Football. Enough said.

Savor every minute of freshman year. Living on campus makes your first year different than any other year on campus, and while being an upperclassmen has its perks, there's nothing like being a freshman. USC focuses on giving first year students the best experience. Meet everyone, attend everything (school sponsored and otherwise). Take an interesting class pass/fail; you'll have time to floor it academically in the next three years. For now, just focus on having a great time.

Overall, coming to USC as an international student who has grown up in the US, UK, and in Southeast Asia was a truly life-changing decision and I would not be the same person if I had chosen otherwise. USC has allowed me to grow not just academically in allowing me to complete a dual degree in completely different majors, but it has also trained me to be a leader. The faculty actually care about their students' well-being and classes are small enough for professors to actually know your name. The campus is not in the best area of LA, however the area is being gentrified and it developing at an incredible place.

Your room is great, though that is largely subject to your roommate. My roommate is nice and considerate, so I can get my work done in my room most of the time. If you find yourself easily distracted in your room, and would like to study in the libraries, I would advise the doheny library. Many students may choose the 24 hour library, Leavey library, but I personally find it too crowded for my liking. So if you can help it (i.e. do not procrastinate until the last minute), go to doheny library, which is open until 10pm during weekdays too. The ceiling is tall and lavishly decorated at the main reading area, and if you want personal study space, go to the bookstacks, where there are personal study area, though some people do find it scary since it is secluded.

I knew I wanted a school with a campus. When I spoke with an alumni, she mentioned the she loved how the school was "big enough to meet a variety of people but small enough to collaborate and maintain relationships." Of course USC is also ranked pretty high in college rankings. While some schools may be famous for one subject but not another, I loved how USC was a leading school in all subjects: business, engineering, science, history, cinema, arts, you name it.

USC is an active campus, be prepared to do a healthy amount of walking, own a bike, skateboard, scooter, etc. Our athletic facilities are being undergoing massive renovations. They are currently building a brand new humongous athletic facility for Intramurals, which should be completed by Fall 2012. The Intramural sports are extremely well organized and they extremely diverse. The PE classes offered are very schedule flexible and diverse as well. The main track is a great place to play a pickup game of soccer, football, frisbee, etc.

Basically only freshman live in the dorms at USC, and compared to all my friends at other schools I think they are pretty nice. The triples in Birnkrant (the honors dorm) are particular spacious, but I have not heard very many complaints about any of the dorms. Each dorm is known for having its own personality. For example, New/North is known as the party dorm while Parkside Apartments are sometimes called the "Dark Side" because they have less of a social life (although they are very nice because they are newer, suite-style, and have air conditioning). Birnkrant is known for having a mix of social life and academics, etc. Feel free to ask me more about this if you decide to book a session!

I decided to go to USC because of the school spirit, the challenging academics, the beautiful campus and the Trojan Network. I was incredibly impressed by the pride that the students of SC had for their school, and the strength of the Trojan bonds outside of the school itself. When you visit USC, they stress the importance of something they call the "Trojan Mafia" or Trojan Network, and the idea that the connections we have with SC alumni will help us in our future endeavors. Also, it is a challenging school that has so much to offer than just an education. There are so many activities and organizations to be involved in on campus, I really felt like I chose a school that had everything to offer as far as the ideal "college experience" is concerned.

When I was applying to colleges the most common thing I would hear about USC was that it was the University of Spoiled Children. With a price tag of over $60,000 you are bound to find very fortunate kids who you may or may not find spoiled, but I can guarantee you, with a student body as large as the one at USC you will be able to find those down to earth individuals who could care less about the latest designer duds. USC is one of the most diverse schools in my opinion...you will find the so called "frat stars", as well as those not involved at all with greek life. Being located in LA, a large population of students are looking to get involved in the entertainment industry, so film students and PR majors are not hard to come by. So with this being said, when it comes to stereotypes I don't think there is one that fits USC properly. It truly is a diverse community rich with culture.

TIFFANY IS THE BEST INTERN EVER :)

There's a club for absolutely everything you'd want to get involved with. I had never fenced before I came to college and randomly showed up to a practice because I had seen them at the activity fair and now I'm on the team. Students in the dorms leave their dorms open and everyone will just come in to your room and talk. Football is the most important part of the Fall semester for all students. Everyone goes to the games. There is a lot to do on and off of campus. Los Angeles is amazing.

The best thing about USC is it's location. We are in the heart of Los Angeles, and a much more interesting area of Los Angeles than our fellow LA school. From the USC campus you can get to tons of cool places around the city by way of a bus system that is much more convenient and efficient than LA gets credit for. One thing I'd change is the administration. Sometimes it is very difficult for students to work their way the bureaucracy to get help. I wanted a large school so I could study a wide range of topics and meet people with varied interests. I also wanted a school with strong spots in multiple areas. USC is precisely that. When I tell people I go to USC they usually mention how much the school has improved in the past fifteen years. The attitude towards and character of the school is evolving into one befitting an honorable and prestigious institution, while still maintaining its relaxed Southern California feel. I spend most of my time on campus in the big lobby of my wonderful dorm which is quiet enough to study in, but welcoming enough to socialize in. Los Angeles is a bit too big to be college-centered enough to be called a college town. The surrounding area is not very USC-focused, but as USC evolves it is getting more involved in the community and gaining the community's respect. The people I meet from around the campus all root for the teams and feel very close to the school, rather than as if the school is infringing on the community. My opinion of the USC administration is that it could do with a little more organization. The biggest recent controversy on campus was about seating at the Coliseum, where the football team plays. But I think the most important recent controversy was about the school apparel. Apparently, it is made in sweat shops. But there is a significant grassroots movement called SCALE working to change that. The administration isn't too receptive, but more and more students are getting involved and soon the administration will feel the pressure. As I have mentioned before, the merit of USC lies in its students and professors, not in the administration. There is a ridiculous amount of school pride, mostly spurred by the success of the football team. USC isn't too unusual. It is probably a lot more diverse than one would expect and than what one would find at another university. But everyone mixes together to make up a wonderful student body. The mix of people is representative of the mixed-up, blended, diverse nature of the city, Los Angeles, the greatest city in the world. I will always remember the first jazz performance I went to at the school's main auditorium. It was incredible. USC attracts an impressive selection of renowned artists to come and perform and it is always amazing. The most frequent student complaints are about things like housing and frustration with paperwork.

I'm here on scholarship, so I couldn't afford to be here without it. I have never felt unsafe on campus; there is an excellent DPS

The best thing about USC is the environment. Once you're on campus, you can feel the spirit of what it's like to be a Trojan. Though some would argue that the school is small, it's rather quaint and it keeps the student body together, so in my eyes, it's just right. When people hear that I go to USC, their first thought is that I'm rich and I'm smart. One thing about USC that I'd change is the neighborhood around USC and the idea that you have to be rich in order to come to school here. Some of the bigger controversies have been over the student kidnappings and rapes, which come as a result of the bad neighborhood, but does not necessarily mean that the students, the people, and the school are all bad. School spirit is always at its finest, with the football games at a shocking level of enthusiasm, attendance, and Trojan Pride. It's true what they say, once a Trojan, always a Trojan.

The class sizes from my experience range from 6-200, depending on how specialized the class is. If you are looking to have an academic experience where the teacher remembers your name, then you will have to make some effort by sitting in front and reciting. That would probably be the same at any school though. Professors range from brilliant, funny, to downright cooky. It pays to do some research before registering for a class with a certain professor. Ask around or check www.senatecourseguide.com - a site dedicated to professor ratings and reviews by students.

No! They are totally not like that, especially if you have friends from the different schools, and not only teh College of Letters, Arts, & Sciences. I have friends from Viterbi as well as the School of Theatre and we all get along great.

USC is a great school with stellar academics. Business and Accounting classes and students are extremely competitive. All business and accounting classes are curved, based on the scores and average GPA of the students in each section. This can be very good or bad. If you receive 90% scores on tests and do well, but everyone else is receiving the same scores, a 90% will become a B+ because most classes are curved at a B+. This methodology in the school, prevents grade inflation, and ensures that if some exams are somewhat easy, students don't all receive A's and get by with minimal work. Usually, the exams in classes are very difficult and scores will be deviate, making it possible to receive high scores if you study really hard. In some classes, the curve has been amazing because if the average for the class was in the 70s and I received an 85 or 90, I got an A on the exam and usually in the class if I did well on all the exams while the curve remained low. People in business classes are generally very competitive, intelligent, and very motivated to get great jobs and go to top business schools. Almost all of the professors I have had, have been amazing, except for professor Mendy Fygenson, worst business professor at USC, a complete nut job and incompetent.

Greek life is a big deal on campus, but you can still have a social life without being a part of it. In the dorms, people usually leave their doors open; I'm pretty close with everyone on my floor in the dorm. Instead of going to "the row", a lot of people hang out on campus or go explore L.A.

Obviously the best thing about USC is football season. Game day is the best day of the year... wake up, party with thousands of people all around and off campus, go win another game, go celebrate. Greek life is pretty important here, but there are enough fraternities and sororities for everyone. Life not going greek is not the end of the world though, many people do not end up going greek. You can determine on your own how much you want to party. If your not on a sports team or in a sorority, its pretty easy for girls to get into any party, for guys, not so much. Your right next to Los Angeles so if you don't feel like partying on campus, or don't want to party at all, there is so much to do.