<p>I'd like to respond to the spoiled brat thing, I think it's being taken out of context. Yes, there are a good amount of students here who have more money than they could ever need. But USC also has outstanding financial aid, and takes many students from poor financial backgrounds with maybe a little lower GPA say 3.2. These people add a lot to the school and have been some of the most wonderful people I've ever met, these people would never get into a UC. For all people say about this spoiled brat thing, WE HAVE WAY BETTER DIVERSITY THAN UC SCHOOLS. I have visited other UCs, it's nearly all middle class white/asian kids, look at UCLA admissions they don't even let Black students in. UCLA people need to get off their high horse and realize their student body is way worse as it's made completely of who had the numbers. USC accepts many people who excel in ECs or show they are special through essays, and many 2100+ SATs are rejected because the students are borring, and consequently these people go to your UCs. Also you get way more diversity geographically as many out of state people let you learn what life is like outside so cal.</p>
<p>About parties: most of the best parties happen on the Row, its a fact, the house parties are usually 90% guys noone can debate this. The way you get in as a guy is you become friends with people in houses. They can only get usually 2-4 names on the list, so you're not getting in because you kind of know some guy. 2-4 may seem low but most of a frat guys best friends are in the house anyway. Just hang out with people in frats basically, and you will have access to at least one party a week. May seem unfair that all girls get in, but this makes the ratio excellent.
about food: There are good places of campus with decent prices, but most of all after your first year you will have a kitchen, and making your own food is way better. Stop complaining and just hit up ralphs and learn how to cook, you can't just eat out your whole life.
Safety: the most garbage illegitimate complaint about usc. there is a giant police force hired by the school to protect you. The crimes all happen at 3am when someone walks alone. You can easily walk alone till 12pm no problem. I've never had any kind of incident. Don't be a loner and go by yourself to parties and nothing will happen. And about homeless: there are next to none, they are all dumped on skid row away from campus, we have so little homeless compared to berkeley, where there are literally 3-10 per block.<br>
Tuition: the personalized attention is worth the cost, if anything i get the feeling usc is spending a lot on me, i don't get the feeling at all that they pocket money
Education: as a business school student the teachers could not care anymore than they do, they are willing to spend their personal time to help you and their first priority is to see you achieve. In GEs, my TAs have generally been wonderful rather than difficult and these classes have all been easy As.</p>
<p>I have many friends at USC who drive Mercedes’ or BMWs. This fact in no way changes the reality that they are extremely driven, intelligent students whose academic and extracurricular accomplishments earned them a spot at a top university. </p>
<p>You should not make judgments about people’s character and ability on the basis of their backgrounds. When you make these judgments you only reveal yourself to be insecure, bigoted, and small-minded.</p>
<p>I think that some of GroovyGeek's comments are substantiated, though. I have a friend who studied 'abroad' at USC because he wanted to spend his junior year with his girlfriend who worked in LA. He was surprised by how many people don't study and/or think it strange to go to the library. While he foudn the professors to be good, he was less than enthused by the discussion or lack thereof in his classes. And he was enrolled in the film school, which is supposed to be USC's premier college. He definitely said the school is accurately characterized as a party/sports school. Of course this is experiential evidence, but he said he was glad he was only there for a year, and could come back to a nerdy senior year at a school where people love talking about their honors theses and current politics and less Hollywood ;)</p>
<p>Sounds like people are exaggerating about the USC student body.</p>
<p>Just because they like to have fun or don't live in the library doesn't make them any less intelligent, in fact I look at it as a plus. I want to be around people who can balance a social life with academics.</p>
<p>And a student whose parents have money doesn't make them spoiled. It sounds like some of you looked at the parking lot and jumped to conclusions.</p>
<p>Wow. After reading all this, I'm fairly impressed by what people have to say. So far, it seems as if the "rich/spoiled kids" concern is getting a lot of opinions. According to many of you, USC houses quite a large group of wealthy students. My question is...do they tend to look down on you if you're not as wealthy or if the car you drive isn't as expensive as many of theirs?</p>
<p>Most of my son's friends don't have any car and no one cares! </p>
<p>I'm sorry that thread gave you this idea-
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According to many of you, USC houses quite a large group of wealthy students.
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</p>
<p>USC is like most other large schools- you will find a little bit of everything. I think the "rich kid" often gets a little more attention so you hear about that. There is every type of person at USC. The only thing they all have in common is that they are all bright, motivated go-getters.</p>
<p>^ I agree with the above. One always hears more about the exception than the rule. It's the same in the news. You hear about the bad or exceptional but rarely hear about the so called non newsworthy good or normal things. This perception about USC students is exaggerated. As someone above said, it's about 5% of students who may come across as so called spoiled or wealthy. USC has a diverse population...people that come from different areas, and socio economic backgrounds, and the vast majority of students receive financial aid.
Any university will have every type of person or clique, be it the partiers or the bookish and any combination thereof.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Wow. After reading all this, I'm fairly impressed by what people have to say. So far, it seems as if the "rich/spoiled kids" concern is getting a lot of opinions. According to many of you, USC houses quite a large group of wealthy students. My question is...do they tend to look down on you if you're not as wealthy or if the car you drive isn't as expensive as many of theirs?
[/quote]
i think most of what happens at USC is that there's lots of rich kids, i.e. the ones who can pay tuition with little to no aid, and then there's a lot of lower income people (USC matriculates something along the line of 25% of its students from the lowest tax bracket)...it tends to thin out toward the lower middle-class. the reason for the number of lower income students is the fairly generous financial aid that they offer...it's not just loans and work study, but grants (i.e free money!). i had an EFC of about $12000 last year, and my grant this year was still $20000, then tack on a quarter tuition scholarship...which even without, i probably would have had a good portion of it paid for with additional grant money.</p>
<p>the neighborhood...it definitely isn't Westwood, but it's not bad at all. if you haven't lived in the area or have a very close friend or family live there, i don't think you'd get an accurate, honest response. homeless people...they're there. not a whole lot, but there's a handful on Figueroa, a few by the UV, but not many. if for some reason you're unreasonably phobic towards homeless people, it might bother you...but for most people, it's not a problem.</p>
<p>as far as safety...i know a few people who have been mugged or almost mugged, but that hasn't kept me from going out. honestly, i've been out as late as 4 or 5 AM a good distance away from campus (don't ask why hahaha). but as long as you're with a group of people, you're not really in danger...simple as that. i've even walked home alone from a good distance late at night, several times...smart? probably not, but i've been fine, so long as you always keep your eyes and ears open.</p>
<p>pretty much...nothing really to worry about...i mean, unless you lack in the "common sense" department ;)</p>
<p>all said and done...i've been here for more than a year and a half as an electrical engineering major...and i couldn't imagine myself anywhere else, academically, socially, culturally, everything...it really is all here. if you ask me, that's one of the most convincing measures of quality.</p>
<p>there are gay parties? O.o, where have I been all these months ...</p>
<p>anywho, I don't know where all this rich student business comes from, yes there are people who have a bit more money than the average student, but i've never had my socio-economic status come up in typical conversation. it's very easy to just go about your daily business and not have that sort of thing come up at all, so it's kinda silly this stuff still comes up</p>
<p>but yeah, gotta agree with the neighborhood, stuff happens all the time, but never to people who walk in groups, lock their bike securely to a rack and whatnot, it easy to stay safe if you act smart. i wish that wasn't the case, but at least you can do something about it</p>
<p>and as for the food, it gets much better if you alternate the places you go and grab meals and whatnot. my first semester I ate at Parkside a bit too often and that got old fast; I even like EVK because at least it was different. so between that, commons, Carl's, Cafe 84 and the whole mess of fast food around, it's survivable</p>
<p>what i am dissapointed is that there's no "nice" affordable place to eat. (and upstairs does not count, it's overpriced and only mediocre) even in downtown, it's taking me forever to find someplace that I can go to on DASH. trust me, it makes going on dates w/out a car kind of annoying</p>
<p>I heard the Econ department leaves much to be desired...</p>
<p>^Sachmoney-
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I heard the Econ department leaves much to be desired...
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</p>
<p>I don't personally know anything about the Econ department, but unless it's just your opinion you are stating, I think it's good to back up second-hand-statements with more information so it doesn't just look like a flame.</p>
<p>Do you have any more info on that?</p>