather than the silly winter/ spring showers (all five of them). USC has a large student body- but you wouldn't know it when walking on campus. Our campus is definitely on the smaller side- you can cross it entirely, corner to corner, on foot in about 12 minutes. I never go anywhere without seeing someone I know at Commons (food court), in the quad or just milling around between classes. Most people at home think I go to the University of South Carolina at first but once I remind them of the west coast and real USC they usually think it is pretty cool. I think the funniest reaction I ever got when I said I go to USC was on Catalina Island (Island off the coast of California). My mom told the little old lady running a shop that I was going to USC and she went on for about 10 minutes about how great it was with the Trojan Family and how when one boy on the island got in there was practically a parade. On campus I'm involved in a lot of student organizations so I am busy doing those things. Since I'm an engineer I do have to spend a decent amount of time studying- whether it is in my room, at the library or on the random days when I can get away with not getting a lot of work done I'll be outside. I like hanging out outside of commons- our dining place, as well as outside Leavey Library by the reflecting pool. USC has a gorgeous campus with excellent weather that lends itself to picnics and hanging out outside. I'd answer more questions but I have homework I really should get rolling on... so in the interest of time- next section!

My favorite part of USC is the wide range of students within my grasp. I love having friends who come from all parts of the country - even the world - who study a vast variety of subjects, who have hugely different beliefs, and who participate in extremely diverse activities. But the best aspects of USC's diversity are the similarities that join all the students together. I love that I can find something outstanding about every student at USC; everyone here has something valuable to offer to the campus, whether it be brains, personality, originality, whatever, I feel that everyone at USC brings something unique and valuable to the table. As a member of a Greek organization (Alpha Phi sorority), I spend most of my time with my sorority sisters at greek events and functions. 28th street is a thriving community within USC, and I appreciate that our big campus provides a multitude of opportunities for students to find smaller niches within the university. I love the benefits of being a large campus (seeing the speakers who come to campus, going to football games, being a member of a huge alumni network, 24-hour library and coffee shop, etc), but I also get the experience of a smaller, more intimate community in Greek life, which is just one of many sub-communities abundant on and around campus. One of the reasons I chose USC was because it has all the benefits of a large campus but the feel of a small campus, and after my experience so far, USC has certainly not let me down in regards to my size expectations.

USC has the perfect blend of academics, extracurriculars, social life, and spirit. Whatever you want to do or see, you can find here. I would want USC to be a more residential campus because so many students commute, it feels like you lose touch with people once classes end. There is no centralized campus feel. The school is just the right size, but there are a lot of grad students. People have mixed reactions: the people who are up to date are impressed and the elitists are arrogant and smug. I spend most of my time in my apartment with friends or studying. There is no college town, but hopefully that will change. Certain departments are more susceptible to hearing students opinions but for the most part, Sample has us going in the right direction: up. There was a riot after a party. USC is one of the most spirited campuses in the country. If you don't wear something cardinal and gold once a week, you're out of the loop. USC has an unusually strong party scene. I will always remember freshman year when my professor said "I'me not going to spoon feed you what the book says. I'm going to teach you from my experienced. If you want the book read to you, go to Cal State Dominguez Hills" and that's when I realized I was in college, and a great one at that. Our gym is too small, too crowded, and doesn't have enough equipment.

Coming from St. Louis, the name USC evokes one of two ideas: college football or Frat. It is not known as a good school that will provide a strong education, and its placement in the "LA ghetto" made my parents fear that they would be losing their daughter to a rundown, unrecognized dwelling posing as a university. They were wrong. USC is, in one word, inspiring. The administration has been nothing but supportive, the education has been every bit as stimulating as I dreamed it could be, and the people I have met are both diverse and enlightening. The Trojan pride on campus is overwhelming; on days in which we have home football games, alumni and students all coalesce together on every inch of grass we can find to chant, celebrate, and tailgate with extravagant spirit. It truly feels like a family. USC is not flawless, however. The school itself can be a bit stingy; funds are hard to come by, everything on campus is a bit expensive, and we certainly are not paying for the quality of food and housing we would expect. The city of Los Angeles is also a bit inaccessible unless you know someone with a car; the public transportation in LA is unreliable and inefficient. The campus is also a bit more conservative than I would have liked (surprising, I know, we're in california!). But USC makes a sincere attempt to bring its students to the artistic and cultural luxuries of LA. The Visions and Voices Arts Initiative is, quite possibly, the central highlight of being at USC. Musicals, concerts, guest speakers, performances, art museums...anything you can think of, and USC has funded for us to see it or invited it onto campus for us. All for free. All with supplied transportation. Amazing.