University of Southern California Top Questions

I wish I would have had a mentor or a counselor that would have guided me through college.

The income differences and racial disparities between rich students and students who are people of color is noticeable, and as a poor student of color, it can be demoralizing.

The worst thing at USC is that the architecture department is not very updated. While the rest of the campus looks spectacular I wish this department had the funds to improve its facilities.

The worst thing about the school is the administration. Paradoxically enough, these were the people without the slightest clue about student needs, despite all of them possessing doctorates in education. If a student runs into problems at this school and does not have affluent parents, that student is screwed. Administration absolutely refuses to be helpful to any students not from affluent backgrounds.

USC is a great place, so it is hard to label something as the worst there. If I had to pick the worst thing, it would have to be the transportation and the cost in general. Transportation in and around Los Angeles is extremely difficut at peak hours, thus at times you feel like staying put. Also, costs for everything at USC are high.

Surrounding area.

The University of Southern California is a great university with a lot to offer. Some may consider the downside of the univeristy to be that it is quite populated with students and non-students. Tthe campus is very open to the public, and all walks of life are free to walk on campus. Despite thE drawback of the "dangerous" community, there are many, and I mean many, security guards, public safety officers, as well as emergency calling stations. People say that USC is in a dangerous area, but I say that the world is a dangerous place in general.

Plain and simple, the overwhelming amount of money that is required to study here, and the way they chose to go about my financial aid. This university has a reputation of being "the University of Spoiled Children" for good reasons. My parents got divorced last year, which I thought would be beneficial towards getting more assistance, but USC based their decision on my family's 2010 finances which don't exist anymore. They want me to take out an $8000 loan, and expect my father to take out a $22,000 loan just for one semester that ends in may.

To be honest, I have found no flaws in USC. USC is an extroidinary school that has thus far provided me with an exception education. I have just completed my first semester at USC as a freshman so perhaps later down the road I may encounter some things that I dislike about USC, although I am very doubtful that I will.

The actual location - that is, South Central Los Angeles. The neighborhood can be dangerous - especially at night. But it's quite an easy fix: know your surroundings and exercise your common sense. Don't get too drunk, or lost, and you'll be fine.

The fact that there is no good shopping areas near by.

The income difference. I come from a family with a less-than-satisfactory income and from a neighborhood that could be a little less "ghetto". I feel that a lot of the students here are wealthy or at least can rely on their parents when they need a little boost. I have to take care of myself and rely heavily on financial aid and I feel like I don't have as much as others here do. I feel a little behind in that respect.

How involved and influential Greek life is. Most people are very concerned with Greek life like what frat or sorority you are in. I am not in a sororirty and have never rushed. Most of my friends are involved in Greek life though. I have no biases against it I just think people use Greek membership to judge people too quickly. I think it is taken into consideration too much when you first meet someone, especially on the party scene. It is not uncommon for people to meet you, find out your name, then ask what house you're in.

The worst thing about my school would be the lack of unity in the college of arts and sciences as opposed to the more specialized professional schools, such as the business school. Although there are programs which allow a few students to link their studies between schools, the majority of students in the college are lost and less plugged into the school.

I do not like the stigma associated with greek life. Southern California residents also do not appreaciate the perfect weather. I find many people to be ignorant towards life in other cities/states/countries, and I find that disturbing.

How the school charges for everything. USC does not give anything for free. There are so many fees that it is ridiculous. I can't afford everything. Even though I recieve tuition help, I still need help for my books and school fees - which USC does not help me with.

Parking fees

The surrounding neighborhood.

Aside from the millions of good things about this school, USC also has its own shortcomings. There are many different clubs, events, concerts, and social activities on campus. It’s obviously fantastic, but it makes it hard for active students to keep up. Moreover, most events have overlapping time schedules, limiting you from opportunities that you could have gotten. In terms of hospitality, USC dining halls close at 10pm. Although there are Trojan Grounds and Ground Zero Cafes that opens very late, it is inconvenient for students with basic dining hall meal plans or living far from these two places.

The worst thing about my school is the surrounding area. The geographical location of it is wonderful. It is Southern California, but the surrounding area has lots of streets gangs that makes it unsafe for an individual to be out if they are unfamiliar with the area. The prestigious status of the institution can be misleading, because an individual probably never imagined that a school that is such a popular choice to attend is surrounded by gang activity. So the neighborhood's gangs around the school is my biggest disdain.

The worst thing about my school is the fact that it is in a somewhat dangerous part of town. I myself have not felt this effect firsthand, however, there is an increased risk of danger.

I think the worst thing about the school is the fact that there are students that smoke in many places. However, from what I've seen of other universities and other colleges, it's about the same amount.

I would say the worst thing about attending USC is the constant worry about finances and whether or not you will be able to pay the entire tuition. Even if you do receive a large amount of financial aid or a big scholarship, the tuition is so expensive that, unless you are fully covered, you will probably have a substantial sum of money to pay, and it becomes very stressful to deal with.

If I had to choose the worst thing that USC has to offer to its students would be its athletic center called the Lyon Center. The facility is in dire need of renovation including new machines and locker rooms.

It doesn't allow room for too many As in major requirements so that students are compared to each other. For instance, if I deserve an A based on my ability to do the work and perform in class, I may not receive an A if another student has excelled beyond me because that student will set the standard for an A and then grades are filtered down from there. An A is hard to come by. However, people don't tear each other down. Most people just learn to content themselves with Bs.

The worst thing about my school is supposedly parking, but I have not had a problem with it.

The worst thing about my school is that everything is expensive. Housing is expensive, food is expensive, education is expensive. But if you are on scholarships or grants then it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

The worst thing about my school is that they don't offer housing all four years to students. After your first two years you have to fine housing off campus on your own. This can be different as USC is not located in a good part of Los Angeles and many students are not sure where they should live or what is safe and unsafe. It is also very inconvenient to students.

the tuition cost.

It is in a very bad neighborhood where there is a lot of crime. The administration is also trying to stop fraternity parties.

How greek oriented it is, and how difficult it is to make friends if you are not in a frat or sorority

The location of the school. USC is in South Central LA.

The school is seperated by Greek life.

Fitting in initially; it's really hard for transfers to fit in, but super easy for freshmen. As a transfer you really have to go out of your way to find people to make friends with. Also, the university is really bad at offering housing to transfers. There is so little room!

there only seems to be one type of person at this school

The absolute worst thing about USC is that there is too much good stuff to do to choose from!

It is sort of a commuter school and I live only 35 minutes away so it is easy to go home a lot. That does not force students to be as involved as they could be. The school is still extremely social but usually during the weekdays unless there are special events with fraternities on the weekends.

not sure

Probably the immediately surrounding area, and the fact that students leave regularly on the weekends, especially during the spring.

The surrounding area is not the best neighborhood.

The worst thing about my school is that the focus of socialactivities is too focused on the use of alcohol.

It's not located near a more commercial shopping or social area like a mall where people from all over LA can go and meet.

The worst thing about USC is that if you don't have a car, it's easy to feel like you are trapped. Luckily, there are always events on campus and a lot of people have cars. So it's likely that you will get to go to the beach, hollywood, and the nicer areas around us.

The worst thing about the school is how much it costs. When you get accepted and use financial aid to pay for all four years, you don't realize you have to pay all 120,000 back. that sucks and now I'm gonna be in debt for a very long time.

The worse and best think about my school is competition. My school is very competitive. Every time I enter a class, there is no rest. It is centered on who answers and what is answered, yet that really keeps me motivated and alert.

I feel that the worst thing about USC is the cost of tuition and the lack of financial aid. My freshmen year of college, I was offered many grants and assistance; however, my subsequent years at USC have forced me to build up an enormous debt via private student loans. It is especially hard for students, like myself, who don't have the financial assistance of their parents or families. USC always insists upon looking at the income of your parents when it comes to determining financial aid, even if they will not be contributing to your educatio.

I would have to say that the worst thing about my school would have to be the tuition. Though it is an amazing university, the amount of money that it takes to attend for the full four years, or even five for some, is quite extreme. That was the one issue I had.

The requirement to take courses not pertaining to your field of study in order to graduate with a degree.

It is heavy on the Greek life, which isn't for me. It's also hard to meet people without going to parties or being involved in everything.

Being a middle class student trying to complete his tuition responsibility.