I don’t fully remember how exactly the question was originally worded, but I know that the USC application asked some form of “Why USC” when I applied. While my answer did fill the full word limit, the two main themes of my answer were flexibility and family. Now these were my answers to “Why I’d like to choose USC”, they have stuck up pretty well for “Why I like my choice of USC”. But, all of this time later, I’d like to examine my present takes on my previous perceptions.
Flexibility
I was drawn to USC primarily because it was one of the only schools I saw that would let me study my two primary academic interests, Computer Science and Business Administration. As I looked around at schools, I would ask if it would be possible to study both of those topics and would be met with a “well….” followed by a strange, discouraging answer. When I visited USC, the answer was a resounding “Yes!”. Fast forward three years after my enrollment, I can agree that it is very possible, and I’m almost done doing it. With this program, I get a Viterbi degree while still having the opportunity to explore my business interests in the Marshall school. My Computer Science foundation is strong, while I have done a wide range of exploration through finance, accounting, economics and more. Through a few of my classes and clubs, I have even had the chance to examine how the components of my major intersect.
The piece of flexibility that I could not have imagined was just how much freedom I would have in everything outside of my major. While there are General Education requirements through a few different categories, you are left with crazy unique choices to fulfill those requirements, and even more open space to fill with classes that none of your friends at other schools could take. For my degree I have taken Cinema, Photoshop and Hacking courses, while adding on extra electives like Sailing and Surfing for some educational fun. Selecting your classes is sort of like a Choose Your Own Adventure book, where you are left with the power and responsibility to set your own course.
Family
I’m from the East Coast originally, so I can’t quite say that my “family family”, was a reason why I chose SC. Instead, what I was most excited to take advantage and contribute to was the Trojan Family. While deciding on colleges I kept on hearing about this Trojan Family but I just chalked it up to being another marketing tactic. But when I decided to come, and made my way out to LA I found out that it was indeed real. My first week in the city I wore a USC shirt to Rodeo Drive to shop, and was not only met with about 5 “Fight On!”’s in a few hours, an alum struck up a conversation with me that ended in an internship offer. I did end up taking the offer, as through the school year I developed a great relationship with a recruiter at a big tech company who also happened to be a Trojan. That relationship also left me with an internship offer.
Besides for the professional benefits, it overall just feels great to be a Trojan. The spirit on campus is incredible, especially on game days, as it is ever so evident that everyone loves the school. With underclassmen and prospective students, I can already feel the urge to contribute to that famous welcoming spirit, as it’s been shown to me from even before I committed.
I can’t imagine myself anywhere else, for the reasons I have mentioned and many, many more. As I approach graduation, I’m looking back on an incredible time as an undergrad, and towards an even more fruitful time as an alum in the Trojan Family.
