Columbia vs. Penn vs. USC

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
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<p>I need some info and help deciding between Columbia, Penn and USC. </p>

<p>I got accepted to all three and I really don't know which will be the best choice.
I'm got into the IR program at Penn and SC, and the PoliSci program at CU. I'm transferring from a cc in Seattle, so I'm coming in as a Junior.
I know all three schools have great education, but there are so many other factors to take into consideration.</p>

<p>here's what I think so far- the ivy leagues have the label going for them, but even between the two i guess CU has a better reputation?
I love the campus at Penn and i haven't been to CU before but ive been to NYC many times.
SC has a very tight alumni network that would be excellent post graduation (if i decide to stay in LA?... or generally nation wide?)
I also got a full ride at SC, haven't heard from CU but I hear it's not very generous, and Penn seems to generally meet financial need- but I will find out soon.</p>

<p>So... I could really use opinions and advice regarding all three schools. I want to continue to law school so I know being in a competitive environment would be beneficial, but only to a certain extent.</p>

<p>any info/ideas/opinions/stories would help!...</p>

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<p>Shouldn’t this be decided by May 2nd? :/</p>

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<p>Oh you’re transferring. My bad. <em>facepalm</em></p>

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<p>USC is better than all of the other schoools combined. Imagine Superman trying to defeat Shaq. While it is true that Shaq is regarded as “Superman” he would pale in comparison to the real super hero. The same holds true in the comparison between USC and Columbia and Penn. USC is majestic and magical. USC is timeless and remarkable. The other schools are inferior in every way. I can’t imagine going to such garbage universities. Garbage is meant for the dumpster, I prefer to graduate fresh and clean. A dumpster is a terrible way to get ahead in life. So why go to the equivalent of a trash can school? Screw the Ivy League mumbo jumbo and go to Los Angeles to get down with your bad self. A BOW CHICA BOW WOW. ;)</p>

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<p>Those are all great schools. And i think you need your fa to really make the right choice. Penn and Columbia have the better education and name value hands down, but like you said, columbia offers little fa. So with that in consideration, You seem to have narrowed it down to penn and usc. I was faced with this same decision and u can find my opinion on this post</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/1123013-usc-trustee-vs-harvard.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/1123013-usc-trustee-vs-harvard.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>With that said every person is different and that post was rather harsh. Visiting is the best way to make this decision, but if u cant do this you are welcome to pm me and ill give u more concise and less bias opinions about both schools.</p>

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<p>All three are great schools – yes, even USC, despite it’s non-Ivy designation. I think, for you, it should all boil down to which school you can afford and where you will be happiest. (I will admit, I looked at Columbia back in the day and didn’t like it, but I am hoping to go to Penn one day! It’s a cool place…)</p>

<p>Philly, NYC and LA are all extremely different cities; I love LA and adore Philly but could never, ever see myself living in New York because it makes me feel physically ill every time I visit. (I think it’s the compacted nature of the city. It’s not so spread out like the other two cities.) Additionally, each city offers vastly different cultural scenes, employment opportunities and the like. Luckily, they’re all pretty equal in terms of cost of living. Penn and USC are also in comparable socio-economic neighborhoods, so you should also take that into account.</p>

<p>You mention that you’re from Seattle – I think Philly is most aligned with the nature/feel of Seattle than NYC or LA, but LA might offer you that security of remaining on the West Coast and will allow you to travel home more often than living on the East Coast simply because the plane ticket will be much cheaper.</p>

<p>USC’s alumni network is far-reaching and vast; you will find USC alumni in every major city and in numerous countries around the world. Maybe reach out to the Seattle alumni office and try to talk to someone near you about their USC experience and how they feel USC helped them after college?</p>

<p>A close friend was an IR major at USC from Virginia and she now works in Chicago – so getting a job anywhere with a USC degree is totally 100% possible, no matter where you’re from!</p>

<p>I guess…What kinds of jobs are you hoping to get when you graduate, what “social” and “cultural” activities/events interest you and what are the most important things you want in your ideal “college experience”? That can give everyone a more clear picture and help you make a choice!</p>

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<p>@nana- thanks- i read the post! I actually got a full ride at SC, so that’s deff a huge factor in my decision. I haven’t heard from CU and Penn about FA yet, so I can hope.
I’m just thinking if I do get a pretty good FA from Penn (say CU is out) then how much is “enough” to make the Ivy league thing worth while? my SC package includes some loans, so unless Penn covers everything, I would still be back to square one.</p>

<p>@Zelda- thanks for replying. these are all great points. here goes:</p>

<p>I agree that NYC is hectic and crazy. However- i don’t have a car so getting around in LA would be a drag. I applied for housing on campus but i would still be kinda stranded.
NYC has a subway- do you know about transportation in philly and around campus?</p>

<p>the west coast issue is not very important, i’m not from seattle i just live here, so i could very well make a home for myself in either city.
and you’re right- a lot depends on what i want to do post graduation- i’m hoping to work for an international company or an organization (which doesn’t really narrow it down since both LA and NYC would be great for that).
I do want to go to law school and b/c it’s more “important” which school i choose for that- I’m wondering if the “ivy” label still holds when applying to law schools. would it “look” better on my application? cause i agree that SC has great education. </p>

<p>I’m not really looking for the “college experience” that includes all the freshmen fuss, the partying etc- i’m kinda passed that. but i still want to be in a positive class environment, not so much around cut-throat type people. yes, competitive maybe- but only to a certain extent. I heard people at Columbia are just not very friendly towards each other.
I do appreciate school spirit and all that, i want to be proud of the school i go to, it’s just not my main reason.</p>

<p>Guess since i’m on the USC forum- i’m hoping to hear more positive post graduation stories (like the girl in chicago- that’s good to know, since i did assume SC is only “strong” in LA) and really anything that would help me decide… as you can see i’m very confused and have pros and cons for all three =/</p>

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<p>Have you seen this? I love when the grads show their major and what they’re doing next.</p>

<p>[YouTube</a> - Where to from Here?](<a href=“Where to from Here? - YouTube”>Where to from Here? - YouTube)</p>

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<p>@Jazz- nice, thanks! :)</p>

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<p>One of the mom’s posted her son graduated and was accepted to a Ph.D. program at Cal Tech. Last year a Georgia grad I knew took a position in NYC. Two years ago another Georgia achitecture grad accepted a job in Los Angeles where she wanted to live.</p>

<p>Perhaps others will post what they are doing after graduation.</p>

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<p>If this is any help, I just graduated 2 days ago (!), am from Hong Kong and will be starting an MA at King’s College London later this year. Both places have strong USC connections through alumni and current programs.</p>

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<p>I only know about Philly public transportation from my boyfriend’s horror stories and my one time on a SEPTA bus! You’d probably get good answers on the Penn forum. All I know is that the Philly public transit system isn’t known for being that “great.”</p>

<p>If you come to USC, the Expo/USC subway line is supposed to be open in the fall, so that will make getting around LA using the Metro rail system much easier; you can get to Downtown, Mid City, Hollywood and the valley on the subway. USC also has a free tram to Union Station downtown and another free tram to LA Live on the weekends.</p>

<p>Having a car at USC is helpful, but not required. It makes things like having an internship easier, but there are plenty of Zipcars around campus you could rent for the days you have an internship, and you can always allot time to take the bus or Metro – I know several people who did this successfully. As far as general “getting around,” there’s always a friend or two who will have a car and will drive you around if you guys want to leave campus for a day!</p>

<p>You’re right in saying that LA and NYC are pretty comparable in terms of “international” type jobs – both, at least, more so than Philly. Lots of corporations have LA offices, and there’s quite a few international government offices here.</p>

<p>As far as law school goes, they care more about your test scores and grades more so than what school you went to. USC/Columbia/Penn will all look equally impressive to law school admissions – it’s not like we’re debating between Columbia and Cal State Dominguez Hills. (No offense to the Cal State system.) USC may not be Ivy League, but it’s a pretty difficult school to get into in its own right and the academics are just as rigorous.</p>

<p>I will say that because USC is more of a walled-off, centralized campus, there is a palpable sense of community. Everyone is generally quite friendly and open; there were, of course, the handful of generally mean/rude people – but from my experiences, I always met really awesome people in my classes. Even if we weren’t “best friends,” it doesn’t mean they wouldn’t say hi when I passed them in the quad, or talk to me before class, etc. Despite being a big school, it’s things like this that made USC (for me) feel like a small liberal arts college.</p>

<p>Just off the top of my head with recent USC grads and the cities they now work in, I have friends currently working in: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, South Korea, Washington DC and Boston. I also have friends in law schools all across the country (Georgetown, UT, UCLA, USC, Harvard, Columbia, NYU to name a few.) The “USC will only get you a job in LA” myth is very, very untrue!</p>

<p>Good luck! Let me know if you have more questions.</p>