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There were a lot of factors that went on my spreadsheet of deciding where to go to college. Academics, location, size, extracurriculars: these were just a few that I took into consideration.

As a numbers-driven person (shocking to hear from an engineering major), I liked these things. They were, more or less, quantifiable; stats were readily available for each of them. USC is among the top 30 universities nationally, according to U.S. News. Campus is located about three miles outside of downtown LA, close enough that students have access to the many attractions of southern California, but far enough away that we’re not right in the middle of the city. The university in general is large, with 21,000 undergraduates, yet the Viterbi student population is quite small, with about 3,000 undergraduates. There are more than 1,000 student organizations on campus, ranging from cultural groups to academic clubs to Greek life.

All of this information, as you can imagine, was music to my ears. Not only were there numbers I could look at, but they were numbers I liked. USC has a ranking of one of the best universities in the world, a campus that’s not too close but not too far from downtown LA, a large general population but small Viterbi population, and an abundance of things to do outside of the classroom.

All of this could only get me so far, though. Once I knew of my acceptance, I decided to visit campus.

When comparing USC to other schools I had been accepted into, I kept wishing for some kind of formula that would tell me where to go. I came to find out very quickly, though, that numbers can only get you so far when it comes to a decision like this.

Visiting USC, I felt a connection with both the campus and the community that I hadn’t felt anywhere else. This wasn’t a feeling that was quantifiable or spreadsheet-worthy; it was just a gut feeling that this was the place for me.

Sure enough, only six months after starting my journey at USC, I can confidently say that I’ve found my home for the next four years. I’ve met some of the most amazing people who I now call my friends, I’ve helped to launch a rocket to space, I’ve been taught by incredibly intelligent and driven professors, and, most importantly, I’ve realized that this is really only the beginning of my journey as a Trojan.

 

Header photo credit: USC Gould School of Law

Zoe Zlatic

Hi! I am a freshman studying Astronautical Engineering and I'm from St. Louis, Missouri. My family is small, consisting of just my two wonderful parents and my 10-pound Yorkie, Truman. I will be graduating with the class of 2028. Outside of the classroom, I'm involved with the Rocket Propulsion Lab, and I love exploring the LA area with my friends. Fight On!