<p>Has anyone heard anything about the quality of the food in EVK and Parkside?</p>
<p>@jazz–</p>
<p>Yes, as I said in my previous post–I’d recommend the plan with the unlimited meals plus $500 dining dollars IF you think your son will use the dining halls. Mine did.</p>
<p>And regarding the fear that a student would blast through the $3000 dining dollars for that option, I’d estimate that would be about $25 per day (figuring each semester is about 4 months–120 days). With such a generous amount, it seems reasonable to set that as your student’s food budget and allow them to learn how to manage within that range. In truth, there will be many times the students go off campus to eat (using cash or credit cards), so even that dining dollars total will go farther. It is much more likely that a student will end the semester with an unused balance. with which they may buy items like cases of water, candy bars, etc before the end of the semester re-sets their dining dollars tab.</p>
<p>Thanks, madbean. I didn’t fully understand your post. My son will definitely use the DD - of that I have no question. The question was will he need more, because he seems to enjoy (from summer experience) the non-dining hall restaurants. And will that “more” be enough to justify the 3K. I think for now, we’ll go with the Gold.</p>
<p>On my hosuing application I can only pick the Cardinal Plan? I wnat to pick the Gold Plan but how can I do it? By the way it’s IRC for me. Also, the cost for the Gold Plan is $2750, right? because many people say it’s $2650 here…</p>
<p>It looks like that on my son’s, too, but here’s where you go to change it (I believe it was in the housing email). And yes, they raised the price by $100 from the brochure that was sent out with acceptance packets (I spoke to USC and they said the brochure was premature and there was a qualifier, blah blah.):</p>
<p><a href=“https://elmer.uscard.usc.edu/uscard/students/meal_plans_01choice.asp[/url]”>https://elmer.uscard.usc.edu/uscard/students/meal_plans_01choice.asp</a></p>
<p>You can always opt out of the dinning plan and just go with a monthly allowance for your student. I think the dining plans are a bit of a rip off.</p>
<p>bbgg, actually you can’t opt out. There is a minimum food plan required for all dorm students.</p>
<p>You can opt out by writing a letter. Some of both my son’s frineds did exactly that.</p>
<p>^ I didn’t realize that. So it’s not so mandatory after all. (Although my son won’t be writing any letters, I’m sure.)</p>
<p>This might be a good plan for someone on a vegitarian meal plan or any special meal plan that the dinnig options will not accomodate</p>