<p>D is currently a jr making her college list. We're a fairly liberal family and currently live in a pretty liberal college town. She's not a big partier, and probably won't be interested in Greek life--just not her thing. She's said she won't mind if others drink, but doesn't really feel the need to do so. She enjoys running and swimming and just generally hanging out with friends. </p>
<p>USC has shown up on her list. Unfortunately we really don't know much about it. Any thoughts, comments, etc?</p>
<p>rrah
maybe you can use S's experience as a base.We're from a suburb of NYC and a way left of center family.He's ethnically half Jewish/half Irish with no religious ties.He's currently a soph with advanced standing due to AP's,etc. He has USC on his list due to his major interest and originally I thought he'd never fit in.But he applied due to the major and due to the outstanding merit scholarship opportunities for OOS students,including the availability of an Honors College.This was a perk we discovered with older D's search.
He applied for their highest level merit award and was called for the interview weekend .We all attended and were blown away by the atmosphere,hospitality,academic opportunities,etc. In short, he is attending.
He is not a frat kid.Southern Greek scene is a big deal and USC is no different but the atmosphere is contained since most of the Greek houses are in their own village and somewhat removed from the residential campus. Also, parties are "closed" so there isn't the hordes wandering from frat party to frat party on a Friday night that you find on other campuses. The Greek population is probably about 15%, maybe 20% tops.
I would say a majority, but not all of the OOS students are somehow connected to the Honors College and to Capstone.We do know one boy (now 24) who was from Long Island, Jewish, no Honors/merit/scholarship connection who attended, pledged a frat, did well in his major, and now lives in Atlanta.
There are probably more out of towners than you would think, including tons of faculty.
What your D might have to do to be successful there is to have an open mind. The campus atmosphere will not be as liberal as many NE campuses.There's more religious connected activities than one might be used to, and more conservative views reflected ,say, in the student newspaper. But S's had no problems at all finding a like minded group, and it seems the campus is more liberal than you might think on first impression.But kids do actually get up on Sunday mornings and go to church. S has surprised himself by having a group of "best friends" that includes 3 local SC guys, one of whom prays before eating,worked for Huckabee,etc. But it just shows you how everyone can get along.
What your D might have to like is football, and a big sports oriented atmosphere. Football is king at USC.If she would enjoy autumn football Saturdays all the better.
If she enjoys swimming,running etc have her google the Strom Thurmond Fitness center on campus. The facility can make you drool!!
I would encourage a visit while schiool is in session to get the best feel for the campus. And take a close look at the merit aid opportunities..they are fabulous.
Please PM if you want more info!</p>
<p>Just judging by the information you gave, I'd say she'd be fine, but you can never be sure.
The drinking scene can be a problem: it's a large, public, college campus. I don't drink at all and haven't really had a problem finding things to do and people to do them with. Particularly if she doesn't mind being around the drinking, she should be fine. One thing you need to be aware of is that the opportunities don't just present themselves to the non-drinkers; you have to look for them. But there are plenty and not too hard to find. There are lots of people in my dorm (the freshman honors dorm) who do not drink at all, but we all still like to be social. Again, like I said earlier, if she doesn't mean being around people who are drinking that will broaden her circle even more, and she can tell all the drunk people what they did the next day (you might want to invest in a video camera to prove it to them).
The Greeks don't have a super huge presence on campus. They're there, definitely, but the traditional "Greek culture" won't really follow you outside of the Greek village or Greek floors of a dorm. A lot of the sororities have really fun fundraising and charity events that are open to the public (tonight was the wing eating contest for Make-a-Wish) which provide a lot of fun opportunities.
USC is surprisingly politically diverse, particularly among out of state students. My closest group of friends is about ten people, half in state, half out, and only one of them is really very conservative. There are other people who are extremely conservative (a boy on my floor was going to try to file some sort of complaint against the Supreme Court for something having to do with treason and Nancy Pelosi; I'm a little fuzzy on the details). It is definitely not uncomfortable for someone from a liberal family.
One problem I did have a little bit of trouble adjusting to is that we are in South Carolina, and there is a thread of underlying racism that raises its head uncomfortable often. I don't mean saying things to minorities or anything like that, but in conversations people will say things that make me stop and wonder if you can really say that. They don't mean anything by it, they aren't trying to be racist or politically incorrect, it's just what they've grown up with.</p>
<p>South Carolina is probably--no,certainly--the most conservative state in the U.S. I cannot speak with respect to USC. And I love & know the South quite well and I am a conservative. And I have been to USC a few times. I trust & agree with post #3. If you like the South, consider Georgia & Alabama. But your child should consider other schools as well.</p>
<p>zoomers
the biggest group is BisexualGayLesbian and Straight Alliance.Their email address is <a href="mailto:bigayles@gym.sc.edu">bigayles@gym.sc.edu</a>
S says to tell you the only problem is they don't get Bravo on the Cable TV system in the dorms and that you'd understand the reference.
icy9
I dont understand your "salt" reference. what "betterdays" and I are saying is pretty much the same. Betterdays is a student on campus, I am the mom of a current student,and I specifically asked him for the info to answer the q right.Are you really familiar with the campus?Are you a student there?</p>
<p>I'm sorry, but I'm confused by the responses and references back to previous posts.</p>
<p>Let me ask another way. If you had a gay son or if you were a gay guy, would you be welcome and treated with dignity and respect at USC vs. "tolerated?" We are not looking for a politically correct answer, but we need to know the facts so that he can have a wonderful college experience. </p>
<p>I wish people were more enlightened and educated about hard wiring vs.choice and, therefore, more accepting of people of all sexual preferences, but I fully recognize we aren't there yet. My son didn't choose his sexual orientation anymore than he chose the color of his eyes.</p>
<p>There are a lot of great schools out there and USC is especially attractive for what it offers him in terms of curricula and location. Having said that, who would want to attend a school where you have to watch your back and/or risk being ridiculed where there is tolerance for differences at other universities? </p>
<p>USC is such a perfect fit in all areas - especially the honors college, with this one looming, inescapable concern.</p>
<p>As I wrote, there are many good schools to choose from for this kind, talented, compassionate, smart, hardworking, friendly athlete -- so if it was you or your kid, would USC still be an option you'd consider or would you keep looking?</p>
<p>icy9ff8 -- ALABAMA? GEORGIA? Really? I'd have never thought of either of these as southern states of tolerance. Please educate me because we hadn't even considered either.</p>
<p>Thanks for the honest feedback. This is an important post for a lot of reasons and I appreciate your candor. </p>
<p>Zoomers
for a definitive response,if I were you (and as fellow parent) I would contact the organization I highlighted for you above, or/and contact someone within the Honors College itself.They are kind and caring administrators.Son's advisor within the Honors College is Jim Burns, who is an Assistant Dean.
Your Son sounds like a great guy and I'm sure he would be an asset to USC and I understand you wanting the best possible college experience for him.</p>
<p>I would google it to see if which colleges are "alternative" lifestyle friendly. I'm not sure he would have a great experience in the South. I mean it probably isn't dangerous or anything but there are definitely better "fits" for him than SC or UNC etc...Good Luck</p>
<p>In my opinion, Georgia would be the most accepting of the three state schools as Atlanta--only one hour away from Athens--is a wonderfully open, accepting & non-judgmental community which supplies many of the students to UGa. zoomers: My original response was to the OP's query, which--to my understanding--is different from your son's concerns. Other than UGa., I agree with post #13. The problem, in my opinion, with contacting specific organizations is that within that group things are fine & supportive, but things may be quite different beyond that protective enclave.</p>
<p>I wouldn't think that Alabama would be a particularly tolerant place at all and will ask my D who has many friends at UGA about how things are there.</p>
<p>Another school to consider if he has the grades and scores would be UNC which is probably the most liberal and accepting/tolerant school in the south. The only negative there is that it is admittedly a very difficult admit for an OOS student.</p>
<p>Interestingly, there is an article in today's Daily Tar Heel about this issue and about a college fair being held this weekend that addresses it. Here's the link to the DTH article as well as a link to the organization putting on the college fair.</p>
<p>I hope this helps. Good luck in your search!</p>
<p>Thank you all - so much - for your comments and guidance. As you can maybe imagine, this is a tough one for a parent. </p>
<p>I can't imagine how it must be for my son deep on the inside since he is not officially "out" yet. This isn't an issue that most people have to think about and it does help narrow the search, that's for sure. ;)</p>
<p>I appreciate everything each of you has offered and if anyone has more to add, please do. </p>
<p>"If you were a gay guy, would you be welcome and treated with dignity and respect at USC vs. "tolerated?" We are not looking for a politically correct answer, but we need to know the facts so that he can have a wonderful college experience."</p>
<p>I've only skimmed through this thread, and this caught my eye. As a straight male, I can't try to predict how your gay son would be treated. However, if this is any help at all, I have a gay friend who volunteers to help the Admissions office during one of the university's scholarships interview process. We, along with several other students, worked on a student panel for the finalists. It certainly seems like he's enjoyed his USC experience. I know in my group of friends, sexual orientation isn't an issue at all. Hope this helps!</p>
<p>Zoomers, I am an openly lesbian/genderqueer, (for those of you unfamiliar, genderqueer is pretty much a trans person, aka one who is born in the wrong body, but refuses to have surgery or do anything about it).</p>
<p>I am a graduate student who has pretty good stats in terms of attending a school for PhD.</p>
<p>The University of South Carolina was surprisingly, (my bias from not knowing the place), very receptive to my work, and supportive of what it means to have safety in a community that appears dangerous.</p>
<p>I am a Northerner who attends a college in a big college town; it's very liberal here and gay = ok!</p>
<p>My point is that I think that your son would do well there since the campus strives to be inclusive to those who want a quality education in a safe environment. The downside? Well, off campus...may be tricky...but I can't say for sure.</p>
<p>I live in Michigan. Ann Arbor is probably the most liberal town in the universe...yet drive up the road 40 minutes and you are in Howell which boasts having ties with the KKK. </p>
<p>Cathymee's response...aka post 9 was pretty on point and the Bravo reference was funny!</p>
<p>JustaBoi, It's been a long day and I'm getting old and am tired. I didn't understand your response. Did you attend USC? You wrote that USC was surprisingly very receptive to your work, etc., but also said that you don't know the place.</p>
<p>I get that you live in Ann Arbor now. What is your connection with U of S.C.?</p>
<p>How do you like Ann Arbor, by the way?</p>
<p>And thanks for the response, Steeler. Every bit of information helps.</p>