I am have been admitted to USC for fall 2015. Over the next couple of weeks I need to decide whether I will enroll or accept one of the other admit offers I’ve received. There are many aspects of the USC that appeal to me, but my main concern is the student life culture. When I visited last month for my overnight plus interview for a scholarship, they matched me with a student in New/North who was so into the frat scene. He made it sound like everyone’s social lives revolve around the fraternity and sorority communities. That is just not my thing. I am an out gay student and don’t feel welcome or comfortable with what I have seen of frat culture. I understand other people are into it, and that is fine, I just don’t want to be at a school where Greek life scene seems pervasive or inescapable. Any thoughts or feedback welcome.
Less than a third of students have their social activities revolve around Greek life. For the other 67 or more percent, they can have completely different or similar experiences. Menlo has house parties if that’s your scene. On the flipside, it’s easy to find or form study groups. For social life, professional development, physical activity, etc. there’s hundreds of clubs, so there’s literally something for everyone: http://sait.usc.edu/stuorgs/organizations_list.asp
One thing worth mentioning. There are a lot of resources on campus for LGBT students, so only outdated people have the perception of USC not being a LGBT-friendly university. If this is a concern, check out http://sait.usc.edu/lgbt/ and contact them if you want to know more.