<p>I'm already looking for my dorm next year provided I get admitted and I get enough scholarships.</p>
<p>What is the best dorm at USC?</p>
<p>New North. Great location, good rooms, highly social.</p>
<p>It’s all about the experience. S lived in Mark’s Hall freshman year. He had an odd roommate. This forced him to make other friends in the building. The lounge is very nice and they had a blast hanging out in it . Also Mark 's Hall is used as a dorm in several movies ( Forrest Gump for one. ) Any dorm is what you make of it .</p>
<p>My daughter was in Pardee her freshman year and loved it.</p>
<p>The traditional freshman dorms are New/North, Trojan Hall, Pardee, Marks Hall and Marks Tower. My D was in Marks Tower last year felt it was perfect for her Freshman year. It’s older, small rooms, no air conditioning, communal (clean and updated) bathrooms on the floor but it was a traditional college dorm experience and location was fine. She had a fantastic roommate but also made great friends with several girls on their floor because everyone generally keeps their door open. My D commented that she has met people that loved their dorms freshman year in all those listed. I know that the A&H and International dorms are newer and have air but more expensive, located in a corner of the campus and not “traditional” dorm experience. I don’t know much about Fluor but I believe it’s also a suite type arrangement.</p>
<p>Birnkrant is only for the full tuition scholarship students so I can’t say anything about that. I don’t know that it’s a great idea to put all those kids together (it seems rather elitist to me) but USC didn’t ask my opinion.</p>
<p>^ Birnkrant is also for Presidential (both regular and NMF)scholarship students in addition to full tuition scholarship students. It was meant as another recruiting tool to offer them a convenient traditional dorm environment. They can choose to live anywhere they want on campus though. </p>
<p>USC dorm selection is done on a first come, first served variety for freshman. So as soon as you are admitted, you can sign up for housing (after early Feb.) with the non-refundable fee (usually around $45). You cannot sign up without being admitted first.</p>
<p>Parkside A&H are super nice, really clean, newer, a/c, suite style so you aren’t in the communal bathroom setting that some really don’t like, but still have big nice hallway and S knows everybody in their hall. So it has as much social as ya want, or can be quiet cause of suite setting. If engineering it is super convenient and close to the athletic fields, but it is in a corner, location worked out great for mine. I hear they have best food. The IRC bldg has very little english going on. With only two in a room at USC compared to other schools, not sure you can go wrong in any of them really. I remember students saying one is certainly the party/loud dorm, is that Marks or New North? idk, have to look at past threads, a student had a really good summary on all of them that seemed to be accurate.</p>
<p>All freshmen dorms are on the Oxford system with a faculty “master” living with his/her family in one of the halls. The faculty member sometimes arranges lectures, special guests, cinema previews or low key social events. </p>
<p>Please use the search function. There have been many threads about the dorms. Note…beds are extra long.</p>
<p>None of the dorms are far from classroom buildings. A student can walk to almost any classroom from a dorm in around ten minutes. Bikes and skateboards are seen all over campus. There is no slogging through the snow to reach an early morning class!!!</p>
<p>Birnkrant occupants have the highest stats coming into the school and most, if not all, of these students could have chosen highly select (elite) colleges. They have the option to live anywhere but, obviously choose to live together.</p>
<p>If you were given a full scholarship that is dependent on keeping up your GPA, wouldn’t you want to choose a dorm that included other people in the same boat? There are known party dorms on campus for those who wish to choose that option. But it is also nice to have another choice, especially when a quarter of a million dollars - that pays for 4 years of college - is at stake</p>
<p>lagunal - This is getting off track but I have to comment. Isn’t the same “quarter of a million dollars at stake” whether the student gets a full ride scholarship, takes out loans or pays cash? (I would say the student that had to take out loans has the most at stake as these will follow them forever until they are paid off - they are not usually dismissible even in Chapter 7 bankruptcy)</p>
<p>ha, in an elitist world view, only certain people matter, which is seen a lot on this site. Thanks for speaking up for everyone else collegemom48.</p>
<p>USC is a Tier I university. It is considered an elite research university. Yes, there are institutions of higher learning which are older and have a lower rate of admittance. Many SC schools/ majors are extremely selective and turn away hundreds of highly qualified candidates.</p>
<p>Years ago USC became a member of the Association of American Universities. Invitation to join this leading organization is by invitation only. Sixty U. S. institutions belong. Of that number only 26 are private. SC is one of the 26. There are around 3000 four year colleges in the U.S. It is considered an honor to belong to AAU.</p>
<p>^^Now that was a thread hijack… Thid thread was about the dorms and someone mentioned certain people living together and that certain group being perceived as more important than those paying for it (particularly when many paying have the same scores and just didn’t pass the subjective holistic review). No one was dinging USC, just the comment that people going for free have more at stake than those paying. That was a ridiculous comment, confused of the need to posture USC over that.</p>
<p>For one thing, if you pay $250K for your schooling then it is NOT dependent on keeping a certain GPA. You obviously can afford to get a C or two. But those with Trustee scholarships have to keep a GPA or lose, not only the scholarship, but possibly attending the college, and possibly any college depending on their financial situation. </p>
<p>I just wanted people to be aware that some people cannot - literally - afford to take the “risk” of being in a loud, party type dorm where everyone is up until 3 AM drinking. </p>
<p>Please stop reading more into this than what it is. Allow those who want to live with people who are in the same boat, to live together, without calling it ‘elitist.’ It is PRACTICAL.</p>
<p>Ya everyone paying for USC can afford it. Only the scholarship people have financial issues. Again, elitist.</p>
<p>“I just wanted people to be aware that some people cannot - literally - afford to take the “risk” of being in a loud, party type dorm where everyone is up until 3 AM drinking.”</p>
<p>And those paying for it and wanting to work just as hard should have to deal with that risk? Some people have their house on the line or other ways they have taken on debt, why aren’t they entitled the same opportunity?</p>
<p>Just keep digging a deeper elitist hole saying scholarshipers are more worthy of a more studious environment…since they were given everything, they should be given more. People paying are just rich, they didn’t earn it or anything. ok.</p>
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<p>On the other hand those of us with “skin in the game” have quite a bit at stake (and we aren’t all rich just because our kids didn’t get free rides, just look at the FAQ for USC financial aid thread). </p>
<p>Most all freshman dorms at USC are going to have their share of parties because new students want to meet and “mingle.” There are many quiet places to study on campus.</p>
<p>Ummm… Back on track.</p>
<p>I’m a current SC freshman, living in Birnkrant. </p>
<p>As has been mentioned, it gives you the traditional dorm package, plus it includes the “scholars.” There are definite perks to living here. Birnkrant has a larger budget for floor events and an earlier move-in date at no extra cost. I have talked to people in New/North who also like the traditional dorm atmosphere; however, their floors don’t seem to have the same sense of camaraderie that Birnkrant does. As to the “elitist” claims, that is most certainly not the case. Students in Birnkrant are not only smart, but sociable. I don’t know anyone here who has a “mightier-than-thou” attitude; students are constantly reaching out to make friends with whomever is friendly enough to reach back.</p>
<p>That’s my pitch for Birnkrant. If you qualify for it, I would recommend it above any other dorm.</p>
<p>My kid is a freshmen and chose New/North to be part of the social and Greek scene. She’s very happy with the choice. Apparently the social atmosphere is not preventing her from studying and doing well in challenging classes including the FSH program. She’s a trustee scholar by the way. She has discovered and “outed” some other top students living in New/North posing as happy college students.</p>
<p>My daughter is also a current freshman and Trustee Scholar who chose New/North. She knew she wanted to be in a social situation and among students in Greek life. She didn’t want to live only with scholarship students. She is in the Thematic Option program and studies in her room without any problem. Her floor has very nice girls and the bathroom and laundry room are very convenient. She is very happy with her choice.</p>
<p>Anyone one know anything about Fluor. Pros and cons.</p>