Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam_
Hi all! The University of South Carolina is one college I am considering that I was accepted to. Other schools I was accepted to were the University of Alabama, University of Georgia, and Ohio State. When I visited, I fell in love with Columbia and the Five Points area. I fell in love with the other places also. I qualify, and I hope to get one of the top scholarships here.
1. What do you love about USC?
2. How is Columbia as a college town? Love it? Hate it? Personally, I loved it.
3. How is life at USC? Is the campus food good?
4. Did anyone attend USC? How was your experience?
Thanks!
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Hey, Adam!
Congratulations on your acceptances! Those are all great universities. My brother goes to Alabama, so I can speak to that offline if you are interested. As to your questions:
1. USC has a great overall sense of balance. The area is urban, but feels like it was dropped into the grid as a fully realized campus. The school is large in terms of population, but small enough to where you'll run into friends all of the time on the way to class. The Honors College (which it sounds like you will qualify for) gives students a really personalized experience and opportunities that are not afforded to most college students (i.e. research funding, grants and fellowships, very small class sizes). As with some of the other schools, you will get the quintessential college experience: great academics, a century of athletics tradition (with several teams in the Top 25), a friendly and open student body, and a town built with students in mind.
2. I think most people on this thread are probably biased, but Columbia is an awesome town. As I'm sure you discovered, USC is right in the middle of tons of shops, restaurants, and bars with 5 Points to the east, Main Street to the north, and the Vista to the west. The city has really jumped out the of recession with a ton of momentum- lots of new apartments, things opening constantly, and a ton of plans for new developments (just check any of the other threads). The natural environment is also very cool- Susquehanna Park, the three rivers, and Lake Murray all provide plenty of weekend options. The city is also well-located between Charlotte, Charleston, and Atlanta. It's hard to be every be bored.
3. USC is big enough to offer plenty to do on campus at all times. Your experience will depend largely on how you choose to get involved and how open you are to making new friends, but all of the tools are there. The freshman class is now consistently around 50% out-of-state students, so you're going to meet people from across the country (and the world). I personally thought the food options were diverse and they've expanded since I graduated. They recently announced that there are going to be dedicated gluten-free options, which to me means that they are listening to students' preferences and dietary needs. If you do choose to go to USC, you have to indulge in the time-honored tradition of Chicken Finger Wednesdays.
4. I graduated a few years ago from the Honors College with a triple major in International Business, Accounting, and Finance. When I compare my experience at USC to those my friends had at other schools, I don't think I could have spent four years at a better institution. I was out-of-state and USC wasn't even on my radar initially, but when I stepped foot on The Horseshoe, I instantly felt at home.
I would be more than happy to answer any other questions you might have about USC or Columbia!
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