Can anyone give me a sense of whether it is possible to fly into LAX, stay in a hotel for a few days, and walk around campus? DS was excited to be admitted yesterday, and I think he’ll go, as long as finances work out as we have reason to hope they will. DH and I are both fully vaccinated. DS gets his first Moderna shot tomorrow, which should put him at about 80% protection two weeks out. We don’t need a tour or to interact with other people, but to commit to move from AL to CA completely sight-unseen requires a leap of faith that’s hard to muster… Is it at all possible to pull off a socially-distanced visit before the May 1 commitment date?
Hi! I am a USC freshman (TTP aplicant) and have lived in LA my whole life, USC is kind of my second home. So Ive actually been down to campus numerous times. Because you don’t need a tour or anything official you can definitely do what you are planning. LAX and a hotel stay are up to you to find out where you want to live, feel free to check the USC hotel for availability too, it’s right next to campus. But those two things are completely separate from usc.
Now as far as visiting campus its a pretty easy process. The village (which is like where all the usc dorms and apartments are as well as shops and cafes) is always open. You can walk in and out as well as around campus.
To go on campus you will need to go to this link Trojan Check on the morning of the day you want to visit campus. Hit guest and fill out the self-check information. At the end (it’ll take like 3 minutes, and you can test it out today if you want without any repercussion) it’ll give you a “tag” per say that you can screenshot and its your pass around campus for the day, just make sure your son and you both do it, you’ll need one individually on both your phones. After that feel free to enter anywhere on campus and if any checkpoints ask you for your check just show them that.
I actually just had a dentist appointment 3 weeks ago on campus and no one even asked me for the tag, just make sure you’re wearing a mask on campus. and when I visited 1 month ago I was asked to show the self-check tag at one checkpoint at the gate, that’s all.
If you have any more questions please let me know and I’m even willing to share my email directly if you’d like, congrats to your son! My brother just got in as well!
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its a very open and beautiful campus so most likely no one will even ask you for the tag at this point.
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Thanks! The biggest concern I have is understanding the self-quarantine rules for travelers… would we be unable to leave the hotel?
No. I just came back from CA and I am from LosAngeles. My family are Trojans.
There is no quarantine. In fact, as of tomorrow, you can even go to Disney if you like. You can walk around the USC campus, but let me be upfront about the surrounding neighborhood: it is not nice and you don’t want want to venture far from campus, at all. You almost certainly need a car. You need a car because getting around LA to see anything interesting by public transport is difficult.
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The travel restrictions and quarantine are still in place. Whether or not it is enforced is a different story. http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/traveladvisory.htm
Quarantine Requirements
If you do travel into Los Angeles County from outside of California, you need to self-quarantine for 10 days after you arrive and must limit your interactions to people in your household/people with whom you live. If you travel into Los Angeles County solely for essential work purposes, you need to still self-quarantine outside of your work for 10 days and ensure you do not mix with others outside of those necessary to conduct your essential work.
Disneyland is opening but for CA residents only. https://disneyland.disney.go.com/experience-updates/
Scroll down to campus access here. https://we-are.usc.edu/phases-and-guidelines/trojan-community-guidelines/
There is a link to Trojan Check that you will need to complete prior to entering campus.
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Ok, thanks. And…oops. Then again, I was there for a family emergency. I never even checked.
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Just returned from USC, couple things.
Walked around campus no problem, pretty as ever.
USC hotel remains closed for now.
Also, the Village is open for food, but other campus eateries are not. Bookstore is by appt only. Only one dorm in Village is for freshman merit recipients, the rest are for upperclassmen. So check out all the other freshman dorms throughout campus. Check USC housing map to locate them.
I spend a lot of time at USC and have no issue walking on and near campus during the day. If you are used to the suburbs, outside of campus will def come off as a gritty urban area with some questionable types on the corners, then there are also lot of wonderful working class families. I grew up near a grimey midwest city, so LA area around USC is still a picnic compared to areas I went to around the ballpark. All about perspective I suppose, but being situationally aware always a good thing!
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Thank you all so much for the advice. I appreciate it.
Mama212529- And If you don’t want to rent a car, remember Uber goes everywhere, my son uses it all the time. If you don’t have Uber, Just download the app on your cell phone at home (with credit card, on your own home wi-fiFor security), and then you’ll be good to go anywhere you want in LA without having to worry about driving or parking.
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From today’s LA County press release:
“Please note that L.A. County requires all persons to self-quarantine for 10 days when arriving in L.A. County from other states or countries. Private gatherings indoors are permitted with up to three separate households with masking and distancing required at all times and should be limited to two hours. Outdoors is still safer than indoors. People who are fully vaccinated can gather in small numbers indoors with other people who are fully vaccinated without required masking and distancing. Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks or more after they received the second dose of either Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or two weeks or more after they received the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Fully vaccinated people should continue to wear a mask and maintain physical distance in public.”
I meant to post it here but put it in the acceptance thread on accident…
LA County just lifted the 10 day travel quarantine for people who are vaccinated. Those that are unvaccinated still need to quarantine. Press Release
Late last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidance related to travelers who have been fully vaccinated. Effective today, Los Angeles County is updating its travel advisory.
The CDC and Los Angeles County continue to urge that everyone avoid non-essential travel during this time when there are significant hot spots across the country and the world and significant risk from more infectious variants.
Travel is associated with additional risks. Travelers who are fully vaccinated, meaning two weeks have passed after their second dose for Pfizer or Moderna, or after their single dose of Johnson & Johnson are, however, at lower risk and can now travel and will not be required to test or quarantine upon their arrival in Los Angeles County if they do not have any symptoms of illness. Travelers who are not fully vaccinated must quarantine for seven full days after travel if they receive a negative COVID-19 test result taken three to five days after their arrival. If a traveler does not get tested after they arrive in los Angeles County, they must quarantine for a full 10 days. All travelers, regardless of their vaccination status, must self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days after their arrival, and should get tested and isolate if they develop symptoms.
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Thank you! DH and DS booked a trip for mid-April!
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@Mama212529 Enjoy the visit - things have really opened up in the area, you will have no problem getting around seeing what you want. Enjoy campus, there are so many pretty spots - there is enough gorgeous architecture and gardens to see on the outside that will keep you plenty busy.
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