<p>1) Is the campus near downtown Los Angeles, or at least in a somewhat urban environment. I mainly ask because I hate fast food and don't plan on getting the meal plan, so hopefully there's a wide variety of places to eat.</p>
<p>2) Can I get around well on a motorized bicycle (able to peddle normally and also go 30ish mph)? And how are the public transportation systems? I really don't want to own a car, and I'm wondering if this'll make a difference.</p>
<p>3) If my family makes about 65k a year, about how much would I expect in non-loan financial aid from USC? Assuming I get in, I'm not sure that I can afford a 40k/year tuition.</p>
<p>4) Interactive media program: is it easy to transfer into after two years somewhere else?</p>
<p>Pandem,
This is from an alumna who lives in Georgia, so I will only address the first question. SC is in the heart of Los Angeles. I call it an oasis because of the beautiful courtyards and many fountains found all over the campus. Check out the photo storage sites, use the search feature and type Univ. of Southern California. Many campus pictures are available to see.
There are numerous places to eat both on and off campus, but I do suggest you take one of the meal plans. There are many choices on the plans and there is flexibility. Current students should have more suggestions as these do change from time to time.</p>
<p>2) that would work fine... i've seen mopeds, scooters, bikes, skateboards, longboards, and even rollerblades (lol). And transportation in LA as of now sucks. There are some buses but most people hitch rides with their friends. You find ways to get around</p>
<p>If you don't like fast-food, what type of "places to eat" will you be looking for? A quick Google search of "restaurants near usc" brings up thousands of choices so if you are more specific, maybe some local students can come up with ideas.</p>
<p>I guess you could have a moped but I wouldn't plan on driving it far out of campus.. I don't know, I thought about it but it feels like somebody would shoot me if I ride around with a pink yamaha vino. lol. Just my thoughts. And LA traffic is sorta bad so if you goto slow...</p>
<p>1) The campus is a few miles south of downtown L.A.--but the local area does not have a lot of nearby student-friendly restaurants. Most students either stay on the gorgeous campus where there are fast food options that include healthy salads and pastas at The Lot, or eat at the dining halls which have a wide selection of healthy food (mostly tasty) as well as heavier choices. Those who live on campus in student housing are required to purchase the meal plan, I believe. Those with cars can drive ten minutes to find off-campus restaurants in Little Tokyo, Koreatown, and other neighborhoods.</p>
<p>2) A motorized bike offers very little protection against the huge trucks and SUVs on the road. I don't think that's a great idea for this big city. It would be fine to get you between an off-campus apartment and campus.</p>
<p>3) I don't know about FinAid.</p>
<p>4) Interactive media program: it is not easy to transfer in, but it is certainly possible. Are you coming from another university? You'll need to be accepted to USC based on academic GPA, recs, ECs, etc. In addition, you'll need to apply to USC's School of Cinematic Arts and fill out the supplemental application. That creative supplement is highly important as you need to be accepted specifically by the SCA for the IM major. For those with a real passion for game design, it is an amazing program that has no peer. The major is very small. I know there are only ten new freshmen admitted this year (my S is one) but I don't know how many transfer in later.</p>
<p>I believe for Freshman, you have to have a meal plan. The cheapest one is the one associated with Mark Halls for honors students. $1700+/semester.</p>