Hey all!
I still remember being a senior in high school trying to juggle sports, school work, and college applications. It is a time of stress, but anxiety to learn where you will be taking your talents next year. There are so many stories of the perfect college fit, the ideal major, or myths about how to get into colleges. While some of these methods may have yielded results for some, it by no means is a fool proof or even advantageous strategy. At an institution like USC, if there was a set standard, set person, set essay, or test score to get in, the student body would be filled with the same type of people and frankly quite boring. And this is simply not the case.
Aside from the unique and powerful Trojan Family that I joined, USC offered me a rigorous academic course load that I knew would make me competitive in industry. I wanted an education that would allow me to learn a subject in the classroom and then immediately apply it to real-life applications such as satellite design and fabrication or even furthering research. Having played Basketball in high school, I was looking for a school that had a good sports program because I felt it brought the campus together. I wanted it to be in a larger city or at least a vibrant college town so that there were activities off campus for when I became an upperclassman. Growing up in California, I enjoyed the weather and people, but wanted a change of scenery. Los Angeles and southern California in general seemed ideal.
When I visited USC, I liked what I saw. On the checklist of student organizations, majors offered, alumni networks, and sports programs, I checked off each category. However, I realized that there were many details that I had not even considered. The access to downtown Los Angeles, the coast, USC’s beautiful buildings, and nearby major engineering companies made USC all the more appealing. For these main reasons, I decided to invest in the University of Southern California. However, these are my experiences and everyone is different. I can only offer what I felt helped me so that you can potentially see similarities between us.
Yet, as I continue my time here at USC, the more I have come to appreciate my investment. It truly is a family. There are many campus wide activities such as Pre-Screenings of movies or TV shows (Game of Thrones Showing 2 weeks before airing), Football game-days that for all intents and purposes are legendary, and student organizations that are making a difference in the WORLD. At the time, as a senior in high school, I did not even look much into traveling abroad for summers, breaks, or semesters. Though, I could not believe how easy and commonplace it was to travel abroad. It is fantastic.
I hope my experience can help you in making your college decision and if you are ever wondering if USC offers a certain activity or event, please ask me!
Fight On!
Markus M.
