So why no CC love and respect toward USC?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
1

The biggest irony to me though is how College Confidential itself seems to have an unnatural bias against the University of Southern California. Or… if it is not a bias per se, it has to be some form of selective ignorance.

While USC is ranked 10th nationally via Niche and 23rd nationally via US News, it never seems to make even the top 27 as CC sees it… (8 Ivies + 19 on their Top University / non-Ivy list).

These are those 19 universities who do make the cut… superior universities to USC in the eyes of CC… and how they rank…

California Institute of Technology (Niche: 9 USN: 10 ), Carnegie Mellon University (Niche: 26, USN: 23 ), Duke University (Niche: 7, USN: 8 ), Emory University (Niche: 32, USN: 21 ), Georgetown University (Niche: 18, USN: 21 ), Johns Hopkins University (Niche: 29, USN: 10 ), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Niche: 2, USN: 7 ), Northwestern University (Niche: 30, USN: 12 ), Rice University (Niche: 5, USN: 18 ), Stanford University (Niche: 1, USN: 4 ), University of California - Berkeley (Niche: 28, USN: 20 ), University of California - Los Angeles (Niche: 26, USN: 23 ), University of Chicago (Niche: 20, USN: 4 ), University of Michigan - Ann Arbor (Niche: 21, USN: 29 ), University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (Niche: 31, USN: 30 ), University of Notre Dame (Niche: 13, USN: 18 ), University of Virginia (Niche: 25, USN: 26 ), Vanderbilt University (Niche: 17, USN: 15 ), Washington University in St. Louis (Niche: 12, USN: 16 )

So why no CC love and respect toward USC? I know this question has been asked before on these forums, but until it changes, the questions needs to be repeated over time…

2

And to be more specific, there is only one university ranked in US News rankings of the top 26 national universities that is also not among CC’s top 27… USC.

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ASK THE OWNERS of CC.
god knows, others have asked the same question over the past 10 years , and the response is always …

4

Well that domain registrant is a company called Hobsons, which is itself a division of DMG Information, a UK company. But Hobson’s CEO went to Michigan State. Maybe USC beat them in a Rose Bowl game once… lol. Who knows…

I doubt that CC’s List of Top Universities was a corporate decision. I just find it odd that USC is not on it… while UCLA and others are…

5

The CC list of top colleges dates back over 15 years, when CC was first started, which was well before Hobsons bought it. The decision to exclude USC was and continues to be made by those who founded CC.
The prejudice against USC is a reflection of where USC USED to be ranked in the 80’s and 90’s.
It wont do any good to point out that USC has greatly changed since then- many have tried and it always falls on deaf ears…

6

@menloparkmom Well, if so… that is truly sad. An internet-based company unwilling to update its prior prejudices from a time before the public dissemination of the Internet itself. Maybe we should all give up our PCs and Smart-phones and return to fax machines and snail mail… lol Times change. If they can manage to update the Niche rankings and US News rankings yearly, CC can find a way to update its lists/rankings at least every decade or so… :slight_smile:

7

In some circles, USC, for decades, is known as a football school and it is difficult to shed that image. Other schools like UC Berkeley can decline in academics and will still be regarded high as an academic institution because of the Nobel Prizes, etc. Sometimes it is all about perception by the people to do the rankings.

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@UCBUSCalum True. But USC has steadily risen in other rankings… 6th in the nation in Niche’s and 23rd at US News. Its perception has changed over the last 30 years dramatically.

USC is the only school in US News top 26 that is also not considered one of CC’s Top 27.

Whenever something like that only applies to one single school, it seems like more than just being over-looked. In the 1980s, it might have been fair to rank USC as lower than Georgetown, Notre Dame, Wash U., UVa, Emory or UCLA, but to not even put it on par with those colleges when other ranking sources rank it as such 6th and 23rd seems like a CC bias of sorts.

Oh well… as others have pointed out on CC for years, this topic is brought up again and again, and CC never changes it. I would change their Top University list to include UTexas and USC, but I do not get a vote :slight_smile:

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Incase you haven’t noticed, CC is a very east coast dominant forum. Just read threads like schools on/off your list, and you will see 9/10 posts are about schools many west coasters have never heard of. The USC thread is one of the most active and can be helpful, but that is because of Trojans, nothing to do with CC helping the cause. I actually got some very bad direction once and was quickly corrected by someone at USC, thankfully.

Also, if you talk to any any admin/admissions type at USC and tell them you learned something on CC, you will get a big eye roll. They certainly have no respect for this forum either. In the scheme of things, this is just a bunch of people that have no more expertise than anyone else, just willing to share what they have learned over the years, but after the newness wears off, the bias towards certain things can be stifling. Tread with caution.

All rankings are generally bought, but CC rankings are the most insignificant of all. Being ranked or not being ranked means on CC means zero zip nada. I rank USC #1. There, that means just as much as the CC ranking. Seriously. :slight_smile:

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@blueskies2day Thanks. I too rank USC #1. That was not always the case though.

My D1 is now a rising junior at USC and loves it. She is very thankful that she made the decision to travel from FL to USC. The opportunities at USC and within the greater LA area are almost endless. The USC alumni network is also amazing. To me personally, back when she was a HS Senior, I would have only encouraged my daughter to potentially consider Stanford, Yale, Princeton and Brown over USC. Now… I am very glad that she is at USC.

My younger daughter, now a HS senior, has already decided that USC is her first choice. She applied on Aug 1st. And I am very thankful regarding her decision.

As a parent, my impression of USC has only grown over the last two years. They are excellent at all of the things that are important to parents… from communication to financial aid to all of their various online portals related to registration, assistance, tracking, housing, etc. They are just quite simply a well-funded and well-oiled machine. USC has mastered the college experience, in my opinion, including everything related to the exchange of information.

Maybe it is a good thing that CC does not wish to consider them as a Top University. Last year, there were already over 54K applicants. Enough already… my D2 needs to get in… :slight_smile:

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I have also felt the frosty reception of USC on CC, but thought it was my imagination! I guess not.

D15 is a rising sophomore and can’t picture herself anyplace else. @WWWard, your description of USC as a well oiled machine is exactly my impression! Every time I visit the school, interact with someone, or attend a USC function I am more impressed. We are from the east coast so she has a 5 to 6+ hour flight to get home, but she wouldn’t go anyplace else. I am so proud of her and, in truth, a little bit in awe of USC! At convocation last fall, the speech given by President Nikias was absolutely amazing.

Could things be improved - yes. Her dorm last year was dumpy and incredibly hot sometimes (Birnkrant). The school is big and loud and can be overwhelming. I wish there weren’t so much partying to distract her (she never partied in high school!). The cafeteria food isn’t very good. Hey, whatever, it’s college. D knows that she is lucky to be there and loves being a part of the Trojan family! She loved her dorm despite the weird smell because the kids were smart & fun. She had no school spirit in high school, but has a TON for USC.

@wwward, congratulations to your daughter for applying already! DS17 wants to visit his sister this fall, but first we’ll attend the local information session. Do you think having a sibling already enrolled is an advantage? I hope so!!

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@jmek15 Nope… it is not just our collective imaginations. I have read many threads on CC dating back years all saying the same basic thing… and each wondering why CC has this apparent bias against or indifference toward USC.

Yes… things could always be improved. But we too are very impressed.

CC threads in the past at least prepared my daughter for the dorm situation. She used CC to locate a prospective roommate for freshman year… and then they both requested Webb and got it. She preferred the idea of an apartment versus a dorm and loved it there… A/C, private bath, kitchen, living room. She chose Century for her sophomore year and will there again this year as a junior for the very same reasons. Some kids clearly prefer the dorms due to some misconception that dorm-life may enhance their social-life, but my daughter chose A/C & extra space & conveniences over dorm life. You can always of course go to a dorm or party elsewhere, but then you at least get to return to your larger apartment. At least that was her logic. Her friends who instead chose dorms had similar experiences to your daughter. We live in FL, and personally I cannot imagine any apartment or dorm, even in L.A., without A/C.

Thanks… yes - my younger daughter has already applied and really cannot picture herself anywhere else. I hope the concept of legacy or having a sibling there in attendance already may help, but some threads here imply that USC does not always accept siblings. It seems like it can be hit or miss. And now with over 54K applicants and an acceptance rate falling to 16.5%, it is just getting harder to get in every year anyhow. I certainly hope she gets in. I cannot imagine having to now have divided college loyalties. That would be very unfortunate.

Hopefully the same can be true for your family as well…

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@WWWard and @jmek15 , it’s fun to read your posts. :)>- I remember when S1 applied, I noticed how many posts here on CC were from parents who were outspoken about how well the school was run, and how much attention was paid to the students, academic opportunities, programs, and all the extras, including great after-degree jobs. When S1 was there, we found it all to be true and even better. Perhaps due to its old outworn reputation, USC continues to actively strive to make itself a constantly better and more dynamic institution. And with your second kids, our S2 made it clear he could only see himself at USC. I recall vividly my angst that year as we awaited his decision letter. Thank goodness!!! (and thank USC) he was admitted, too, and had 4 amazing years. I don’t like to get any hopes up, but we do know many families that have sibs at USC. It can only help, right? And since the admissions rep is often the same (they are assigned by geography of HS), they do know which kids they admitted in previous years and how they are thriving. Sending you good luck.

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Thanks @madbean

In our case, the Admissions Rep has changed for Florida, but we remain positive and very hopeful.

That dreaded wait and its accompanying angst is going to be oh so hard to endure… especially since D2 insisted on applying Day 1 lol Thankfully, D1 is thriving as well at USC. Hopefully they look at that…

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@wwward, Best of luck to your daughter! Webb does look like a nice place to live. Great location on campus, too. D loved Birnkrant - she went random on the roommate choice, and it worked out pretty well. Birnkrant is right next to a 24 hour library (which was great when it was super hot last fall) and has a Starbucks on the first floor. Ended up on the same floor as a girl she had met on her Explore overnight, they reconnected, and next year they’ll be in Cardinal Gardens apartment with two others from their floor. Their first choice was Troy East, but they were not lucky with their lottery number and got 3rd choice instead. It would be great if they were able to live in the new Village development in 2017.

It looks like the Admission Rep recently changed for Massachusetts, but the Admissions staff for Viterbi/Engineering seem to be the same. D is Chem E and S want to study ME. There are so many CC siblings at USC it does give me a bit of hope. Hopefully lightening will strike twice for our family and S will be admitted.

p.s. at least CC has a USC emoji! Fight on! :)>-

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Thanks @jmek15 D1 knows that Starbucks very well, but now actually seems to prefer The Coffee Bean… usually at SCA Cardinal Gardens is nice and at least has A/C in the living room. Yes… I think that every one is curious about what USC Village will have to offer in terms of residences next fall. It looks super-impressive online.

If I were in USC Admissions, I would have to lean toward keeping families together, especially if any applying sibling is also qualified. Here’s hoping…

Fight On!

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We just dropped off our S this week and couldn’t be happier that he is at USC. I am sure most have read this, but this year’s freshman class was the strongest in USC’s history: 31% have 4.0 GPA, 41% scored in the 99th percentile in standardized tests, and most rank in the top 10% of their graduating class, etc…

https://news.usc.edu/96445/usc-invites-8920-intelligent-diverse-newcomers-to-join-the-trojan-family/

If this trend continues, I am not very optimistic for my two young daughters joining their brother at USC. Over the next few years, USC’s ranking will continue to climb on various polls and maybe even here at CC.

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@Anamgol Wow… I was not even aware that the stats for the new freshman class were so impressive. Good luck with that goal regarding your daughters. My younger daughter is a current USC applicant and dreaming about joining her sister there next fall. Hopefully the notion of “Trojan Family” includes the concept of keeping families intact at USC as well :slight_smile:

As for USC’s rankings, I agree. To me there is very little doubt that they will assuredly continue to rise… at least everywhere other than here at CC. At CC, apparently the list of Top Universities is a static thing. They created it when CC was founded, and changes in the real world are not allowed to impact things here. Oh well.

Congrats regarding your son. I hope that he has a great freshman year at USC. Fight on!

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@WWWard Thanks and best of luck to your younger D as well. Hope she gets one of the coveted scholarships at USC. Fight on!

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@Anamgol you’re welcome. Thanks! Yes… here’s hoping…