<p>If you are going to be in L.A. studying abroad for your junior year (that’s how I read your post), you might contact USC’s housing office to see if you are allowed to join in the housing lottery. Is your study abroad arranged through your university? If so, they will be able to tell you how students from your school manage housing. FYI, USC Housing rents out many nearby apartments for soph and above, and they will match you with roommates if that is your wish. You can also check the Daily Trojan (USC newspaper) for ads for apartments and roommates. If budget is flexible, Gateway is a brand new apartment complex across the street from campus that is very convenient. They will also match you with a roommate if desired.</p>
<p>Hi! I’ve been looking for someone to help me! So glad for this!</p>
<p>Background: Ohkay, so I’m a spring admit going in this January and I recently received my housing. Since I’m a spring admit, I guess they didn’t have any dorms open so I was assigned to Sierra apartments. I didn’t want to take the 20 minute so I’m taking over someone’s lease for Cardinal N Gold which is only 10 minutes and my room mate would be a fellow spring admit. </p>
<p>Two questions:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Do you think it would be better if I tried to get over-the-counter reassignment to an on campus dorm? Does it make that much of a difference for my first year? I’ll only be in this apartment for a year and maybe I can try to get a dorm next year? Some of my friends tell me being in a dorm is a way to be more social and meet new people. I believe I’m as social as I need to be and that I’ll be fine in a apartment. I really like having the space and independence.</p></li>
<li><p>I actually have a full ride scholarship to USC so I don’t have to worry about financial issues. Therefore, I’m planning on getting the Trojan meal plan which is the 3,050 dining dollars. I was wondering, is there any place I can use my dining dollars for grocery like items? I don’t want to just buy single person meals all the time. I would like to buy things I can take home to my apartment and save for later or cook or share with my roomie. </p></li>
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<p>THANKS SO MUCH :D</p>
<ol>
<li>How exclusive is the party scene? I’ve heard some people say being a guy + not in a frat = very little chance of getting into parties. True?</li>
</ol>
<p>Very true especially at top 4 fraternities, one of which I’m a member of</p>
<ol>
<li>What is the student body like at USC? I’ve read somewhere they take on a very large number of international students, is this very noticeable around campus or are the local students still the vast majority?</li>
</ol>
<p>International kids tend to keep to themselves or leavey library (just got back from there actually)</p>
<ol>
<li>Do people go out in LA to bars and clubs on the weekends or mainly just go to college parties. I’m just trying to get a sense of the culture over there.</li>
</ol>
<p>If your part of greek life you will go to all different types of places across LA for invites/exchanges/date dashes so thats pretty fun. I have no idea whatd id be like not to be greek here in all honesty.</p>
<p>To answer that othere persons post</p>
<ol>
<li><p>YOU SHOULD LIVE IN THE DORMS!!! Freshman year is the only time you really want to live in the dorms and its also the most fun you’ll ever have. See if you can get into New/North with whoever possible its seriously the best decision you’ll ever make. I’m serious if your a girl and your not going to be able to rush in the spring so you need to make as many friends as you can early on. I would highly encourage you to rush in the fall too its the best way to make friends. </p></li>
<li><p>I have trojan meal plan. It’s awesome and yes theres a place called “seeds marketplace” thats in our campus center. their selection is limited but they have pasta, big bags chips soups stuff like that you can buy and bring to your room and charge to dining dollars</p></li>
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<p>Not to bash on a fellow Trojan here, but to be honest, mongoose8p is giving some pretty downer answers. But that’s most likely because he’s only seen things from his exclusive point of view. So here’s another perspective.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>When most high school age kids think of college parties, they think “frat party”. Rich white boys hanging out and doing crazy stuff from (insert movie here). It’s an image and a stereotype of college that is very commonplace, and it’s not completely true. There do exist parties that have nothing to do with the greek community at USC. OK, so you won’t get the exclusive sort of atmosphere if you’re into that kind of stuff. Whatever. If you make friends and have a modicum of social sense, parties will happen. Don’t stress over it too much, and definitely don’t think that going greek is the only way that you will have a social like here at USC.</p></li>
<li><p>International students consist of two major categories: the undergrads and the grad students. The grad students are mostly invisible, except as TAs for your class. This is understandable, as they are here primarily for their studies and their research, and never integrated into the larger social community as an undergrad. Of course there will be exceptions, but this is mostly true. The undergrads are a completely different story. There are international students from all over the world, and while yes there are large packs of them that form their own social circles and keep to themselves, there are many more that are here for the same experiences as everyone else. Judging them simply because of their country of origin is both functionally and morally wrong.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Another point: “local students” mean people from southern California. Which consist of 53% of the current freshman class. 12% of the class are from countries other than the US, and 35% are from other states. Don’t skimp on this great opportunity to meet people from all over, share experiences, see what they see, and value them as fellow Trojans. What a bore life would be if you only hung out with people who were just like you.</p>
<ol>
<li>People do lots of things on the weekends. LA is a big city, and USC has lots of students with different tastes. Though honestly on Saturdays in the fall when there’s a home football game, you should be tailgating all day long. It’s way more fun than whatever else you would otherwise be doing, and the spirit, history, and tradition of USC Football is such an important part of what this university is about. Not a football fan? Oh don’t worry, we’ll fix that problem.</li>
</ol>
<p>for Donnio:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Definitely try to get into the dorms your freshman year. And once you’re there, interact with the people on your floor and in your building. It’s the best and fastest way to make friends in a wide variety of majors, backgrounds, social circles, etc.</p></li>
<li><p>As mentioned previously, Seeds marketplace is a good place to spend your dining dollars if you want to bring grocery-type items back to your place. Way better than previously, when we all had to go buy from Trogro and that place was completely cleared out at the end of each semester. Seeds has a far better selection, though the prices have the customary USC marking-up. Still, dining dollars are prepaid, so…</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks mongoose8p and Hawkwings!
Really helped me out there. :D</p>
<p>I’m a senior in HS applying for USC. Is there anything I need to turn in for the School of business or college of letters, arts, and science in addition to the USC app?</p>
<p>This is to any fellow SC students. I’m having trouble finding a Spanish class that would fit my schedule and I was thinking of taking one at a CC. Is it possible to take classes at a community college while at SC?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Alot of them live in apartments or certain houses around campus. Some living in University Housing, some don’t. It just depends. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I think it would be best for you to try to be in a dorm as a spring admit. I personally wouldn’t mind because I already have a group of friends, and I don’t mind being in that kind of setting. I hang out in the dorms, but I like the space in my apartment. Great for parties. So you can try reassignment, see which dorm is best for you. New/North isnt for everyone…</p>
<p>As to mongoose, I can’t really agree with some of the statements. I’m not a member of a greek life and I don’t really go to the row often. But that doesn’t mean social life is limited. We’re in LA. Just because you don’t live in New/North doesn’t mean you won’t have a great social experience. I know some friends who are moving out of New North next semester because they don’t like the atmosphere. Its personally a fun place for me to go at night, but I couldn’t see myself living there.</p>
<p>For meal plans, the Trojan meal plan seems like a waste. The Gold meal plan is pretty decent, with unlimited at EVK and Parkside and 500$ dining. That’s probably what i’d reccomend. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I applied to CLAS, and the only additional things I submitted were my recommendations from teacher+counselor.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You can take Spanish at a community college over summer. You can also take spanish pass/no pass if you struggle with it and haven’t taken your maximum pass no pass units.</p>
<p>This might not be the most intelligent question, but simply out of curiosity… Does USC have a large Indian Population? (International and US Citizens)</p>
<p>ok then thx a lot</p>
<p>themeaningoflife: define “large”. And are you more interested in how many you’ll bump into on a day to day basis or how many you can find if you actively try?</p>
<p>@Hawkwings… Large as in more than other private universities… large as in more than 10% of the asian population at USC? </p>
<p>How many can I find on a daily basis?</p>
<p>How many can I find if actively try?</p>
<p>If you go hang out in the main computer lab (SAL) then you’ll see tons. I couldn’t give you an ethnicity breakdown, but it’s safe to say that they represent far more than 10% of the population of Asians at USC. Out an about you’ll see a few, depending on where you frequent. Some areas of campus you’ll see more than others, obviously.</p>
<p>Hi, I was wondering If the USC application site every crashed before? Say like on the 29th?. I have to ask them something, but the offices are on holiday till monday…</p>
<p>You can’t take classes at other colleges/universities while taking classes at USC. You can take them over the summer.</p>
<p>I don’t know if you’ve answered this already but I’m too lazy to look at all the other posts so I’m just going to ask: Did you interview? How much do you think the interview helps?</p>
<p>When does spring rush begin usually?</p>
<p>It is during the first week of classes or second?</p>
<p>this may be a completely stuck up and bratty question, but does USC have a laundry service where you can pay a certain amount each semester to have your laundry done weekly?</p>
<p>^ USC* itself *doesn’t offer that, but outside companies like [Soapy</a> Joe’s - The Most Trusted Name in Laundry - University of Southern California](<a href=“http://www.soapyjoes.com/usc/]Soapy”>http://www.soapyjoes.com/usc/) do.</p>
<p>Is usc’s engineering department THAT competitive/hard?</p>
<p>i read on this forum that ppl with the highest gpa in hs graduate with the lowest gpa in any department.</p>
<p>also is it easy to transfer majors as a fresh/soph year in usc?</p>