Ask a Student

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of South Carolina
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<p>Questions from a Transfer Parent

  1. What meal plan is most common/popular and most useful for on-campus students in traditional or suite-style dorms (I assume a lot of students in the apartment style housing eat at home)</p>

<p>2) How difficult is it for transfer students to obtain on-campus housing?</p>

<p>3) Are you unlikely to get on-campus housing if you don’t choose a living/learning community?</p>

<p>4) If my D doesn’t get on-campus housing, are there preferred areas for off-campus housing regarding cost, safety, distance from campus, etc.?</p>

<p>5) Preferred (close) housing for Dept of Retail students since that’s in the Coliseum, right?</p>

<p>Thanks for the help, probably more questions to come!! :-)</p>

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<p>scmom - you said Additionally, if you decide to do the honors app, note that the deadline is Nov 15. The honors app also serves as application to top university scholarships. Admissions site says that for applications received by Nov 15, you will receive admission decision to USC by Dec 19…you may hear about Honors at same time, if not all honors decisions made by Feb. </p>

<p>Does that mean the McNair too? We can’t seem to find the application for the McNair - it says it is a separate application???</p>

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<p>I’ll chime in on rgaines questions. :slight_smile:

  1. What meal plan is most common/popular and most useful for on-campus students in traditional or suite-style dorms (I assume a lot of students in the apartment style housing eat at home)
    I live in an on-campus apartment and have the 16+ Meal Plan. In my opinion, it is the one that makes the most sense. I used it for freshman year first semester and this semester. It is the most expensive, but seeing as how a “meal swipe” does not necessarily equal a meal, it’s useful to have the extra $100 bonus bucks. USC’s dining options include very few dining halls. (There’s the unlimited option at Bates). Most (including Russel) are set up as individual restaurants and it is really easy to go over the meal plan.</p>

<p>But then again, I also have friends who live in suite/traditional style halls who aren’t on the meal plan and just eat at their dorms and use the building’s/hall’s kitchen. It’s a matter of personal preference.</p>

<p>2) How difficult is it for transfer students to obtain on-campus housing?
I don’t think it’s terribly difficult in the spring, but my friend ended up not coming to USC partially because of there being absolutely no on-campus housing for transfer students this year. It also depends on if you’re a part of the Bridge program. Those students are guaranteed on-campus housing.</p>

<p>3) Are you unlikely to get on-campus housing if you don’t choose a living/learning community?
Yes and no. In the past, living and learning communities went first in the housing process, thus current students had a better chance at getting on-campus housing if they chose the llc’s, because they could essentially go through the process twice. Now, however, they have changed it and I don’t think anyone knows what’s going to happen.</p>

<p>4) If my D doesn’t get on-campus housing, are there preferred areas for off-campus housing regarding cost, safety, distance from campus, etc.?
Yes. Aspyre/The Lofts are popular apartments within walking distance of campus. The Woodlands, Copper Beach, and several others are all popular off-campus. Off-campus houses in Shandon/Rosewood/Fivepoints are all also popular.</p>

<p>5) Preferred (close) housing for Dept of Retail students since that’s in the Coliseum, right?
I don’t think housing near a particular building is helpful. I’ve had classes, both major and general ed, in a variety of buildings including: Nursing, Gambrell (History), Calcott (Geography I think), Humanities, Columbia Hall, BTW (Theatre), and Swearingen (Engineering). The only housing that’s really close to there would be the Honors College, though. Preston would be about three blocks and I think the Quads would also be about three blocks.</p>

<p>Also, I heard a rumor that the entire Women’s Quad (McClintock, Wade Hampton, and Sims) is being taken offline all of next year. I have no idea if this is true, but if it is, you’re talking about a major housing shortage and there will be very limited housing for non-freshmen. Even this year, with every building open, housing is bursting at the seams.</p>

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<p>Actually, there was something online the other day about openings for housing in the spring. Had relative who started in spring last year and had housing…in fact because of various factors/roommate things, he had 3 separate rooms before he finally got settled and none of those were in Roost, so rooms do open up</p>

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<p>ahsmuoh…my understanding is that honors app is for carolina scholars and mcnairs and the deadline is the same but since it doesn’t say that specifically on admissions site for mcnair, I’d call and ask. It’s been the same in the past.</p>

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<p>AUGirl - fantastic info! What’s cost like for off-campus housing?</p>

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<p>I can also chime in here as a current student - in general, off campus housing is much cheaper than on campus. Exact costs depend on where you go, but even some of the more expensive off-campus options are cheaper than most on-campus living.</p>

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<p>Another question: coming from an area like Boston you don’t need a car at all since the transit takes you everywhere, what type of comparison to UofSC and Columbia is that? Does the transit go from campus to the malls, for example?</p>

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<p>I don’t have a car. I really want a car.</p>

<p>If you live off-campus, you pretty much need a car. If you want to go to the mall, you need a car. (It’s like fifteen minutes from campus via the interstate.) If you want to go to the grocery store, you could walk, but it’s probably a twenty-thirty minute walk.</p>

<p>Parking is really expensive and a hassle, but I think it’s worth it for most people.</p>

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<p>There is a bus system, there is no subway system.</p>

<p>DD doesn’t like the buses, she thinks they are “sketchy”. I think she is being a wimp, but I’ve never ridden them.</p>

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<p>I see from the calendar that after the Winter Break, the dorms open on January 8, but classes don’t start until January 14.</p>

<p>Is there something going on that makes it desirable to come back almost a week before classes start? When do students normally return to campus?</p>

<p>Will the dining halls also open on January 8?</p>

<p>Trying to wrap my head around this, it just seems odd to me that the dorms open so early.</p>

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<p>Well when I was there many years ago I would have gone back as soon as dorms opened to have time with friends. May have something to do with bringing in transfer and second semester freshmen…they have a move-in and orientation on same day, but it gives them time to get oriented. Also athletes may need to come back early. I would say the date my D goes back will be partly determined by her roommates. Tuesday may be too early, but probably definitely before weekend. I guess for OOS students it’s nice to have more options to make travel arrangements.</p>

<p>As to dining, in the fall dining is open as soon as dorms open so I would guess the same here although maybe on reduced schedule. Couldn’t find it on website but that info may be up after Thanksgiving break.</p>

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<p>Last year, I and most of my friends came back the Saturday or Sunday before classes started. I don’t think many people come back much earlier than that.</p>

<p>I’m pretty sure dining halls open (at least on a limited basis) when dorms open. FYI, apartment style dorms and Maxcy are open during all breaks. Though this isn’t really helpful for transfer students, it’s nice to note if you’re an out of state student planning on living on campus in the future. I had friends last year who lived too far away to go home for Thanksgiving, but had to scramble to find somewhere to go because their dorms weren’t open.</p>

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<p>So what’s the best and worst thing about SC? I recently got interested in the school (only a sophomore here) because the son of someone I know is involved in the NROTC program there and says it’s a good unit, and I was also told their journalism school is very good, and that the campus is really nice and all of that jazz, so, here I am, looking into it. Any helpful insight?</p>

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<p>Are there a lot of older students on campus? I am 22,and a sophmore,looking to transfer in the Fall of 2013. Will I feel out of place among younger college students,or are there students there who are in my age range or older? What about students with dependents? I have a 2 year old son.</p>

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<p>^Every single semester that I’ve been at USC, I have had at least one class with older adults who have children.</p>

<p>In my dorm freshman year, there was a 23 year old. I know a ton of super seniors and super duper seniors. You definitely would not be out of place on campus.</p>

<p>USC offers family and graduate housing… though I’ve heard it’s terrible. But the point is that it is available and USC does things to accommodate students such as yourself.</p>

<p>^^Best and worst things?
That’s really very difficult to answer. I think the best thing is the opportunities afforded to students here. You can major in practically anything. You can do research in any field if you’d like. You can study abroad all over the world. You can get a variety of internships. You can meet people from all over the country and world. (I have friends here from as far as California.)</p>

<p>The worst? I think that there’s a lot of bureaucracy you have to deal with here. It’s a large public institution so it really can’t be helped. But anyways, they’re closing the Woman’s Quad next year which is 500 beds when the waiting list for on-campus housing last year was 900. That means, the 4500+ freshmen coming on campus will take up most housing. There will only be 1000 on-campus spots for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. That isn’t very many.
Football games here are wildly popular, yet the ticketing system (which is supposedly new and improved) is extremely unfair. Students are put into a not-well-advertised lottery in the summer for tickets. If they get them then, great. If they don’t, then you have to fight every week for tickets. In addition, if the last home game is Clemson, someone can skip every other game in the season and know they have tickets to the Clemson game. A student who goes to every other game in the season but does not have guaranteed tickets may or may not get them. The loyalty system pretty much died with this.</p>

<p>Overall, I LOVE being at USC and couldn’t imagine spending my undergraduate career anywhere else. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask. It’s kind of hard to give a generalization because everyone is different. The things I mentioned may not even really affect you one way or another. (IE: If you’re not a sports fan or plan on living off-campus or just want to go there for the classes.) I don’t know a terrible amount about ROTC here though. I think I read that it’s grown tremendously as of late, but that’s about it.</p>

<p>Although Columbia is SUPER military friendly. Fort Jackson isn’t too far away. There are military discounts for practically everything.</p>

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<p>What are the average stats for acceptance? Do they have a direct entry nursing program and is it more competitive?</p>

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<p>Thanks AUGirl! What is it like, since there’s not as many people living on campus as some colleges? Does it take away from the college-ey feel? Make it feel more like a commuter campus? And are there any significant pros you find to attending a larger university?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p>My daughter at USC doesn’t feel like she is on commuter campus. I think USC is comparable to many large school in terms of housing. For instance, Alabama has freshmen requirement to live on campus like USC, but Auburn doesn’t even guarantee housing for freshmen. Many smaller schools do, but that is just one element you have to look at when picking a college (my other D is at very good small LAC that basically doesn’t have on campus housing after sophmore year).</p>

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<p>Thanks! :)</p>

<p>How does Auburn expect all freshmen to live on campus without guaranteeing them housing???</p>