<p>Hi there, I'm in DESPERATE need of advice. I go to USC and am thinking of transferring to U. of Oregon or Lewis&Clark College or staying at SC.
I'm from SoCal, love SC's academics (4.0gpa 1970SAT going into college), that theres always stuff to do, and big school/community feel of sc, but don't like LA and the social scene with its social-climbing, shallow, materialistic students. Found its either your Greek, which I tried out but dropped, (which dominates the social scene for a white SoCal girl like myself and can be excluding to nongreeks) or your an artsy hipster or international, not much in between. I would be studying journalism or communication at all schools.
I'm VERY laid back, down to earth, like adventuring and outdoorsy things, don't mind the rain. I'm kind of an odd mix between a quirky hippy and a frat boy. I would rush if i went to UofO. I am nervous about Lewis & Clark's small size and its "nerdier" student body. Also trying to factor in getting into a good business grad school and the whole 'starting over' bit that transferring would entail. Is it even worth transferring?
ADVICE? ANY would be MUCH appreciated thanks!</p>
<p>I don’t want to come off as being rude, but I have to say that you’re delusional if you think that people are going to be any different anywhere you go.</p>
<p>LA is the 2nd biggest city in the country. You cannot say, in good faith, that everyone is materialistic and/or shallow.</p>
<p>SC is miles better than the other two schools you mentioned. If you love the academics, then what’s the problem? You’re in school to learn.</p>
<p>Don’t give up a fantastic opportunity because you didn’t get along with a few people you thought were friends. Get out and explore more; SC has a club for everyone.</p>
<p>You’ll find your niche, just hang in there.</p>
<p>I don’t agree that she’s delusional. Yes, every school will have a mix of irritating people. But if the big problem at USC is that Greek life dominates, and she didn’t find her niche there, she may have a wildly different experience at Lewis & Clark.</p>
<p>I mean, when I was at Bryn Mawr, I had my complaints, but social-climbing, shallow, and materialistic students…no. Never.</p>
<p>80% of the student body isn’t involved in greek life… at USC, that’s nearly 14,000 people.</p>
<p>Don’t see how a 20% minority could “dominate a social scene”. Even if 90% of the rest were wackjobs, that still leaves you with 1,000 potential friends.</p>
<p>I spent a year at Miami, which is even more superficial than SoCal… didn’t meet 1 person in greek life (15% of the student body) and I had plenty of friends/things to do.</p>
<p>No one goes TO Oregon to get AWAY from artsy hipsters.</p>
<p>LTClaire,
you might consider transferring to a smaller school in So. Cal. Have you looked into Occidental or one of the Claremonts? You sound like a good fit for Pitzer or Pomona.</p>
<p>What is your family saying? Are they willing to pay for U Oregon or L&C?</p>
<p>Join a club related to your interests…you’ll meet like-minded people</p>
<p>yeah, I don’t agree that she is delusional either. </p>
<p>A friend’s D was a vegan, big-time enviro, backpacker, no make-up type of gal, no sports fan, and ended up hating 'SC. (I told her mom that it was a lousy fit.) She transferred to Oregon and became a happy camper.</p>
<p>Why single out University of Oregon or L&C specifically? First of all, I’d find that they’d be even more full of artsy hipsters. Have you considered any other schools on the west coast?</p>
<p>Your College experience is too important to be miserable. She’s not delusional. You can get an excellent education at both U. of Oregon or Lewis & Clark College.</p>
<p>All I’m saying is that not everyone at USC is in greek or is an artsy hipster. Conversely, there WILL be greeks and hipsters at U of O. To switch schools (greater to lesser, mind you) over it is asinine. It’ll be a rude awakening.</p>
<p>L&C will be smaller and doesn’t have frats, but a small private liberal arts college in Oregon is a breeding ground for hipsters. There is no perfect school out there and the thread-starter is in a great, diverse university right now.</p>
<p>What’s wrong with the UC’s? Claremonts? Cal States?</p>
<p>To me it just seems like you just want to go to Oregon. If that’s what your heart is set on and that’s what you want, then by all means go… but don’t rationalize and do it on the grounds of believing that everyone will be different: they won’t be.</p>
<p>hi</p>
<p>first of all thank you very much for your responses…
I am listing only UofO and L&C because those were the schools that I applied to transfer to that I got into. I applied to Michigan and Wisconsin (my top choices, didn’t get in) and am on the waiting list at Colorado College as well.
I don’t have a problem with ‘artsy hipsters,’ they just tend to stick to together with each other, which i am not, is all i meant. And I didn’t mean to generalize the entire sc student body, I know there are some great people there and I have a couple friends there that I would definitely miss if i left. Its just I feel like those like minded people shouldnt be so damn hard to weed out! sc can be a very intense environment all around and socially straining for those that don’t fit into a category. And yes, I have gotten involved with many things on campus.
I feel like (of course not all) UofO students are more easy going, friendly, genuine, outdoorsy, so that is why I feel like people WOULD be different. I don’t think im crazy there, am I? My only reservations there are giving up all the academic and future benefits that SC gives me… so I guess that is my true IS IT WORTH IT question</p>
<p>I’m a first year at USC and if you exclude internationals who don’t generally go Greek anyway, that number has to be close to or above 50%. I feel like USC is doing some serious tinkering with the numbers to attract the more academic types cause on my dorm floor alone, and from what I gather from the RA, more than 60% are pledging this semester in what is generally considered one of the quieter dorms on campus. There undoubtedly are people here who fall into nonce of OP’s categories like there are everywhere but from personal experience thus far, a vast majority do happen to fall into OP’s categories. It is quite unfortunate. Yes, I do realize that this is an old thread but I just wanted to point out some statistical discrepancies between official USC numbers and personal experience so future applicants are better informed. I honestly do believe that the 20% number is inclusive of graduate students as well</p>
<p>LTClaire, I’m in the exact same position that you were in. At SC and loving the school itself, but hating the social scene and LA. Just curious, what did you end up doing? Are you happier now (assuming you transferred)? I am trying desperately to decide between Michigan (where I’m from) or a smaller school like Pepperdine, or just staying at USC. I also would be studying journalism or communications, and I’m also more outdoorsy. Like you, I rushed but dropped a few weeks into pledging, but i would rush again if i end up at a school with a Greek system. I would love to hear if it’s worth transferring or if I should just stick it out…</p>
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<p>But the ones she’s talking about are different kind of hipsters. I lived in LA before and absolutely hated it. The kind of “artsy hispers” she’s talking about are those that try to “look” hip and artsy by what they wear (fit into that shallow mode) but they could care less about environment, green politics…etc. There’s just a shell, not substance inside. I saw a lot of those in LA. As for materialism, it’s very obvious there. It’s where my car got rearended by a BMW but the driver had no auto insurance.</p>
<p>I have made more friends and met more like-minded people here in DC within couple years than when I was in LA for 7 years. Of course you can find your niche if you try hard; but it’d be nice if you don’t have to try so hard.</p>
<p>I’m a senior deciding whether or not to attend USC and this thread just scared me a lot! I’m outdoorsy/not interested in Greek life and got into Colorado College, Pomona, and Bowdoin… should I go to one of these instead? I got the Trustee scholarship at USC, will that help me meet better people? The other schools will be more expensive than USC, and USC does have an outdoors club that seems fairly active… I realize this thread is a year old but it worries me…</p>