Current opinions of USC

Parents Forum
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<p>My son's close friend is a sophomore there He is a serious student, great kid, east coast kid, and loves it there, doing well. Wasn't a party animal when I knew him, and if he is now, he doing it with good grades; his parents are thrilled with his experience there. Just one kid, I know, and there will be many counter anecdotes, as there always are, but it is possible for a serious student to do well and be happy there. </p>

<p>My other friend was not happy about what she read about Ohio U when her son was accepted there, and now after he has graduated, says the stuff was true, her son got a taste of the bawdiness there, but it was a good match of a school for him, and a good choice. he would not have been happy at Drexel and some other school that were other choices for him, despite the fact that there would have been less of the hooey that she was concerned about. It is a balancing act and you ave to know your kid and hope that she can walk the narrow path most of the time, and is lucky enough not to get into trouble when she takes a detour. Most schools have the alcohol and party temptations. In fact almost all of them do, and many students do check out that scene. If you know you have the type who will revel in it and let it take over, that may be a factor in your college choices. But in my opinion, there are a group of kids who will find the parties, distractions, vices where ever you put him and likely get into trouble. There are some that can go anywhere, and have no issue with these and other distractions. The big group in the middle is all over the chart and is difficult to predict. And as a parent, it is not always possible to know where your child falls when the supervision disappears. There are kids who were serious, non challenging , interested in schoolwork, great friends, no sign of contraband or high risk behaviour, goes to a school that is not on any party list, but gets sucked into the drug/alcohol/sex/ party scene. The hell raiser in highschool, might mellow out in college and that hair of the dog he was able to get in highschool give him the extra knowledge to know how far he could go. The streetsmarts and some bad consequences could keep him out of potential trouble in college where more naive kids may not see the danger signs of some situations and get caught. </p>

<p>I agree with the posters that when you have schools with national sports teams and lot of hoopla, a large residential college , lots of frats, certain other criteria there is more of the party scene. Not necessarily a bad thing. I cringe from the suitcase schools that are dead on weekend more than I do from the former scene.</p>

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<p>m-o-t:</p>

<p>A friend's D is struggling academically to keep her scholarship, so classes can't be that "lite" -- the girl attended a highly competitive public high schools in SoCal.</p>

<p>As a parent, I would not put 'SC into the party school category; major social scene, revolving around football, definitey! IMO, Calif schools on the 'party' list are UCSB & San Diego State, and, of course, the nearby Arizona schools. But, 'SC doesn't even come close to party schools of that caliber.</p>

<p>A lot of large Unis have intro classes primarily taught by TAs, so the quality is hit or miss. To avoid these types of classes, one needs to look at LACs. However, he Annenberg school is highy regarded. </p>

<p>Sample has been buying of National Merit kids with tuition discounts, so they have plenty of smart kids on campus. The alumni network, which is extremely strong, can't be overlooked. You should visit if you can.</p>

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<p>MoT, experience has taught me that there's little utility in discussing opinions about USC. Plus, one of my favorite CC people has a son at USC (though in TV & Film, which is indisputably a great program) and it's beyond my capability in this instance to be critical without being bruising. </p>

<p>The Greeks & football are indeed, imo, the epicenter of the problem. The further away from both, the better the likely experience. (To get some idea of some of the internal attitudes, try Googling "USC" + "I own the police." Or "USC" + "football" + "Ecstacy" (the drug). [130 tabs were found in a dorm room shared by two football players but neither was charged because, scrupulously, investigators could not--nudge nudge, wink wink--determine to which student they belonged.</p>

<p>The undergrad business degree is a joke and most of the traditional liberal arts degrees--humanities and social sciences--are nothing to write home about. All imnsvho. TV/Film, journalism, music are all strengths. And in general the <em>graduate</em> programs at SC compel a fairly high degree of respect.</p>

<p>Some of the defenses by USC students have actually made my points, e.g., along the lines of "We have so many fabulous activities to stress that much about classwork."</p>

<p>The transfer plan might work but I'm inclined to looking at a four-year fit where possible. </p>

<p>jbusc, the lack of academic rigor is not "old news." I have relationships with two current USC profs who roll their eyes at the abilities of typical undergrads...they teach both grad & undergrad.</p>

<p>Cpt, I agree that neither the party school nor the suitcase school is what I would be looking for. I would be leery of most Big 10 schools with the exception of Northwestern and Michigan. </p>

<p>I would look at Suze's post #11...a student who is a good fit for Scripps or Occidental is a terrible fit for USC, imo.</p>

<p>The utility of USC's vaunted networking drops off exponentially beyond a range of about 50 miles.</p>

<p>Finally, as with many things, the experience that an <em>individual</em> makes for himself/herself can go contrary to the general, particularly at a large school moreso than an LAC where it's more likely you either buy in or you don't. And different people are looking for different things out of college...my D was one of the high scorers offered a ton of money by USC and didn't even bother to apply.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
major social scene, revolving around football, definitey!

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Oh, no, it's not a party school...we call it something else.</p>

<p>Btw, one of the common charges against USC, its lack of safety, is way overblown. They get a pass on that one from me.</p>

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<p>Momofteen, one of my sisters has a B.S. and M.S. in engineering from USC. She is very bright, was a Trustee Scholar, yet had to work pretty hard to get good grades. I'm sure she had some fun, but she also had to work while in school, and her major required a lot of time spent studying. Her connections with USC have been very useful to her from a career standpoint. As a UC grad, I usually give her a hard time about USC, but I would have to say it was a great experience for her.</p>

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<p>I don't live nearby. I can name only one alum off the top of my head. You can guess who that is. ;)</p>

<p>Wait! I can name three. Putting aside #1, one of them was known for an interesting sex life, the other for gross violation of NCAA rules. </p>

<p>All three are millionaires, though.</p>

<p>Visit on a Thursday night, and then make a better informed judgment. (I know a terrific tuba player who is there now, and his mother says he loves it! But I can't say why he loves it.)</p>

<p>Do due diligence.</p>

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<p>As someone who worked in television journalism for years, I can tell you that the most important factor in choosing a school is the reputation of the journalism program and ability for the school to arrange a good internship. USC's TV journalism program isn't as good as the best -- U of Missouri, Syracuse, or Northwestern -- (not that it's bad) -- so I'd concentrate on exploring how many students get internships/jobs in their field when they graduate. I would think that with USC's connections and emphasis on alum support, many grads would do well. But do check that out. </p>

<p>If your D's interest is print journalism, I'd agree with an earlier post that graduate school would be the more important choice for her: as an undergrad she could pursue a good, thorough education and write for her school paper - then try for a top graduate program in print journalism, such as Berkeley or Columbia, for example.</p>

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<p>As a grad student frequenting the grad forums, I'd say that if she wants to pursue a grad program, the quality of the undergrad major in journalism is far more important than the overall quality of the school. She'll need letters of rec, and the more respected the program, the more respected the professors, the more weight the letters carry. My sister is graduating in a week from Missouri, which is a tremendous program, but she's in print, not broadcast. I've also heard great things about Syracuse for broadcast, as well as Northwestern. If she likes USC and can work hard, I don't see it as a problem.</p>

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<p>As a current USC student, I'll weight in on a few issues. First of all, GE's. I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the Thematic Options program yet. It is an honors program within USC that has special GE classes. The professors are generally the best of the best, and there is a lot more personal contact within them. I've really enjoyed all of my classes thus far- Commemoration, Monsters in Society, and Consumerism. Also, the writing courses were excellent, with some amazing teachers. Now, the program isn't for everyone- the reading is way more intense, and there are more papers to write. But personally, I've enjoyed it.</p>

<p>About the party side of campus... I'm a nerd, I'll admit it. Thus far, I haven't even walked on the row, even though I current live a block away from it. I lived in one of the honors dorms last year and had a great time without partying. Lots of friends and a very good experience without having to worry about drinking or the like. Selection in residential halls is the really important thing when considering the social scene. If your daughter gets to that stage, I'd be glad to help, as I'm hoping to be a Residential Advisor next year. </p>

<p>I will admit that football is a big deal here. That isn't a bad thing, though. I hadn't ever watched a full game of football before coming here, but now I love it. Again, I don't do all of the pregaming stuff (although it certainly happens!) but I still have a great time at all of the games. Its simply a way to spend some time over the weekend.</p>

<p>I'm a brown haired girl who got a 34 on the ACT and is now attending USC with a full merit based scholarship. I don't worship at the feet of football players, don't party at the Row every night, am not in a sorority, and am still having an amazing time. USC really has a space for everyone.</p>

<p>If you have any specific questions, please ask.</p>

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<p>As a USC parent I have no concerns in recommending it to anyone. My son is in film with a minor in peace and conflict studies. He has had outstanding internships. He is working at <a href="http://www.ri.org%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.ri.org&lt;/a> this semster. You can't get much more serious than that.</p>

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<p>From what my son tells me, suze has it right about USC. If you are a very intelligent student, it can be college lite. He was one of those hi stat students "roped in" by high merit awards, and has now decided to try to transfer to some of the top tier, more academic colleges he was also accepted at last year, including a few Ivys. He does love the social life there, but that is not why he is in college. So it does depend on the student, and how important having an atmosphere that emphasizes academics above all else is.</p>

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<p>Nikara - I've already applied to USC, and now I've kind of been having second thoughts about it being a fit for me, especially after hearing things like, "There are no girls that aren't hot" or even that the humanities are weak. I'm definitely a huge nerd, and marching band has made me hate football.</p>

<p>Are there kids there that weren't popular in highschool? I know it sounds like a dumb question, but I really don't want to feel like a social outcast for four years...</p>

<p>And also, what are you majoring in? I want to do a political science and journalism double major, probably. I think the strength of the liberal arts education is more important than the actual journalism degree, and I don't want to go somewhere where that kind of major would be weak (that's why I crossed Mizzou off my list).</p>

<p>People look at me like I'm crazy when I say I'm applying there, because I guess I don't look like a fit. But I wanted a big school in the city, warm weather, and to be able to keep surfing...so USC /seemed/ to fit the bill.</p>

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<p>We have tons of experience with USC. My entire family (from dad, to siblings, to nieces, nephews all went there.) My D was accepted for class of 2010 but opted out, depite a Presidential Scholarship offer. Our closest friends' son is there in class of '10. So here is what I know:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Any school is a party school if your kid is a partier. (there may be a few exceptions, but in general, kids away from home for the first time, living in close quarters, will party if they are prone to party). Having said that, USC has a significant reputation for being a party school. Is the reputation deserved? I would say "yes" but that doesn't mean all of the school parties. Some dorms are very prone to parties almost nightly. Our close friend has a son who is very serious about school and is in the Marshall School of Business. When I spoke with him last week (after UCLA beat USC), he talked a lot about the great experiences he was having with Marshall, his excellent classes and professors and then spoke for an hour about all the partying that goes on. Some kids can do both....be serious about school and still party. Others are too distracted. You will need to assess your own child.</p></li>
<li><p>My D was wined and dined by USC last year. She was accepted early and offered big $. With each reception and activity she attended, she liked USC less and less. Why? Because my D doesn't like football; didn't want to go to a school with a big Greek system; is not a "rah-rah" type. She is quite bohemian, fairly liberal, is big on community activism, healing the world and
a-capella music. USC is really big on football, the Greek system, "fight-on" rah-rah atmosphere, is fairly conservative, moderately pretentious (students tend to be "fashionable" and into whatever is current. The more D saw about USC, the more she realized that she was the total opposite. Not for her........despite the $$$$ (darn!!!). That doesnt mean it won't be for your student. You really need to go and visit and talk to students. The receptions we attended were held at homes that were very elegant and reeked of money and "fight on" atmosphere. It turned my D off completely.</p></li>
<li><p>D wanted International Relations/Middle East studies. She was very dissappointed with the faculty, when she met with them. Not enough for her interests. Journalism is probably better suited for your student.</p></li>
<li><p>If Broadcast Journalism requires graduate work, then your D should find a college where she fits, gets a good $ offer if that matters to you, and will get a good broad based education...........which would be important in a Broadcast carreer.................MOST students change their major. Don't let her choose a school purely on the major (unless it is engineering). Undeclared is a great way to start college.</p></li>
</ol>

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<p>By the way........agree with menloparkmom and suze. USC is academic-lite based on the other kids we know that went there and what their experiences are like now. They do rope in a lot of hi-stat kids with offers of big $. They tried really hard to get D. She decided to go to Tufts for the academic challenge/fit.</p>

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<p>Thanks to all; there is much to consider. For a number of reasons, my d. is only looking at schools in the So. Calif. area. She is very set on a broadcast journalism school, which has narrowed the field quite a bit. USC educates the students in print, broadcast and on-line. Employers more and more want employees that are well-versed in those areas and can be flexible and competent in each; and USC addresses that quite nicely. The internships are strong, and the alums work record bodes well for the program. </p>

<p>All this information is valuable though, thanks to everyone.</p>

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<p>"MOST students change their major. Don't let her choose a school purely on the major (unless it is engineering). Undeclared is a great way to start college."</p>

<p>She is set on this major. We don't expect she will change, though students certainly do once in college. We really doubt that she will her mind though. So, she is doing exactly what you advise against--selecting the school based on the major. We'll see how this plays out...</p>

<p>Everyone who knows her--teaches, advisers, choir director--all feel this is her niche. She's been advised by someone in broadcasting to get a strong liberal arts base, as reporters really need that, because they never know what sort of story they will need to research, write and report on. Also advised to go to a school with a strong broadcast journalism major, internships, networking, etc. USC still seems to mesh best with those criteria, at least in the So. Calif. region.</p>

<p>Thanks to all, it is appreciated.</p>

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<p>"She's been advised by someone in broadcasting to get a strong liberal arts base, as reporters really need that, because they never know what sort of story they will need to research, write and report on."</p>

<p>-- she was advised correctly. The most accomplished TV journalism-type I know never took a journalism class. He went to Yale, where they don't even have a journalism major. Instead he got an outstanding liberal arts education -- lots of literature, history and sciences -- at Yale, got an internship at a TV station after graduation, and turned that internship into his first job. He's now a top national writer/producer with a boatful of national Emmy awards.</p>

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<p>Groovinhard,
the Humanities are a joke if you are not in TO. He was eligible for TO, but waited too long to sign up, as he did not make up his mind about which college he wanted to attend until April 30. That is one of the reasons S wants to transfer. USC is a great school for those who want to major in one of thir specialized schools-
Advertising, TV, etc, but you should strongly consider going elsewhere for a strong Liberal Arts education.</p>

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<p>Sorry! Above reference to "He" is about Son.
And a quick story re "reeked of money and "fight on" atmosphere". When S was visiting U of Chicago in Oct last year, many USC students and Alum were in town for the ND/ USC game. I remember so well walking up and down Michigan Ave for a couple of hours killing time, and how there was a group of 15 or so blonde USC girls standing in front of one of the hotels, talking away for over 1 hour, totally oblivious to the fact that they were blocking the sidewalk and that thousands of pedrestrians had to walk around them! What a turn off! Their parents weren't much better behaved. Too bad my son didn't see it, as it may have given him pause in his deliberations of where to matriculate..
Given all that, USC is great for students whose interests match the schools USC is noted for.</p>

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<p>Our son is a freshman at USC. I can only speak for what he tells us, but some of the negatives are either myths, or he and he friends have not been afffected by them. </p>

<p>As for Parties. Yes, USC has it's share of parties. But as others (blucroo, bluebayoo, etc) have said, students away from home, in close quarters with peers, will party if parties are available. I went to college in the 70's, and yes we partied back then, and it was not at USC. I think that the party atmosphere would fall within the norm of most selective universities, and is not excessive. </p>

<p>As for the Greek life, my son, who is very social, has only been to the "row" a couple of times. It was probably a novelty the first time. He says that it is not something that he and has friends have any interest in. (I am not putting down the greek life - it is probably great for those who feel so inclined. At Orientation week, one of the USC Staff stated that "most students do not join, and do not participate in the Greek life". Some like it, and join, but it is hardly the "center" of activity at USC.</p>

<p>As for Academic-Lite, I have two responses. </p>

<p>First, my son's courseload is very academic. Calculus, 2 Engineering classes, Greek Literature, Material Science, etc. 17 units. Hardly "lite". He did very well in high school (4.43 gpa, and 34 on ACT), so he is very academically capable. He is keeping up, but it is hardly a cake walk. He would hardly characterize the academics as "lite". </p>

<p>Second, I think that some people, for whatever reasons, do not like USC, and will throw out some 'straw-man' arguments - rather than just openly state their dislike. To use the term "academic-lite" is insulting. To refer to scholarships from USC as "being roped-in" is likewise insulting. My son was offered Regents Scholarships from UC campuses. Were the UC campuses "roping him in" as well? He did receive a Merit Scholarship from USC. It is no more, or no less, appropriate and valued, than a scholarship from any other selective university.</p>

<p>Just as Ivy schools have deep and emotional rivalries, so does USC. In particular, some (not all) folks from the Calif UC schools seem to really dislike USC. As a California native and current California resident, i personally think that a student will receive an excellent education at any of the top selective schools ( a few Calif schools as examples: USC, UCLA, and UC Berkeley will provide any student with an excellent education). However, i think that many from the UC campuses refuse to concede that someone could possibly get an excellent education at USC. I don't understand that extreme position, but it does exist. I think that the high cost of USC somehow influences the opinions of some. </p>

<p>Someone mentioned that you should visit USC. I agree. We visited many campuses. We loved everything about USC. USC was (and is) very upbeat. People there (students, staff, and faculty) seem happy. You will sense it as you walk around the campus. We visited USC several times. During the first two visits, we got turned around, trying to find our way back to the parking lot. In both visits, some staff or faculty member sensed our confusion, and stopped to help. In the first case, the woman gave us a ride in her staff golf cart. In the second case, a woman stopped to help us. She told us that we could walk with her to the parking lot. On our way back to the parking lot, in talking with her, we realized that she was the key note speaker (well known Prof) at the evening event that we had just attended. It was nice, that she would care enough, to stop and help us. Sure, this would probably happen at many schools. But for us, it happened at USC. It was one of many many things that (when combined together) convinced us, and our son, that USC was the right school. We have had no regrets, nor does our son.</p>