That was our perspective too. My DS was not accepted, but we arrived at the conclusion you did before we learned that news. He is at Notre Dame with a great FA package that made it cheaper than a UC for us.
Trying to figure out housing at USC if anyone can help. On the housing portal it looks like Webb Tower is open to freshman now and Fluor tower seems closed. Is this correct? If Webb is open to freshman and sophomores will sophomores have priority? I don’t want to blow it in housing app and waste my first choice on something I don’t get. Appreciate any advice.
What does it look like if you were offered the transfer program by USC
There is a thread dedicated to that topic…
Based on what they are showing now within the housing portal, Webb would be both a freshman and upperclass option. But as I understand it, freshman are placed first and would likely be given priority. It used to be an option, and my older daughter lived there back in 2014 as a freshman. She liked it a great deal. It is slightly less social than the traditional freshmen residence halls, but she wanted the greater size and A/C that came with its apartment lay-out. She also preferred its location… closer to SDA and SCA. It’s also why she chose Century for her sophomore and junior years.
Does anyone know if its harder to get housing for a suite at sign up? I really want the AC haha
Yes my son has been asked for documents they already have 3 times over (FAFSA, CSS, FAST). Hoping to hear FA package this week.
2 Likes
The email my son received stated that housing sign up would be available starting tomorrow? Are you able to sign up before then?
No, it does open tomorrow. I just read it’s first come first serve for freshman and wondered how competitive it would be 
Thank you so much. Very helpful!
You really should be able to get that if you pick them in your list of five. Webb Tower is large apartment style with AC in an excellent location. Slow elevators but otherwise nice. 
Parkside A&S are great suites too with AC. I wouldn’t choose Parkside International however, it tends to be older and even married people…not sure it is even open to freshman now, but they use to put some in there.
Can I ask you one more housing question @WWWard? Is there a good strategy for choosing your 5 preferences for housing? If you really want apartment or suite style should you fill your preferences with all of the different floor plans of the same dorms or should you throw in different forms you like less just in case you don’t get your top preferences? I appreciate your USC wisdom.
I will jump in, I would put at least two building choices in or you risk them making it for you if the building is full.
But generally, if you get signed up tomorrow, chances of getting what you want are high in regard to suite versus traditional dorm style. There’s enough different people that want different choices that it works out.
If you pick 5 in the Village you may run into problems as there are very few (if any) for freshman other than the McCarthy honors students. Sophomores and upperclassmen have dibs on those already.
Jumping in with some advice on the housing situation. Pretty sure this applies at USC but typically the “best” dorms are already taken or mostly taken up by current students due to priority. IMO its more fun living with other freshman in the “worst” dorms than in a better dorm with older students. The social level in the dorms typically goes way down after first year.
3 Likes
Totally agree with @10s4life! Who and how many they meet freshman year is key to a successful college experience.
1 Like
Asked to repost, so here it is. Updated to reflect Webb Tower. ymmv, this is part fact and part opinion, garner what you like…
I’ve had one or two students consistently at USC for last 10 years and spend a lot of time on campus, so this is what I have learned/seen over my time there and gleaned from my kids and their friends. I tried to update this best I can, of course, I am not sure what will change with this covid thing or if they have done any remodeling/re-assigning of buildings. If they have to limit # of people in a room/suite to less than what they currently have, it could change availablity/options. But generally speaking…
Here’s a rundown…of course individual experiences vary and room mates can certainly impact an experience. Many love the shiny new factor of the Village and parents certainly do, but I encourage parents to let their student decide - it is where they are living. Also keep in mind housing at Village is for merit student freshman that choose it, it is very very low probablility for other freshman. Sophomores fill it up normally, and this year you will likely have less than usual number of sophomores wanting to live off campus since they didn’t get to experience dorms as freshman. We see plenty of merit choosing to live elsewhere as they prefer the more social dorm experience over a suite experience. (Future reference/mental note - if your student applies for Village at some point, keep in mind that the loft layout is beyond TINY.)
For the most part, who you live with and around (having ability to meet people) is more important than the physical aspects of building. An 18 year old is adaptable, more than us old parent types! If the student doesn’t care about AC and wants a good 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. 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. All these are just across the street from the Village shops and food.
If you want AC and suite set up, then Village, Parkside A&S or Webb Tower all offer that, but a suite is a different social experience than the dorms. Some prefer this, others find them limiting socially, depends on the individual. Webb is large apartments but more closed door. Parkside is on the far side of campus, but newer building (relative to some others) and nice suites, close to engineering, tends to be social for suites, and they include 8 person suites. Parkside residents do a lot together because they are off to themselves. Also known to have the best food.
Do not only list all 5 choices in the Village - 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 (if any) for freshman (other than honors who get McCarthy). 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.
Again, 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 of at least two buildings.
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 students are really happy there too, it’s just a bit of a haul (relatively speaking) to the other corner of campus. But it has AC and super nice 8 person suites. I think they do a great job room mate matching if student answers the questionairre honestly.
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 and there’s plenty of great options!
3 Likes
Thanks for your insight @ CADREAMIN.
1 Like
Wait I’m not too sure if anyone mentioned this already, but has anyone received any physical mail yet from USC (the white packages)?
No not yet. But I live in the midwest so it might just be that it takes a long time to ship over here
Also got this offer. Anyone know what this option entails?