<p>posted this on the USC board as well:</p>
<p>So it's a really tough decision to make on whether to attend USC in the spring. Basically, there are a lot of major downsides to it in my opinion. I'm looking at other schools (Berkeley, ect.) that have admitted me for fall. </p>
<p>I've talked to a couple of other spring admits who have decided to accept the offer, but both of them are set on USC as their dream school whereas I don't know if it's the perfect school for me. That being said, I'd most likely choose USC if I'd been admitted for fall. Help! Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Why, exactly, would USC be OK in the fall but not in the spring? Is it going to go rancid past a sell-by date?</p>
<p>If USC is your favorite, then accept the spring enrollment date, and go do something fun or interesting or remunerative for the next few months. I assure you, the time will fly by and you will be in class before you know it.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input. I’m not able to pick what housing to live in and housing isn’t even guaranteed when I get there in the spring. Most spring admits have been placed in bad/upperclassmen only housing in the past. And I’d really prefer to not go to community college in the fall (it’s highly recommended). I also have to choose next year’s roommate right away when I get there in January. </p>
<p>Also, it sounds silly, but I don’t want to miss the whole experience moving in and meeting people my first semester of college.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That would be a way to study to a USC bachelor’s degree at 7/8 the cost (1 semester of community college + 7 semesters of USC). Could be a good deal if USC is your favorite and you are concerned about costs. (Of course, if some other school that is about as good or better than USC for you costs less than that, then the other school would be a better deal.)</p>
<p>Yeah I agree it would be smart decision. USC is giving me next to nothing in fin aid… and the other schools are not much better lol. Although going to my state school would cost considerably less.</p>
<p>Spring admits don’t usually receive much money from 'SC. If your state school is UDub, you would be foolish to pay OOS fees to attend Cal. Stay instate. Come south for grad school.</p>
<p>Well I don’t think receiving less aid has anything to do with being a spring admit (spoke to fin. aid office at SC about this during admit day). </p>
<p>^ So Cal really isn’t worth it for out of staters? What about its supposedly high quality of education? I didn’t have a chance to visit there.</p>
<p>What other schools are you choosing from, and what are their net costs after non-loan financial aid?</p>
<p>Put it this way, I’ve been reading the boards for several years now, and the story at 'SC is always the same: not much financial aid for Spring admits. The Office can spin the factual outcomes anyway they choose.</p>
<p>Sure, Cal is famous for its (grad) programs. Engineering and Chem are worth the OOS fees, IMO. But UDub is a great school as well, at what, less than half the price? If you are a typical liberal arts major, it won’t much matter where you go. Jobs for English Lit majors don’t depend on pedigree. (Well perhaps with the exception of HYP, where the top consulting firms hire liberal arts folks.)</p>
<p>my D has to reject UCSB, UCSC, UCI. She chose to attend UCD this semester. By next spring, she may stay at UC Davis, or she could go to USC. I still do know yet. By going to UCD, I could save $7K. What do you think? Need your advise? Alamemom or anyone
Thanks</p>
<p>ucbalumnus: I’d be paying full price instate for UW, a little less than full price at USC and Berkeley (out of state). These are my top choices and I’m not considering other schools at this point</p>
<p>bluebayou: So according your info, does that mean spring admits will continue to get bad fin. aid for the rest their undergrad years at USC? And I know UW is a great school, but obviously not as prestigious as Berkeley, ect… and it’s very close to home!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Whether UW is Washington Seattle (~ $84,000 in state) or Wisconsin Madison (~ $92,000 in state), it is a good university at a far lower price than the Berkeley (~ $208,000 out of state) or USC (~ $182,000 + 1 semester of community college costs).</p>
<p>$100,000 is a lot of money when you are comparing between universities with relatively small differences in overall quality and reputation (or do you know what you want to study and the difference in that particular major is large?).</p>
<p>If I were in your position, I would go to whichever of the UW it is, if it is one of the above.</p>
<p>^ I know rankings and selectivity don’t show everything but can you really say that UCB/USC and UW have “relatively small differences in overall quality and reputation”? Based on rankings, ect. the former two schools have a much higher academic reputation and in my opinion, a more vibrant campus (for USC anyways). Not that UW isn’t a great school I’m seriously considering because of cost and the honors program.</p>
<p>I’m planning on majoring in history/polisci/international relations. Thanks so much for your input!</p>
<p>^Most of these academic discrepancies are a myth perpetrated by the news magazine and willingly gullible public. The quality difference between the bulk of major universities just isn’t that different. </p>
<p>To put it into perspective, grad schools don’t take your undergrad institution of origin into much consideration during the admissions process and academia seem to consider other researchers from practically any university as their peers. “Educated” individuals and institutions tend to acknowledge the difference is, in fact, negligible. </p>
<p>There are a number of universities which I consider to actually have higher academic quality than most general universities; but many are obscure rather than being simply ranked highly on USNWR (such as HYPS). Universities such as Reed offer some of the best education through their unconventionality and eccentricities.</p>
<p>If your parents have a gigantic college fund, and are happy to spend it all on your three and a half or four years at USC, well then go ahead and spend it there!</p>
<p>If however, they don’t have that kind of money, or they’d really rather use some of it for other things (like helping you pay for law school or grad school in Poli Sci) then maybe you want to go to UW. Sit down with the numbers, and your parents, and run everything through this calculator: [FinAid</a> | Calculators | Award Letter Comparison Tool](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Award Letter Requirements - Finaid) Talk about what the results mean for you and your family.</p>
<p>The simple truth is that there are good professors to be had everywhere. The system produces many more Ph.D.s in the humanities and social sciences than there are jobs for. The people teaching intro. Poli Sci at UW are not there because they weren’t good enough to get a job at USC. They are there because when they finished their Ph.D.s UW was the only place that was hiring, and they are grateful to not be adjunct professors teaching classes at four different community colleges each semester.</p>
<p>Unless you are looking at prestigious IR programs (such as Georgetown, Tufts, Hopkins…), the rest just won’t matter in the short run or long. You can’t do anything with an undergrad IR degree, so you’ll need at least an Masters, and international experience, to work in that field. Save your money, earn a 3.9+ at UDub, and go to SAIS or GU for your MA.</p>
<p>Poli Sci & History are about as generic as one can get and are offered at any place that calls it self a college. Attend UDub, earn a 3.9+ and go to Cal for grad school.</p>