<p>What is the feel at USC? How big does it feel? Are there waiting lists for classes? Do people walk to classes? I know it's 40000 total. Is there anyone on her that went to USC</p>
<p>Son is a freshman. Reports a very friendly vibe. Football games are insanely fun. Did not pursue Greek life but has made many friends on his dorm floor. Loves everything about USC. Walks to class, even though campus does have sort of a big feel. Lots of buildings but campus is walkable. Plenty of folks ride bikes and long boards. Don’t know about waiting lists for classes.</p>
<p>Any comparisons to east coast schools?</p>
<p>And is the campus safe?</p>
<p>It’s not really 40,000…that would be with the graduate schools, health science campus…the main University Park campus does not feel nearly that large. Strong feeling of community, campus is truly gorgeous. My child is a junior, she says she feels safe but USC is in the middle of a major city so your mileage may vary. The best way to tell how you will feel about it is to visit.</p>
<p>As for comparisons to east coast schools, USC and Columbia seemed somewhat similar to me, just because they’re both relatively cramped campuses that are enclosed by walls/fences.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone</p>
<p>In terms of safety, the actual campus is safe. It is strictly gated and has a very college campus feel to it. That said, it is in southern LA. Once you step outside of those gates, it is another story. </p>
<p>Hi mattyrice10101,</p>
<p>I’m a senior, who transferred in from Penn State back in the Fall of 2012, so here’s my take on USC.</p>
<p>What is the feel of USC? Well, USC is a pretty big school. Not as big as Penn State from what I remember it. The campus is very flat, so biking/skateboarding is a very popular option among students for getting around campus. That said, some areas of campus can get really clustered and you have to watch out for bikers so they wont run into you! Walking is do-able, but most prefer to bike to classes, and it can be very helpful if you live on campus, considering some areas around the school is dangerous to be in after hours. The buildings are mostly very nice, very Euro-Spanish feel. The nicest buildings are for the Cinema school, Public Policy, and some business buildings. Doheny Library and the new Annenberg building are both worth checking out. The school of liberal arts, known as Dornsife, is housed in a little bit dingier, older buildings, but nothing too bad. The campus feels very wide, despite being closed off from the surrounding community, with a lot of cafes and hidden spots you can discover throughout your time here. I really like the vibe I get here. Don’t get me wrong, Penn State was beautiful in its own rights, but I’m a west coast boy so I really like the conservative but chill vibe I get here at USC.</p>
<p>Waiting lists for classes? The waits are not as bad as that of public schools. That’s the advantage of being at a private school, or USC. I remember getting into some of my intro courses at PSU was extremely difficult, which resulted me in taking a ton of electives that did not pertain to my major. There are waits for some classes, but many people drop it during the first week, which allows you to snag a spot if you’re out on the look. As you also accrue more credits, you get to sign up a lot earlier than most people and you won’t have much of an issue once you’re in junior status. So, all in all, having to wait for classes is inevitable for some cases, but nowhere near as bad as the waits I hear the students at UCLA have to deal with.</p>
<p>If I were to compare my experience here vs. at PSU, I’d definitely choose USC. For one, it’s in LA. This city is so interesting and diverse in its own rights that it really doesn’t compare to the east coast cities, imo. You do need a car if you plan to get out of USC area or go anywhere. If you don’t have one, you’re not doomed. There’s the metro, which is growing undoubtedly, and there’s buses/taxis and all that stuff. But if you can get a car here, I highly recommend it. I think going to USC and experiencing LA is essential to your time here. You can get trapped in a bubble if you stay near campus too long. </p>
<p>If you or anyone else have any questions, feel free to message me.</p>
<p>@dj02bothell - that was a really thoughtful reply, nice of you to take the time to post that. Happy Holidays!</p>
<p>Thanks so much!</p>
<p>@dj02bothell Very well explained. I, in fact, applied to both PSU and USC, and visited both this past summer, and even though I enjoyed my visit at PSU, I would rather go to USC if I got accepted to both, particularly since I live in LA, so I prefer to stay local as well as that USC is a private school. Plus USC is my first choice, along with Michigan (but I got deferred), so I hope I really get into USC. </p>
<p>Hi there,</p>
<p>I’m a freshman at USC, and like dj02bothell mentioned above, the campus has a very chill vibe. It’s not too big, but not too small. Walking is very manageable – it takes me about 15 minutes to get my farthest class and about 8 minutes to get to my closest class (but I’m also a fast walker). Lots of people bike and skateboard…if you’re walking, you just have to watch out for them. Don’t want to get into a bike crash, which I’ve seen twice before. </p>
<p>Safety: I feel quite safe on campus. Police and firetruck sirens are a normal occurrence, but you eventually get used to it. It’s probably also because USC is located near a firestation that you hear these noises at night. Walking across campus at night is really nice – it’s just so nice and peaceful without all of the bikers, skateboarders, crowds, etc. If you have to get off campus at night (within 1 mile), there’s always campus cruiser! The only problem with campus cruiser is that if it’s a busy night (Thursdays and weekends), it’ll take a while to get a hold of them. </p>
<p>Classes: I registered on August 13 (after all of the other upperclassmen and freshmen, except international students, registered), and I was still able to get all of the classes I wanted. USC usually holds certain slots open in each class for each registration period, so you just have to keep your eyes out for them. For the spring semester, I had problems getting the professor I wanted, but I still got the classes that I needed. New spots or sections always open up for major/core classes if they get too full. General Education classes are a different story, but still very manageable. The good thing is that you don’t have to take all 6 of your GE’s in one year, so if a class in a certain GE is closed and you really want it, you can always wait to register for it the next year. One of my friends ended up taking all business classes this past semester, and will be taking some GE’s next semester. As a business major, our schedules are very flexible! If you’re majoring in Engineering or one of the Sciences, it may be a bit harder because your schedules are a bit more rigid… My suite-mate is pre-med, and I’m pretty sure she got all of the classes she needed though. </p>
<p>As for the size of the classes, it varies. In my GE 5 class, it’s about 27 students. In writing classes, they are usually limited to 15 students. In my GE lectures, there are usually about 100-200 kids; however, we also have labs and discussions with these lectures and there are usually only 20-25 kids in these sections. In my core business classes, the limit is about 75-80 students per lecture. In my roommate’s language classes, there are about 20 students?</p>
<p>If you’re worried about fitting in, don’t be. USC is nice in that there is a niche or group for everyone. I also agree with dj02bothell that staying on campus can end up feeling like you’re in a bubble, so don’t be afraid to explore LA. If you HAVE to take the taxi, take Uber. A trip to Little Tokyo with 4 people in UberX is like… $10 one way. I personally have no problems with the metro, but everyone has different preferences. Take the metro during the day to downtown or something. If you need to go somewhere at night, go with a large group of people on the metro or just take uber. </p>
<p>Hopefully this helped!</p>
@cynthia808 hey, cyn! I read your kind reply and I would like to ask you a few details about getting into USC. I am also a prospective student and I will start my freshman year in fall 2016. How “hard” was it to get in? Could you tell me your GPA, SAT scores, as well as the extracurricular activities that you have done? What tips can you give me? I hope you will see this and answer. thank you!
@tydap15 There is an admitted students thread every year with stats, right now it is the scholarship thread that is active, but there is also a regular decision thread where people put stats. Read through the forum, there is a ton of good info, posts here are generally friendly, helpful and supportive. Here is last fall stats thread: