<p>I'm an out-of-state rising senior, and my situation might help to illustrate why USC is not necessarily a second choice and probably will continue to rise in prestige.</p>
<p>I have pretty good stats (straight 800s, 1st in class, RSI, etc...), but I don't have an unlimited amount of money, and I'm not sure that I'd be able to afford someplace like Harvard or MIT that doesn't offer any merit scholarships. Naturally, I'll be applying to places like Caltech, UChicago, and Duke, that do offer merit aid. However, I have no illusions about the competitiveness of these awards, and there's a strong possibility that I won't get any substantial money from a "top-tier".</p>
<p>So, then, in that situation, what would I do? Consider, from my position, the appeal of different California schools. At UC Berkeley or UCLA, I'd be paying $40,000+. With that kind of cost, there is absolutely no reason for me to attend a UC instead of, say, Caltech. </p>
<p>USC, on the other hand, already guarantees a half-tuition scholarship for national merit finalists, and offers (according to its website) 100-120 FULL-tuition scholarships a year. Considering that USC's applicant pool is a lot less competitive than top-tier schools', and that it offers more merit awards than Caltech, Chicago, and Duke combined, those are some solid odds.</p>
<p>So, to all you USC haters: for out-of-state applicants, USC is by no means the "second choice".</p>