<p>I asked my daughter and she said her dorm was actually nicer than many others. She said some are very small. There is a dorm off campus that is very nice but more expensive so if you feel that it is important to you, you could consider that one. (Barnhart)</p>
<p>Also, in response to your original post - there is some merit money to be had at Oregon but not tons. You will pay OOS cost and be lucky to get some break in tuition. Not sure about need based aid as we did not apply.</p>
<p>The whole “vibe” of USC versus UO is very different so you may want to decide what environment suits you better as well. I think that being happy where you are is as important as the “ranking” or prestige factor. </p>
<p>It can be difficult to decide what you want in a school, but it is good that you are asking the questions and trying to work it out before you get too far in the process…good luck in your search!</p>