I recently was admitted to both UCLA and USC and am intensely conflicted as to which institution to attend. Both have come down to near the same cost, so $ isn’t the deciding factor. The benefits of USC are so clear, as it is a private school, more individ attention, stronger sense of community, more school spirit, etc. But UCLA is also great, with its superb dining halls, great location, strong science department, etc… The greatest factor for me at this point is location. I live in LA so UCLA is more convenient as it is closer to home, but DTLA is only a 40-50 minute drive.
With all that, is the area of USC bad enough to choose UCLA over it? Or do the benefits of the private institution outweigh the scary area? This is my biggest concern/problem! Thank you!
You have posted this question over and over again in various places, you really just need to figure it out and decide. There are a lot of resources for info on this, so do some research, it is your choice. Have you visited the school? You are getting a lot of money to attend whichever college and if you can’t get over it, go to UCLA. The zillions that attend USC and post here are obviously going to tell you it is fine. The UCLA thread will tell you it is horrible. If you are one of those fearful or always scared types (some people just live that way) just go to UCLA, really, it may fit you better. People that attend USC are passionate about it, from all your threads, you are obviously not and prefer UCLA, so go there, it’s a great school too.
Since you live so close I suggest spending some time on and around campus, including the new Village, to see how comfortable you are. Contact the USC Dept of Public Safety so you understand the layers of security present on and around campus. The DPS facilities are pretty impressive. As a parent I was very concerned about safety but each time I visit I am reassured.
I was a little concerned about the area as well. My daughter was raised in a very safe area. I went out to visit with her during Explore USC and thought the “scary” description was a little overblown.
In some ways, USC feels more safe then other schools we visited. USC, because they want to ensure a safe campus, has paid more attention to possible issues than other colleges. My daughter walks back and forth to the sorority house and I asked her if it was safe. She told me she always is in sight of USC security during her route.
USC also provides free Uber or Lyft within two miles of campus (I believe). It is always prudent to remain alert and aware but I think that’s true anywhere. I’ve seen other posts that actually have UCLA one spot behind USC in campus safety/crimes reported. I haven’t looked it up to confirm that but it doesn’t sound like it’s as bad at USC as it’s made out to be.
The difference in private vs public can be significant. UCLA has a wonderful academic reputation but I think the graduate schools play a big part in that reputation. I’m sure they have an outstanding undergraduate experience as well. I have read that it can be very difficult to get all your classes as a UCLA undergrad, even to the point that a fifth year is sometimes required. For undergraduate experience, I think USC would be the better choice.
One of the things that clinched it for my daughter is the outstanding Neuroscience and Philosophy programs at USC. USC is doing a lot in Neuroscience and their Philosophy is now top ten in the world. Your selection of major may also be something to consider when looking at both schools.
I was just on the phone with my 18 year old freshman daughter. She was walking from campus to her sorority house (the same one as the poster above) while we talked. And I asked her… as a teen who grew up in the Florida suburbs, have you ever felt unsafe there in and around campus within that urban environment? Her reply was, while sort of laughing… “nope… of course not… at least nowhere within the DPS area”. She added that she does not even think of it as strictly urban. Its just mainly a lower to middle class residential area that is sort of a urban hybrid… comprised of homes, apartment buildings and businesses serving the local community. She added… “compared to some of the colleges you made me consider, this place is idyllic”.
All my other thoughts on this topic of location/safety were already stated within…