What's the deal with USC? Forum

[papercranes]

I go to USC Law, live dowtown, am a small girl and feel safe. I don't, say, wander around downtown alone at night after drinking because that would be stupid anywhere. the area is fine.

[leron]

yeah, there are some very different areas of downtown. bunker hill is really safe and nice. some areas are shady, but none as shady as the area around usc.

[thruruby]

I actually just visited last week and I am pretty pleasantly surprised. The campus security seems to do a great job and the surrounding area is pretty heavily populated with various SC students.

All in all, I have to conclude that the area is far nicer than I originally thought - not anywhere near as bad as people rumor it to be. Of course the pricey housing and ridiculous LA traffic is still a con, but still! The campus was beautiful and I had a super nice law school tour guide.

Now I'll just sit back and wait for my SC decision.

[Amplified]

I actually just visited last week and I am pretty pleasantly surprised. The campus security seems to do a great job and the surrounding area is pretty heavily populated with various SC students.

All in all, I have to conclude that the area is far nicer than I originally thought - not anywhere near as bad as people rumor it to be. Of course the pricey housing and ridiculous LA traffic is still a con, but still! The campus was beautiful and I had a super nice law school tour guide.

Now I'll just sit back and wait for my SC decision.

Told ya! 99% of SC-area haters, that say that the area is ultra scary and intimidating, are non-students who probably haven't even been to USC.

[Lizface killah]

Why don't they have a status checker?

[parisisburning]

i go to usc film school now and its safe. i have no issues with walking around the campus and the nightlife (kinda underground but worth the search) is much more interesting than the typical "west side" of LA....so im pro USC, tho dont hate on UCLA either....dont turn down the opp if you get accepted for safety reasons, youll be fine....

[gilchristh]

And for the record, anyone who thinks that USC is in the worst neighborhood in LA is clearly not familiar with the various scenic neighborhoods LA has to offer...

+ 1. So VERY true.

[SpAcEmAn SpLiFF]

I'm curious when people say 'bad' what their politically correct language is covering up.

I grew up around Newark, NJ and if anyone has been there would you say it was the same or different?

Is the area really all that impoverished, or are their just a few shady characters who hang out around liquor stores?

Is the neighborhood mostly black/hispanic/asian/white etc?

I don't mean to start any conflict, I'm really just curious.

yea im curious about this too. just how bad is bad? is it comparable to other "ghettos" in major cities? i grew up in nyc and have been around my fair share of bad neighborhoods. how do they compare?

[21124]

I'm curious when people say 'bad' what their politically correct language is covering up.

I grew up around Newark, NJ and if anyone has been there would you say it was the same or different?

Is the area really all that impoverished, or are their just a few shady characters who hang out around liquor stores?

Is the neighborhood mostly black/hispanic/asian/white etc?

I don't mean to start any conflict, I'm really just curious.

yea im curious about this too. just how bad is bad? is it comparable to other "ghettos" in major cities? i grew up in nyc and have been around my fair share of bad neighborhoods. how do they compare?

USC is not in that bad of an area. No, it's not in the best neighborhood but its definitely not the worst either. It is your typical ghetto with blacks and hispanics. You have to understand that most of the TLS posters aren't minorities and/or haven't been around these types of places/people. So it may be intimidating to those who have never stepped foot outside outside of an upper class neighborhood, but for most people it's not a big deal. USC isn't comparable to Brownsville, Bedstuy, Newark, Red Hook, East Oakland or any other known bad area. Again, keep it in perspective who is saying that it is in some really ghetto place.

[USC2009]

Ghetto ---> lower-income area
Lower income area -X-> ghetto

(LSAT fun...)


Having said that, I'm pretty ready to leave the area around SC. I don't feel unsafe here, but I'm ready for something new (most likely). The suburbs, a small city, a higher-income area, whatever.

Feel free to ask additional questions about the area via PM (or here, if I check it). I can't say much about the law school though.

[LizLemon]

Why don't they have a status checker?

I don't know but I'm really wishing they did right now! I would love to have another status checker to check nightly.

[thruruby]

Why don't they have a status checker?

I don't know but I'm really wishing they did right now! I would love to have another status checker to check nightly.

What a random revival of this thread.

BUT, my $0.02 about USC. I went complete in early Feb and still haven't heard back (even though I am safely in the admit range). I called the admis office yesterday and asked about my file and the lady says to me in a monotone "It is under review." I ask if she knows when I will find out by, and she interrupts me saying "WE DON'T KNOW. Mid-May."

Blarrrghug

[LizLemon]

Why don't they have a status checker?

I don't know but I'm really wishing they did right now! I would love to have another status checker to check nightly.

What a random revival of this thread.

BUT, my $0.02 about USC. I went complete in early Feb and still haven't heard back (even though I am safely in the admit range). I called the admis office yesterday and asked about my file and the lady says to me in a monotone "It is under review." I ask if she knows when I will find out by, and she interrupts me saying "WE DON'T KNOW. Mid-May."

Blarrrghug

I think I ran a search for "status checker" and the thread came up. Thanks for posting your experience with calling in. Bluuuuurg indeed.

[h_frog_88]

I've been complete since October, visited multiple times, called, emailed... they're gonna reject me because I am annoying huh?

[LizLemon]

I've been complete since October, visited multiple times, called, emailed... they're gonna reject me because I am annoying huh?

Depends.... are you?

[YoungTwerk]

yeah, there are some very different areas of downtown. bunker hill is really safe and nice. some areas are shady, but none as shady as the area around usc.

This is NOWHERE CLOSE to being true. You do realize that SKID ROW is part of Downtown, right?

[papercranes]

you must be kidding.

The area around USC is not that bad at all. it's not great, certainly but nothing warrants the absurdity of the comments here.

Exercise some common sense and you will be perfectly fine.

[tcortez]

you must be kidding.

The area around USC is not that bad at all. it's not great, certainly but nothing warrants the absurdity of the comments here.

Exercise some common sense and you will be perfectly fine.

+1

I work in MacArthur Park (the not so great area a few blocks from the high-rises) and I can tell a lot of people have not lived in a real city. LA is not always safe but you also have to keep in mind that it is a very different reality depending on your race. I work in a heavy gang neighborhood and i've never had problems but my students that I teach have a lot to be worried about. If you are white, your reality is much different in an area like downtown and South Central. thats just being honest.

i think if you live in any urban area, crime may be an issue, regardless of what type it is. i've grown up in LA but I definitely think that there are worse places than around USC. Just exercise judgment and you will be fine. us black and brown people from LA are not all scary, even if we do live in predominately minority areas. Most of us are decent people, just like any other group. I was also careful when I went to UCLA, mainly because I have always lived in a city and I have some street smarts. As long as your not staggering drunk in the streets 24/7 you should be fine.

[superflush]

you must be kidding.

The area around USC is not that bad at all. it's not great, certainly but nothing warrants the absurdity of the comments here.

Exercise some common sense and you will be perfectly fine.

+1. It is very much a student area, University Park.

yeah, there are some very different areas of downtown. bunker hill is really safe and nice. some areas are shady, but none as shady as the area around usc.

First of all, University Park is not in downtown its in South LA (formerly South Central), and its probably one of the best neighborhoods in South LA for that matter.

And for the record, anyone who thinks that USC is in the worst neighborhood in LA is clearly not familiar with the various scenic neighborhoods LA has to offer...

Ha, yea, +1 there.

[LizLemon]

You guys, if a tiny little sheltered girl from the Orange County suburbs (me) can make it through four years living at SC, I'm sure most of you can do the same. Just be smart.

[2010trojan]

I didn't go through and read every single reply, but the one person who said the campus is enclosed by gates is wrong. the campus is open 24/7 for anyone to walk through, but there are DPS officers EVERYWHERE on campus 24/7 so i'd say it's at least as safe as any other campus. the neighborhood is NOT the "worst in los angeles" (ever heard of Compton? Watts?), as USC is in mid-town LA (NOT south-central, as UCLA fans like to say). I wouldn't advise commuting from anywhere that requires you to take the 110 or 10 (freeways by SC) during traffic hours... downtown LA is a good choice, as the area near Staples Center is really coming alive right now, with a lot of apartments and bar/restaurants geared towards young professionals/students and those apts will be a 10 min drive MAX to campus (no freeways involved). I myself lived in an apt downtown walking distance from staples center/LA Live, a two bedroom for about 2300 a month.. i believe the prices are all around that range. unfortunately the prices are very similar around campus as well, but those houses/apts. are a lot crummier than the ones downtown. i'm sure it's been said, but just be smart and you won't have any problems.

[lavachefolle]

I didn't go through and read every single reply, but the one person who said the campus is enclosed by gates is wrong. the campus is open 24/7 for anyone to walk through

This. The administration purposefully keeps USC an open campus to "integrate" with the surrounding community.

there are DPS officers EVERYWHERE on campus 24/7

... on segways no less

[Bewildered22]

I attend UCLA undergrad, which is in Westwood, a nice part of West LA, and must agree with what everyone has said. USC's campus itself is very nice, but the area outside it is terrible. That being said, one of my good friends goes to usc law school, loves it, and says the professors are amazing. That being said, LA traffic is the worst...

[misslawyer2013]

And for the record, anyone who thinks that USC is in the worst neighborhood in LA is clearly not familiar with the various scenic neighborhoods LA has to offer...

+ 1. So VERY true.

+2

This post is almost ridiculous. Any major city is going to have a certain risk factor. Columbia is in the middle of Harlem which doesn't have the greatest reputation. Be careful and you'll be okay. When I was in LA I did not feel like this was the worse section at all; I've seen much worse. Violent Crimes are the major issue but the majority of Violent Crimes do not occur with USC students. Get a grip and don't walking around paranoid when you see a black, hispanic, drunk, handicap, or homeless person and you will be fine.

[JOThompson]

Let me preface this by saying that I've never lived in a big city and only visited LA this one time. I toured USC a couple weeks ago and thought the surrounding area was relatively safe looking. I certainly never felt in danger while through or near campus. It's certainly not as questionable as the area surrounding Loyola Marymount.

As for transportation, the admissions dean told me that a new train or something is being built across the street from the law school. I don't know when it'll be active though.

EDITED for spelling errors.