Will I fit in at USC?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
1

<p>I am an prospective '17 deciding between USC and Princeton (and, to a lesser extent, Dartmouth, Columbia, and Duke.)</p>

<p>My biggest draw to USC is Marshall. I hope to study business as an undergrad, as opposed to Economics, which is what the other schools (save for Columbia's Business Management specialization) offer. In addition, I was offered the Mork Family Scholarship, which covers full tuition plus some extra.</p>

<p>But I'm worried that I won't "fit in" at USC. My idea of a good time is definitely not partying, drinking with reckless abandon, or tailgating--all which facilitate a superficial level of social interaction. Rather, I prefer spending my time with a small group of friends in more meaningful capacities. Yet one particular student-review website lamented USC's social scene, and the exclusivity of the Greek system.</p>

<p>Granted, I'm not antisocial (I promise!); I just don't buy into the hook-up culture.</p>

<ol>
<li>How prevalent is USC's Greek life? It is cliquey?</li>
<li>Are there students who share my mindset out there at USC?</li>
<li>As a Mork scholarship recipient, is USC's undergrad business program worth giving up the brand of an Ivy League diploma?</li>
</ol>

<p>I would love to hear your opinions, especially from current students and parents. </p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

2

<p>Did you go to ExploreUSC? I think it gave me a good look at what the school was like when I visited earlier this month.</p>

<p>I’m just an admitted student, so these are just my impressions of USC.</p>

<p>Personally I think there’s a place for everyone at USC. There are maybe 18,000 people here. If you can’t find friends here, it’ll be hard to find them anywhere else. The Greek life is supposed to be significant, but about 80% people in the school don’t go Greek according to the statistics. The dues can be $1000+, and most college students don’t have that kind of cash. (Although you might.)</p>

<p>If you AREN’T going to grad school, and you plan on living in the east after graduation, go to an Ivy League. If you ARE going to grad school, I’d say take the USC full ride and try to apply to an Ivy League for grad school. Then you’ll get the best out of both schools! The USC and Ivy League network! Also, USC is offering you a FULL RIDE. I’m seriously jealous.</p>

3

<p>Ya, if your biggest dilemma is worrying about fitting in, I would quit worrying.</p>

4

<p>Thank you, bleachedsnow. And yes! I did go to ExploreUSC back in late February. </p>

<p>My host was extremely honest and friendly. Having said that, she also echoed some of my own concerns. For instance, she said that some nights, it was difficult to sleep because people on her floor were blasting music and partying (and she lived in Birnkrant, too.) </p>

<p>She also mentioned that some classmates didn’t seem to care, and class sizes were large in Marshall (although that was slightly mitigated by some students not showing up to class.)</p>

<p>Is this common at USC? Or was it simply because my host was taking freshman/intro classes?</p>

5

<p>The GED classes tend to be big in all colleges, not just USC. For an extreme example, my friend at UC Davis has a chemistry class with 500 students in it. I’m assuming your host is getting the intro classes and GEDs out of the way. The Marshall School is pretty big after all. At least compared to Roski. And the student faculty ratio at USC is 9:1, which is really good. </p>

<p>My host was also extremely honest about everything at USC. (He said he thought that James Franco was full of himself and that Miranda Cosgrove ditched class a lot.) He mentioned that some people (like Miranda Cosgrove apparently), just didn’t care about the classes, but that you will also run into those kinds of people at any college. You’ll be fine.</p>

<p>As for the dorm situation, just pick a dorm known for being more quiet if that’s what you want. Meaning if people say a dorm is “antisocial” that probably means more quiet. I’ve heard good things about Parkside. There is also a business floor in some other dorm that I can’t remember.</p>

6

<p>Princeton and USC are so different, is money a concern?</p>

7

<p>You’re right. Actually, most of the schools I applied to (Princeton, Dartmouth, Williams, Brown, etc.) are practically polar opposites to the pre-professional emphasis of USC’s Marshall business school.</p>

<p>Even at the schools with some of the best financial aid programs in the country, I did not receive much FA. I am capable of paying full price–although tuition is not exactly a drop in the bucket, either.</p>

8

<p>I think you are in a dilemma many face (including our house) - walking away from a lot of money at a school that is not at the top of the list and spending that money out of pocket at a more prestigious school. It’s a crazy circle cause for some, USC would be the top of their list, others like you, it might be the B plan (and it is no where near an Ivy, although it is trying to market itself that way, btw I have one there so just calling it like I see it). It sounds like you like the program at USC but are unsure of the school. Are you really unsure of the programs at somewhere like Princeton? That seems like the top of the heap and it is so traditional and gorgeous, but those are only things on the surface…you sound like you are looking for a Wharton… If you are not set on one or the other (in love) then maybe you should take the money and go to USC. Do you prefer east or west coast? Great choices, you will do great no matter where you go. Live life, go where you really want to if you can!</p>

9

<p>Graduate schools are aware of the selectivity of the Mork Scholarship. Twenty are selected out of around 28,000 seniors who applied early for merit scholarship consideration. As you can see from my moniker I live in Georgia. Atlanta is not NYC, but it is the international headquarters of Coca Cola, UPS, CNN, Home Depot, Delta, Aflac, Southern Co., NCR, AGCO, Suntrust, Mohawk and the CDC. USC alumni are well represented in leading firms, CNN and other companies. </p>

<p>Marshall has been innovative. Their global interests may lean more to the Pacific Rim than colleges in the eastern states. Many of Marshall’s alumni are entrepreneurial and have founded companies such as: Geocities.com, Dollar Rent-A-Car, Public Storage, Marshall Industries, PMI Mortgage, Kinko’s, Salesforce.com, Pinkberry, Mantra Films, Kibel Green, Arbitech and Yum, among others.</p>

<p>SC offers one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation. There is a stimulating mix of students who are some of the most gifted, creative, talented and imaginative art, music, cinema and drama students along with students who study neuroscience, robotic engineering, games design and gerontology. </p>

<p>The Marshall School of Business has been the recipient of a huge gift which will be used to build a new state of the art academic complex for the school. U.S. News rankings of undergraduate specialties within Marshall are: Real Estate #4, International Business #4, Entrepreneurship #4 (Entrepreneur Magazine ranks it #1), Accounting #5, Marketing #10 and Management #10.</p>

<p>That scholarship is worth around $200,000. Funds you save can be used for study abroad, possible graduate school or other academic interests</p>

<p>Best wishes on your decision…</p>

10

<p>Thank you for the feedback! USC seems to have a solid work/play balance, but my idea of play isn’t the same as that of most college students…and that’s why I’m hesitating. My impression is that the intellectual atmosphere I’m seeking would be more visible somewhere like Princeton or Dartmouth, although it may exist (perhaps to a lesser extent) at USC as well.</p>

<p>With that said, my goal is to work in corporate finance or management. For the East Coast schools, IB is where they excel–and as someone who isn’t harboring Wall Street aspirations, I feel like I wouldn’t be taking full advantage of the tuition I’d pay.</p>

<p>Can you comment on the importance of prestige to hiring managers? What kind of careers and positions do Marshall graduates go into?</p>

11

<p>There is a YouTube video titled “Where Do We Go from Here?”. It is a sampling of 2012 graduates and where they plan to study or work in the future. </p>

<p>Los Angeles is a center for the entertainment, aerospace, telecommunication, biomedical, trade, fashion and technology. These provide opportunities for internships and possible positions after graduation.</p>

<p>I searched and found these companies/firms came to the SC campus for recruiting purposes or career fairs at Marshall in 2012. ( A sample–In no order)
Apple
Aflac
Macy’s
CBS
Eli Lilly
Goldman Sachs
Kraft
Hitachi
Altria
AXA
GE
Gallo Wineries
ATS
Accenture
Bainbridge
Ernst & Young
General Mills
Boeing

Southern California Edison
Analysis Group
Medtronics
Insight Global
Contact Singapore
EBay
Duff & Phelps
NBC-Universal
Peace Corps
Teach for America
Triage Consulting
Wells Fargo
Walt Disney Co.
and others…</p>

<p>I will try and find later statistics, but these are industries where Marshall new graduates were placed in 2010:
Accounting 34%
Financial Services 23%
Consulting 12%
Consumer Products 9%
Entertainment/Media 7%
Real Estate 4%
Technology/Science 3%
Manufacturing 3%
Other 5%</p>

<p>In a previous post I noted Marshall alumni who founded companies. Here are alumni from the business school in various fields: (A sample)</p>

<p>Chrm. & CEO of Trader Joe’s
U.S. Congressman
Chrm. & CEO of Casden Properties
Chairman of Hang Lung Group and Hang Lung Properties in Hong Kong
Director of JPL
CEO of Dogswell
CEO of Glencore
President of Kibel Green, Inc.
CEO of Grief and Co.
Former President of Wham-O
President of Now & Zen
CEO of Quicksilver
Former First Lady, Pat Nixon
Chrm. & CEO of Majestic Realty
ESPN Sportscaster
President of Korean Airlines
Former Secretary of Labor
U.S. Senator
Chrm. of REO Trans, LLC
Executive VP and CFO of Fox Films Entertainment
Pres. & CEO of United Document Storage, LLC
President of Somerpointe Resorts
CFO of Silver Springs Networks
Founder and CEO of Corezonas Food, Inc.
President and CEO of Trident Marine Services
President and CEO Xactly Corp.
Partner of Hill, Farrer & Burrill, LLP</p>

12

<p>I’m a junior at SC right now, and I felt compelled to respond because… well, you kinda sound like what I imagine I would’ve sounded like three years ago (except I got shot down by my Ivies… xD). Because I don’t feel like forming all my thoughts into eloquent prose right now - my brain is fried from finals season… - I’ve addressed some of your concerns in scattershot form below. </p>

<ul>
<li>You can ignore the Greek scene if you want. I do. So do my friends. </li>
<li>No matter what school you go to, there will always be a fair share of people who are slackers and partiers - even at the Ivies, GASP. The key is to do your own thing - always look up, not down. </li>
<li>Sounds like business, not econ, is your passion. Pursue your passion.</li>
<li>Why pay if you don’t have to? You’re choosing between moderately in the black (man, I wish I got a stipend) and massively in the red here, Miss Business Major ;p</li>
<li>If you want to explore different fields/get a minor, which I highly recommend you do as a business major, I think USC has the best selection of courses for the modern day and age. More than just the standard “academic” courses most universities offer, USC has a boatload of courses in film production, animation, music business, music tech, architecture, information technology, etc.<br></li>
<li>USC has mad networking. School pride is huge here, more so than at the Ivies IMO. </li>
</ul>

<p>Lemme know if you have any questions.</p>

13

<p>I’m in almost the same situation as OP, having to choose between a Trustee scholarship and Duke/Amherst. I plan I going to grad school, and while I’m not sure what exactly I want to do, I think that being in Marshall and being able to double major in just about anything else gives me decent room to explore my options. I’m actually fine with the “work hard play hard” mentality that exists at USC (and Duke as well); however, like OP, I’m concerned that USC will be a bit more lacking in the quality of the intellectual atmosphere of the student body. I was wondering if someone could please specifically address that point? I feel like that’s a deal breaker for me, one that would be hard pressed to be outweighed by money, parties, location, etc. Thank you!</p>

14

<p>USC is definitely not lacking in the intellectual atmosphere! No worries there Zrcjessica. For both you and the OP, this is a no brainer to me. Take the money! You won’t regret it! </p>

<p>DS is a Presidential Scholar in Viterbi. This description by the OP is 100% my son: </p>

<p>“My idea of a good time is definitely not partying, drinking with reckless abandon, or tailgating–all which facilitate a superficial level of social interaction. Rather, I prefer spending my time with a small group of friends in more meaningful capacities.”</p>

<p>He had no problem connecting with this group of students right away. </p>

<p>zrcjessica, we are very familiar with Duke. DS’s best friend is in their engineering school right now. His mom and I are always comparing their course loads and we find them to be very similar. In addition, DS went to a boarding school right next to the Duke East campus and I personally like the feel of the USC campus much better. It is much more a city of its own, whereas, Duke is spread out and more integrated into the town of Durham.</p>

<p>Good luck to both of you as you make this important decision!</p>

15

<p>If you harbor no Wall street ambitions, and plan to go to graduate school, then USC with scholarship is a prudent decision. </p>

<p>The alcohol infused Greek culture at Dartmouth is just as pervasive (perhaps more so). </p>

<p>USC attempts to replicate focus on quality of undergraduate teaching that you will find at Princeton and Dartmouth (though in this respect the latter are standouts) particularly for a merit scholarship recipient.</p>

<p>Guess it all comes down to money.</p>

<p>For my daughter, who plans to study neuroscience/pre-med, taking scholarship to USC was an easy choice over Duke and Vandy. But she values the social aspects.</p>

16

<p>This is a classic dilemma. Virtually every student who is offered one of USC’s top merit awards is also weighing admissions to ivies and the equivalent. My observation, after participating in this forum for 6 years or so, is that we do not see any posts of regret here from students who decided to attend USC, save all that $$, and forgo their more elite schools. Perhaps they are out there. But from what we hear, students who selected USC are more than happy with their education, friends, professors, departments and opportunities after college. All that eventual happiness is amazing, considering how difficult this choice can seem at this time. And in point of fairness, it is quite possible those same students would have been extremely happy had they chosen an ivy, as well. Just $100,000 to $200,000 lighter.</p>

<p>It wasn’t until my older son began attending USC that we realized how many different programs are supported by the university to appeal to a vast array of student interests. For students interested in the arts, the Visions & Voices program brings fascinating productions and performances to campus and takes students out into the city for architecture walks, theatre performances, concerts and more. This program is very popular at USC and attracts a large eclectic group of culturally and intellectually adventurous students. There are events almost 5 days/nights a week. If you want to discover what it’s about, check: [Visions</a> and Voices: The Arts and Humanities Initiative](<a href=“http://www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/visionsandvoices/]Visions”>http://www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/visionsandvoices/)</p>

<p>Best of luck. You all have many good choices to make.</p>

17

<p>I also think there are us mere mortals that are trying to figure out the inverse, if the benefits of USC are worth an extra 20-30k annually over their competitive counterparts. And from the senior members that post here I seem to get the impression it isn’t, which is conflicting for us, cause we’d like to believe the alumni network and private school things are worth that. But perhaps not?</p>

18

<p>I think it is a relative question, because for some families, $20,000 to $30,000 would be an insurmountable debt, for others a painful sacrifice, for some a major cutback on other spending, and for still others just a minor adjustment. Where a student’s family falls on that spectrum should be a major part of the decision-making process. </p>

<p>The thing to keep in mind is that no school offers a secret recipe for success - regardless of where your student goes, it will depend on what they make of the opportunities offered. </p>

<p>So there really isn’t a one-size fits all answer - each student has a unique background, current situation and family situation that they bring to the decision-making process.</p>

<p>Good luck on the decision :slight_smile: The GREAT news is that you have all good options - your student cannot go wrong.</p>

19

<p>CADREAMIN, count us among those mere mortals. DS chose USC, his most expensive option, and willingly pays a portion of his expenses himself because he knew it was the best fit for him. The rest of his serious contenders were either instate, thus cheaper, or out of state publics offering lots of $$ for his NMS. So add us to the list of people who thinks the private school education, small class sizes, individual attention, and other benefits are well worth it!</p>

20

<p>Im also from NC and considering USC. Did your son experience any difficulties adjusting to the west coast culture?</p>