Repost about HOUSING
imo, housing is all about a tradeoff of physical comfort for social opportunities - there is no question that a traditional dorm is more social and has more opportunities to meet more people than a closed door suite style. To me, who you live with and around (having ability to meet people) is more important than the physical aspects of building, but some may feel otherwise. No choice is a wrong choice, there really isn’t bad housing, just different choices. The kids know what is important to them, listen to what they want, then should be responsible for the decision, as it should be in college. Us parents are old and less tolerable of inconvenience or discomfort, some kids don’t care so much. After sending four, I know a toxic suite with drama, or intolerable suite mate/room mate is much more disruptive than how many share a bathroom. But if you have other friends/peeps, a weird room mate isn’t a crisis either. Luckily USC does a really good job matching room mates. If I was a first time parent of a college student, it would be hard to not persuade them to the shiny new Village or push them to what appears to have the best physical amenities, so I have certainly change my tune. As a parent that has sent four, I have come to realize that meeting people freshman year can be the single most important aspect in determining the happiness over the next four years. You can cover an ugly wall with a poster, but you can’t change the vibe and social atmosphere you live in. Bottom line is they should pick the one(s) that they know checks their boxes. And if it isn’t perfect, well college is about a little discomfort, it is how they grow, it’s ok, really it is.
Here’s a rundown of housing choices…of course individual experiences vary and room mates can certainly impact an experience. If you don’t care about AC and want social aspect (not saying party dorm, just super friendly atmosphere with lots of activities and ways to meet people) then Birnkrant, Pardee, Marks Tower are all great and part of the freshman quad. All three of the towers are popular choices. New North is definitely known as the fun dorm. But keep in mind the academic level of USC nowadays, no dorm is Animal House. Birnkrant kept it’s honors reputation (it was honors dorm prior to Village) and there is a Starbucks in the bottom of it. It is known as “8 floors of open doors.” I haven’t known anyone that didn’t love living there. Not fancy and a traditional dorm set up, but its academic/social balance remains strong. One has a fitness center, but that’s not a big deal, most use the real gym so it’s sorta a meh feature.
If you want AC and suite set up, then Village, Parkside or Fluor are super nice, just offer a different social experience than the dorms since they are suites or apartments. Some prefer this, others find them limiting socially, depends on the individual. Fluor is more central than Parkside, it is just outside the freshman quad, but less social as apartments. Parkside is on the far side of campus, but newer building (relative to some others) and nice suites, close to engineering.
Do not only list Village for your choices if not a scholarship recipient - or you will be surprised when you are stuck “wherever” because you don’t list enough choices building wise. If not in McCarthy honors, Village is an outlier of random/leftover spots for freshman (other than honors who get McCarthy). Sophomores fill it up with early assignment that has been done already. There are other places on campus where freshman living is focused. I get AC is huge or a must for some people, but I would suggest adding additional factors to that as the highest priority of your USC living experience if you can. Although there can be a couple periods of heat, it is California, not the south, no humidity. There is a reason shacks go for millions here.
Do not put all five configurations in one building because if full, then they get to make your “second choice” and will put you wherever they want. Give them some choices.
From being around a lot of students over the years, what I have heard consistently is the entire freshman quad area (Birnkrant, Pardee, Marks, etc.) is one of the best places you can live, even without AC. It is where you do the most as a freshman and can meet the most freshman. USC is a HUGE school with 40,000 people, a lot of them graduate students. In the freshman quad area it is great to be grabbing coffee at that Starbucks or sitting out by the pond with other freshman. If you are throwing frisbee in the lawn, or studying at a table outside, it is freshman sitting next to you and walking by. Anyone in that area is a freshman - all those buildings might as well be considered one building, they way everyone interacts. So if you choose or end up in the freshman quad area it will be great too. It is so easy to make friends over there. Parkside has it’s own little community on it’s side (although a lot socialize over at freshman quad side too) and is known to have great food.
Sophomores are given housing priority in the Village, so if you don’t live in the Village as a freshman (most don’t), you have a really good chance of living there as a sophomore (but there are some that don’t get it). If you do, you get to experience two different types of housing in college. It all works out!
Kids that are interested in going Greek tend to live in New North. It has been known that way for years. It has a big sorority/fraternity contingency that chooses to live there.
Don’t worry about living by your “major” school, as freshman you will likely be all over campus with GEs and activities. It’s not that big a campus, everything is pretty close really.
There is a place for everyone and there really isn’t a bad living arrangement at USC, truly.
