Meal Plans: the official document

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
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<p>Please go to the URL link below, and read the official "Guide to Meal Plans". It is viewable via the URL link below in a pdf document. In particular, please read pages 2 & 3, that describe the Cardinal Meal Plan and Gold Meal Plans.</p>

<p>You will be stuck with your plan after the deadline passes, so please be sure of what you select. To quote the official document: "The deadlines are Wednesday August 30, 2006 and Thursday January 18, 2007. Once this deadline has passed, you must stay with the plan in which you enrolled.</p>

<p>Official "Guide to USC Meal Plans, Fall 2006 - Spring 2007"
<a href="http://hospitality.usc.edu/Schedules/meal_plans_brochure.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://hospitality.usc.edu/Schedules/meal_plans_brochure.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I will cut and paste a few of the important points that I came away with after reading the document a couple of times.</p>

<p>(1) Which plan you WILL be placed into:</p>

<p>Residents of Birnkrant, New and North Residential Colleges, Marks Tower,Marks Hall, Pardee Tower, Trojan Hall,The Radisson Hotel, Portland Street House and freshman residents of Fluor Tower will be **automatically enrolled in the following meal plan<a href="%5Bb%5DThe%20%5Bu%5DCardinal%5B/u%5D%20Meal%20Plan%5B/b%5D">/b</a> or may select the Fast Pass option. </p>

<p>Residents of Parkside International Residential College will automatically be enrolled in the following meal plan: (The Gold Meal Plan ) or may select the Fast Pass option</p>

<p>(2) Where you can eat: (Look for the word DINNER, this is ONE of the differences in the plans. Under both plans, you can eat Breakfast and Lunch at either "EVK" or "PIRC". However, depending upon your plan, your Dinner will only be available at your primary dinning hall. </p>

<p>The Cardinal Meal Plan consists of 10 meals per week and $510 dining dollars per semester. The 10 meals per week can be eaten at Everybody’s Kitchen for breakfast, lunch or dinner & interchangeably for breakfast, lunch and brunch in Parkside Restaurant featuring a wide variety of menu choices in an all-you-can-eat format.</p>

<p>The Gold Meal Plan is designed exclusively for residents of PIRC. It consists of 10 meals per week and $510 dining dollars per semester. The 10 meals per week can be eaten in Parkside Restaurant for breakfast, lunch or dinner and interchangeably for breakfast, lunch and brunch in Everybody’s Kitchen, featuring a wide variety of menu choices in an all-you-can-eat format.</p>

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<p>Wow thanks for posting this. Btw, the link doesn't work.</p>

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<p>You are correct, I will do it again (my apologies)</p>

<p><a href="http://hospitality.usc.edu/Schedules/meal_plans_brochure.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://hospitality.usc.edu/Schedules/meal_plans_brochure.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>Can you get to the document now?</p>

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<p>Yes I can. Thanks. :)</p>

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<p>2 FYIs:
1) they will give you a hard copy of the brochure that lovetocamp linked at orientation.
2) when you get your housing contract in late May/early June, it will have your automatically selected meal plan listed on it. If you want to change the meal plan, then you go to USCard's website to do it before the deadline.</p>

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<p>Additional Information: ($510.00 Dinning Dollars)</p>

<p>It appears that both basic plans<a href="%5Bb%5DCardinal%20&%20Gold%5B/b%5D">/u</a> include the $510.00 dining dollars. It also appears these $510.00 Dining Dollars are taken away in the Fast Plass Meal Plan - see below. </p>

<p>$510.00 Dining Dollars" The $510 dining dollars can be used at almost any TrojanHospitality location without restriction throughout the semester at your discretion. Unused meals for the week do not roll-over to the next week and unused dining dollars for the semester do not roll-over to the next semester. Refunds will not be issued for unused balances.</p>

<p>The Cardinal Fast Pass Meal Plan is an optional upgrade which enables unlimited meal swipes on any given meal plan day throughout the semester enabling visits for snacks, beverages and socializing, as well as regular meal services. This plan includes Everybody’s Kitchen and Parkside Restaurant for breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch and Everybody’s Kitchen for dinner on a daily basis. The dining dollars<a href="a%20part%20of%20the%20basic%20Cardinal%20Plan">/u</a> will be applied to this multiple meal privilege for those electing this plan.</p>

<p>The Gold Fast Pass Meal Plan is an optional upgrade which enables unlimited meal swipes on any given meal plan day throughout the semester enabling visits for snacks, beverages and socializing, as well as regular meal services. This plan includes Everybody’s Kitchen and Parkside Restaurant for breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch and Parkside Restaurant for dinner on a daily basis. The dining dollars<a href="a%20part%20of%20the%20basic%20Gold%20Plan">/u</a> will be applied to this multiple meal privilege for those electing this plan.</p>

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<p>Big Eaters: "The Trojan Plan":</p>

<p>Available to: Residents of Birnkrant, New and North Residential Colleges, Marks Tower, Marks Hall, Pardee Tower, Trojan Hall, The Radisson Hotel, and Fluor Tower may select the following optional meal plan upgrade:</p>

<p>The Trojan Meal Plan is designed for students with a hearty appetite who eat three full meals a day, seven days a week. This plan provides $2862 which can be used in residential dining and most retail dining venues throughout the semester. Unused balances do not roll-over to the following semester and refunds will not be issued for unused balances.</p>

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<p>What Hours are the various places open??</p>

<p>Go to this link: (includes Monday-Friday, and Weekend hours)</p>

<p><a href="http://hospitality.usc.edu/images/operating_hours.jpg%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://hospitality.usc.edu/images/operating_hours.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>Current students: do you use the $510.00 Dining Dollars at the TrojanHospitality locations? Or do you wish the money was wrapped into your existing meal plan, like the Fast Pass option?</p>

<p>thanks</p>

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<p>Yeah, I definitely use the dining dollars. I'm almost finished with them...as of today I have $42 left. And as I said before, I wouldn't take fast pass only because it is limited to the two dining halls.</p>

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<p>So the dining dollars can be used at other food places off campus, like say Taco Bell or something? Are they under the Trojan Hospitality plan? I really don't know what I am talking about here, so sorry, I just wanted to know.</p>

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<p>no, Taco Bell, Subway, and Burger King, among the other off-campus places, are not owned by the university. The places you can use dining dollars at are all on the list that lovetocamp linked in reply #9 above. All on-campus restaurants are owned by the university, including Carl's Jr, so you can use your dollars there.</p>

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<p>Ok, thanks a lot redski.</p>

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<p>On other college forums the issue of meal plans has been heavily discussed in previous years. If there is a consensus, it is that parents need to overcome their natural desire to protect their offspring by buying the biggest meal plan (ie, the most meals per week), and instead provide the most flexible meal plan. It seems like there are not too many options at USC (which is probably good), but I would suggest planning to eat at the largest variety of places; you can always reduce variety if you are satisfied, but going the other way can be expensive.</p>

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<p>"All on-campus restaurants are owned by the university, including Carl's Jr, so you can use your dollars there."</p>

<p>But not Ground Zero (coffee house by Marks/Trojan Hall), as of this writing at least. You have to use real money there... which is why I don't go.</p>

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<p>i hear the food at EVK is meh...can anyone confirm this? and while we're at it, where are the best eats on campus?</p>

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<p>EVK used to be terrible. I hear that it used to have a C rating from the California health inspections. But today it has an A, and I think the food is superb. That's just my opinion though; there are many other students who still hate it. So it's a matter of opinion. Personally, I'm really happy with the Cardinal meal plan. It's not perfect, but it's reasonably good.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
where are the best eats on campus?

[/quote]
I certainly enjoy La Salsa, Wolfgang Puck, Carl's Jr, Wok Crazy, among several others. Of course, if you keep eating at those places all the time then you'll probably get tired out eventually.</p>

<p>I would say the worst food on campus is Malibu Subs. They really really suck imo, compared to Subway or Togo's.</p>

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<p>Wasabi Sushi's Dragon Rolls are awesome, if you have extra dining dollars to spare.</p>