<p>Can someone advise me on how to decide on BC or USC business program? beside one on west coast, one on east coast?</p>
<p>I live in SoCal. And I will tell you that BC is just a cooler school, in a much safer area, with nicer people. USC is known as the "University of Spoiled Children" here, and the students are called "the beautiful people" because they're all beach-blond rich people. The myth that USC is diverse is pretty false. Sure, they recruit URMs so they can advertise their diversity, but if you aren't the typical abercrombie-model, you might have a hard time fitting in. USC is a good school, but BC has a much more renowned academic reputation. USC is just known as "Reggie Bush's school" outside CA. BC stands for a specific mission, and represents class and character much more than SC. As a prospective student, I was invited to apply for the honors program at SC, but didn't even end up applying to the school bc I was so unsure of their student body. Besides, it's located in South Central LA, one of the worst crime areas in the entire country (believe it had one of the top-10 highest crime rates in the nation this year).</p>
<p>In short, I'd choose BC. Their b-school has a very solid reputation, and the Boston College degree will take you far no matter which coast you're on. It will leave you with a positive label, and will show that you stand for something more than just football and money. And this is coming from someone who is NOT a student at either school, btw. And from someone who has many friends at SC, and is speaking in part based on their experiences. Good luck!</p>
<p>thanks, learnmestuff. for your valuable comments. </p>
<p>Now I'm not overly excited about USC acceptance any more. Guess I have to wait for BC decisions now. Hope it'll come out soon.</p>
<p>Their website says decisions will start to be released on March 15th</p>
<p>I am currently a student at USC. I narrowed my choices to BC and USC. I visited both during my spring break last year and went to classes and partied at both schools during my stay. </p>
<p>I went to a all boys Jesuit High School and loved it. I liked the Jesuit Mission, BC's Campus, the people were really friendly (On campus, locals didn't like it at all). </p>
<p>USC is the complete package in my opinion, you have great academics, sports, weather, good looking people, accessible professors, the beach, a diverse field of majors, all with the ability to explore Los Angeles and the many cool cities around it. </p>
<p>Now there is that stereotype the previous poster talked about USC meaning univ. of spoiled children. Granted there is still some of that with some students being wealthy, and at times spoiled, but you are going to see that everywhere you go. I saw the same thing at BC even worse. I felt that the school is white Catholic, and made up of mostly the northeast. </p>
<p>The neighborhood around USC isn't as bad as everyone made it out to be. DPS is everywhere and the school embraces its community with lost of community service which I have taken part in. </p>
<p>USC has much better alumni connections and relations compared to BC in my opinion. BC is great in Boston and New York while there are so many Alumni connections in every major US City, Asia and some in Europe. </p>
<p>Let me know if you have anymore questions/concerns</p>
<p>I agree with prev post. I have a friend who worked at BC and I just visited USC and I loved USC. My friend said the boston area is no better at night than LA or any other big city. In south O.C. (where I'm from), BC is nothing special. Many don't even know about it. People always think it's BU. I think that it is a great school, but you have to look at the location of each school. Of course one will be more popular on the West coast and the other on the East coast. To say that one is better academically than the other is NOT true. It depends on what you want in a school.</p>
<p>Good luck</p>
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The neighborhood around USC isn't as bad as everyone made it out to be
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Crime rates suggest otherwise. </p>
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I saw the same thing at BC even worse. I felt that the school is white Catholic, and made up of mostly the northeast.
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This is true, just like USC is predominately white and wealthy, made up of people from the west coast.</p>
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USC has much better alumni connections and relations compared to BC in my opinion. BC is great in Boston and New York while there are so many Alumni connections in every major US City, Asia and some in Europe.
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USC DOES have a great alumni base, which should not be overlooked. That being said, BC grads are more than willing to help students as well. I would actually tend to say though, that USC alums tend to stay on the west coast due to weather, LA, etc., while BC has a "broader" alumni base (perhaps not in strict numbers, but in location),because more east-coasters move to the west coast than the other way around. But either way, you can't go wrong in the alumni aspect.</p>
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My friend said the boston area is no better at night than LA or any other big city
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This is probably true in downtown Boston, but BC isn't located in Boston, it's in Chestnut Hill, an upscale suburb.</p>
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In south O.C. (where I'm from), BC is nothing special
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The same is definitely true of SC outside of...LA, really. Even in NorCal, its academic rep falls well short of Cal, Stanford, etc.</p>
<p>But I agree, you can't really go wrong. If you're strongly into your faith, BC might be the better option. If weather is a hugely important factor, go to SC. Traditionally, BC has stood more for academics, and SC more for football. Even now, I think that's pretty much the case, rightfully or wrongfully so. But go with what feels right, and you will have no regrets. Good luck!</p>
<p>"This is probably true in downtown Boston, but BC isn't located in Boston, it's in Chestnut Hill, an upscale suburb."</p>
<p>I'm from the greater boston area, and I grew up in SoCal. Chestnut Hill is even worse than Boston at night. Boston in general is nothing special for nightlife.</p>
<p>^ Worse in what sense? Chestnut Hill doesn't have night clubs, or dance clubs. But it's safe, quiet, peaceful, scenic, and the local dining (outside of Chestnut Hill border) is excellent. Boston is a 15-minute train ride away, hardly a world away. I wouldn't compare Boston to LA in term of size or activities, but it has its charms and accommodations for a college students. </p>
<p>If you want to get your freak on and meet beautiful people at Hollywood, USC would be a great place to do it. Boston has its college student population and caters to them more. If you want to meet smart people, professors, and lecturers, Boston beats most places.</p>
<p>The education at both schools is relatively comparable. The differences aren't like Wharton versus Bentley.</p>
<p>USC is a terrible school. Do not let these kids tell you otherwise.</p>
<p>I am from LA and i know the ghettoness of this school. I wouldnt consider this school "dangerous," considering that i lived in the ghetto myself and i am used to it. I could walk around midnight in the ghetto and feel alright.</p>
<p>Anyways, let me break it down to you. USC is known as a party school in LA, especially when it is compared next to UCLA, which is known for its academics. USC's campus is utterly congested. Imagine this--a campus with 15,000 students; the campus is about 150 acres small. Add to this some post graduate students and you got a mess. Dont let the fact that USC is a private school fool you. You will definately find a bureaucracy. In fact, some classes are really large, and you may be taught by TAs. The campus is kinda ugly, it looks like washed up mediterrenean/roman-esque feature, which is completely outdated because a lot of the buildings look like they were built somewhere in the 60s or 70s. On top of that, financial aid is terrible. When i was accepted a transfer student last year, i received liek 10 gs in loans and my EFC is 0. Good thing i decided not go to; I WOULD HAVE BEEN BANKRUPTED. USC is known for their notorious financial aid loan scams. Dont buy into it.</p>
<p>Last, but not least, you cant do anything with usc's transportation. Oh...and the dorms...are hideous. They have fenced windows. You know you are in the ghetto when your dorm has fenced windows to not let any ghetto people jump through your window and steal your laptop. (check out the fenced windows lol USC</a> Auxiliary Services Housing and here USC</a> Auxiliary Services Housing)</p>
<p>SAVE YOURSELF AND GO TO BC!</p>
<p>I cannot agree with the USC bashers on this thread. It's undergrad biz program is excellent, particularly in accounting and tax. It has a top 10 engineering school. It's alumni network is excellent, but, yes, more focused on west coast. Financial aid is great for high testers -- it offers automatic merit money to NMSFs. [Of course, 'SC is not Cal nor Stanford, but than neither are 3,000 other colleges!] USC has one of the highest Pell Grant %'s of all private colleges -- just too many to be football players -- so it has some economic diversity. Yes, South Central is not $$ homes like in Chestnut Hill, but its quite safe -- even Chapel Hill ain't safe anymore. For example, during the Rodney King riots, not one street around campus was touched -- the campus has a huge outreach program in the local community (which Chicago, Yale and many other urban campuses are now adopting), and town-gown relations are pretty good (unlike, say, Durham).</p>
<p>That being said...this is one case where geographical preference matters -- for undergrad biz majors, BC will have lots more job potential in the east, and USC will have lots more in the west.</p>
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yes, South Central is not $$ homes like in Chestnut Hill, but its quite safe
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You have GOT to be kidding. That is incredibly misleading, I can't believe you'd tell someone not familiar with the area that South Central is "safe". Every house in the area surrounding SC has bars on its windows and doors.</p>
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For example, during the Rodney King riots, not one street around campus was touched
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That was 15 years ago. 15 years ago, you could also take a pocket knife through airport security.</p>
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town-gown relations are pretty good
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riiight, which is why virtually everyone in the surrounding neighborhood is below the poverty line...</p>
<p>I agree with your assessment of SC's academic programs, but I just have a really hard time with your evaluation of the surrounding areas. All you have to do is look at it and realize you're in the middle of a ghetto. CH is about 20x safer.</p>
<p>And I live in SoCal too, btw...</p>
<p>Maybe you should try posting this in the USC sub-forum and see what the people there say.</p>