I was admitted to USC, received their Trustee Scholarship, and will be attending in the fall.
McCarthy housing seems really nice and all, but it seemed pretty quiet when we visited. I really want to meet new people and develop a sense of conmunity among the kids in my floor/dorm. I’m afraid I won’t find that at McCarthy with all the luxurious and spacious dorms they’ve afforded us. For those that currently live or lived in McCarthy, what was your overall experience there like? Thanks! 
I think it is good to ask this of current residents. When I was there last weekend talking with students, the Village, while utterly fantastic, seems separate from the rest of the freshman experience. The current freshmen said they felt it was like being in a hotel - long hallways of closed doors and they were glad they didn’t live there as freshman (but would be in the complex as sophomores because that is where sophomores go now). The McCarthy resident in the group we were with said they had a hard time meeting people there and spent all their time in the Birkrant/Pardee area just across from the Village that is know as the freshman quad because it was super easy to make friends there. Closed doors and apartment/suites is a different social experience for sure. Parents love McCarthy because it is shiny new and certainly looks impressive and of course some students prefer that too. But after being there the last three weeks, I get what the kids are saying, the Village feels more retail than fun dorm environment and friends kind of place. Of course there are certainly students that love it there and I think you would be wise to get different opinions and also ask if they are social or introverted type of people. You can definitely live there as a sophomore if you don’t as a freshman. Most everyone at USC is high stat student nowadays so it’s not like the other dorms are full of kids with any different stats than the McCarthy students. You will be in good company wherever you live. I’ve seen posts on here from parents that say their student is very happy there Ana’s posts from students where they had social issues with it. Search McCarthy on this forum to see if you can find those and hopefully students jump in and post.
^ Thanks. Yeah, hopefully some students can jump in and post. I talked to a student earlier today (whose at McCarthy), and he told me me otherwise — that the students in the honors dorm very much bond and develop a strong sense of communtity. Hopefully we can get some more input.
^ That’s great to hear. My daughter is in the same boat, I suspect she will choose McCarthy, but my gut tells me she might be happier in a traditional freshman dorm.
^ I feel the same way. I feel like I would be turning down a lot if I end up staying at a traditional dorm. Really want to know how current McCarthy students feel.
My daughter is eligible for McCarthy but is going with the regular dorms. She really wants the more traditional dorm experience and to be in the freshman quad. We did a housing tour today and she really liked Birnkrant so hopefully she and her roommate get in there
My son is in McCarthy and has had a great year, socially and academically. He has not expressed any desire to be elsewhere - in fact, he considers himself quite fortunate to be in McCarthy and in the Village… He will be in the sophomore honors dorm (Ilium, I believe) next year.
@CGHTeach My daughter said if she were trustee or presidential and had met people at explore that she would have likely done McCarthy. But with her scholarship, she found out later and then felt like everyone else already knew each other. The one bummer is if you don’t do McCarthy , you can’t just join back in and do the sophomore honors dorm. Honestly I think it’s such a great, diverse student body that it will all be fine either way.
You really can’t go wrong with housing - these are great kids throughout USC. New North is probably the one with a crazier fun reputation, but a lot of kids really want it - tends to be more fraternity and sorority oriented which is what some are looking for. Of my four, my last had the most fun in Birkrant - really a community there and they do a lot of things together among the floors and dorm overall - and in joining with the other dorms in the quad for competitions and parties before games, holiday events - lots of bonding and ways to meet people. They keep busy there - if a student wants to get involved they can and if not, that’s ok too.
@TreeAlum What they saw happen this year is that all the sophomores move to the Village (as sophomores) because they get housing priority, so the entire place is full of soph year students (except McCarthy Freshman) so whether in honors at that point it really doesn’t matter - the buildings are the same layouts and over run with sophomores. She will have friends in all of them by then.
@CADREAMIN So you have seen that most sophomores get into the Village? I knew they would have priority, it is just that the ones in McCarthy are pretty much guaranteed 2 years in the Village. There are “only” 2000 spots (non-freshman) and possibly more than that who are eligible? I suppose those who rushed sororities and fraternities might not choose the Village. How about Spring admits? Are they only eligible if they lived on campus spring semester? I know my daughter would love to live in the Village as a sophomore so hopefully that will work out. I remember reading on here last year and people seemed upset that the village did not alleviate any housing issues (and that people had to get the first day in the lottery to get into the village). Also - are the parkside units just freshman? Or would some people who live there as freshman choose to live there again? I"m sure it will all work out, and even the “off campus” apartments are literally next to the campus
Agreed that she will do fine wherever. Just for the sake of more info: My son made friends with the kids on his hallway and the kids in his classes and friends of friends, and so on … pretty typical for any dorm. (Although some had met l earlier in the process, most had not.) I don’t think that would really be an issue for her and shouldn’t scare her off McCarthy. The kids made friends like they do in any dorm.
Best of luck to your daughter! I hope she has a great freshman year wherever she lands at USC
@treealum I don’t think you can figure out where every single student wants to live and determine the exact odds, but it is safe to say there are many students that don’t want to be in on campus housing of any kind - they want their independence in apts, townhomes, houses, frats, sororities beginning sophomore year. They get to college and grow up a lot that first year, and plenty realize they don’t want the restrictions of living in a dorm, so there are those that won’t want it, even the Village. I really think this is a thing of parents thinking it is way cooler than the students do, at least on cc. I just ran into a kid from our area who is a Trustee and said after being there again after Explore and going to Village there was no way he wanted to live there, way too quiet/closed off for him. Another student may love it. Dorms are very different experiences than suites and apartments, and students are very different in their ability to meet people. Kids know what they want. I think you will find enough people want different things at USC that it all ends up working out.
Congrats on trustee! I have friends in McCarthy and have visited 4 times this year. They love it and seem to know almost everyone on their floor. I spent the night there last November and felt like the kids were very social and I had a really fun time. Believe it or not, a lot of the McCarthy kids love to party so if you’re into that you will have a great time.
My son lived in McCarthy this past year and had a great experience. He got along very well with his roommates and is living with 2 of them again this coming year in Ilium (sophomore honors housing). He also made a very good group of friends most of whom lived in McCarthy but on another floor. Other than “missing out” on the community bathroom experience, I don’t think he feels like he missed out on any part of the freshman dorm experience living in McCarthy. He and his friends also chose to live in Ilium for sophomore year and were very happy that they were among the kids who were chosen to get an apartment in that building. Congratulations to all and best of luck on the next exciting chapter of your lives!