USC spring admit...concerns?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
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<p>First off, I just want to congratulate everyone of you that was accepted into USC. I was a 2012 spring admit (currently in my first semester at USC) and I understand how some of you may feel on being a springie. Honestly, being a spring admit is not such a bad thing. You get to take some classes at a community college and save tons of money, you get to meet people of various ages and backgrounds at your CC, and you still get to enjoy the perks of being a USC student (if you are in Los Angeles). </p>

<p>For those who live near USC, I highly recommend you attend the football games and other events on campus. You will get to meet so many students and start forming friendships. I know that there is probably a Facebook group for the 2013 spring class and I suggest you join it. Talk among yourselves and help each other through your fall semester. As for the housing situation, USC guarantees housing for ALL students. However, housing might not necessarily be on campus or with freshmen. However, this in no way takes away from the college experience. The college experience stems from a person’s ability to make the most of what they have. As long as you are an outgoing person, you will have the best experiences whether you live on campus, off campus, with freshmen, or with upperclassmen. </p>

<p>I have lots more that I want to say, but I actually should be doing homework right about now, so if any of you have any questions, feel free to shoot meet a message. Once again, congratulations to all the spring admits and FIGHT ON!</p>

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<p>Ok, ok, let me make one more comment and then I’ll quit beating the dead horse and dismount. My rather narrow point (obviously not well articulated) was that USC’s Spring Admission, complete with its recommendation (in its communications) for Spring admits to attend community college next Fall, seems incongruous with a University aspiring to the upper echelons of academic repute. BandTenHut, if in fact you are correct in your understanding of USC’s motivations with respect to their relationship with community colleges, then I stand corrected. USC is certainly filling a void that is missing from the academic missions of many elite institutions, including the Ivies and Stanford. I can honestly say I am more disappointed than my son is with Spring Admission, probably because he is an excellent student and doesn’t fit the profile of your friend at all. And the fact that housing isn’t guaranteed is all the more worrisome for me in light of today’s events.</p>

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<p>BandTenHut – On a completely different topic: SHABAZZ!!!</p>

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<p>I have a son who is going in Spring semester. We are going on the 28th. We were also going to go out there this week for the spring admit seminar but when I called they said it was a tour and just answering some questions. COming from the east coast I thought that was crazy to go twice. we are going to register for Santa Monica college for the fall. Do you know anything about housing out there?</p>

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<p>Sorry uscmom2012, don’t know about SMC housing. One thing to consider is renting for 4 months (more or less) near SMC and then moving to USC? You may want to see if you can get into a sublet. And there may be a housing board at SMC with people looking for roommates. Best of luck.</p>

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<p>Our D did CC in our home state & then we went to Parent’s Weekend for S in October before she started after 3 semesters of CC in the spring (we wanted to attend at least one Parent’s Weekend & football game & S was a sophomore & was OK about us attending). We just sent her for Transfer Orientation so she could register. She attended alone & then we took her shopping & helped her move in. It does seem a bit much to go on the 28th & then again for a week for a seminar and then in January to help kiddo move in. Our kids DID appreciate us coming to help with move in, especially bringing the checkbook. :wink: Unless they gave a compelling reason, doesn’t seem that going for a week seminar is really necessary.</p>

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<p>On another thread there was a comment about a spring admit already being bumped up to fall. Is this true? How are they notifying people?</p>

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<p>I was a Spring admit a few years back and ultimately decided to attend another university. Here are some concerns OP should be legitimately concerned about:</p>

<p>1) Housing. You are not guaranteed housing, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be on your own (though it also means you can be). Some of my spring admit friends ended up living in the dorms, but they unfortunately ended up in some of USC’s crappiest dorms (i.e. Trojan Hall). You won’t get your first choice at some of the nice and popular dorms like Parkside or Birnkrant. Also, landing in Trojan Hall is the good news. A handful of people I know had to live in apartments their freshman year. This really sucks because they missed out on the dorm experience, which is essential for the college experience IMO.</p>

<p>2) It’s going to be tough making friends. You start during the Spring Semester, meaning all the friendliness and enthusiasm of meeting new people dies down. During the first week of school, everybody will be in the mood to say, “Hi, I’m Joe, nice to meet you. Where are you from? Hey we should hang out or something! What ya doin this friday?” Yeah
none of that happens in the Spring Semester. People have already formed their own cliques and niches by then. You have to be independent and find your own group of friends. It’s not impossible and 100% of my Spring admit friends are just fine, but they all acknowledged it was tougher than usual to make friends.</p>

<p>3) If you’re into football, you can just forget about going to games unless you’re a LA resident and are willing to commute there every week.</p>

<p>4) This may not be that big of a deal, but you’re going to have to deal with that anxiety knowing that ALL of your high school friends will have been in college for quite a few months before you even begin! During winter break when you guys hang out, they’ll be talking about how fun those college parties are and you’ll be sitting there listening like a bitter child. I didn’t want to be left behind, so I knew Spring Semester wasn’t an option for me.</p>

<p>5) The intangibles. Again, these are the little things, but sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest differences. When you move in, you’re going to be among a small majority. It won’t be like that first weekend where EVERYBODY is moving in and parents are crying their eyes out. No, it’s just going to be you and your family and everyone else is already settled in doing their own thing. It feels awkward and takes away some of that special meaning if you ask me. Another thing is the first day of school. There’s excitement when the student body goes out on the first day of class. You’re not going to feel that much since by Spring, everybody is probably in that “I f**king hate chemistry
” mode. In other words, you won’t get to enjoy that sweet delicate environment of freshmen innocence before it gets ripped apart from midterms and finals.</p>

<p>I’m not going to lie. I don’t see any positives of being a Spring Admit. I’m sure 99% of Spring admits wished they were Fall admits. I sure wished that. But that’s life. Obviously I’m biased as hell since I chose to forego the Spring admit option. I was pretty upset USC gave me the Spring admit option. It felt like they were giving me the finger. “You’re good, but not good enough, but we kinda want to keep you, but not really. Well we do, but you’ll have to pay a price.” Know what I’m saying? Ultimately the decision is up to you. Do you love USC so, so much that you are willing to wait a few extra months to start your college career? USC is a good school and I’m sure if it’s your dream school, you’ll end up going no matter what. But if it’s not that high up there, I’d seriously consider some other options.</p>

<p>And just FYI, all of my Spring admit friends are extremely happy at USC and none of them regret going there. They still wish they had been admitted during Fall instead of Spring, but none regret their decisions and are happy with their undergraduate experience.</p>

<p>And just a disclaimer or whatever (because I’m pretty notorious for being a ■■■■■ on this board), I’m a UCLA student. But as you can tell, I’m trying to be helpful and just giving my blunt, honest opinion. I hope whatever decision you make, you’ll be happy OP. If it’s meant to be that you’ll be a Trojan, then you will be a Trojan.</p>

<p>One last important note: I was the guy who created the Spring Admits Unite! Thread from a few years ago, so yes, a part of my heart still goes out to those USC Spring Admits, which is why even though I’m a Bruin, I still like to hang around and help the Spring Admits.</p>

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<p>Edit: Ehh
I made a few typos on my previous but whatever. I meant small minority not small majority* hah
</p>

<p>Also, last but not least, I want to respond to this stupid post on page 2:</p>

<p>“And Shabazz (the son of a Trojan) will not attend UCLA.”</p>

<p>^ LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! SAY THAT AGAIN? Yeah, no. But hey, USC basketball just signed a 2 star recruit. Yay? Have fun finishing last in the Pac 12 again Trojans.</p>

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<p>collegemom48, that was me. Yes it’s true, it is one person though so there is no “they.” Notification was an email followed by a letter. My understanding is all spring admits are emailed around the end of May and told one way or the other. My daughter is fully prepared to get the one that says you are Mott moving up although like everyone else admitted for spring she would like it to be otherwise.</p>

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<ul>
<li>not
moving up</li>
</ul>

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<p>I honestly would take the rest of the year off and start the following fall as a freshman. </p>

<p>Thats what I did and i feel much happier about it. My first semester i studied abroad thinking i would start usc in january. During my time abroad i was with other usc spring admits and now that they are at school and i have visited them im glad i gap yeared. Quite honestly, the housing sucks. You’re going to get an off campus apartment, some of which are father than the row. These apartments are not very social like the dorms because these upperclassmen have already made their friends. In addition, i don’t believe usc was very good at integrating the spring admits into usc. It seems living in dorms at usc is crucial and is a must do freshman year, thats how you make your friends. </p>

<p>If your heart is with usc and you want to get the best out of it, take the year off and start as a freshman the following fall! </p>

<p>Don’t get your hopes up about on campus living, because the chances of getting that are really really slim. Thats what I did, and when i got my housing, 20minutes from the center of campus, i was so mad.</p>

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<p>@ukfcra - where did you study? Did USC help you arrange this?</p>

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<p>So notaznguy, just to be clear, all of the Spring admit experiences you listed above were experiences you anticipated
 but did not have?</p>

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<p>They were the experiences of my friends and that’s everything they told me when I was considering my options. Also, if you read the entire board, some of the concerns I posted are legitimate (i.e. Housing and football)</p>

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<p>I post a lot of the positives at USC, but in my own mind at least (gentle self-mocking lol) I try to stay “real.” By that I mean, I often post to rebut worried or negative posts that I know personally to be the opposite, or at least there is good evidence that the poster is mistaken. However, on the spring admit threads I tread lightly. </p>

<p>For spring admits, it is an honor to be admitted to a highly selective university. Just check the stats of fabulous students who are denied by USC outright. However, this admission separates out a segment of freshmen and what are they to make of that? We all read on many forums how the ivies, top 20, top whatever schools say they have many thousands of students who are equally admissible to the class they admit–but space does not allow. In USC’s case, about 1000 of these equally stellar students get the spring admit–and yet, it can feel step-childlike.</p>

<p>I think notaznguy’s post is honest and, for him and perhaps many others, such strong feelings help make their decision. How can we fault anyone’s personal feelings? </p>

<p>However, as he honestly also points out, his friends who did go through spring admission are happy at USC. When I post the reactions of my own friends’ kids and USC students I’ve met, I try to be honest as well. Some spring admits feel the grass was greener in the fall, but finding the right group of friends is not always instantaneous. Some fall admits do not make scads of friends that first week. All that early friendliness that is spread around is awesome, but it does not necessarily bring instant bffs. </p>

<p>My advice might be for spring admits to use FB to get to know each other. If possible, find new friends in your major or from your area of the country or share your sport or your other interests. I haven’t seen the current FB group, but if it isn’t active, you should really get it going. By having just one close buddy who is also a spring admit, a new student will have someone to meet for meals and talk over the cool newness of arriving on campus. There is also spring admit registration where you an find some very open to meeting people type new friends.</p>

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<p>There are definitely valid points on both sides. That said, my spring admit daughter, who last month said she was a Bruin, has switched sides. Still hoping to be moved to fall but if it doesn’t happen, she says she doesn’t care. Has already met many students online both spring and fall. I put down her deposit @ USConnect a little while ago. </p>

<p>Cannot believe this process is finally over.</p>

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<p>I agree with you madbean, and I think every student should hear all the experiences they can before making that decision. </p>

<p>Congrats to your D, Snowdog. I hope she’s moved up, and if not, I hope she has a fabulous experience either way!</p>

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<p>Congrats, Snowdog! </p>

<p>We love and appreciate your posts, Madbean.</p>

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<p>Just got back from Spring Preview Day (4/13) and Bruin Day (4/14). Since this is an SC thread, I’ll confine the majority of my comments to Spring Preview.</p>

<p>First, some numbers from the Director of Admissions: In 2010, roughly 150 Spring admits were bumped up to fall, leaving 200 to 300 for the spring. In 2011, only 30 were bumped up to the fall, with 500 enrolling in the spring, a number that the Director said was a little tough for them to deal with. This year, he guessed (and he emphasized that word), that the number of bumps would be 120 to 150. Notification has begun, but most will come in the latter part of May (around the 20th) and they try and do them all at once, not in waves. If you haven’t heard anything by June 1, you can be sure you are a Spring admit. And it will vary depending on which school you were admitted to. My guess is you have the best chance if you were admitted to Dornsife.</p>

<p>Next, a little constructive criticism. The Admissions department at USC continues to be an enigma to me.</p>

<p>First off, I should mention that it was cold, windy, and rainy the entire day, but I’ll be charitable and not blame that on the Admissions staff.</p>

<p>Now for the content. Some of this is admittedly “little stuff”. But if you are old enough to recall a Oklahoma linebacker named Brian Bosworth, who was a monster during his collegiate career and a complete bust in the pros (due to steroids), you may remember a Sports Illustrated feature article on him where he admitted to putting loose screws inside the doors of GM cars when he worked on the assembly line at a GM plant. He said he took pleasure in knowing that the small but persistent rattle inside the door would drive people nuts. Sometimes I think that the USC admissions staff knows who I am and does the same kind of thing to me, just for the hell of it. </p>

<p>So the the only information available for Spring Preview day prior to arrival (other than directions and parking), was that it was to take place from 12:30 to 3 in the Taper Humanities Hall. Everyone arrived on time (approximately 45 students plus parents/siblings, so well over 100 total). We were handed a folder that included an agenda:</p>

<p>12:30 check in
1:00 to 1:50 Presentation
2:00 to 3:00 Campus tours
3:00 to 4:00 Meetings with specific schools/academic departments</p>

<p>We sat there for 30 minutes, doing nothing, except I suppose waiting to accommodate the one or two stragglers who might be running late (I didn’t see any). When I know something starts at 12:30, I usually try and get there a few minutes prior. At 1:00 the Director of Admissions opened the session and made brief remarks about the Spring Admit process (including the numbers mentioned above), which lasted less than 15 minutes. He then shifted into his 5 point “Why USC?” commercial, fielded a couple questions, then handed off to a student who works in the admissions department who had been a Spring admit to comment on his experience. After a few minutes, questions started popping up, including some serious ones about safety, and this poor student was left to field them. Finally the Director of Admissions reclaimed the floor, but in my mind he was less than impressive. He should have mentioned the shooting incident right at the outset, and discussed the steps the University was taking to address the situation. This had to have been on every person’s mind in that room. A question about the availability of academic advisors for Spring admits was never satisfactorily answered, even though it was asked 2 or 3 times. When someone asked a specific question about housing that he didn’t know the answer to, he suggested they come back to the USC Day on April 28 when a housing representative will be available to answer questions! Keep in mind, this session (I thought) was meant to address specific and detailed questions about Spring admission, including the nitty gritty stuff about housing. Why wasn’t that person available at this meeting? After a rain-soaked tour (but the tour guide was as chipper as ever), the day was redeemed by a very good session with the academic department my son is interested in. But we ended at 4, not 3, and were an hour late in meeting a friend we had made previous arrangements with.</p>

<p>Regarding Bruin Day, I will just say everything was terrific and ran like clockwork. I am sure the same will be true of Trojan Day (or whatever it’s called) on the 28th. We have spent more time on SC’s campus than UCLA’s and so I decided we would go to the abbreviated session on Friday and then spend a full day at UCLA on Saturday. Alas, I think my son still wants to be a Trojan. So to answer a question I’m sure all of the Crimson and Gold want to pose, none of this stuff I blather about bothers my son like it bothers me. And for that I am very grateful, and am ready to fully support whatever decision he ultimately makes.</p>

<p>One last Hail Mary pass next week at Georgetown, and then we get to put this thing to bed.</p>