@AlbionGirl, I of course cannot speak for the OP of that post, but I can tell you how I interpreted it: As a reference to Alabama’s literally incredible run in college football the past decade or so. I honestly didn’t take it as a serious slight to Bama the school, but I could be wrong (?).
^^^^and that might be exactly why it gets under my skin, lol! I doubt The University of Alabama (or USC or NYU or Yale or Harvard or Stanford…) needs defending b-(
Wow tulane on the top colleges list but not USC??? How is the list made?
My university’s not on it either, and nobody takes that as a personal slight. Why place so much importance on an arbitrary list? Does that affect the quality of the school?
Yup, it historically was a school for spoiled rich kids. But that has changed in recent years, and it has gotten more selective. But it takes time for people’s perception to change.
Honestly even as a long time poster, I think that having a college on the list of top colleges on CC is about the least important thing in the world. When my kids and I were researching colleges, we never even considered that list to be a factor in where they applied/attended. FWIW now that I look, my D’s LAC is higher ranked than a couple of other schools on CC’s list of top LACs - my reaction to that is - who cares?
I also wonder if the addition of Tulane to that list might be a homage to a well-respected, dedicated, kind, and much loved CC moderator who passed away and was a Tulane alum.
I think people honestly do just have outdated perceptions when it comes to USC. When I would eat lunch outside at TCC, this one solicitor would often find me. She would always say something like “It would be great if you could donate $200”. Even the solicitors think we’re all spoiled rich kids 
I mean she was way off with me, lol. My tuition was (almost) fully covered by USC’s generous financial aid and my mom only pays like $600 on her mortgage for our home in East LA (which is why she almost had a heart attack when I told her the prices for the apartments right across the street from USC). I would argue that I’m the exact opposite of spoiled. It has always perplexed me that USC doesn’t seem to be loved here on CC. As someone who had the unique opportunity to attend both orientation at UCLA and USC, I found USC to be far superior in just about every way. I don’t enjoy bashing UCLA just for the heck of it though.
@happy1 I was thinking the same thing about how Tulane cane to be on the list. And let’s get real. Most stidents are using their phones, not laptops to access CC. It can be easier to access any college via the alphabet list than scrolling for the name anyway.
It is amazing how outdated stereotypes still persist. I guess that old grudges die hard.
So… before anyone else tries to keep the stereotype of USC as the university of spoiled children alive any further, maybe we should all actually consider the real #s…
These days, nearly two-thirds of all undergraduates receive some sort of financial aid via USC… including need-based grants, merit scholarships, federal work-study and loans. Of those 64-65% (or 11,500 in total out of 18K), 21 percent or around 3800 received a USC merit-based scholarship last year. And an even higher percentage received pell grants last year. USC currently has more than 4,000 low-income undergraduate students out of the 18,000 undergraduate students enrolled. (Low income as defined by Pell Grant eligibility)
Whatever USC once was decades ago… it has not been that way for many years. And today… it is more about diversity and opportunity than anything else.
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Let’s move on from “Why is XX on CC’s top colleges, but not USC?” please. TPTB have heard and are working to revamp. Sit tight. Plus, this really is not the OP’s question.
It’s not. Tulane was there before he died. Although having a very active alum moderator probably helped boost traffic, so one might do a chicken-or-egg argument.
My D is a USC grad and my S is a Tulane grad. Both schools are “top universities.”
I miss @fallenchemist on the Tulane pages. He was a knowledgable, comforting voice to many of us. He entered into a few debates here on the USC pages as well.
Here’s my 2cents:
When I was in high school in the late 80’s, USC, right or wrong, was called the “University of Spolied Children” and this notion may have carried on somewhat to the present day.
For some, USC represents hollywood, materialism, arrogance, glamour, rich, elitism, etc.
USC is located in SoCal, and to my shock, some haters just don’t like the California culture…
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Per the Terms of Service: “Out of respect for both moderators and policies, discussion of moderator actions and forum policies is welcomed via private message or e-mail; these issues are off-topic for the forums.”
For that reason, I am deleting or editing several posts.
Per the Administrators: “We will be updating the CC Top Colleges at one point. The CC Top Colleges list is made based on popularity on CC and not on school prestige (it’s not a ranking of the schools).”
I grew up in a suburb just outside of Los Angeles. At my prep school in the 80s USC was the default school for the kids who weren’t going to get into UCLA, the seven sisters, or the Ivies. Now it is U of Oregon, University of the Pacific and SMU that seem to be the safeties.
Growing up USC was lily white and for the very wealthy. Now it is an incredibly diverse school with a 17% first generation rate. We always looked down at USC in my family (my brothers went to UCLA and Cal, I went to Oxy). Now it is a top research university and I am so proud that my son is going to be a Trojan. Things change, sometimes it takes people a while to figure that out.
@astute12, I grew up 10 miles north of LA and my experience was the same as yours. I went to UCSD, my sister went to Cal Poly SLO, and my parents trash talked USC.
Now that my D will be attending USC, her grandparents are having a hard time understanding her decision. Sadly, it is detracting from the euphoria my D has experienced since she committed. Hopefully they come around.
Tell your D congrats!
I’m a Bruin but tbh I would be just as happy at USC as I am at UCLA. Both schools are very similar in campus vibe and academics.
@kcheves, congrats on Viterbi! If your D has the opportunity to participate in the Viterbi Summer Abroad program I highly recommend it! D’s participation in the VSA program was the 2nd best decision we’ve made (the first being sending her to USC). It was literally life-changing for her. Best between sophomore and junior year, but there were some rising sophomores who attended. Feel free to PM me.
My mother graduated from high school in LA back in the '50’s. She mentioned the saying back then was something along the lines of, “If you have the grades, you go to UCLA. If you have the money, you go to USC.”
Ha. When I got my diploma, it came with a pamphlet asking for a donation to the school.
I still find it amazing that USC has gotten to the point that it’s even in the same conversation as schools like the Ivies, Stanford and MIT.
From talking to older folks, back in the 50’s and even the 60’s, a 2.5 GPA can get you into UCLA or perhaps UCB, but the courses required were more rigorous than required for many colleges. Stanford was probably the only school requiring at least a 3.0 GPA. Each decade, it got more difficult and the bar went up to new levels until it reached to the level it is today.