I’m deciding between USC and UCSD, hate the USC campus but love its people, and love the UCSD campus but think it needs more pep.
How hectic is the city life? I'm kind of excited and concerned that la (even though its not the ritzy area) is right out of your doorstep, and while i like the idea of catching a weekend bus to downtown or a train to santa monica I worry that the scene will be too distracting, or that I'll never leave my bubble because of an unrelenting courseload.
How "real" is the trojan family? I never really feel a part of groups i join... should I expect more of the same?
How important is the name, from a college student perspective?
If you don't know exactly what you want to do, will you get lost in the crowd?
will i survive as an introvert? Or change to be more social? (trends you see, not me specifically-- that's impossible to tell)
5.what about fitness? mental health services? anything else?
I have been to San Diego (great city from what I have seen), but I have never been to UCSD. I also know very little about it. I will thus simply answer in terms of USC. I am not sure what you dislike about the USC campus. It is very nice IMO. Its surrounding neighborhood is really USC’s only drawback, but it is also improving yearly. The new USC Village is amazing.
For USC students, L.A. is not really hectic at all unless you choose to make it so. Many do remain in a bubble. I have two daughters there now, and they do venture away from USC often. They enjoying exploring or going off to clubs, shopping venues, the beaches, concerts, etc. L.A. is not right out of your doorstep. You can be in downtown L.A. within 10 mins or so... or head to Venice, Santa Monica, Hollywood, etc., but you have to make the choice to head there.
If you are qualified enough to gain admission to USC, you should not be overwhelmed by an unrelenting course load.
The Trojan family & the global strength of its alumni network is very real.
The value of a name or reputation is up to you. It will clearly matter to employers eventually though.
If you don't know exactly what you want to do, will you get lost in the crowd? No. There are scores of kids annually who arrive at USC unsure or undecided. Switching majors and adding minors, etc, is also all very common.
More older daughter is an introvert. She has survived well and graduates next month. My younger daughter is an extrovert. Her USC path seems very different. USC can accommodate all types. You are free to create your own path and journey there.
There are many gyms, pools & outlets for physical health. There are also many outlets for mental health, etc.
My daughters especially found the Niche college rankings & surveys helpful, as they included the student & alumni surveys and went into a much broader spectrum of topics of interest to them as potential students other than just comparative academic prowess… like dorms, student life, party scene, athletics team support, etc. You may what to check it out for yourself… and compare the survey results to those for UCSD.
Overall, USC gets an A+ and is currently ranked 19 overall among national universities. Its scores were… Academics A+, Value A+, Diversity A+, Campus A, Athletics A+, Party Scene A+, Professors A+, Location B+, Dorms B+, Campus Food A-, Student Life A+, Safety B. There are also a list of rankings on many topics too numerous to mention. USC is ranked as the #1 big college in America (out of 126) and # 10 out of 1501 colleges in America in terms of the best student life.
I think that if you have introvert tendencies that USC would be more friendly and fun. School spirit bonds you to your friends LA/Santa Monica will only be as distracting as you let it. The reality is that the traffic is so bad that those types of places to go will be special events, not regular occurrences.
Thank you for the replies
I’ll be visiting campus again tomorrow- I think I just don’t want to make a decision because it seems so permanent. @dfin2013 - yes, I think I’m dramaticizing the city life too much, and will seek it out as a special treat. @WWWard - your message is helpful- and now that you mention it, I’ve seen many other feeds where USC students /alums/supporters are way more encouraging than current and past students at UCSD. I left my heart in San Diego, but won’t be able to continue romanticizing about it once I live there most likely and see the same things I dont like about usc.
LA/Santa Monica will only be as distracting as you let it. The reality is that the traffic is so bad that those types of places to go will be special events, not regular occurrences.