Concerns

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
1

<p>I got accepted into the USC school of theatre for the upcoming freshman year, and I was wondering if anyone could provide some inside, honest information about the school and the program (I think I'll be doing the B.A, but I haven't decided yet), if that's okay with you, and if you have the time.
I was pretty excited to go to USC - it was my top choice on the west coast, but now the overwhelming reputation of it being a "party school" with a huge focus on greek life and football is starting to worry me. I know it's ranked as the 23rd best university in the country, but is that in big part because of it's social influence? I've also spoken with a few kids planning on going there next year and the majority of them seem like they're are into partying, not studying. I'm a very academic person and I'm looking for the best possible theatre program out there - which is why I applied to USC in the first place - they do have an incredible theatre program.
However, increased by the tragic current event, I'm also scared about the safety of the USC campus. I don't want to feel trapped in a cage for four years - or scared to bike to the beach for the day/set foot off campus.
Also, does anyone know anything about the freshman dorms? My first choice is the theatre/dance floor at Parkside. I've heard that bedbugs are an issue in the south. Also how is the food? I eat very healthily and because of the recquired meal plan I'm worried that the food will be unhealthy or junk, despite what the school advertises, and I won't be able to afford an alternative.
I'm also worried about the stereotypes - although I know that USC accepts the most international students in the country (myself being one of them - I'm from Canada), I'm worried that these admits will all (or majority) be that party type, or rich/snobby. I come from a small-ish town where I've never even witnessed a "wild rager" and I'm kind of scared about that as well.</p>

<p>Also, please understand that I did do extensive research on this university, I've looked at message boards like these, other "student insider" websites and all the USC websites/links, but I find that many of the opinions are either people trashing USC and raving for UCLA, or the opposite. It seems like I can't find an actual, honest opinion showcasing the truth, be it good or bad - you know?
I also keep seeing really rude (both manners and language wise) comments from USC students on websites/social media, and I'm getting a very hostile feeling from them (not at me personally, just the atmosphere). I was so excited for this school and this program before talking to peers that were entering the school with me in the fall. I'm just confused and worried.</p>

<p>Anyways I'm really sorry for asking all this, and I apologize if any of these worries are overboard or if they offend anyone in any way, that is not my intention. I just wanted to ask everything to make sure I'm making the right choice.</p>

<p>**I just wanted to add that I have not been to the campus in person, despite doing a LOT of research on it, and although I would love to go an visit, I live in Canada on the east coast, and money wise it's an issue. I'll probably see it for the first time during orientation this summer, but I jsut wanted these questions possibly answered before then. Thanks! I just wanted to say that for anyone who will use the "go visit it for yourself" advice. Unfortunately that is not possible at the moment.
Thanks!</p>

2

<p>My son was in the summer program last year and stayed in nearby Westwood with us and his uncle. We were around campus late a night and during the day. Stayed downtown a few times overnight. It did not seem “scary”, not exactly “homey” either,njust be aware and don;t walk alone at night.</p>

3

<p>I have been to campus 3 times in the past year with S. We stayed right near campus and walked to restaurants off campus for dinner. We also had a car and drove downtown (5min) and ate a quaint Italian restaurant walking 2 blocks from where we parked. We never felt in danger at all. </p>

<p>As far as other students? Everyone we met seemed really open and friendly and in fact very helpful when we looked lost. We are from the Northwest and it is very laid back up here. S felt of all the campuses he visited (also looking at east coast schools), USC seemed to the most lively and open. USC is also very popular in our area and we personally know a half dozen students that are currently there as freshmen and sophomores. All are in the arts and none are “rich or snobby”. I think you will definitely find a great group of friends especially as you are a theatre major. </p>

<p>Also - just and fyi - I don’t think you will be able to bike to the beach unless you are really good at long distances in traffic - correct me if I’m wrong California people! The bus system may have bike racks though - so getting there to ride could work.</p>

<p>I travel A LOT and have yet to find a bed bug in LA (not to say they don’t exist) but I haven’t heard of it being a problem in that area (West not really considered the South).</p>

<p>As far as students on social media sites - these will most likely not be your friends. The other thing to keep in mind - sites where people can be “invisible” tend to have those that trash talk when they wouldn’t dream of it in public. I wouldn’t read too much into it.
Hope that helps! I know these are big decisions. Good luck :)</p>

4

<p>It’s possible to party AND be very intelligent AND get very good grades. At USC you’re more likely to be overwhelmed by the number of people who are more studious and more accomplished than you are to be overwhelmed by Greek life (about 25% of students) or partying.</p>

<p>Also, “bike to the beach for the day?” You should probably know that will never happen, USC is too far.</p>

5

<p>Re biking to the beach, it will be doable by the time OP gets to USC.</p>

<p>The Expo Line will be open to Culver City by then. And while still a fairly long ride, biking to the beach won’t be as difficult from there.</p>

<p>Just a few more years until USC is a single train ride to the beach.</p>

6

<p>Hello 1alinaa1, </p>

<p>I too was accepted to USC and plan to attend this fall. I would like to start out by hopefully diminishing some of your concerns. </p>

<p>Concern 1: “Party School” and Greek Life
I would say that every university has their party kids, but that definitely doesn’t define USC. The academics are great and the belief that most kids are just into partying and not studying is rather outlandish. Sure, teenagers get a little crazy, but the average NON-weighted GPA of the 2012 entering class is a 3.9. Call me crazy, but I believe the majority of students would’ve had to put a ton of work into school in order to achieve such high GPAs. The SAT/ACT averages are also very high. I, myself, am very similar to you. I’ve spent my whole life focused on academics and have NEVER been to a party. So, just because the few people you talked to are into partying, doesn’t mean everyone is. The school is extremely diverse. As for Greek life, only 23-25% of the students join a sorority or fraternity. That means 75% of the students don’t hold Greek life in high regards. You definitely won’t have a hard time finding non-partying, non-Greek individuals. </p>

<p>Concern 2: Safety at USC
USC is in the heart of LA, which is both a blessing, and a pitfall. There are definitely a lot of crimes in surrounding neighborhoods, but you just need to be smart about it. Don’t go out late at night, stay within USC’s jurisdiction, travel with friends, etc. I’ve visited the campus many, many times and have never felt “unsafe”. I’ve also never felt like I was in a “cage”. USC in itself provides ample opportunities both in terms of academics and extracurricular activities, so you won’t NEED to leave the campus that often if you feel nervous about doing so. As for biking to the beach, like many people have already said, that’s impossible. You can definitely take public transportation (or a ZipCar) though. On top of being smart about it, USC has implemented many practices to keep their campus and jurisdiction safe. They have over 200 safety officers on their team, over 100 of which are sworn officers. Crimes happen everywhere (especially in college neighborhoods) and I don’t think you should be worried to come to USC. </p>

<p>Concern 3: Freshman dorms and “bed bugs”.
I have lived in Southern California all of my life and beg bugs have NEVER been an issue. I visited two of the dorms (Pardee Tower and Parkside A&H) a week ago and they were both very nice. Pardee Tower is a typical dorm style building, whereas, Parkside is a suite style. Personally, I prefer Parkside because it’s air-conditioned, newer, and quieter. The only downfall about a suite-style is that it’s often hard to “break out” of your suite and form additional relationships. </p>

<p>Concern 4: Food
Honestly, any college that you go to is going to serve “crap”. College students like pizza, burgers, chips, ice cream, etc and so most of the options cater to those desires. USC does have PLENTY of other options though. For 1, they have an absolutely delectable salad bar. Some of the entrees, especially in Parkside, are also geared more toward healthy eating. Aside from that, each diner has a limited vegetarian section. To make things even better for you though, USC is opening a NEW dining hall this fall. It’s going to be primarily focused on health foods and vegetarian options. I believe it’s going to be by Flour Tower, so if you want to live near that eatery you might want to reevaluate your housing preferences. </p>

<p>Concern 5: Stereotypes
Like I said before, I for one, am not a partier. I’ve never witnessed a “wild-rager” and I don’t drink alcohol, so you definitely won’t be alone. I’m sure there are rich/snobby kids on campus, but again, that’s universal to every university. People are all different, and so, you’re going to come in contact with some of the less favorable ones anywhere you go. I would definitely not say that ALL or even most of the students are this way though. In fact, I feel that the Trojans were the most genuine, welcoming students of all the universities I visited. For Explore USC, I (along with 4 other students) was assigned two student hosts. They were both extremely friendly and welcoming (and neither of them partied much). They let us into their dorms to check them out and we met a dozen of other students along the way. All of which were eager to talk with us and hang out with us. They all gave us advice and were really open. We met these two guys in Pardee Tower and after talking to them for a good 20 minutes in the lobby; they invited us into their room where we hung out for the next hour and a half or so. Four of their other friends showed up and hung out with us as well. They were as nonjudgmental as people come. They weren’t snobby or any of that stereotypical nonsense. Coming from a relatively small town myself, I was a little bit worried about fitting in, but after meeting dozens of genuinely nice people, I am certain their will be no issues. </p>

<p>I hope that some of my “debunkers” helped put your mind at ease. But honestly, if you still feel that you wouldn’t fit in or can’t imagine yourself as a student at USC, don’t attend. I would absolutely hate for you to be unhappy, especially considering college is about the entire experience, and not just how good the theater program is. I understand that USC isn’t for everybody, but I would love to see you at USC this fall. </p>

<p>-Ali</p>

7

<p>I too have some concerns
So I am currently trying to decide between these three schools
I want to major in Chemical Engineering and either minor or double major in International Relations
So just hoping i can get some feedback (based on what i found out UCLA is near impossible to get research, UCSB doesn’t have IR but has a minor that’s close to IR, and then USC is not AS high as UCSB but still a good school)
basically i want a main degree in chemical engineering and either a minor or major in international relations
then i want to have research opportunities and be able to get involved in student activities around campus
eventually i want to go to grad school and get a masters in chemical engineering and a masters in science, technology, and international affairs
so my questions is in pursuit of these goals, which of the three schools would probably best for me?
trust me i know regardless of where i go im gonna have to work overtime to make this happen and i am willing to do that
but i just want to know what place would be best for these goals</p>

8

<p>Hello!</p>

<p>Thank you very very much Ali2053 for your “debunkers”, they definitely did help, as did your answers squiggles, mindysue, bandtenhut and jjalfonso. Although these concerns did bother me, they were sort of like “pre-wedding” jitters if you will. USC is the right choice for me - I can feel it. I very much appreciate you all clarifying these concerns for me - although I’m a pretty open person and confident in my choices, I just wanted my mind put at rest about these random rumors, which all of you helped me with.
Thank you all agin very much and I look forward to seeing some of you at USC next fall! :)</p>

9

<p>My D just graduated from USC. She was on the USC club triathlon team and team members did bike together from campus to Palos Verdes Peninsula several times a month for training. They also trained in Griffith Park (a short drive from campus) and along the coast in Malibu. If you want to cycle, look into joining the triathlon or cycling teams. They travel around the state for events. You can also ride your bike (you don’t need gears — it’s totally flat) around campus. You have to lock up your bike as they are the targets of opportunists. One of the student speakers at commencement 2009 biked all around Los Angeles County for four years and never drove a mile although this is a rare story.
My D lived in Parkside (Arts and Humanities) with a spacious corner double. You can supplement the dining hall food by purchasing fresh fruits & veggies and using your fridg & microwave. You should be able to use your dining dollars all around campus. My D was not attracted to the party crowd and found many friends and activities (acapella, orchestra, Visions & Voices, student ambassadors) outside of Greek life.</p>

10

<p>guptaman94 wrote:</p>

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<p>Lol. That’s funny; I like that one.</p>

<p>Though I guess it depends on your use of the word “high”.</p>

11

<p>Clarification:</p>

<p>Only 17% of students are in the “social” chapters of the NPC and IFC, what most people think of as fraternities and sororities. There are other Greek letter groups which may be religiously affiliated or service groups. </p>

<p>Go to the website and view the photos of students in long established chapters of Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Lambda Theta, Alpha Lambda Delta, etc. You will find parties at all campuses. You will also find students who never touch alcohol and still have a great college experience.</p>

12

<p>My kids both attended USC–S was an EE major & D is a cinematic arts major. Neither of them is into party or Greek scene. Neither is much into football either. Both have had a great experience and felt entirely safe at USC with NO ONE having ANY bedbugs. There is a free shuttle as well as a $.25 bus service and many other options to get around, including a zip car and lots of kids who have cars.</p>

<p>About 15% of the kids who graduate from our kids’ private HS matriculate at USC & graduate from it 4 years later. They all seem to have had a great time & gotten an excellent education. They all are able to find their balance of relaxation, academics and other interests. Our kids both took up new sports at USC–S rock-climbing & D fencing. There is something for everyone!</p>

<p>Good luck & congrats!</p>