Same here
What freshmen suites are available?
You can explore all options via this link…
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My son just got notified on his financial aid!!! He is so grateful and excited! Fight on!!!
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This is actually far more than I would expect most students to pay if they aren’t living in USC housing. You can find singles in shared apartments from 1k-1300 if you’re on top of rental applications and apartment hunting. Shared rooms in apartments and houses can be anywhere from 500-1k. I currently pay around 1200 for a single room with a bathroom and I live 5-10min walk from campus.
The only places that charge 1300 for a shared room are luxury apartment complexes like the Lorenzo or Gateway (neither of which I recommend since they often have rat or roach infestations).
LA rents are pricey for sure but many rental companies in the area will try to scam students since they don’t know any better.
Can you share with us which apartment complexes have singles for that price? That sounds like a great deal! Thanks!
Right. The prices I quoted were for apartments right next to campus, as the conversation was related to people asking about safety and comfort level of the neighborhood and the comment that many want to stay close to campus for convenience or safety.
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When it comes to housing on or near campus, the key thing IMO is to run the numbers annually before comparing pricing scenarios. They can vary widely, especially since the payment requirements vary widely too. It’s not as simple as looking at the monthly rent.
My older daughter was in USC housing for years 1-3 and then in a shared / private 2 BR / 2 Bath (4 girls sharing) at only $725 per month per person. But that… like many private housing scenarios… was for an 11-12 mos lease. It was also a joint and several lease.
USC housing instead charges by the semester. She was in an apartment in Webb (on campus) as a freshman and then in an apartment at Century (adjacent to campus) for her sophomore and junior years. She sought out such apartments because she wanted more space, a private bath and A/C throughout the unit (which is rather rare in terms of USC housing). My younger daughter was in that shared / private apartment as a freshman, in a sorority for years 2-3 and then at Gateway for her senior year.
The great thing is the abundance of options… both within USC housing and via non-USC housing. But start the search process early… and negotiate for deals. I think her year at Gateway was like $1070/month after the concessions. Like USC Housing, places like Gateway and Lorenzo have individual leases. But many houses to rent and private apartments have joint and several leases… meaning that you need to choose your roommates very carefully.
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Had one at Gateway and had no problems with bugs or rodents and loved the convenience. Our biggest nightmare was moving into smaller apartment complex (that was actually/supposedly really nice) with infestation and a Uhaul full of furniture that had to sit for 3 days while it was fumigated, and meant a return trip to LA to move in (again). That was renting from Stuho and it was awful. Unit had been previously occupied by slobs, thus the problem.
Also at the big complexes you pay for your bed, meaning if a room mate dips, you aren’t on the line for the entire rent. When looking, understand that part of the lease agreement.
Current daughter in studio steps from Village and super happy with that, just pricey, but we love how close and safe it is.
Also as @wwward mentioned, leases are for 12 months, unless you pay more per month at places like Gateway for a shorter lease period.
The Nest and City Park are both fairly affordable! A lot of the cheaper complexes have little online presence since they are owned by a single landlord instead of a company. I’d recommend the USC Housing FB group or walking around near campus and looking for “For Rent” signs.
First Choice Housing, Stuho, Tripalink, and Mosaic are larger companies that have many properties for leas every year, but the quality of the apartment and lease depends on the property manager. They’re known to keep security deposits.
And yes, as other commenters mentioned, private housing is usually a 11-12 month lease, but as many students stay in Los Angeles during the summer for internships, research, etc, a 12 month lease can be beneficial. If not, there are always subleasers looking in the housing groups as well!
Got the mailed acceptance today! Miss the big box surprise my older kids experienced from USC, but not complaining about the acceptance.
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Yes, definitely! They might say no, but you need to try or you will be kicking yourself.
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If there are parents whose kids go to USC, how much additional expense do we need to plan for besides tuition + dorm + dining that USC lists? Is it like 10K per year or more? I know LA is expensive and want to have a clear picture of what expense we are committing to.
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My philosophy is if you give it to them, they will spend it. If you don’t, they will figure out a way to get by.
Our rule is that we pay for tuition, housing and transportation to and from home. My kids work over the summer and their responsibility is to save that money to pay for their social activities. They pay for Greek life, concert tickets, ride share, eating out, etc.
My USC student is living in the dorms and has a meal plan. We originally gave $100/mo but saw that it wasn’t being spent so stopped the direct deposit. When they live off campus, they will spend more so we will watch carefully and supplement as necessary.
Edit: Our intent is not to deprive our students of opportunities but we also want them to think before they spend. If they are doing something special, we’ll occasionally slip some extra money in their account.
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I was going to say something similar to lkg4answers. The students will figure out a way to live within whatever means are allowed. The key is to set some clear expectations up front so you are on the same page before they go off to school. I have a freshmen. We agreed to pay for tuition + housing + meal plan + books and supplies ($800-ish for this year, as I recall - ordered on Amazon) + flights to/from home X 2 + Ubers to/from the airport when flying home X 2 + school-related activity fees or dues (intramural sports) + the occasional special event (like a concert)
My son pays for anything he wants to eat outside of the meal plan (including Starbucks) and other places he wants to go. He has to decide whether it’s worth an Uber ride or use public transport or chip in with a friend for gas and parking. There is PLENTY to do on campus so it’s not like they NEED to go anywhere for the essentials of daily life. He uses $ earned over the summer and over the holiday break. He seems to spend his $ on dinners, concert tix, and Target snacks (I do send him care packages. 
)
Other costs to consider in terms of whether you wish to subsidize, have your kid pay, or cost-share based on their interests and what you as parents are comfortable with:
-Starbucks
-Ubers - can be $30 one way to Beverly Hills, for example
-Spring Break
-season football tickets [football games are not free to students; other athletics are]
-activity fees like ultimate frisbee, soccer [about $25-$30 per sport per season; ski club requires a ski pass]
-fraternity or sorority [could be $5k a year for dues] - NOT essential to be in a fraternity or sorority to love USC
So I think the point is, the budget for these extra things really depends on what your kid expects to do outside of studying and how much you want to subsidize it.
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We are heading to LA for USC admit day Sunday! Anyone know where it typically starts? I have only seen sample agendas so far. Trying to figure out best place to park.
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I’d use the McCarthy entrance off Figueroa for McCarthy Parking Structure, or come in McClintock off of Jefferson and you will be directed to Royal Way Structure.
There will be stuff all over, but usually set up in front of Bovard Auditorium where an intro talk is given. Did you register and get an agenda?
Hope everyone visiting this weekend has their Hallmark moment and finds love. 
Reminder if doing neighborhood tour, try to catch it earlier than later, line only keeps building throughout the day.
COMFORTABLE SHOES ONLY, YOU WILL WALK AND WALK AND WALK.
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Add that to the list of items that we paid for. We wanted to encourage our student to attend the games so we paid for the season ticket. Basketball and other sports are free.
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At the airport waiting for plane home from Admitted Students Day. It was so great — we loved the opportunity for her to speak in- depth with Price School officials and student ambassadors, tour Birnkrant and see the amazing marching band. We stayed at Marriott LA Live, which was very nice and fairly close. Got to check out Santa Monica and hit a couple of our favorite restaurants.
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Mine certainly find things to spend money on. Ubers, dining out, bringing food in, exploring LA, weekend adventures throughout socal (and sometimes beyond), mountain trips, gas if they have a car, clothes for events, concerts, oh and the Starbucks (especially if in Birkrant) and Target at the Village, etc. Many have a pretty robust social life, and the area offers so much in every direction - but as long as the grades are good, and the things they do are safe, it’s fine with us. So I am a bit more open with expenses. There is certainly opportunities to earn money as well. It all really depends on what your kids do, who they socialize with and what either you are willing to give them, or they are willing to earn to spend - all being a personal choice. I know some that spend not so much per month and others that spend more than a $1000 a month. No judgement either way.
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