Thinking about transferring to USC from East Coast LAC

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>I'm a first year at Barnard College in New York City and I'm thinking about transferring to USC for sophomore year and beyond. I've got a Barnard vs. USC list going, but I was wondering if you guys have any insight. I'm really nervous about thinking of changing to a completely different school just after I've gotten accustomed to the one I am at (even though I'm not that happy here).</p>

<p>Any thoughts??</p>

<p>Here's the list I have right now...</p>

<p>Barnard Pro:
-NEW YORK
-internships, internships, internships
-Columbia classes
-lots of activities
-good economics program
-discount Broadway tickets
-bartending/babysitting program
-grants for unpaid internships
-small campus, plus Columbia
-public transportation
-good FinAid package - only pay $7800 for the year
-tunnels for winter</p>

<p>Barnard Con:
-dinky theatre facilities
-old building, under renovation
-construction
-all girl dorms
-small campus
-stupid name
-northern attitudes/girls
-no microwaves in on-campus dorms
-complete culture shock
-no Walmart
-not that technically up to date
-organic foods
-no school spirit
-pretentious people
-4 hour plane ride
-NO name recognition
-I hate my roommates
-One place to eat
-they lied about it being easy to make guy friends</p>

<p>USC Pro:
-laidback attitude
-good name recognition
-any class I want to take
-great double major program
-pretty campus, with space
-they have chains; Target, Walmart
-boys
-internships
-advert/comm. classes
-great weather, supposedly
-diversity
-decent money - only $11,000 for the year (when I applied as a freshman)
-good dorm room layouts
-good dining variety on-campus
-good theatre facilities
-overall entertainment is important to them
-great teachers/guest lecturers/alumni connections
-general education reqs
-3 hour flight home
-ocean
-not as much culture shock
-changing and developing
-good endowment
-public transportation
-actual sports teams
-good school spirit
- best friend from high school is at Pomona, 30 min away</p>

<p>USC Con:
-it’s not NEW YORK
-not familiar with LA
-did not see the dorm rooms
-public transportation
-everything is spread out
-not as many theatre internships
-LA isn’t a theatre city
-worst money of the bunch $11,000
-not greatest neighborhood
-LA traffic
-buy a car in california
-the hassle of transferring</p>

<p>PS: I think I've discovered that I'm most interested in English, Theatre, Communications, Television aspectual majors (yes, i know that's not a word)</p>

<p>I'm originally from Texas. I don't really have a big problem with adjusting to new circumstances. I knew from the get go that New York would be a harder adjustment than LA.</p>

<p>I've had a car since I was 16. Driving doesn't bother me, but I really like the walking in New York.</p>

<p>I'm from Texas. Absolutely everything is a chain store. I buy my groceries from the Neighborhood Wal-Mart and I buy clothes at Target. When I got to New York, I didn't really know where to buy anything. I know we pretty much have EVERYTHING. But there are those places where people know to go, I am still not in the know.</p>

<p>Regarding involvement; I went especially (at least more than a lot of people on my floor) out of my way to get involved. I auditioned for the Columbia Vocal Groups, I'm a producer on Columbia Television's SOFA (an entertainment critique show), I work at Media Services for my Work Study job, I did publicity for the Columbia Musical Theatre's production of Pippin, and I got a job 3 nights a week at Toys R Us in Times Square.</p>

<p>I've made quite a bit of effort to get involved and even when I do, I don't really like the people I'm working with. The whole north eastern teenage girls are really, "arrrgh."</p>

<p>I'm taking 2 or 3 classes at Columbia this semester, but in my Barnard classes there are quite a few CC's (Columbia College). Its hilarious because they think it will be easier and they end up taking it Pass/Fail because they are doing so badly.</p>

<p>As for name recognition. It's just really hard being at a good school and no one knowing what you're talking about. I started saying that I go to Columbia just because they know what it is. Our diplomas say Barnard College of Columbia University (a lot of CU students aren't happy about that). It is just frustrating, knowing you go to a great school but no one has ever heard of it.</p>

<p>I think I'll definitely apply. My main concern is that whatever college-y stuff I hate about Barnard, I'll hate at USC too.</p>

2

<p>Cate - I'm in almost a similar situation - I am a NYU student looking to transfer to USC. I applied for Fall 08.</p>

<p>The culture shock really seemed to nail you and to me you don't sound like someone who fits in New York! That said, there are many people who don't sound like they'd enjoy New York who live there and are loving it.</p>

<p>From your personality (your pros / cons list), I'd say look into transferring just to at least have that option... think about it and but don't let it be the only thing you think about! You'll end up not having fun for the rest of the year, and trust me, there's a lot of fun to be had here!</p>

<p>Keep updated on your decision -- for me, USC would obviously be the complete opposite of NYU. A completely different experience... but it could be a lot of fun!</p>

3

<p>USC con: GHETTO, bad rep against ucla, TINY congested campus (15,000 students for a campus of 150 acres = super tiny), Terrible/dangerous location, cheap "alumni network," ugly campus (not aesthetically pleasing), TERRIBLE financial aid (they even got sued for this).</p>

<p>overall, i wouldnt go there.</p>

4

<p>the area is not that great i agree!
but i don't agree with cheap "alumni network" and ugly campus...
Because the people who graduated from USC said they have great "alumni network". And, i went to USC before they have a beautiful campus... I disagree on some parts.!</p>

5

<p>hey im in the same situation!..i want to transfer from Skidmore College to USC..
haha i just realized i want nice weather, and a small school is not for me.
plus usc is closer to home (hong kong).</p>

6

<p>donjuan78, I respect your comments on the Cornell board, and though I know you're from LA, I strongly disagree with your statements regarding USC. </p>

<p>Granted, South-Central isn't the best area of town, but what do you mean by "bad rep against UCLA"?!? If you have your wits about you and are street-smart, you're safe. As for a "bad reputation", a family friend (a Trojan who is now a very successful investment banker) summed it up nicely: "if you want to be smart, go to UCLA. If you want to be rich, go to USC." Which leads us to the next part: </p>

<p>"Cheap alumni network"? Hilarious. The Trojan Family is arguably one of the strongest alumni networks in existence, and from personal experience, I can attest to its life-long strength. It is NO joke. </p>

<p>"Ugly campus (not aesthetically pleasing)"? Hello?!? How many movies have been filmed on campus, posing as Harvard/Yale? I'd hardly call it "ugly"; if anything, some parts are Ivy-League gorgeous.</p>

<p>Donjuan78, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to advertise for USC. Cornell is certainly a great school on a different league, but I wouldn't knock USC either! Originally from LA, my parents and I didn't have a really good impression of the school for a while, but the school has improved dramatically (if not startlingly) within the last few years, and is definitely (gradually) shedding the "University of Spoiled Children" moniker.</p>

7

<p>When I visited, on the one day it was rainy and cold in april, I thought the campus was nice. Coming from Barnard and Columbia's campus, which together hold over 20,000 (though not quite that many are residents), USC has a great size campus. </p>

<p>I'd like to think I'd be prepared with street-smarts from living in NYC.</p>

8

<p>cate- you need to know that
1]there is no guaranteed housing for Transfer students at all! You will have to find housing off campus in the surrounding area, which will cost you from $700-1700 month. USC only guarantees housing to entering Freshman for 2 years.
2]"-any class I want to take"
This is not correct. Many of the individual programs / Cinematic arts/ Music/ Business, etc... require you to apply for admission to their program in addition to USC in order enroll in classes leading to a degree in that school. So while USC does "encourage" double majoring, it comes with strings attached.
3] the deadlines for Fall applications for Cinematic Arts have already past.
USC</a> Cinema - Admissions » Applications » Application Forms</p>

9

<p>The reason i called it ugly was because it looks like el camino college (community college) and i am just so used to the red brick building style that it is just boring to me now.</p>

<p>The bad rep against ucla is a known fact because ucla ranks higher than usc. Usc is more known as a party school while ucla is known for its academics.</p>

<p>and the cheap alumni network is really all the school has got lol :)</p>

10

<p>Again, I fail to understand how the Trojan Family could even possibly be misconstrued as a "cheap alumni network", but to each his own.</p>

11

<p>Hahahaha. Am I the only one perspicacious enough to notice this:</p>

<hr>

<p>Barnard Con:
-All Girls Dorms
-they lied about it being easy to make guy friends</p>

<p>USC Pro:
- Boys</p>

<h2>- good endowment</h2>

<p>Sorry to be so crass, but....</p>

<p>Someone wants to get laaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiddddddddddddddd.</p>

<p>I can help you out with that. </p>

<p>But, on a serious note, the deadline for transferring has passed, so you'll have to wait until next year to get some.</p>

12

<p>Lol at the above.</p>

<p>But I know exactly how you feel. East Coast LACs are a definite letdown- crappy dorms, bad food, junior varsity-like sports teams, general campus lameness and awkwardness, filled with students who just want to be that big fish in a small pond for a few more years- all in the name of an "intimate, unique college experience". Just a nice way of saying, "We are pretty much second-rate in every respect, except that we have such a small campus and such crappy facilities that somehow it becomes intimate", so give us 50k a year please?</p>

<p>I am with you. Definitely transfer.</p>