<p>Hi, looks like you are in the same situation that I was in last year!</p>
<p>I also transferred in as a sophomore from a community college, specifically into Critical Studies. The majority of my transfer friends were Production students, however. Since you’re a transferring, I’m assuming that part of the reason for that was to save some money. First off: I actually did not receive an SGR when I applied (3.6 GPA) even though my high school grades were terrible. It could have something to do with my much-improved college GPA and really high test scores, or maybe they liked my portfolio. I have no idea, but I was one of the few sophomore applicants who didn’t receive one and I found out that I got in around mid- to late-April.</p>
<p>I opted to live off-campus (in a non-USC affiliated apartment) with some friends (one goes to USC, the others don’t) which has proved to be fantastic for me. I pay $525 per month in rent and most of my utilities (including internet) are included. If you live in a USC-owned or -managed property, you can expect to pay around $800 or $900 per month. If you live in one of the dorms on campus… then I hope you’re made of money. The closest dorm to the cinema complex is Webb Tower, which is like thirty feet away. In my opinion, it’s one of the nicest places to live but it’s pretty pricey. Cardinal Gardens is also pretty close and a lot cheaper than Webb, and I have quite a few film major friends who live there. Century is also near there, but I don’t really like it as it’s a little bit too dormy. A lot of the housing in the north is REALLY far away from campus (I think Troy East is a good example), so don’t necessarily think that living there is more convenient. I think a lot of the Shrine apartments (Chez Ronnee, etc) are supposed to be nice and they’re really close to restaurants so that could be a good area too.</p>
<p>When I was looking at housing, I also thought “what’s the closest thing to the film school?” Well, turns out, it usually doesn’t matter. As a Critical Studies major, almost all of my classes are in Norris Theatre (which is closer to Taper Hall or VKC). I actually have my first class at the film school this semester, and it’s an elective anyway. If you’re in production, you’ll have some classes in the film school (and the Avid editing lab is there) but you will also have a lot of classes in the Zemeckis Center near the Shrine apartments. For that reason, I have a few film friends who chose to live there even though it’s not really by the film school. Remember, you’ll most likely also have minor coursework, general education classes, and a campus job in places that aren’t the film school. Keep that in mind during your search. Ummm don’t really worry about campus housing, if you apply by the deadline (even if you haven’t been accepted) you should be able to get it fairly easily. I don’t personally know anyone who got denied housing by USC.</p>
<p>Most of my friends live in apartments that are not owned or managed by USC just because it’s cheaper. My reason for doing so was because I did not want to pay a ridiculous amount of money to share a bedroom with someone. Let’s be honest: anything close to campus or convenient costs a lot of money. If you have a bike or car, try to look for something a few blocks away. I live two blocks west of campus and the housing nearby is so cheap! The rent drops like $100 per block. 
Anyway, the North side of campus (including the row) is considered the “nice” area only because of the row and because that’s where the majority of students live. I live on the west side, which is quiet and there aren’t as many students. Most of the crime happens in the north side because it’s the “nice” area. The southeast area, namely Tuscany and all of the restaurants, is also pretty nice. The southeast and west parts are great if you plan on commuting to work/internships by bus or train like I do.</p>
<p>Yeah, there is a Cinema floor in New/North but don’t live there unless you want the dorm experience. Like I said, I don’t want to share an overpriced closet-sized room with someone so I opted out of that. The cinema frat is also on Menlo St, so I’m sure you’d live by film majors if you lived in that area. If you’re worried about meeting people… don’t be. Trust me, you’ll get to know everyone really well! You’re going to have classes with them every day and you’re going to be working on their projects. The best way to meet people is by joining all of the USC/Transfer groups on facebook and going to welcome week events. By the time your first semester is over, you might even find yourself glad that you don’t live next to everyone you study with.</p>
<p>Hope that helps.</p>
Where did you get your information on the places of living? I applied to the college of letters and sciences as an Econ major by the way.</p>