I was recently admitted as a transfer student to these colleges. I will be majoring in History and Political Science and I plan on living in NYC or LA as a post-grad. All of them are excellent schools so I’m having a hard time choosing between them. I was hoping some of you could give me some insight regarding the following factors:
-Academics (Which school has the most engaged students? Which has the most rigorous and respected programs?)
-Social Life (I’m not a hard partier/greek life type of person so I’m a bit worried as to whether I’ll be able to fit into USC or find my “niche”. Is there a somewhat “artsy/liberal” sector of USC’s student body?. I know U MICH has a ton of different types of students so that’s a plus. Not sure about BC either.)
-Prestige (I know, eyeroll…but it does matter, even if only slightly)
-Gay/Lesbian community (Is there a strong gay/lesbian presence? And are they well accepted?)
-Off Campus Activities (This is mostly a question for USC. Are students able to go off campus often and explore LA? And how safe or unsafe is the surrounding area, currently?)
Weather is not a concern as I’m from the northeast, though I’m sure I wouldn’t mind that LA sunshine! Also, the cost of attendance is about the same at all.
Any responses are appreciated. Thanks!
Have you visited the schools and what were your takeaways from each visit?
@ClarinetDad16 I have not visited any of the schools yet which was why I was hoping to get some feedback from CC!
Sounds like Michigan is what you’re looking for, given your criteria.
I don’t think anyone can commit to a school sight unseen. You are already leaving one school to find another.
Yet you haven’t invested any time or money to learn where you will fit in.
Sorry I am not you. It’s a very personal decision.
Michigan is a top school for PS and History (easily top 10 in both). It has the strongest reputation for those two disciplines of these three schools. Your degree will be highly honored on both coasts. Based on your other factors, Michigan seems like the best overall fit for you.
What don’t you like about your current school? That can help you choose between the choices you have now,
If you can’t visit, I’d try to get your hands on some good college guide books such as Fiske (my favorite), Insiders Guide, Princeton Review and read up on the schools. The books can probably be found in a library or bookstore. You can also look online and see if you can get the school newspapers to get a flavor for each school.
If you go to USC, maybe you can take a class with Professor Schwarzenegger.
https://priceschool.usc.edu/arnold-schwarzenegger/
USC would be the place to go if you want to eventually live and work in California. BC and Michigan will count for more in New York.
I went to USC back in the late 80s. I’m not sure how strong the gay/lesbian presence is on campus, but I’m sure they’re well-accepted. That will be the case at pretty much any university in California, excepting places like Biola or Bible colleges. Last time I was on the USC campus, about three years ago, there was a booth for an on-campus LGBT group set up on a walkway near the student union.
-Academics: As far as undergraduate education is concerned, all three are excellent. They will all have many intellectually engaged students and rigorous curricula. That being said, from a purely academic point of view, Michigan’s Humanities/Social Science departments are all stellar and ranked much higher than USC’s or BC’s.
-Social Life: Those are three large universities, so chances are, you should find your niche (socially speaking) easily.
-Prestige: Isn’t this subjective? All three have their fair share of prestige. On the West Coast, USC will probably have the edge, in the Midwest, Michigan and in the Northeast, both BC and Michigan.
-Gay/Lesbian community: I would say that in this domain, Michigan and USC will have a significant edge over BC.
-Off-campus activities: I suppose it depends on what you are looking for. Within walking distance of campus, I would say Michigan would have more to offer than USC or BC. However, if you mean the cities themselves, I think it is safe to say that LA would have more to offer than Boston and Boston would have more to offer than Ann Arbor, although if you include Detroit’s suburbs, you would have as much variety on offer as Boston.
Overall, considering your posts above, I think Michigan is your best option, although think you would be just as happy at USC.