<p>Agree—also many of the kids do not honestly wake early enough to eat breakfast, so they would mostly eat lunch and/or dinner anyway. Since they have a mini-fridge & microwave, many prefer just to grab something auick in their rooms as they head for their 1st class.</p>
<p>Did not hear of kids or parents regret starting with lowest price meal plan & most stuck with that. S liked having the option of leaving campus without feeling he was wasting money for food he had already pre-paid for.</p>
<p>Sorry, sounds like the meal options are different from what they were when my kids were choosing. It is nice to have the option to eat somewhere other than the cafe. Depends on the kid as to whether it makes sense to just get the basic plan & then add funds to USC card so the student can dine outside of dining commons or go with the plan that offers dining dollars included for extra fees.</p>
<p>Also chiming in to say go with the least expensive plan. If he does run out of dining dollars, add discresh dollars, not dining. Discresh can be used at the bookstore and other non-food places as well as fast food, and they carry over at the end of the semester (unilke dining dollars which can only be used for food and expire each semester).</p>
<p>alamemom, did you see my post above? For 2010, the cheapest plan comes with NO dining dollars. So for us, it’s between that one and the one that adds $500 dining dollars for a cost of $200 more than the no dining dollar one. What do you think?</p>
<p>Does anyone know if that the Trojan plan has $500 dining dollars per semester or per year? Because if it is $500 per semester, paying $200 extra for the variety seems like a good idea.</p>
<p>I’d suggest you get Housing to clarify that issue, so you have a good understanding of what you’re buying (these options are different from what was offered previously, so good to get in WRITING what you’re getting).</p>
<p>Getting $500 for paying $200 is a good thing IF your kid will be using it up (or at least most of it) before it expires. That said, it is pretty easy to spend dining $ at USC–lots of on-campus eateries that can add up, including Starbucks, sushi, etc. </p>
<p>Still remember tho, that the one kid who got the OLD Trojan plan that gave all dining dollars had lots of money toward the end of each term & ended up treating everyone to spend it all up, including folks buying candy & stuff, just to use it up.</p>
<p>Remember, the student does have a period of time (a few weeks from move-in day, I believe) to change the plan, so whatever is chosen isn’t “in stone.”</p>
<p>Hmm. A new plan. Well, one of the great USC moms who posts here got her son the unlimited meal plan (which cost a little more in our year) and her son loved it. He would pop in to get an apple or drink or just a cereal and juice and never feel he’d wasted a $12 “meal” just to grab a bite. Since he lived at Parkside, which some feel has the best food, he’d have main meals there, but since EVK is right in the middle of campus, it was always easy to run in there and grab a snack between classes. I hope Fauxnom comes to this thread to correct any of this. I do recall they were happy with the unlimited plan.</p>
<p>If you are getting $500 of dining dollars for only a $200 charge, that is pretty tempting. Next year they are opening the new Tutor Student Center with lots of very cool dining options–all which will use up those dining dollars. So, on second thought–since you have this new option, I might just sign up for that one. If it turns out you don’t like it, you can change dining options for second semester.</p>
<p>^^^just wanted to add. USC food service also give each student a set number of “guest” meals each semester. (Maybe 2 or 4?? Can’t remember.) When you go to move-in day with your son or daughter, you can dine using those guest meals! Don’t forget! Otherwise, anyone can pay a set fee (maybe $12 or $14?) and enter with a student. But it’s better getting it freeee!</p>
<p>Cardinal - unlimed meals at EVK and Parkside
Gold (+$200 per semester) - unlimed meals at EVK and Parkside plus $500 in dining dollars
Trojan (+500 per semester) - dining dollars only</p>
<p>I assume the Trojan plan charges full price for every visit to EVK or Parkside??</p>
<p>Seems to me USC got wise to people using discretionary vs. dining dollars, hence the change of plans. And since the new unlimited is dining dollars only (vs. the old Trojan), it’s quite a different animal indeed. </p>
<p>Sine I know my son has eyes on lunches at Wahoo’s, I think we’ll probably go with the Gold and hope it’s enough dining dollars (and if not, add discretionary dollars).</p>
<p>The change in the dining plan sounds good - they must have listened to the moms who complained when the kids arrived home with 7 cases of candy bars, bottled water and power bars and no other way to spend those dining dollars… It wouldn’t be as bad if you were getting $500 dining dollars for $200.</p>
<p>Or maybe our advice on College Confidential for the last two years NOT to buy dining dollars caused their value to diminish!</p>
<p>The Gold plan looks best and then if you need to add anything just add discresh.</p>
<p>They haven’t updated the meal plans pdf on the usc website yet. Could someone scan the brochure or paste the full details of each plan here by any chance (including the community meal plans)?</p>
<p>Cardinal Plan / $2450 per semester (unlimited EVK/Parkside, no Dining Dollars) (Minimum plan for dorms).
Gold Plan / $2650 per semester (Cardinal plus $500 Dining Dollars, which reset at semester’s end)
Trojan Plan / $2950 per semester (Dining Dollars-based plan, can be used in EVK/Parkside, or other dining locations)</p>
<p>Community Apartment Plan / $575 per semester:
-50 meals per semester in EVK/Parkside
-$100 in Dining Dollars</p>
<p>Community 25 Plan / $300 per plan:
-25 meals per school year in EVK/Parkside
-$50 in Dining Dollars
-May be purchased or renewed at any time, and may be used throughout the school year.</p>
<p>Community 50 Plan / $575 per plan
-50 meals per school year in EVK/Parkside
-$100 in Dining Dollars
-May be purchased or renewed at any time, may be used throughout the school year.</p>
<p>Community Apt Plan($575 per semester) - 50 meals per semester in EVK or PS + $100 DD
Community 25 Plan($300 per plan) - 25 meals in EVK or PS + $50 DD
Community 50 Plan($575 per plan) - 50 meals in EVK or PS + $100 DD</p>
<p>That is all the plans listed in the brochure that I have.</p>
<p>NOTE to new parents – the Community Apartment plan is required if you live in Parkside or Century Apartments – the Community 25 or 50 plans can be purchased by any student that does not have a plan OR as a supplement to any meal plan.</p>
<p>I am finding this dining business very confusing!! Lets say son chooses to be in either Brinkrant or Parkside and likes to eat in different places (including the new student center) then what plan would suit him being a freshman?</p>
<p>He eats 2 main meals and does not generally eat breakfast/snack.</p>
<p>I’d recommend Gold or Trojan. Trojan while expensive gives you complete flexibility. The caveat on this, is unless you eat a ton of food you end up with a surplus at the end of the semester which you must try to spend or lose. Gold gives you some flexibility, which can always be augmented by discretionary. The advantage of discretionary is it rolls over from year to year.</p>
<p>On the housing application: how do students contact each other to see if they’re compatible roommates? There seem to be only buttons for “request” and “view profile.” But who wants to request a roommate without first corresponding somehow? I noticed people are posting their facebook accounts now - is that the only way?</p>