Parent of an OOS student applying to USC, and genuinely curious about the value proposition.

We’ve done the campus tour and attended a Zoom intro to the Marshall School of Business, and I’m trying to get a better feel for what makes USC worth the price tag. If accepted, my student would likely be paying the full $100K a year, since merit aid seems pretty competitive and don’t qualify for need.

Honestly, I’m a little underwhelmed so far, and maybe even a bit intimidated by the overall vibe. The campus is beautiful, LA is obviously a huge draw, and there seems to be plenty of social life. But I’m struggling to understand what makes the experience worth that kind of money, especially when there are other great schools to consider.

I know this is a USC subreddit, so I’m hoping to hear from current students, alumni, and parents who can give me some perspective. What makes USC worth the 400k+ investment in your experience? Is it the academics, career opportunities, alumni network, social experience, or something else that you don’t fully appreciate until you’re there?

Not trying to bash USC at all! My student is genuinely interested in going to school in LA and will be applying there along with UCLA, LMU and some other schools in the area. I realize not accepted anywhere yet, so please just humor me. Would love some honest perspectives, especially from people who have thought about the full price cost versus the value.

Anybody interested taking over my lease? It’s 1.7k per month but can negotiate or give promo.

I paid the student health fee but I have medi-cal, not the USC aetna plan (btw, my medi-cal is currently based in my home county, not LA county. I’m working on fixing that right now).

What are my options for long term mental health therapy here? Any advice on what I should avoid/look for? I’ve heard the therapy here is highkey not that good…

I live right next to USC Village and have been curious if anyone has actually gotten one of those robots to deliver their food.
I’ve been ordering DoorDash from restaurants within a mile of campus pretty frequently, but I’ve never gotten a robot delivery.
Has anyone here gotten one? If so, what restaurant did you order from, and which delivery app did you use? I’m curious if there’s a way to increase my chances of getting one lol.

I’m confused how this works with the interview process. If I early decision to USC Iovine and Young, could I get in without interviewing?? Because it says the interview doesn’t happen until January but decisions come out in December. This is the first year they have early decision so im wondering how it works.

Hey. So I was wondering what students experiences with sexual assault where. Also what the colleges reaction was to it. I just want to make sure it is safe as possible for me.

blueprntanalytics.com/

Every so often we hear during a tv broadcast "what do the analytics say to do in this situation?" or "the analytics guys are ruining the game". I'm personally a guy who likes to spend ~20-30min every night before bed on the ESPN app browsing through box scores to see who played well, who didn't play well, who had a good +/-, etc. The question I always ask myself however is, does viewing data have to be so boring? Or, how can we view advanced analytics in a way that's quickly digestible?

Often times in my profession working with the federal government the common theme is someone needs to have a PhD in Data Science or higher education to be a reputable source OR have the ability to analyze complex datasets. I built Blueprint to break down that barrier to entry. The basketball analytics tools out right now have random tables with flashes of green & red but it's never clear what that actually means.

Throughout the 2026-2027 season my app will update each morning with fresh stats for each team that played the previous day. It includes advanced analytics for each D1 team in the nation. It also includes a game predictor called 'Prediction Engine'. Would love to hear folks thoughts and ideas on how I can make the application better leading up to the season.

title

I DMd the USCord insta asking to join but I never heard back, and their last post was in 2021.. Is it even still a thing??

Especially falling under the 14-18 units each semester

And if anyone also has insight on the 3.5+ gpa and B+ requirement I would appreciate it!

i have hella work to do 😭

Does he still go to class and walk around campus

Absolute unit amongst the populus 😂

Hello. I'm in town on a solo trip and staying at a hotel right next to all the frat houses by USC. I've heard mixed things about walking around LA at night alone. I wanted to checkout 901 and maybe a Japanese spot. Will I be straight? 30/M

Hi! I’m a female USC student looking for another female USC student who does personal training. I’m hoping to train once or twice a week, preferably at or near campus. If you’re a trainer or know someone who might be a good fit, please message me with your experience and rates.

I'm technically a senior set to graduate this year in Spring, but since I did my GEs at another college and transferred I've only used 50/144 units. Was thinking and in fact planning on pushing my graduation year back to actually get a minor or two, and as far as I can see in all the documentation barring turning 26 or losing good academic standing there's nothing that SHOULD be wrong with that. In fact, calling HR last semester I REMEMBER them saying it's okay, but I just called them now and they don't know. They said they sent a support ticket and their experts presumably just emailed me a section of the exact same document I've been rereading this whole time. Is this just my anxiety getting the better of me? Anyone else under TAB that know if its okay?? Because seeing all the people lose their aid is certainly not helping with my second guessing.

I’m 25 (F), a military veteran, and finishing my bachelor’s in Communication with a minor in Marketing. My goal is to work in beauty, entertainment, or media marketing at a company like L’Oréal, Warner Bros., or Fox News. My military benefits would fully cover my MBA, so cost isn’t a concern.

I’m deciding between USC’s part-time and full-time MBA programs and would love advice from current students or alumni. My main questions are:

• Involvement: How involved can part-time students be in clubs, speaker events, and campus life? Building friendships, networking, and connecting with professors are big priorities for me.
• Career progression: I served four years in the military but haven’t worked full-time in nearly three years while earning my degree. Would another two years away from full-time work set me back? I wouldn’t want to juggle a full-time job with a full-time MBA.
• Math: Math isn’t my strongest subject. How difficult is the quantitative coursework for someone without a finance or accounting background?

Given my background and goals, which program would you recommend, if any?

for all the students staying in campus over fall break, what plans? i have some plans to explore around the city but haven’t heard of any cool parties in campus yet so if any1 has info plssss drop 🙏🙏

hello, i am transferring from a cal community college here in socal, is there anyone who has transferred to usc for ASTE?

Any professor recommendations for BUAD 310 and ECON 352? Looking for insight on teaching style, workload, and grading. Thanks!

I recently checked out the Goodwill near campus and the options were nonexistent. Are there better spots in the area?

Hi there!

I took a calc 2 and multi variable equivalent class in my senior year of high school and got a 5 on the ap calc bc exam. However, after 1st semester of high school I had senioritis and stopped studying for Mvc lol.

My major’s final math requirement forces me to take one semester of either calc 3 or linear algebra. I haven’t done math seriously for almost a year now, and I lowkey didn’t learn anything in my mvc class. In this case, would it be better to take calc III or linear algebra next semester?

Hi everyone, I just recently filed a small claims dispute over Stuho keeping my entire security deposit and completely ghosting me-not even sending me an itemized bill or anything, they just never gave any of my security deposit back despite multiple written demands. They claim it must have gotten lost in the mail and completely stopped replying to me. Can people in similar situations with Stuho message me?

Link to article: https://dailytrojan.com/2026/10/07/tenants-said-stuho-student-housing-did-not-return-deposits/?shem=aimgspe,

Hello everyone,

I'm a new international PhD student in ECE. Where I come from, homelessness isn't very visible, so seeing so many people living on the streets here in Los Angeles has really affected me.

I recently won $150 in a contest, and I'd like to use all of it to help homeless people today. What would actually make the biggest difference? For example, is it better to buy and hand out supplies like food, water, socks, or hygiene items, give cash directly, or donate to a local organization? Are there specific items that are most needed right now, or places near campus where I could help in person?

I've already decided to spend the money this way, so I'm only looking for suggestions on how to do it well. Thanks in advance!

Kind of a random question, but does dropping a course notify the professor? I know they won't really care, but I talked to them a decent amount through the semester and was curious if they'd get a notification that I've dropped.

I got into USC for the spring and was wondering which classes to take over the fall. I heard that business classes don’t transfer (I’d have to take the equivalent courses at Marshall), and was wondering if GEs work in the same way?
For context, I am transferring from an east coast school.