University of Southern California Top Questions

The common stereotype is that USC is full of "rich kids" and that greek life is really strong. Of course there are spoiled children here but there's some at every school. At USC they definitely are not the majority. As for greeks, those who are in fraternities and sororities are really into it but you don't need to be in one to be social. There are so many student organizations on campus that you will definitely find your niche.

People often stereotype the students at USC as "rich," "spoiled," "UCLA rejects." But this is honestly not the case. We are often stereotyped as one specific kind of person, but the truth is, you won't be able to generalize USC students with just a few words. The student population at USC is so diverse. I've met people from all socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. You have to experience the diversity to believe it! The students here are all incredible individuals with capacities to do amazing things.

At USC, we are believed to be the University of Spoiled Children. I believe this is one of the grossest misconceptions held of the student body at USC. My experiences within the Greek system and other social networks have revealed quite the opposite. There will always be students, who will fit this stereotype, however, I have found them quite difficult to find in my 2.5 years at the school thus far.

When I was applying to colleges the most common thing I would hear about USC was that it was the University of Spoiled Children. With a price tag of over $60,000 you are bound to find very fortunate kids who you may or may not find spoiled, but I can guarantee you, with a student body as large as the one at USC you will be able to find those down to earth individuals who could care less about the latest designer duds. USC is one of the most diverse schools in my opinion...you will find the so called "frat stars", as well as those not involved at all with greek life. Being located in LA, a large population of students are looking to get involved in the entertainment industry, so film students and PR majors are not hard to come by. So with this being said, when it comes to stereotypes I don't think there is one that fits USC properly. It truly is a diverse community rich with culture.

When I was applying to colleges the most common thing I would hear about USC was that it was the University of Spoiled Children. With a price tag of over $60,000 you are bound to find very fortunate kids who you may or may not find spoiled, but I can guarantee you, with a student body as large as the one at USC you will be able to find those down to earth individuals who could care less about the latest designer duds. USC is one of the most diverse schools in my opinion...you will find the so called "frat stars", as well as those not involved at all with greek life. Being located in LA, a large population of students are looking to get involved in the entertainment industry, so film students and PR majors are not hard to come by. So with this being said, when it comes to stereotypes I don't think there is one that fits USC properly. It truly is a diverse community rich with culture.

Many students at USC are stereotyped as excessively wealthy, rich, underachievers or even spoiled. USC itself is sometimes described as the "University of Spoiled Children." This is not true however. Most students are accepted to USC based on merit, their athletic AND scholastic achievements. USC prides itself on being very selective in their admissions process. The average GPA for incoming students at USC is 3.9. Students here, though some may be privileged and some may not, work very hard to maintain their academic merit.

When you think of the University of Southern California, one thing comes to mind: football. Along with football, other athletics are very popular at USC. However, we are not just a "jock" school. With some of the most academically challenging majors, our student body is as diverse as can be. We are known for our athletic programs, as well as our academic programs. USC also caters to a large international student student body. We are one of the most diverse campuses in southern California and use that diversity to excel academically.

The biggest stereotype of the students at USC is that everyone is very wealthy and entitled. This stereotype tends to be tied to the Greek system and all the stereotypes that come along with that as well. However, the student population is far too large and diverse to be stereotyped as one certain thing. Although there are some people who are clearly very wealthy, such as minor celebrities or children of celebrities, there are students from all different backgrounds. This stereotype might have been more true in the past, USC is changing to become more diverse. For example, this year is the first year that USC has both QuestBridge and Posse Scholars, two programs aimed at helping low income students succeed in college, which shows how this stereotype is changing.

It is often perpetuated that my school, the University of Southern California (USC), is a school for rich kids to go and play around for four years and "get a degree" before mommy and daddy give them access to their trust funds. People think that USC doesn't take education seriously, and that as long as you are connected to someone rich or famous, you can get in. While that may have been true years ago, USC is definitely not that school today. It started when recently retired USC President Steven Sample took over in 1991. He made it his goal to revitalize the image of USC, and he was very successful in doing so. Today, USC is a Top-25 university, and features an array of schools that rank in the Top-10 for their respective programs. For example, the USC School of Cinematic Arts is the best film school in the country. Not only that, but it is also the hardest school in the country to get into. The Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism is a Top-5 Journalism school, and the Marshall School of Business is a Top-10 undergraduate business school. It is also one of the only 4-year undergrad business schools in the nation (UCLA doesn't have one!). And as for the rich kid stereotype, that's not necessarily true either. More than half of the students at SC receive some form of financial aid for need-based reasons. Of course, since USC does cost over $50,000 a year, there are many wealthy kids that go here, but socio-economics are not something that the students focus on. Once you decide to come to USC, you are apart of the Trojan Family, regardless of where you come from!

Everyone knows USC as a school that has a lot of pride. It's known for its athletics, rather than academics and extracurriculars. People also stereotype USC as full of frats and sororities. The 1st part being completely false because USC is an all-around school that succeeds in not only athletics, but academics and extracurriculars as well. USC has very smart and successful undergrads, grads, and alumni. USC is a prestigious school in which all students are very driven and passionate about what they want to do in the future. For the 2nd part of the stereotype, frats and sororities are very prevalent. But, if you don't want to participate in such activities, USC offers many other clubs and organizations to their students. Everything from WuShu Fighting, Indoor Volleyball, SCycling, Environmental Organizations, Political Student Assemblies, Engineering Organzations, Cultural Organizations, etc.