Now that I’m a senior, the college admission process seems like it was so long ago. Nonetheless, I definitely still remember how I came to make the best decision of my life – choosing to attend USC.
Early in the college application process, I I actually wasn’t sure if USC was the school for me. It’s tough for me to admit, but UCLA was actually one of my front-runners, along with UCSD and Stanford. I somewhat half-heartedly applied to USC, never really considering it as a legitimate option for where I’d end up. However, as the process moved on and I began my college visits and getting deeper into researching each school, things started to change.
First of all, I received my admission letter to USC quite a bit before the other schools. It helped that I was in the running to receive a scholarship, as those letters were sent out earlier, but either way, USC got it’s foot in the door first. The turning point for me came when I attended Explore USC. I fell in love with the campus (even though I am from SoCal, I had never really been on campus before) and the Viterbi School. The students all seemed genuinely happy to be here and this was further evidenced by the huge amount of school spirit and pride visible in the many cardinal and gold t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, etc. I also really enjoyed the flexibility USC allowed in terms of majoring and minoring in multiple disciplines because I wanted to take a few business classes as well, in hopes that one day I would get an MBA. The great athletic tradition that USC has was the icing on top of the cake. The school I attended NEEDED to have a good football program, and there aren’t too many (if any) that can consistently compete with USC.
Looking back on my decision to attend USC four years ago, I can 100% positively say that I made the right choice. I am excited to continue my education here for grad school through the Progressive Degree program, and looking forward to calling myself a “Trojan” for the rest of my life!
Can you give specifics about your experiences in the Viterbi program, the instructors, academic advisors? What is your major? Do you have a minor? Thanks
I am a Mechanical Engineering major with a minor in Consumer Behavior. I added the consumer behavior minor my freshman year because I wanted a little taste of business in case I get an MBA one day. I brought in a bunch of AP units, which helped, and my advisor was easily able to make the minor work in my schedule.
I have had nothing but positive experiences with the advisors here. They really do their best to get you the classes you need in order to graduate on time, or even ahead of time.
In terms of instructors, I can honestly say that some of the professors I’ve had over the years here are my good friends, and that they consider me a friend in addition to one of their students. Some professors are less likely to reach out to students than others, but for the most part, they are really interesting people who have some incredible things to share with us. I have spent a considerable amount of time outside of the classroom and office hours with a few professors, and it’s been great getting to know them and learn more about what kinds of research they do/how they spend their free time/etc.
Being a Mechanical Engineer here at USC has been a great experience. There have been times when I questioned being an engineer (especially when I’m up late occasionally working on a project or report), but at the end of the day, the skills I’ve gained and work I’ve produced has made it all worth it. Let me know if you have any other questions!