<p>Hi! I was admitted to USC and will be going down to interview for the Trustee Scholarship!</p>
<p>I have some questions about the USC housing application. The booklet they sent me says that scholarship recipients can stay at the University Residential College at Birnkrant - what is that like? As opposed to Parkside or a regular dorm? Do most scholarship recipients stay there? Can students who want to join a sorority stay there?</p>
<p>Should I apply for housing right now, or wait until I know for sure whether I will be going to SC?</p>
<p>Birnkrant is overall one of the better dorms, both socially and building-wise. Each other building has their own +/-'s, but Birnkrant is pretty much your standard dorm with communal bathrooms. Suite style tends to be more quiet due to the nature of the setup but also tend to to be newer buildings and have more living area. Dorm style tends to be more social but the buildings are older and have communal bathrooms and no AC.</p>
<p>Yes, a lot of scholarship recipients stay there but you are free to live wherever you would like. Yes, you can, there is no requirement to live anywhere to join a sorority. However, if you would like to be surrounded by a large number of people who do join sororities or fraternities, then you should look into living in New/North.</p>
<p>If there is a good chance of you attending USC, I would apply now, at the most, you lose the small fee.</p>
<p>I would apply for housing now even if there’s only a slight chance you’ll ultimately attend USC. Housing is assigned first-come, first-served, so it’s best to get at the top of the list so that, if you do decide to enroll, you’ll get your top housing preference. </p>
<p>Birnkrant is a great building. I’d say it’s by far the most convenient location (considering its proximity to EVK [which, incidentally, is widely regarded on campus as the best dining hall following its renovation] and Leavey Library), and the inside is generally pretty nice. </p>
<p>Keep in mind that the scholarship community is still very diverse (you’ll have plenty of “nerds” and “partiers” alike), so it’s not like the community will be all that different from other residential communities.</p>
<p>LIVE IN BIRNKRANT! I wish I had! For some reason year after year it has the reputation of being the friendliest dorm, everyone seems to bond with their floor really quickly. Layout wise it is a typical dorm, as are most dorms except for Parkside (which I don’t recommend, it’s so far and not near the other students) and Fleur (again not near the other students). </p>
<p>If I had to do it over again I would pick 1) Birnkrant 2) Pardee 3) New/North</p>
<p>I am a student at USC and found this Twitter regarding USC Housing options extremely helpful. Their land lords LOVE to take advantage of USC students. Read this twitter for housing info around USC.</p>