University of Southern California Top Questions

Why did you decide to go to this school?

Tiffany

Small classes. Engaging and approachable professors with high credentials. The campus and school pride thus bringing a sense of community. Diversity of courses. Ranking. Wealth of resources and connections.

Tiffany

Small classes. Engaging and approachable professors with high credentials. The campus and school pride thus bringing a sense of community. Diversity of courses.

Lu

I decided to come to USC because of their generous financial package, the interdisciplinary approach, their liberal arts and science honors program, and the countless academic and professional opportunities here.

Thalia

There are so many options here! You can literally explore any possible interests you might have!

Li

These were the 3 reasons that the USC admissions officer gave me when I asked him in person why I should choose USC above our crosstown rivals UCLA. 1. You will graduate in 4 years. It means you will get the classes you need for graduation and thus not have to delay graduating because you simply cannot register for the classes you need. 2. There are ample research opportunities. With the amount of donations that USC get, any student can get involved in a research as long as they try. This is extremely important for an engineering major like me. 3. The class size is small, and you can get personalized attention. After attending USC, I can provide testimonial for his 3 reasons, and you can see them in my other answers too.

Allegra

Christina

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.

Emily

I got a great scholarship from USC. The location was also a drawing point because it is close enough to home, but still feels like a college campus. The diverse student body and the variety of different student organizations that help me be a part of the Trojan network was very appealing to me.

Trenise

Marvin

After going to boarding school for high school for 4 years, I needed increased freedom and that required a complete change of coasts. I visited the school during the Summer before my senior year, when I was finalizing my list of choices. I absolutely adored the weather, the people I met, the campus, the school's competitive academic nature, and #1 Film school in the United States. All this, combined with the school's eventual acceptance of my application in April the following year, led to my almost immediate decision to accept admission.

Anna-Catherine

I know this sounds corny, but I just after visiting USC, I just knew that I belonged there. It was where I pictured myself for the next four years. There were more than a few things that I remember about my visit that made me feel like it was the right place for me. I remember when I first heard the band play, and I realized how much pride everyone had to go to USC, that I realized I had the opportunity to be a part of something bigger. I remember sitting outside at the Campus Center just enjoying the Southern California weather and realizing it was a place that I could see myself. I remember feeling comfortable walking around campus myself more than any other college I visited, as if I was somehow already connected to it. Visiting other colleges, I always felt like a stranger, but I somehow already felt like I was part of USC, and I could not picture myself anywhere else.

Kendall

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.