<p>Hey guys, I just wanted a little bit of info on the socioeconomic classes of USC students. Now I know it'd be stupid to judge the school based on its "University of Spoiled Children" nickname, and I realize it's impossible to just generalize the student population, but I just want an idea of what I can expect. I know there are going to be quite a few students from well-to-do families, but is that true for a substantial percentage of the population? Just browsing through CC students on the USC forum, it seems that there are a good many students from modest backgrounds but then again, CC doesn't reflect the majority of students. Essentially, I guess I'm a bit worried that I'll be around a whole bunch of rich kids who don't know what it's like to come from a middle-class family. I'd appreciate any comments. Thanks!</p>
<p>Well… </p>
<p>blissfulting, YOU are now an accepted USC student. So you are one of the students you are asking about. What would you say about yourself to someone asking *you *this question?</p>
<p>To try to give a somewhat useful answer, approximately 60% of USC undergraduates receive need-based financial aid. [USC</a> Financial Aid](<a href=“http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/]USC”>http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/) You will find students from all types of backgrounds among the 16,000 undergraduates.</p>
<p>alamemom, you’ve been really useful in the time I’ve spent in the USC forum, so I just want to let you know how much I appreciate you. I know my question may sound a bit stupid, but I think it’s a legitimate concern, having never visited the campus or even been in the LA area. I’ve lived in the Southeast region almost all my life, so I guess I’m a bit sheltered in terms of what other areas are like. Don’t get me wrong - I’m totally looking forward to going far away for college. USC does have a reputation for having lots of rich kids, and I just wanted to know if it was really any different from other schools with rich kids. For example, with social interactions, and such. Again, sorry if I’m being completely stupid, but I’m not trying to offend anyone, the school, or cause trouble. All I want is a bit of insight on whether students from different socioeconomic backgrounds are able to easily create friendships rather than say, have students only making friends with other students of similar background. Diversity was a huge factor in choosing schools for me, and I want to go somewhere where students are very comfortable with becoming friends with whoever they’d like regardless of what they left behind at home. I guess I might just have to see for myself when I visit.</p>
<p>It isn’t a stupid question at all. It is a big deal to move half way across the country and live with a bunch of strangers.</p>
<p>Yes, USC costs $50,000+/year. Families would have to be fairly well-off to afford that comfortably. But hundreds of private univeristies across the country (and especially in California) have similar costs - why would USC be singled out as the only one with rich kids? USC has one of the largest financial aid budgets in the country - they provided approximately 200 million in grant/scholarship aid last year, so wouldn’t it make sense that USC would have opportunities for lots of students who can’t pull $50,000 out of their pocket?</p>
<p>As a middle-class mom of a middle-class USC student, I can tell you that there does not seem to be a problem with division based on parent income. My daughter’s friends are from different parts of the country, different countries, different backgrounds. They become friends based on having the same classes, the same majors, joining the same clubs. You will find people just like you and people more different than you can imagine. Diversity includes people who have lots of money, too!</p>
<p>And I am completely serious when I tell you that YOU are a USC student. You, if you choose to attend, will be asked this same question. How will you answer it? It doesn’t really matter how much money you do or do not have - you see yourself as a regular kid living a regular life. So does the kid you see as rich and the kid you see as poor. </p>
<p>Anyway, enough philosophy for tonight!</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>It depends on what circles you run in too. You will meet more “rich kids” in certain groups compared to others. Diversity is great though, USC has the largest international student body of any university in the US.</p>
<p>It’s not like people just hang around people who are like themselves though. Making friends depends so much more on the people involved than how much money they respectively have.</p>
<p>Okay, thanks for the answers! I feel much more reassured.</p>