im from nj btw, i live super close to the beach and nyc, i like being near the water and a big city. i was admitted to both usc and temple, and im trying to decide between them right now. i like usc because its in the south so im assuming nicer weather, but i like temple because its in a more familiar area to me. my big concern about usc is its environment toward lgbt students. the website says its inclusive and all, but idk how it actually is, from a student perspective. my concern about temple is that its in an unsafe neighborhood, and its far from the beach. i got into the bioengineering programs for both schools. can anyone help me/ give advice.
Well, I can’t speak for the culture at USC as I have only been there once. Columbia is, obviously, much smaller than Philly. The weather will be much milder but it can get really hot. Also, Columbia is about 2 hours from the beach so you need to think about that. Columbia is on a river and Lake Murray is close (check them out on google maps). Have you visited?
We live in the Philadelphia suburbs and my D goes to USC. Both schools are fine choices overall, but they are pretty different.
Temple’s neighborhood isn’t that bad. If you take reasonable care (e.g., don’t walk around off campus at night alone, especially if you’ve been drinking), you’ll be fine. Yes, you are 1-1/2 to 2 hours from the beach – but the Jersey shore isn’t that appealing during the school months anyway. Go down the shore from May to August. Philadelphia is a fun city, relatively cheap for a student, and diverse.
Columbia is the state capital but it is NOT a big city for anyone familiar with Philadelphia, much less NYC. However, there are plenty of bars, restaurants, music venues, etc. close to campus. Really low cost for fun compared to the NYC metro area. You can be in Charleston (nearby beaches include Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms) in about 2 hours. Myrtle Beach is closer to 3 hours away. These are feasible on long weekends as you won’t be going home to NJ for short breaks anyway. Weather all year round is far nicer than NJ; it’s typically 20-25 degrees warmer down there (September through April) than up here.
Can’t speak specifically about LGBT at USC except to say that my D has two friends (that I know of) at USC who are gay. My impression is that it’s a non-issue (meaning that if she’s telling me about someone, she might say that “He’s from NJ,” or “He’s Jewish,” or “He’s gay,” or “He has seven younger brothers and sisters.” They’re all facts, but none is more remarkable or worth mentioning than the others.) Also, people are incredibly polite and friendly there.
No knowledge of the strength of BME at either school.
Any cost difference that might make the decision easier?
I can’t speak specifically about USC and the lgbt issue, however, I have lived in the deep south most of my life. I graduated from Auburn in 1995. My best guy friend back then was gay and I don’t recall him ever having any issues at all at Auburn, and that was 23 years ago. My children go to high school with many openly gay students, which was unheard of when I was in high school. They think nothing of it at all. I really don’t think you need to worry about the environment towards lgbt at USC any more than you would most other schools.
Have you physically visited both campuses? I’m very much a gut feeling kind of person, and have taught my girls to listen to their instincts as well. What “feels” right? Only you can know that. Any larger university is going to have diversity and you’ll find your group of people. My daughter is actually excited that USC will have more conservatives than the extremely liberal school she’s in in PA right now, but that’s not to say that the South is not LGBT friendly. I lived in Atlanta 20 years ago and even at that time, it was VERY gay-friendly and progressive. Columbia, especially being a college town, will be no different. The South is not for everyone, just as the North is not everyone’s cup of tea. If you haven’t already, I highly encourage you to visit both and get a really good feel for the cities/campuses. What is the vibe you get at each? That is how you’ll find your home. When we visited, my daughter just knew that it was her place. Good luck to you–you’ve got two great choices!