I just finished my application to USC. When I told my friend that I had applied there, she told me that I would never make it there because of the party scene. It’s true - I’m not much of a partier, and I don’t really drink. Would that be an issue at USC? Is she right when she told me that you’re a no one if you don’t party, or will I be able to find a group of kids that don’t party either? (Idk if this helps, but I’m fine with parties. I’ll go to them, it’s just I don’t want that to be the only thing I do for “fun”). Thank you! Any help is appreciated.
She’s either a UCLA student trying to discourage you from applying, or someone who would never stand a chance getting into USC if she applied herself. Doesn’t sound like much of a friend. USC is one of the nerdiest places I know. You don’t get away with having a top 10 engineering program with anything but a school full of geeks. Less than one fifth of students are Greek, that experience is open to anyone who wishes to be a part of it. For the rest of us, we’re just trying to get the most out of a top 25 education. The most represented school at both NASA-JPL and SpaceX is USC, according to LinkedIn. When you picture these two institutions, do you think of people who did nothing at school but party?
Ok, so singling out the engineering school might be flawed sampling, but even students in the more relationship-based majors such as Business and Communications take academics really seriously. I get to experience both sides as a Computer Science/Business major. Half of the students here scored above the 98 percentile in the SATs. There are dorms known for being particularly social, and others notably less-so. Maybe opt for the latter when making your housing selection, as these dorms typically lead to closer relationships with your roommates and maybe? end up self-selecting the more academically focused demographic of students. I wouldn’t know, I commute and have gone to a party perhaps twice a year. Never once have I felt out of place.
Thank you for responding! So the party culture is there if I want it, but I can avoid it easily if I want to?
If you want to boil it down to that take away then yeah. Essentially, the party scene is no bigger than any other school’s - it’s just a lot more open and fun (I suppose) for anyone that wants to seek it out. You’ll never be dragged into it unless you want to.
My son is on track to graduate as a five-year BArch major without attending a single party. We couldn’t even get him to take a sip of champagne on his 21st birthday! He has a rich social life and lots of friends, so my guess is that you’ll be fine.
My athlete attended many parties and did not drink most of the time (now and then, but went to way more parties than he actually drank at) in effort to take meticulous care of his body, and is just one of those really responsible people that took care of his team mates, maintained great grades - on Dean’s list and received post graduate scholarship. My engineer won’t drink a drop in effort to take care of his brain, seriously he’s a 4.0 genius type, very concerned with anything chemical in his body. Him and “his people” dine in Beverly Hills, Manhattan Beach, or hang out in Santa Monica or other trendy areas for their fun. USC is not a total party school if you don’t want it to be, but it can certainly be a good time! Good thing about CA is we are a pretty accepting bunch, and in general, what everyone does is their own business and right, and not an issue for most. My students found it no issue for anyone to be at either extreme or in the middle - it is up to you! Live the life you choose and want to at college and always. 
SC students are from all sorts of backgrounds. Fourteen per cent of the freshmen are the first in the family to attend college. Well over half are receiving some sort of financial aid. If you view the list of clubs you will see the huge range of interests displayed. There is so much to do on campus and in Los Angeles, You should be able to find a group of friends who are not interested in the party scene.
Ha, incase my post above sounded pretentious with all the posh dining neighborhoods mentioned, I should add that his favorite meal is the Kogi taco truck that comes to campus every Tuesday night. Seriously, him and his friends postponed coming home for Thanksgiving till Wednesday so they could hit the taco truck Tuesday night - it comes around 10:30 or 11:00pm. Suppose to be amazing! Urban areas offer a lot of choices.
My D is a freshman ChemE, and found that the first month was a little overwhelming. You know, freshman - first time away from home going a little crazy, but things have calmed down significantly since then. She said that no one ever gives her a hard time because she isn’t drinking at a party, and there are plenty of options for fun both on campus and off. If you decide to go (and you should if you have the opportunity because it is a fabulous school), put some thought into what dorm you want to live in. Some have a reputation for being more social, so people who want to party select them first.