<p>My son was just accepted to USC, and we are so happy. To all of you who have posted information on this website I want to say thank you. I have learned so much from you all. You guys are a great resource for us "first timers"! I hope you know how much we appreciate you!!</p>
<p>So, in the packet that we received, it describes the various options for Freshman dorms and meal plans. Which dorms would be best for my son, he prefers a place where he can be social but does not want the partying in or around his room. He does want to come home to a relaxing quiet place. Would a suite or traditional dorm be best? Also the meal plans...Cardinal, Gold or Trojan? I was leaning towards Gold or Trojan, since they seem to be more flexible.</p>
<p>The two main differences in dorms are the suites or the residential halls. The suites (Parkside and Fluor) are quieter, but some say they are less social in terms of being able to meet your floormates, etc. because you have to go through two doors to get to people. I’m currently living in Parkside and I love it! It’s quiet and I can always study in my room. It’s also great because they have a first floor study room since it’s so far from the main libraries. Fluor is right next to the gym and I’ve heard that many athletes live there. I’m not sure how the noise is there, so I don’t have much to say about Fluor.</p>
<p>As for the residential halls, they are all grouped together over by the main libraries. New/North are the dorms that are louder because the students who reside there will most likely be rushing for fraternities/sororities (hence, the partying). Birnkrant is said to be a good balance between the partying and studying since it sits in between one of the main libraries and New/North (but it also might get loud there - or dirty, depending on how much partying the floor does). The other residential halls however, fairly close to the three I just mentioned are (Trojan Hall, Marks Hall, Marks Tower, Pardee Tower). All of these four dorms are relatively quiet where you can study, but they’re close enough to where you can just walk to the libraries if you need to. Trojan Hall & Marks Hall are the honors hall where most of the Presidential and Trustee Scholars reside, so it’s fairly quiet.</p>
<p>Now for the meal plans! Cardinal meal plans are the basic ones that come with 10 weekly meals (that “credit” each Sunday) and $510 dining dollars to use on any dining facility on campus. I’m a girl and personally, the Cardinal meal plan is just right for me. You don’t want to end up with more meals at the end of the semester because you don’t get the money back. Students usually do a good job buying snacks, etc. at the end of the semester to use up the dining dollars though. However, Gold or Trojan isn’t a bad deal if your son eats a lot or just want those extra meals. You can always buy the Cardinal meal plan and then “upgrade” when the semester starts.</p>
<p>Another meal plan question. My son filled out the online housing app, but the meal plan part is still grey and unable to be filled out. I’m guessing this is either because his dorm first choice (Parkside A & H) requires a specific meal plan OR because he has to wait until he actually has a dorm assignment? Or is there something wrong with the online system we haven’t cracked?</p>
<p>^^ forever09 got it right from my observation of S and friends. The kids in Parkside we know were happy and social, but also were able to study in their rooms without too much noise. My S had great guys in his suite and so the 8 of them got to know each other pretty well. They also preferred the food service at Parkside, the nicer newer rooms–and the air conditioning! It was a five to ten minute walk to the center of campus, not much at all, depending on where your classes are, but a little out of the way. My S and friends rode bikes/boards to get to class fast. </p>
<p>In the non-suite dorms like New/North, a lot of people leave their doors along the hallways open and that helps the social atmosphere–but adds to noise, of course. The pledge scene seems most active in New/North and Birnkrandt, but 2 of my S’s suite-mates pledged good houses, so the distinctions aren’t rigid at all. And for the kids in SCA, there’s a film floor at New/North that’s a lot of fun. You get to meet a lot of kids in your major that way, too. </p>
<p>It seems a lot of kids make connections for their roommates for soph year depending on their situations freshman year.</p>
<p>Are you supposed to fill out housing information even if you’re not 100% sure you’re attending or do we wait until making a decision before filling out housing info.</p>
<p>^You can fill it out even if you haven’t made an enrollment deposit, or so we have been advised! I think it was a $40 non-refundable deposit, worth it in my opinion.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the good information. Every bit helps. So, are you recommending that he get his dorm preferences in asap, so that he gets to have a good choice? And you can do that with just a $40 deposit? Do you have to committ to USC at that time also, or can you do one without the other? Obviously I want to make sure he gets a nice living arrangement, but he does want to wait for a couple of other school responses before committing. Sorry for all the questions…but I want to get it right since this is my first child in college.</p>
<p>Cavmom, we advise making the housing deposit ($40- nonrefundable) which will lock your S in at an early request date and housing choices will eventually be awarded based on that date. However, he can come back and change his preferences as much as he’d like (so if New/North is first choice now, but he later rethinks, no problem as long as he makes the final selection before the date they make housing assignments). </p>
<p>No commitment or registration $$ to USC is necessary at this time (or until May 1 decision date, for that matter) and for those who decide to attend a different U, they’ll only lose that $40.</p>
<p>^ Thanks madbean that really helps since it is not binding I will probably spend the $40 and pick housing arrangements because USC is one of my top choices. I know there have been other threads on it but is there a consensus top 3 places to live freshman year in your opinion?</p>
<p>You finalize meal plans after you receive your housing assignment - I do believe that all freshmen are required to buy a meal plan.</p>
<p>@cdr777 - Depending on what the student likes, the top 3 places varies.</p>
<p>For those who are aiming to pledge, New/North & Birnkrant.
For those who like the quiet, Parkside Art & Humanities and IRC.
For those who don’t like sharing a bathroom with the whole floor, Parkside & Fluor.
For those who don’t mind, anywhere else.</p>
<p>However, overall - New/North & Birnkrant are relatively popular.
You can take housing tours when you go visit the campus and have a feel for where would most suitable/convenient.</p>
<p>Birnkrant has been the most requested dorm in recent years, followed by New/North. Sure, Parkside is new and nice, but if you’re looking to meet lots of people and be really social, then I’d recommend Birnkrant or New/North.</p>
<p>Thanks for the help I’ll probably try to go for Birnkrant or New/North from the sound of it, how can we take housing tours when we visit the campus?</p>
<p>Living in Parkside, it’s a little harder to meet people because it’s not like you can walk past their room and say hi to whoever’s inside. It just takes a little more effort to meet new people in the suites. But USC holds so many “new student welcomes” and receptions, etc. that it’s not hard to any freshmen to make new friends if you get out there and be involved.</p>
<p>I would recommend you living wherever you feel most comfortable because that’s where you’re going to be spending a lot of your time - taking naps, sleeping, showering, etc.</p>
<p>Nope, all of Parkside (both Art & Humanities and IRC) are suites. You share two bathrooms with either 5, 6, 7, or 8 people depending on how many people are in your suite.</p>
<p>As for housing tours, if you go to the Admitted Student Day Reception or any of the “Experience USC” programs like Explore or Discover, etc. - they offer housing tours where groups of families and check out the dorms. If you go visit on any other day, I’m not sure that they’ll give housing tours, but you are most definitely welcome into the dorms and take a look around. You won’t be able to swipe in using a USC ID card to use the elevators, but you can just follow any student living there and join them for a ride in the elevator. You might even bump into a student that is willing to show you around if you ask and if they have time!</p>
<p>Flour Tower - suites, USC athlete vibe, Water Polo team is often housed here. Close to workout/athletic facilities.</p>
<p>New/North - no suites, rooms w/sinks (extra $ but a little bigger) are snapped up first - super social rep, lots of beautiful people (from personal observation!), tends to be favored by Marshall & Annenberg, those interested in Greek life. Can get noisy, post-party smelly (!) but studying can be done (if you have the discipline to leave the good times) just a minute away at the library. Very convenient to classes, food service, everything. No a/c, so bring a fan. Specialty floors can be cool–Film floor hosts frequent floor screenings, easy to meet fellow SCAers to do indie films together.</p>
<p>Birnkrandt - some really like the triple (2 rooms, one w/3 beds, one w/desks and sofa), with same convenient central location as New/North, social but a little less party-all-the-time rep. No a/c, though, so Aug/Sep and sometimes Oct are hot during the daytime. Nights are fine with open windows.</p>
<p>Marks Hall/ Dean’s Hall - quietest, and since they are the honor’s dorms, tend to attract a more studious crowd. All USC students like to have fun, but this group is less likely to swing from proverbial chandeliers–not when they have TO papers due! RHP students are often housed here as well. No a/c. </p>
<p>Parkside A&H and IRC- suites, a/c, newest dorms, and their own food service with International entrees at each meal. Bit of a schlep to walk to center of campus, but close to Engineering. Nice large lounges on every floor with big screen TVs (you can watch DVDs w/friends). Many find the rooms quiet enough to get studying done without leaving for the library. Cell phone service is spotty! Good mix of social types, smart types, indie types.</p>
<p>My son- not a party going kid, was very happy staying in Pardee tower 4 years ago, on the top floor which was devoted to guys who liked the “outdoors”. It was pretty quiet and had a bunch of smart studious guys, many of whom were eligible for the Honors hall, but wanted a more easy-going group of roommates. I don’t know if there still is an “outdoor” theme floor available, but if there is it is a good place for kids who want to study in their rooms without chaos around them…</p>
<p>@menlo park Mom…for how long did your S live on campus? Did he then decide to move off? Was it safe? BTW we are practically neighbors…I live in Los Altos.</p>
<p>just 1 year, then he moved into an old Victorian north of campus with a bunch of friends[ on Menlo ave!]The whole area north of campus is full of USC students in apts and old houses [ kind of looks like an older mixed “professorville” around Stanford] and is regularly patrolled by the USC police. There are shuttles to an from campus at all hours, and as long as a student is street smart- not walking around drunk by himself at 3 am - it’s safe.</p>