<p>When you (or your child) visited the campus or even the campus website did you get a feeling that this was the school for you or that this was where you would be attending college? </p>
<p>My daughter did. They have the best of everything, but she didn’t apply because there’s no way we could afford it and she is a Poly Sci major going to Law School. Sad that it always comes down to money.</p>
<p>We have visited the campus twice, once in the fall and again this week for the Explore USC program. The first visit took USC from off my D’s radar to one of her top choices. This week’s visit reconfirmed that USC is an impressive place (though it didn’t quite seal the deal due to other concerns).</p>
<p>I think my dad did more so than I did. I was ready to go elsewhere and didn’t give it serious thought until I actually was accepted in January. </p>
<p>we just did the preview tour this week and did not come away thinking ‘this is the one’. Nothing
particularly negative. We just didn’t get the 'wow" factor that we were expecting. Touring UCSB and SLO the next two days. Hoping something generates a spark!</p>
<p>I got that feeling (years ago now). Within the first hour of being on USC’s campus, I could see myself being happy here. And I was o so right. Other campuses I visited were nice, but I couldn’t envision myself at these other places.</p>
<p>My daughter did. She’d met a recruiter at her high school and that lit the spark. She and her dad then did a road tour and visited five colleges in the area over several days . The affinity was pretty immediate. After acceptances we narrowed her choices down to two and visited the “other” campus first. There we met a student and parent who’d been at a USC admitted students reception on the East coast. Both girls liked what they saw and said they would have been happy at “the competitor’s” campus It was smaller, intimate and had a fabulous dedicated film building not open to other students on campus. Two days later I saw the same parent and child at USC during Explore and the father looked around and said “it’s a done deal, huh?” and I said - yep - the other school is now toast. </p>
<p>I really think it comes down to not every campus is right for every person. Sometimes you feel the vibe. Sometimes you don’t. Which is a valid way to figure out where you belong.</p>
<p>@TheWeaver What were those other concerns?</p>
<p>@Pepperjinks My D is currently focused on pursuing a career as a concept artist. The USC IMGD program isn’t the most direct route for this. It is certainly an amazing opportunity, but it may just not be what she wants.</p>
<p>My son and I both did. We weren’t really considering it, but after visiting, it became #1 choice for many reasons (some ‘intangible’ or undefinable). However, alas, he did not get in. Just wish I knew why, his stats, ECs, etc. were all good, some online forums even called it a “match” for him (though I think any <20% school is a “reach” for most anyone).</p>
<p>My daughter attended a summer program at USC last summer and fell in love with the campus. She said she could really picture herself going to school there. However, I wonder if she would have a different impression if she visited doing a regular semester. We haven’t had the opportunity to visit again. She was on campus with 500 high school students and summer school students, so it was very quiet. USC is still in her top two, but with no merit aid at USC, it may be out of consideration. </p>
<p>Yes. We got the vibe that the school was primarily for rich kids. Much like an Ivy without the same academic reputation (and better sports). The weather is nice, but that can be said of quite a few campuses. I am sure it is a fine school and there are plenty of examples of ‘not rich’ kids there. This is just the vibe we got.</p>
<p>@Sweetbeet USC got 51,000 applications this year - up from 48,000 last year. A lot of students who were a match were turned down. There’s nothing he could have done differently. Just not enough room at the inn. Don’t give it much thought. Had nothing to do with his qualifications.</p>
<p>
This is a statement that interests me - from the context of your post, I am assuming that you feel having students from well-off families is an automatic negative? The reality is that about 40% of students at USC are indeed full-pay, meaning that their families could, on a relative basis, be considered “well off.” Whether that equates to “rich” is a very relative judgement and will also depend on where they live, etc. The other side of that is that at least 60%, or a majority, of USC students receive some level of aid (whether they feel it is enough aid or not is another question 
). ALL USC students, regardless of level of wealth have to be pretty darn smart and accomplished to even be accepted - being “rich” won’t get you in these days.</p>
<p>What interests me is the oft-expressed sentiment that having some students from (relatively or not) wealthy families should be considered a negative. Why? Is there an assumption that those individuals are in some way inferior to those with less money? Why? I can tell you that I have personally met many USC students and their families. Some of them have been from families where money is scarce. Some have been from middle-income families who receive some aid and have to stretch every penny to afford USC. Some have been from families where paying full-price hurts, but is manageable. Some have been from families for whom paying full-price at USC is not a problem. I have found all of those students and their families to be smart, hard-working, kind, ambitious, funny, and just overall amazing. I am very grateful for the friendships that have come my way as a result of being a USC parent.</p>
<p>There is absolutely nothing wrong with being from a successful family - are people who make that statement really looking for schools where no one is “rich?” </p>
<p>Ramblings for the day… :)</p>
<p>Throughout my life, I’ve had friends from every socioeconomic status, and I can tell you that kindness/unkindness comes in all sorts of packages.</p>
<p>Both sons had the “This is the place” reaction (one at SC, one at another school). For older son (non-USC), we were walking from parking lot to admissions for the tour and he said, “I’m done. This is it.”, and that was before we even talked to anyone.</p>
<p>USC son is a bit more analytical, but I could tell half way through the tour that he’d made up his mind. His reaction, “I want this. We don’t have to go to the other places.” We visited anyway because it had been planned out for a while, but it really was a waste of time.</p>
<p>For a lot of kids it doesn’t matter, for others they just can envision themselves at that place. For the USC son, I think it was the energy of an urban location, the diversity of the students topped off by a program he really wanted (BCA). They can’t always explain what they want but they know it when they see it. The hard part was getting them prepped for the disappointment if they didn’t get in.</p>
<p>Bump</p>
<p>bump</p>