I just got in for class of 2022, but one of my parents is not keen about me attending because of the stereotype.
So is there an excessive sense of snobbery/entitlement? or is that something of the past?
My kids are both happy grads from USC—cinema and engineering. There was a lot of fellowship and school spirit but for the most part my kids were able to make very nice friends that are grounded and grateful for the many opportunities they had while attending USoCal.
Neither we nor our kids have any regrets. USC has a lot of kids receiving FAid as well as full-pay and merit aid students. It has a lot of very bright and talented students. Congrats on your admission.
Perhaps you and your folks may benefit from attending an admitted students orientation or Discover USC?
It’s a big school. Not everyone is rich. My parents both graduated from USC, and back then, it’s safe to say it had that reputation. It’s possible that your parents are remembering how it used to be. Bear in mind that almost all private universities will have rich kids. If you can afford it, and you like it above all others you’ve been accepted to, you should go.
@HRSMom thank you for the advice. I will definitely look into the opportunities for admitted students.
@Lindagaf Thats my thinking as well… and its good to know USC has changed since then :D,
When your parents were in college, USC had that reputation, as well as the “University of Special Contacts” one. But it has made an effort to upgrade its students’ academics and improve SES diversity over the last two decades. Now, it has a relatively high percentage of Pell Grant students compared to other highly selective private universities.
let’s be realistic, any private college/university is going to be full of wealthy kids who may come across as spoiled. Doesn’t mean they’re bad kids, just that they could be perceived as quite spoiled by others. Let’s face it, they expecting us to invest $250K in an undergraduate degree and when they get offers from their safety schools that have huge scholarships attached to them they rarely consider the compromise. My dad in the 60s applied to one school because at the time it had no tuition. He applied and got into Cooper Union so that he wouldn’t have to ask his parents for any financial help. Most of his peers paid for their colleges with summer jobs. Things are different today for many of us and “spoled” might be part of our culture. Don;t blame the kids, blame us parents.
As others noted, it IS a private school. Like any private university, it will have a spectrum of students and backgrounds. Perhaps USC got its “reputation” because the UC system (public) has been for years unusually strong for a state system, i.e., UC students disparaging USC as the West Coast “rich kids” school?
@lifebreath true, although other privates in LA dont have the same reputation… but then neither do they have the same academic reputation either.
The other privates also don’t have a football team (and in particular a cross-town rivalry). I think a lot of the derogatory comments are due to that.
(Growing up in L.A. Pepperdine had the rep as a rich kids school too. Don’t know actual fact on that).
@SC Anteater true 
but Pepperdine isn’t really in LA (Malibu).
That is such an outdated stereotype, I am actually embarrassed when I hear someone say it - for them - because it is implies they are so out of touch with colleges and the USC of today. It implies rich, but also insults the academic integrity of the student population, which obviously is incorrect if you look at today’s stats, which vary greatly from those of your parents and their parents. No question, there are super wealthy people there, but there are very poor kids there too and everything in between. The best thing about USC today is the diversity in everything - race, financials, geography. Just look at the freshman profile and compare it to one 10-20 years ago when that nickname started. This is not your parent’s USC. What remains from their generation, however, is the greatest alumni network - it is very real and very effective for any USC grad.
Sorry if I am coming off like a salesman, I really don’t try to sell USC to anyone, college is such a personal choice, but that nickname does drive me crazy since I have had three at USC in last 7 years (one still there) and I feel I know it really well.
And if you want to see other wealthy kids just cruise over to any private like LMU or Pepperdine, there are plenty there too, the difference is that USC has evolved more dramatically and for the better in many regards over the last 10-15 years.
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@CADREAMIN I’m a Pell Grant recipient … so I would not define myself as a wealthy kid. I myself am really happy with USC…I’m just trying to understand where my parents are coming from.
@byeretirement, first, I love your username. And I agree completely that we parents need to own any sense of entitlement that our kids have.
I grew up in LA in a community where USC was the aspirational college for kids that could afford it. I had many friends that were OK but not great students that went there, and I went to a UC. This was back in the 80’s. Having now waited by the mailbox praying for a white box, I can attest that the standards for admissions at USC are radically different today.
Our commitment to our D was the same as what my parents said to me: Get accepted and we will pay for 4 years at a state university. She’s done really well and now has a chance to go to USC. She has better merit offers at lesser schools, and has been accepted to some great UCs, but for various reasons we’re leaning towards USC. If she ends up there, we’ll counsel her to stay humble and focused.
Good luck to everyone!
Wow… I really cannot believe that the stereotype still even persists. I guess that old grudges die hard. But I echo all that @cadreamin said above.
So… before anyone tries to keep the stereotype alive any further, maybe we should all actually consider the real #s…
These days, nearly two-thirds of all undergraduates receive some sort of financial aid via USC… including need-based grants, merit scholarships, federal work-study and loans. Of those 64-65% (or 11,500 in total out of 18K), 21 percent or around 3800 received a USC merit-based scholarship last year. And an even higher percentage received pell grants last year. USC currently has more than 4,000 low-income undergraduate students out of the 18,000 undergraduate students enrolled. (Low income as defined by Pell Grant eligibility)
Whatever USC once was decades ago… it has not been that way for many years. And today… it is more about diversity and opportunity than anything else.
Thanks everyone for asserting that USC has changed!
Funny how UCLA’s nickname is rarely dredged up these days (and I’m too polite to mention it now), I can remember both names being thrown back and forth when I was in high school, but even then you were considered lucky to get into either university.
@stardustmom I didn’t even know UCLA had a nickname :D!
My kid was accepted at USC some two years ago. At that time, we were not familiar about the school as we were intending to send him to UF so that my kid can be nearer to his aunt. We even went for a school campus and have learned that UF has a great football program and is a top university in Florida.
When the USC acceptance came, we were at a dilemma. We don’t really know the school and we are also apprenhensive about sending him there. My boss’s comment didn’t help as well when he quoted that USC means the School of Spoiled Children. To settle this dilemma, we went to personally check out the school and were quite impressed on what we have witnessed:
- Very organized orientation with attention to details which helps answer a lot of questions and concerns among admitted students and parents
- Great interaction among school administrators, staff, USC students to welcome us folks into the Trojan family
- Diversity of student population and the friendly atmosphere inside the school
- Excellent school facilities and availability of school patrols to ensure student’s safety
I guess the point I am driving at is not to rely on the common stereotypes and to check out personally to validate before making a decision.
As parents we are very happy with our kid being at USC. He has well grounded classmates and dorm mates studying together or going out for some fun. High academic standards with great professors are challenging them to be better students. Topping it all is USC’s great football program which has fostered a sense of belonging among students and imbide a strong school spirit. Not to forget a host of opportunities available for internship due to the school’s strong link with the community. We can’t really ask for more.
Hope this will help the OP on his final decision.
Its a great school…a very special place. That’s why it is quickly becoming one of the most desirable universities in the Unied States.