This can get overwhelming, and fast! Read on for some great insight as well as a fantastic video that shows you all the types of USC housing options.

Housing For Engineering Students

First - there is no Engineering Dorm.  The university does not house by major – and this is a good thing!  You will get to know all of your engineering peers in classes, student orgs, and more… no need to live together as well.  USC is such a diverse place, it would be a shame to only know one type of student.  I hope your roommate is a different major than you – a very different major.  I can only imagine the conversations and ideas that may come out of an engineering student rooming with a cinema, arts, international relations, or even philosophy student.  The exchange of ideas can be easier and greater if you are in an environment that promotes such academic, cultural and social coalescence.

You will not have a housing option that is closer-to or farther-away from your classes.  Check out a map of campus.  You’ll notice there are three areas (Parkside, Fluor/Webb Area, McCarthy Quad Area) where you have options to live as an incoming freshman.  Those three points form a triangle in the campus…. in the middle of that triangle are your classes.  Plus, your classes are not in one building, they are spread across the campus.  This is a small campus – you will never be farther than a ten minute walk away from any of your classes as a freshman.  Additionally, each of these three areas have dedicated dining facilities associated with each.  You are never far from food!

Amenities

First – check out Housing.USC.edu.  you can see virtual tours, floor maps and more about each of the facilities – and this is in addition to the “Living At USC” brochure that was sent to you as part of your admission packet.

2 Beds, Desks, Dressers and Closet. Pretty Standard!

Ready for the secret?  Here it is:  All of the housing options are practically the same.  Yup, its true.  Now, there are big differences in styles – you should be deciding whether you want to live in an apartment, typical “dorm-style,” or a suite.  Those are big differences.  Beyond that…. here’s what you are looking at:  You are sharing a bedroom.  In that room there are two beds, two desks, two dresser-drawers, and a closet.  While some buildings may be older than others, all of the buildings are kept up to date and refurbished frequently – in fact most of the furniture in each building is exactly the same.

But, what’s the best?!

Rumors abound: one building is better for this, one building is better for that… but think about it for a second.  Practically everyone only lives there for their freshman year – you have no idea who will be in one building vs. another during your freshman year.  The personalities of the people each year will determine the personality of each building.

One thing is certain – you will meet some of your best friends in your residence hall next year.  You may not like everyone, but that’s just how it goes.  When I ask our students what the “best dorm” is, I often get ten different answers… and it almost always lines up with whatever building they lived in for their freshman year.

To help you a bit more the Viterbi Student Ambassadors made a great video to show you a little more about all of your housing options:

PLUS – each one of our Ambassadors wrote a blog post about their personal experiences in all of our housing options – check out their posts on Viterbi Voices.

Special Interest Floors

Your best barometer for the special interest floors is your “gut.”  Does it sound cool?  It is not about your academic interests, necessarily.  Do you share a passion for that idea, and want to live in a community where that theme will be part of your programming and activities.  If not, don’t worry about it!  All of our housing options have Resident Advisors who work tirelessly to make sure your experiences in the housing communities are robust.  You will have a number of things going on in your residence hall – so much so, you probably won’t even have the time to participate in everything!

Reserving your Spot

Read your “Living at USC’ brochure for all the details you need to make the decision, not to mention the resources we mentioned at Housing.USC.edu.  You do not need to commit to USC in order to get your housing preference submitted – you can send it in now for the nominal processing fee.  Either way, as long as you get your housing forms turned in by May, you will be guaranteed housing at USC for your freshman year.

If you still need more ideas, and want to see more – you should visit campus.  Check out our previous post on campus visit programs to learn more about your options in the coming weeks.

We get it.  You have been admitted to a number of top schools, and this is becoming a very tough choice.  In speaking to a number of you and your parents over the last few days, I understand you all have some great options when it comes to where you will attend university…. and honestly, you cannot make a wrong choice.

Ultimately, my advice is to visit campus during one of our programs designed for admitted students.  You will get to know this place better than any blog or online video.  But, without a visit, I recommend heading over to our current students’ blog, Viterbi Voices.

Recently some of our students posted why they chose USC.  They wrote about what other schools they were considering, what thoughts were going through their heads, and ultimately how they decided upon USC.

Some favorite lines I pulled from their posts:

 USC became the school where I knew I could get a great education while having a wonderful undergraduate experience—a combination unparalleled and something I’ve come to love and value.  I’ve met amazing friends, peers and students through my classes, student organizations, research, sorority, Greek Life, dorm, and many more through different ways I never could have imagined.
— Claire “Why I Chose USC”, BME, Class of 2012

…upon being accepted to USC, I started to look into joining the band and I was extremely excited about what I found out about the band.  Being able to go on trips all around the country to different football games and getting to be on gigs where I would perform around L.A. sounded amazing to me.
— Greg: “Why I Chose USC,” CHE, Class of 2014

I applied to 11 schools all over the country, and researched and visited a LOT more. I was looking to go relatively far from home, just for the adventure of it!
— Steve: “Why I Chose USC,” BME, Class of 2013

Read all of the “Why I Chose USC” posts here.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading these posts.  In reading them, I notice that a few points stand out: they are all different, they all chose USC for their own unique set of reasons, and ultimately they picked USC because they felt it was the right choice for them! I believe that is the key.

The secret to this process is that there is no best university.  There is no best engineering school.  Rather, there is the best university and engineering school for you.

Best of luck as you make this decision for yourself.  If you need anything, or have questions, please give me a call.

We love that you all want to learn more about engineering at USC, and we want to help you get the most information you possibly can.  This is why we have spent a lot of time and resources planning and putting together our Campus Visit Programs for Admitted Students.  While these programs are coordinated by the university, we (the Viterbi School) spend the majority of the visit with you.  You will see Viterbi, meet with us, and see the school as part of every one of the USC admitted student events.

Each one of our visit programs is designed to answer all of your questions – and I am not just saying that!  Every family that wanted a “one-on-one” with us in the past, said they got everything they needed by attending one of our programs.  You will get all your questions answered, and you will get the personal attention you deserve.

In addition, at each one of our programs, we will have current students present to answer your questions and add student perspective.  In addition you will get personal tours of facilities and areas in the Viterbi School.

Honestly – scheduling an appointment outside of our scheduled events cannot compare with attending a Explore USC, Preview USC, or our large Open House at the end of April.  You will get so much more from attending one of these events! 

We have made sure that almost every day in April is covered with either an event on campus, or an event near you.  That said, I realize that circumstances may prevent you from visiting during our programs.  If you cannot visit during one of the days we have already scheduled in April – give us a call!

Schedule your visit to campus soon as sessions may close due to capacity!

Looking forward to seeing you!
Paul

Selecting Your Fall 2012 Courses

Please review the information below  to assist you in selecting classes that are likely to transfer to and keep you on track to graduate with your class:

1. MATH
   Take the equivalent to the USC Course of MATH 125, 126, or 226 (Calculus I, II, or III)
   Note: AP Scores can help you place in certain levels at your chosen college for the fall.  As a general guideline, Calc AB with a score of 4 or 5 should enroll in the Calc II equivalent.  Calc BC with a score of 5 should enroll in Calc III equivalent.
2. CHEMISTRY
   Take the equivalent to the USC Course of CHEM 105a (General Chem. I). Computer Science Games Majors should take C++ Programming instead of Chemistry.
   Note: AP Chemistry with a score of 4 or 5 satisfies the CHEM 105a course
3. GENERAL EDUCATION
   Choose equivalent courses that meet USC’s GE Requirements for Categories I, II, or V. Note: AP Scores can help you satisfy some of USC’s General Education Categories. 
4. ADDITIONAL COURSES
   Take an additional G.E. course from another category listed above.
   Computer Programming Course (C++) – Only for Computer Science and Industrial & Systems Engr. Majors.

The above courses will help you move forward towards your degree in engineering, and keep you on track for graduation. In order to find equivalent courses at whichever college or university you will attend this fall, be sure to check out the USC Articulation Histories database.

If you want to be on track for engineering it is important to follow the above instructions. The Articulation Office has put up a website and page for Spring Admits.  You will notice that course recommendations for engineers (listed above) are different from the recommendations listed on the articulation website.   Again, if you plan to study engineering at USC, be sure to follow our course recommendations above.

While you may not know your plans for the fall just yet, please know we want to help you with this process.  We understand you likely have questions and the recommendations above may not easily apply to your individual set of circumstances.

Beginning in June, students admitted to Spring 2013 may schedule advising appointments (over the phone, or in-person) with a counselor to discuss your plans.  Contact us directly at (213) 740-4530 or via email at viterbi.admission@usc.edu in June to schedule your appointment.

If you are not sure what to do - your first best step may be to check out this webinar on USC Financial Aid.  The webinar is only about 15 minutes, and it covers a ton of information including the USC Financial Aid philosophy, types of financial aid, determining your financial aid eligibility, and how to apply.

Applying for Financial Aid

If you haven’t applied for Financial Aid (FAFSA, CSS PROFILE, Tax Information, etc) – go to our Financial Aid website for the steps you need to complete, and need to complete soon!

Completing the Process (Getting Missing Info In)

If you believe you have completed the process – login to http://USConnect.usc.edu and check your status.  If the Financial Aid Office has all of your information it is likely that your package has already been completed.  If not, you can upload any missing information…. right there, online.

If USC is missing any information for you, I highly recommend uploading all information electronically via USConnect.  Any documents mailed to the Financial Aid office may incur many days of processing before acted upon.  Uploading via USConnect gets in right in your file.

All this said – it can be a confusing process.  Please call the financial aid office directly (213-740-4444) or call us (213-740-4530).  Even better – visit us at one of our admitted student programs, either on-campus or at a reception near you.  Financial Aid counselors will be available at all of the programs!

Campus Visits for Students Admitted to Spring 2013

We are excited to have you visit campus as part of a few different programs designed specifically for you.  Spring Preview USC will be held on 3 different occasions in the next few weeks:

• April 13
• April 17
• April 20

These Spring Preview programs are half-day programs running from 12:30-4pm.  The day includes a presentation from the Office of Admission, a USC Campus Tour, and visit with us in the Viterbi School of Engineering.  You will learn about what your life will be like as an engineering student at USC, meet some of our current engineering students, see facilities and labs, and get your questions answered about the enrollment process, housing, and your “next steps”.

RSVP to any of our Spring Preview sessions by logging in to http://USConnect.usc.edu.

Weekend Open House – Saturday, April 28

In addition to the Spring Preview dates, all students admitted to the spring semester are also invited to attend our large, weekend event: the On Campus Admitted Student Reception.

This large program will cover practically everything you want to know about USC and the Viterbi School.  In addition to our Viterbi School Information session, we will also have faculty and current students on hand to meet you and help you better understand your chosen academic discipline.  Representatives from our student organizations will show you some of the problems they are working to solve as well as some students showing off what they have been working on in their current classes.

The Open House will be held on Saturday, April 28 from 10am – 4pm.  RSVP for the day at http://USConnect.usc.edu – and we will see you there.  It should be a great day!

Receptions Near You

If you are not able to make it to campus, not to worry.  Throughout the month of April we will be traveling around the country to talk with you about USC and the Viterbi School of Engineering.  Check out our previous post about our Admitted Student Receptions – and don’t forget to RSVP!

stay tuned for even more information regarding what you may want to do for your Fall semester…. (and keep your eyes on your mailbox)

Photo by Ed Carreón

The University’s admission decisions are being opened all around the world today.  Amidst all the fanfare of students being accepted, a lone fact weighs heavy on all of us.  The grand majority (Over 80%) did not receive the news they had expected.  We are not happy about this.  We don’t take joy in this.  It is incredibly painful to deny admission to strong applicants.  But, if you would like to attend USC, we want to help you get here.

More than 20% of the Viterbi School of Engineering’s incoming class each year are transfer students.  And you could be one of them for Fall 2013.

Transferring to USC is much simpler thank you think.  If you do everything right, you can be joining us here starting in your sophomore year.

Check out the Viterbi Transfer Admission page to familiarize yourself with the process.

The basics of it are as follows:

1. Check out our Transfer Planning Guides and/or Articulation Histories with other colleges around the country and figure out where you are going to attend for Fall 2012
2. Enroll in Calculus, Lab Based Sciences, The USC Writing requirement equivalent, and a few GE equivalents
3. Get good grades (As and Bs) throughout all classes
4. Apply as a transfer student for Fall 2013
5. Your application will be evaluated on the coursework you have taken, and not on your previous high school career.  Yup, the SAT doesn’t really matter.

Let us help!

You shouldn’t have to figure this out on your own.  Feel free to contact us as early as June, 2012. Any of our admission counselors will be happy to help you figure your personal plan for transferring.

Vintage postcard depicting USC’s Doheny Memorial Library - from USC Libraries Tumblr

Of course, visiting campus is the best way to find out if USC is the right place for you.  But, we understand that not everyone can make it to campus as much as we would want you to.  In that case, we got you covered.

Throughout the month of April we will be traveling around the world holding Admitted Student Receptions near you.  These receptions will include a presentation from the USC Office of Admission & Financial Aid, a Q&A session, and time with us in the Viterbi School to discuss the engineering programs.  Representatives from the other academic units at USC will also be on hand.

RSVP for any of the programs by logging into http://USConnect.usc.edu

Admitted Student Receptions Near You

All events are open to any student admitted for Fall 2012 or Spring 2013.  Exact locations will be given as part of the reservation process online. Please RSVP by logging into http://USConnect.usc.edu – and we will see you there!

International Admitted Student Receptions

* While we will not have a Viterbi representative present for these few programs, the University will still be on hand to give you some great information!

We have designed each of our Admitted Student Campus Visit Programs exactly around that philosophy – and we are running programs practically every day in April…. DO NOT just schedule a tour… Schedule one of these special, reserved programs right away!  Spaces are limited, so get going…

Explore USC

This is the ultimate program – it has everything you need, and is our strongest recommendation for a campus visit.  Explore USC is a full-day program that gives you contact with dozens of our current students, tours of campus, financial aid sessions, opportunities to sit in on classes, and a full afternoon with the Viterbi School of Engineering.

Your time with us in the Viterbi School will take you through a session on our academic programs.  We will arrange a meeting with faculty from the major you are interested in, and facility tours of that same discipline.  The evenings of Explore USC put you with a few current students to hang out for a few hours, see the residence halls, eat dinner in a dining facility and soakup the atmosphere.

1. Monday, April 9, 2012
2. Thursday, April 12, 2012
3. Monday, April 16, 2012
4. Thursday, April 19, 2012
5. Monday, April 23, 2012

Each session runs from 9am – 7:30pm including lunch and dinner.  It is a full day – but well worth it!

Explore USC sessions fill up VERY QUICKLY – be sure to make your RSVP as soon as possible at http://USConnect.usc.edu.

Preview USC

Preview USC is a half-day program – and we do our best to squeeze in as much as we can into the short time period.  Sessions on housing, financial aid, the transtion from high school to college – as well as a opportunities to sit in on classes, and a special session in the Viterbi School of Engineering to discuss our academic programs, meet a number of our current students and see facilities.  If you can’t make an Explore USC session be sure to sign up for Preview USC.

1. Friday, April 6, 2012
2. Tuesday, April 10, 2012
3. Friday, April 13, 2012
4. Tuesday, April 17, 2012
5. Friday, April 20, 2012
6. Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Each Preview USC program runs from 9am-1pm.

As with all our programs, these sessions can fill up very quickly.  Reserve your spot at http://USConnect.usc.edu.

Weekend Open House

If you can’t make it to any of the weekday programs listed above – we have one final opportunity for you to visit campus – and we pull out all the stops.  A University-wide open house will be held on Saturday, April 28 from 10am-4pm.

As part of the day, the Viterbi School will be holding a large session on our academic programs along with special academic sessions with current students and faculty.  Our Student Organizations as well as Research and Class Projects will be on display for you to learn more about some of the details associated with the engineering curriculum.

RSVP for the On Campus Admitted Student Reception at http://USConnect.usc.edu.

We can’t wait to see you at any of the programs listed above! Please note that only admitted students are able to attend the above programs - and you should not plan on attending more than one.  Each program is designed to be a comprehensive visit – attending two of them can be rather repetitive as well as give one less student a chance to reserve their spot for that program.

CONGRATULATIONS & FIGHT ON!

This year’s applicant pool was the most competitive to date, and by a long shot!  There were so many great students applying for admission, it has been a daunting challenge trying to select just a few.

We know you have a number of great opportunities when it comes to your education, and choosing between them can be a bit overwhelming.  Finding the “best school” is not always easy, but it becomes a bit easier to swallow when you consider looking for the “best school for you.”

To make a good decision, you should learn as much as you can about the programs and schools to which you have been admitted.  Make sure to complete all financial aid paperwork to find out how much it will actually cost to attend.  Soak up as much information you can via campus visits and online info to see if you “fit” with the rest of the student body.

In order to schedule the best possible visit – log in to http://USConnect.usc.edu.  You will see a number of different programs we are holding here on campus (Explore USC, Preview USC, etc) and receptions in hotels near you!  Make sure to sign up and visit during one of these programs – you will get so much more information than just visiting on your own.

Be sure to keep an eye on this blog, especially the “ADMIT 2012” category!  We will be continuously posting about ways to visit campus, when we will be visiting you for receptions around the country, financial aid, housing, and other cool stuff you may want to know as you make your decision.

As always – never hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.  This can be a very fast paced and sometimes confusing process – add a comment below, or contact us directly at any time!

Fight On!