<p>I am interested in USC...but not interested in USC.</p>
<p>Here's the predicament:</p>
<p>I like USC for....</p>
<p>Its excellent film program (Film Studies Major)
Its school spirit
Its sports (D-1 sports, very good)
Excellent Alumni connections.
And for my parents: academic prestige (I care more about students, atmosphere than prestige)</p>
<p>Why I don't like USC...</p>
<p>Los Angeles (I live in SoCal -- I want out, a new experience)
Safety/Bad location of campus: South Central, nuff said.
A bit too pre-professional, I'd prefer a more diverse liberal arts experience from many realms.</p>
<p>Finally, my family members are HUGE UCLA HOMERS and it would likely not be the best thing if I went there.</p>
<p>However, they have a great film program, great alumni connections, and academic prestige. NYU also has the big city feel as it’s located in NYC. Also, it is very far from SoCal, which is what the OP wants.</p>
<p>Yes, it does not have the school spirit and sports dominance of USC, but it does have similar characteristics and a top film program. Also, NYU’s location makes it a great spot to find internships, possibly for TV shows and movies being filmed at NYC.</p>
<p>I have also heard Northwestern, RIT, and Temple University. They are also known to have great film programs. If you are really passionate about the liberal arts, look into Vassar. I don’t know much about their film program, but they definitely provide a balanced liberal arts curriculum. In fact, Vassar was one of my top choices this year, but they waitlisted me.</p>
<p>However, don’t disregard USC as it has most of the qualities you want in a university. I wanted to be as far away from home as well, but sometimes, your top choices don’t take you in or as in my case, waitlist. I was waitlisted by 3 universities and then, rejected (or as one said, released) by all 3. Remember to have backups, I would usually suggest USC (as well as some others because the admissions process is unpredictable), but their film programs are very competitive. USC does consider you for the undecided major if you are not accepted by USC’s film school. Thus, you should find some reasonable backups that offer similar characteristics.</p>
<p>BU (although only school spirit for hockey–no football)</p>
<p>Temple (my school, great film, tons of school spirit for basketball, getting there for football. Not as prestigious as USC, but a good alumni network with plenty of alums in Hollywood. You’ll probably pass, because of our location in North Philly, but I assure you it’s overblown.)</p>
<p>FSU
UF
Notre Dame
Texas
San Diego State
Kansas
Arizona
Arizona State
BC (BU’s program is better)
Northwestern
Oklahoma State
Penn State (Temple’s program is better)
San Jose State
Syracuse
Buffalo
Alabama
UCF
Colorado
Iowa
Miami
Oklahoma
Pitt (Temple’s program is better)
UWashington
Vanderbilt
Wesleyan</p>