College of the Day: University of Southern Califonia

University of Southern California

Quick Facts:

Location: Los Angeles, CA
Established:1880

Students Enrolled: 34,236

Applicants: 46,104

Male/Female Ratio: 49/51

The University of Southern California (USC) is located adjacent to downtown Los Angeles. The park-like, 226-acre campus is an oasis from the busy city of LA.  USC is the only major private college in the region.  The university has previously been called "the University of Spoiled Children", but recently, the university has become more known for it's leading programs in business, media, and arts.

Classes are challenging, but many students join the school's learning communities, where students with common academic interests get together to study. USC offers students seventeen different professional schools they can join besides the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences.  The university strongly encourages students to take double majors or have minors.  

The majority of USC students hail from California, but the campus is one of the most diverse in the country.  USC consistently has the highest proportion of foreign students in the country. Even with all the diversity, most students consider other students to be outgoing and friendly.

Student Life:

Dorms are fairly nice and comfortable at USC.  Dorms feature microwaves and refrigerators, which is uncommon for universities to provide.  Freshmen are guaranteed housing on campus, but upper classmen usually have to find housing off campus due to a shortage of space.  Some dorms even feature swimming pools and tennis courts.

Greek life is very popular at USC.  Forty-six percent of students participate in either a fraternity or sorority.  The Greek houses are located a short walk for campus, so many students choose to live in these houses.  

Sports are a huge event on campus.  There is a fever that runs through the school every football season. USC's football team is usually top in the nation.  The team won two consecutive national championships recently and 11 total championships.  Students pile in the courtyards of the campus for every game to tailgate and root on their team.  

Applying:

If you are interested in applying to the USC you should have a Critical Reading SAT Score of 620-720 and a Math SAT Score of 650-760. ACT Scores for all sections should be at least 29-33. USC typically has at least 46,000 applicants each year with only 33% of applicants being accepted.  

Interested in applying to USC, but need to boost your testing scores? Click here to access our various 1-on-1 tutoring and college admissions consulting packages.

 Source: Fiske, Edward B. "University of Southern California." Fiske Guide to Colleges. Vol. 2015. N.p: 648-651. Print