University of Southern California Top Questions

Describe the students at your school.

Christie

My classmates are fun-loving, supportive, beautiful, and multi-facteted.

Vikram

My classmates were all driven to succeed, and were involved in various activities, both career-related, and non-career related outside of class.

Brittany

They tend to want the best grade but want to put in minimal effort. But there are those who work really really hard and earn the grade they get.

Leora

Determined, passionate, social, and smart

Benjamin

They is smart, they is kind, they is important.

Rebecca

most classmates were polite and respectful.

Rebecca

My classmates were intelligent, gifted, and driven people who have gone on to do amazing things after graduation.

Ruth

My classmates are open, intellectual, and kind.

Sarah

My classmates are diverse in both ethnicity and thier contribution to discussions.

Stephanie

They are some of the most intelligent and heartwarming people I've met.

Lauren

My classmates are harworking, very motivated, and competitive, but work well with others and strive to help each other.

Tiffany

The people are friendly here. We have a lot of school pride. We're all a part of a big family.

Wendi

People are all treated equally in USC despite of their races, sexual orientation, religions, etc. No one is putting anything out of place unless someone does this to himself or herself. People wear casually to class while much more formally when the situation requires. USC has the largest number of international students, but most of the students are from the U.S.

Aimee

Students from this school are from all over the world. All though there are a large number of students who are from California, there are also many students from places like Texas, New York, China, and Japan. Students come from all different kinds of financial backgrounds. Some of the schools students come from very wealthy families and others come from families who could not afford to attend USC without scholarships an grants. However, I have found that at USC there is no form of judgement based on where you are from or how much money you have amongst the students. You will students with many different styles of clothing walking around campus. You may see students wearing some form of Trojan apparel (t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, etc.) or perhaps you'll see a girl in a stylish sundress or a boy in shorts and an athletic jersey. There is no such thing as the typical style of a USC student, our students each portray their sense of fashion differently. You often see students setting up booths and tables to promote different clubs, organizations and groups. These could be anything from political or religious groups to asian or black students associations or even organizations to raise awareness of world problems.

Li

Though I came from a large high school (my graduating class had over a thousand people), I was really amazed (in the good way) by the large variety of students that I met at USC. I came to the conclusion that it is almost impossible for you to feel left out in the school unless you really try very hard to. (i.e. be completely aloof and anti-social) There are people from all backgrounds, and as the college with the most international students in the States, you will feel at home as an international student.

Allegra

Irene

Because of my major, most of my classmates are female.

Christina

Since there is great diversity at the school, generally people are pretty open about religion and LGBT. People wear all sorts of different clothes ranging from casual to professional to bizarre but you can't go wrong with USC gear. Similar people do tend to group together but people mix and mingle a lot.

Brandon

All of my classmates are extremely motivated in every aspect of their life, and strive to be well balanced mentally as well as physically.

Emily

The student at USC are extremely diverse. There are people from countries all over the world. Everyone will find a club or organization that's perfect for them, be it a social or professional organization, a fraternity/sorority, or a religious group. Most students dress however they feel like it. There are people who dress casually, there are fashionistas who dress to impress, and you'll always see some kids dressed professionally (Marshall business school students especially.) Though everyone thinks USC students are rich and spoiled, the truth is that the majority of the people I meet are receiving some sort of financial aid or scholarship.

Marvin

USC is one of the most diverse campuses in America. No matter what your circumstance, you will feel welcome here. Class attire usually consists of some sort of USC gear for the lower-division entry level courses, but do not be surprised to see the occasional business or business-casual attire as it is required for some classes for Final Presentations, Mock Interviews, and other graded assignments. I really enjoyed this and it helped prepare me for other opportunities. There are no predominate financial backgrounds. Members of my fraternity have discussed their earnings in context of receiving their first post-college position after some serious probing.

Danielle

My classmates are all hardworking, taking 4 or more challenging courses, involving themselves with several clubs, and completing work study and internships, and still managing to be successful in all of their endeavours.

Anna-Catherine

The student body at USC is so diverse that no student would feel out of place here. There is truly a place for everyone at USC because there are so many different reasons why a student might possibly be drawn to this school. Students from all different backgrounds interact freely and the dining hall is a very friendly atmosphere. If I go to the dining hall by myself at any point in the day, I can almost always find someone that I know who I can sit with. Students with all different academic or extracurricular interests, as well as financial backgrounds are friends. As a whole, I think the student body is very accepting of all racial, religious, LGBT, and socio-economic groups, although there are always some exceptions.

Kendall

This school has every single group on it one could imagine, these groups are always doing things on campus like fundraisers and raises awareness for certain causes. I think it is fantastic to see students involved like this. No student would ever feel out of place at this school because of its diversity, there is always a niche for everyone. Students wear a variety of things to class ranging from sweats to cute outfits to work out clothes. Everything is accepted! Most students, however, seem to be from California. Though there is diversity, there are a lot of Cali kids. This does not mean that if you are not from California you won't fit in, it will just make you unique and will guarantee that you won't have to go home for Thanksgiving if you don't want to- someone will take you in!

Kevin

They are very helpful and considerate.

Lu

USC is very diverse, and the presence of different racial, religious, LGBT, socio-economic groups is very prominent. Throughout the year, you'd see events/flyers from different groups. I honestly feel like nobody would feel out of place at this school. There is something for everyone here. Most students wear normal college clothes to class. Some would show up in sweats, and some would show up dressed up. It really depends. I don't see much interaction between different types of students, just because the school is so huge, and there's a good amount of students in each "group." It's especially hard for international students with limited English to interact with domestic students, since there is a very large international student population to begin with. They mostly stick to themselves. I would say students aren't too segregated in the dining halls, especially in the beginning of the year. Freshmen love to get to know new people, and as long as you're willing, just sit down at a table and introduce yourself. 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students are from California. 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} are out of state. 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} are international. Students have very diverse financial backgrounds. I would say the most common is probably your average middle class families, and most are on some type of aid or scholarship. There is definitely presence of political awareness and activeness. It depends on how much you yourself are interested and want to be involved. I would say USC is predominantly left, while definitely less extreme than the other California schools. I've heard students talk about how much they'll earn in the future, as conversation about future career plans sometimes veer in that direction. Again, depends on the group of people you hang around with, but in general, people at USC are pretty driven and clear about where they want to head towards.

Monica

Most classmates are very friendly and open to helping one another, though there are some who are clique-y or snobbish.

Ryan

My classmates are ambitious, hard-working, but also well -rounded in the sense that they have good judgement of when to have fun and when to bear down and get what they need to get done in both the classroom and any organization that they might be involved in.

Carol

Students at USC, all of which are connected by a sincere sense of belonging to the Trojan Family, are extrememly well-rounded; they're dedicated to their studies, involved in their communities, interested in exploring the social scene, engaged in physical activities that promote well-being, and connected to a multitude of different cultures that they express interest in once they enter the incredibly diverse campus.

Joshua

USC students are hard-working, physically fit, athletic, attractive, intelligent, and love to party like it may be their last chance...even though with their top-notch networking skills, they will partying all of their lives.

Daniel

Ambitious and eager to contribute to society.

Hunter

Many frat and sorority students in GE classes. Other classes in my major (music) had more diversity

Michelle

My classmates look like social party-goers that most people would assume as slackers, but when it comes to class work and participation, they receive high exam scores and are able to make outstanding comments and contribute greatly to class discussions.

Andy

There is something for everyone at USC. There are hundreds of student groups that revolve around anything from ethnic and religious affiliations to hobbies, sports, and other extracurricular activities. And it's so easy to establish your own student group! Truly, the diversity of USC's student body ensures that everyone can find their niche and the familial vibe on campus prevents cliques and segregation that take away from this diversity. With the largest percentage of international students of any US university, USC is rich with culture but also draws in students from around the US. What binds everyone is the Trojan pride that we all feel. On any given day I would bet 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students on campus are wearing some sort of USC paraphernalia (ie: caps, sweatshirts, tee-shirts, shorts, sandals, sweatpants, etc.) Going to USC isn't a means to an end; it's an incredible experience in and of itself that will shape the rest of your life.

Dwight

I have not attended class at the University of Southern California yet. My first day start this fall year of 2010.

Danika

The students here are driven and passionate about what they want to pursue in life while trying to be the best they can be in their designated field. They like to have a good time and support their Trojans because we are all apart of the the Trojan family. The Trojan blood runs thick.

Amanda

My classmates are inquisitive and motivated students who challenge themselves and their peers.

Chris

USC students are a diverse group of students from all over the United States as well as the world who contribute to a vibrant campus culture.

Arielle

They are friendly and eager to help you out with notes and assignments.

Max

My classmates work hard, play hard, and have incredible school spirit.

Erica

unhelpful, not friendly, would be happy to see you grades go down.

Peter

For a major university USC is relatively more conservative although the greater majority is still left leaning. USC is a very large school with many different kinds of people. Some students are first generation college students others come from a family full of college graduates. I have friends from all different kinds of backgrounds. However I do feel that not all races and types of people mix together on a regular basis, whites still hang out with whites, asians with asians, conservatives with conservatives, blacks with blacks...you get the idea.

sarah

There's a little bit of everyone here. People who wouldn't fit in: those who aren't willing to buckle down and study hard when necessary (Yes, we party, but still go to class and study. A lot.) those who are choosing USC as a last resort or aren't crazy about it. Unless you come into it already loving the school or being willing to love the school, you'll hate it. No one here hates on the school for fun; people love being here. people who really hate football. It's our religion in the fall. If you don't go to games, you'll probably be one of three students not in attendance. people who are adamantly against any partying. There is underage drinking here, there is drug use, there is sex in the dorms. Most of that's just the college experience. People here aren't generally excessive, though. We aren't a "party" school, but we do like to have a good time.

Andrew

My classmates are a blend of people who are devoted to schoolwork and those who are not.

Meagan

my classmates are my family.

Grace

No matter who you are, what you like, or what intresets you, you will find a group of friends.

Nelson

My classmates are people who like to have a good time, but can separate school from pleasure and can still academically achieve at high levels while maintaining an active social life.

Kara

USC's Student Body is very diverse, and I think no matter what your personality type you will be able to find a group of friends to hang out with. Everyone is so full of school spirit, and the first week of school Freshman year is amazing because everyone is so willing to meet people- it's when a lot of people make their closest friends.

N

Most people are from Southern California and Texas, therefore it's a pretty conservative student body. Those who aren't conservative seem to be apathetic, as there rarely seems to be any form of political activism on campus.

Mikaela

Interesting, different than myselt, motivated to do many different things in life, and coming from many different backgrounds.