<p>My daughter is seriously considering USC. One of her concerns is the lack of housing available on campus after freshman year. She is worried that after freshman year it turns into more of a "commuter school" situation and she won't be as much a part of campus life as she would be at a school with housing available for all four years. Any insight on this? </p>
<p>Is there any one thing that sophomores and up typically do as far as housing, if you're not in a sorority? Is there safe housing nearby? (Know the neighborhood in general can be "questionable.") </p>
<p>What percentage of sophomores choose or are able to live in dorms?</p>
<p>Do most sophomores and up need cars because of off-campus housing?</p>
<p>Are there any campus groups (i.e., a Christian group for example) that work to match kids to live together off campus if somehow she hasn't met people she wants to live with freshman year? Hopefully she will have some buddies by then who would make good roommates...just wondering if the school or on-campus groups provide any sort of services to organize sophomore housing if help is needed.</p>
<p>Thank you, we are getting lots of great info from this board.</p>
<p>I believe that starting this year, housing will be guaranteed both freshman and sophmore years. A large dorm is being constructed next to Parkside during the upcoming school year. </p>
<p>There is definitely housing available nearby. Off-campus apartments in the better areas do go quickly, though, and they aren't cheap. The area is questionable but not terrible, and close to campus there is a ton of security. You also can still apply for on-campus housing; it just isn't necessarily guaranteed.</p>
<p>I wouldn't be too sure about that. They've only finished the frame, and from what my Parkside friends have been telling me, it's the 2nd phase of Parkside apartments, not Parkside IRC. I haven't heard any news about that structure, and the current student's housing application did not list it, so I doubt it will be finished by next year.</p>
<p>Yes, there is plenty of housing north of campus and it is all relatively safe and well protected by DPS. Sophomores who choose to stay in dorms are definitely a minority, but it is not uncommon. If you choose to live in the same building as freshman year, you have a pretty good chance of getting it. I'm choosing to live off-campus next year, about 2 blocks from campus.</p>
<p>Rent can be high, but that is inevitable since you're living in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>USC has a link to lots off off-campus housing, including a roommate matching service. However, if your daughter meets friends through a club (Campus Crusade for Christ is a large one I attend, for example), she shouldn't have any problems finding roommates. And I think even though a lot of students do choose to live off-campus after freshman year, they still stay very involved in campus life. It's a commuter school in a sense that not everyone is "on campus", but not in the sense that everyone goes home.</p>
<p>Starting next year on-campus housing will be guaranteed for 2 years. After that, your daughter will probably want to live off campus anyhow.
There are plenty of housing options right next to campus (literally across the street) that are non-university owned but reserved for USC students. It shouldn't be a problem.</p>
<p>Your daughter may feel differently, but my son couldn't wait to get off campus. Last year and this year his apartments were walkable and they were on the bus/tram the runs around the outskirts of the campus. </p>
<p>Let me honest. Between the alcohol and this issue are you sure that USC is for you and your daughter? You both seem to be throwing up one concern after another. Maybe you both would be more comfortable if she was somewhere else next year. </p>
<p>I share many of the same concerns as PBK Mom. USC has many wonderful things to offer, but housing and alcohol are concerns many moms have when sending their children far away. I would like to know that there are many activities available on campus that do not involve alcohol.</p>
<p>No, we're not sure, which is exactly why we're gathering information from as many different sources as possible, so that she can make a well-informed choice and know what to expect. I don't think I'd consider wanting to assess what the living experience is like as "throwing up one issue after another," but where you live and what the social atmosphere is like are both pretty significant parts of the college experience, and the better informed she is and the more realistic picture she has, the better.</p>
<p>USC has a great deal to recommend it, but she is also looking for a college where she can be involved on campus for four years (she's not really interested in a commuter school and we've wondered if there was safe housing easily available near campus, which seems to be the case from all that has been said here) and have an active social life that doesn't include alcohol. She doesn't care if other people drink as long as they're not throwing up in her dorm room <grin> and as long as she will have plenty of things to choose from herself, which also seems to be the case based on all that people have shared here.</grin></p>
<p>She is giving very serious thought to these issues, as well as weighing the varied issues at the variety of other schools where she's been accepted. She has several other options, including Redlands (where everyone lives on campus for four years and alcohol is fairly strictly regulated) and Wheaton in Illinois (ditto). </p>
<p>In the end she will have to be the one to weigh the pros and cons and decide what kind of college experience she wants. If she wants to be a Trojan, I'm all for it. </p>
<p>PBK Mom: I know I've posted several times in response to your posts, but I just thought I'd respond once more:
In my opinion, your daughter and I sound very similar. I, too, am looking for a non-commuter school, a roommate who doesn't puke all over my stuff (sorry... a bit graphic, but i'm just being honest haha!), and i plan to get involved with campus crusade ASAP. at my high school, I'm very involved (senior class prez, etc.), and would consider myself to have a very active social life. Up until Summer 2005, I was dead set on going to a Christian college similar to Wheaton; I thought for sure it was the place for me. However, I then realized that, although my faith is very important to me, I wanted to challenge myself and "step outside of my bubble". I understand that my college experience is definitely going to be very different from what I'm used to- I'm one of those girls that doesn't party, drink, swear, and I don't really date... why waste my time on a high school boy? : ) I hadn't really thought much about USC until I took a brief tour last fall (I was down visiting UCLA), and I immediately fell in love with the school. I just felt like USC was where I was supposed to be. Of course, this is an account of my own thoughts and experiences, but, as I said, your daughter and I sound similar, so I thought I'd share it. My number one piece of advice would be for your daughter to visit the campus if she hasn't already- that's what was the deciding factor for me. Good luck with everything!</p>
<p>Everyone I know who has attended USC has not had any problems finding safe housing there that suits their needs. When we went to the reception for admitted students on 4/1 in HI, we were promised that ALL students in the class of 2010 are PROMISED 2 years of housing if they want it. Everyone who moves out of student housing still lives near campus, since that's where all the action is from everything I've heard from the USC facutly, USC students, and parents. Initially, we had safety & housing concerns, but we have been reassured by other parents of USC students. In fact, one friend has one daughter who graduated in engineering from USC, the son is in his senior year there & they're trying to get their youngest to enter as a freshman this year.
I agree that visiting the campus is a great idea if you can manage it--it's a very vibrant place with great food. It's looking more & more like my son will be there for the next 4 years as well. He likes classical music, isn't into drugs or smoking, and a really nice guy, as are many of his friends & classmates, many of whom are also seriously considering matriculating at USC.</p>
<p>Regarding the new Parkside bldg, we're being told that the new bldg will be suites...the bldg is already beginning to look like current bldg. As a matter of fact, I'm unfortunate to have a great view of the construction outside my window....it's certainly a great alarm clock at 7am ;)</p>
<p>You sound <em>extremely</em> similar to my daughter, sarahjhansen...maybe we should connect the two of you via email so you can meet up if she chooses USC! You sound like exactly a kind of person she'd like to know around campus. :) We'll be visiting USC next week so I'm curious what her reaction will be taking the tour. (We live in No. Orange Co.) She's very enthused about USC in terms of the breadth of coursework they offer.</p>
<p>HIMom, it's very helpful to hear from other parents about their positive experiences. Thanks!</p>
<p>Responding to another note, I agree there will be alcohol everywhere (maybe even underground at Wheaton <g>) but it's a matter of degree and how significant it is, which varies school to school.</g></p>
<p>redski, you think they'll finish Parkside II by August? I mean, I've heard rumors that Webb might not even get finished by then! Construction can be slow these days...yeah, also weird because I thought that it was going to be the 2nd phase of Parkside Apartments and not suites.</p>
<p>PBK Mom, it sounds like your daughters needs are similar to mine (need for social, yet controlled setting, Christian club, etc.) If you have any questions about Campus Crusade or being a Christian student on campus, let me know, since I'm involved with CCC. If you also want a tour of the dorms while you're here, let me know and I'd be glad to show you around.</p>
<p>PBK Mom: ... beammeup4 went to the same highschool i go to now. that's why we're both so rad....</p>
<p>and sure, i'll PM you my e-mail so she can contact me if she ends up going to usc! good luck with the tour next week; i hope she likes it; the campus is BEAUTIFUL!!!</p>
<p>I am honestly not trying to be rude, but anyone considering Wheaton in Ill as an option should probably go there. USC is your typical secular college no different than any major research university in the country. Although there are a large number of student religious organizations on campus, my son help to start one last year, USC is enormously different than schools like Wheaton or Grove City. Religion is not inherent to USC's mission and not part of the fabric of the college's daily life. USC may be outside your family's comfort zone. </p>
<p>You mentioned Redlands. You might want to search for the contributions of LAmom, a USC graduate, whose son goes to Redlands.</p>