Why I Chose USC

Great engineering school, school spirit, beautiful weather, interesting city life and diverse student population were just some of the reasons I chose USC. Deciding which college to attend was one of the hardest, and most important decisions I have had to make in my life. That being said, I could not be happier with my choice to join the Trojan family.

Growing up only in Austin, I realized that I wanted to attend school outside of Texas to experience a completely new atmosphere. I also knew that I wanted to pursue a major in civil engineering after attending a women in engineering summer camp during high school. And so I began to narrow my college search. After quite a bit of research, I narrowed my top choices down to Purdue, Michigan, USC and UCSD. I waited until after I was admitted to these universities to visit them. I really liked both Purdue and Michigan, however it was negative 15 degrees windchill when I visited both campuses – just a little cold for my taste. I then traveled out to California for the first time and visited UCSD. I was also impressed with UCSD which made it a close tie between the three schools (the weather was the deciding factor). But then I visited USC’s campus on Admitted Student Day and it blew all of the other schools out of the water.

First time on campus at Tommy Trojan!

After touring the campus, hearing tusk from the Trojan marching band and meeting prospective students, both my parents and I fell in love with USC and the Trojan family. USC had both the challenging academic component I was looking for, and a diverse student body – both of which were very important to my college decision. During my visit, I saw that USC students did not only come from all over the world and study a wide range of majors, but they were also involved in many different disciplines on campus. Everyone was so cheerful and full of Trojan spirit, it was actually contagious. A few days later, I accepted my admission to USC.

I was so impressed with USC on Admitted Students Day and after three years I have to say that I have only become more impressed with USC and the students. USC has challenged me in so many more ways than just academically. I am so thankful to be a part of the Trojan family!