I need some serious input...anything would be great.
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Not quite sure what you are asking. I live in Southern California and went to the University of Southern California. Happy to help, but, what's the question?
Input on USC and their program...
Well USC is agruably the King of the CWS with 12 national championsips, far more than any other school. Last championship came about a decade ago though and past few years the program has had limited success, especially in the always tough Pac-10 conference.
USC recruits nationally, although its roster is typically VERY VERY heavy with Southern California kids.
Other than pitching coach Dave Lawn, the rest of the staff is brand new, with new head Coach Chad Kreuter, who is a former MLB player and son-in-law of previous coach Mike Gillespie who just stepped down after about 20 years at the helm. Before Gillespie was the legendary Rod Dedeaux.
Jury is still out on Coach Kreuter, but I hear positive things through the grape-vine. Inital grumbles were that search wasn't made for Gillespie's successor and that school just went for the easy "fix" with the son-in-law Kreuter, but I've got NO idea how true any of that is, although no search was sorta odd.
USC usually competes in recruiting with the likes of Stanford, UCLA and major league baseball. Typically USC battles for its top recruits with the pro-draft.
See very, very, very few walk-ons at SC, they attract and rarely settle for less than the top echelon recruits. Of late SC has had a little difficulty in that its academic standards and requirements have sky rocketed in recent years and a few players have not been able to gain admission or have shyed away or transferred from the program due to there being a little more higher academic standard than in the past.
Other than the last couple years, the team is usually in the hunt for the Pac-10 title and a NCAA tournament berth, but the pac-10 is tough from top to bottom and there are a tremendous number of other top west coast schools (Fullerton, Pepperdine, Long Beach St. etc. etc.) so those tournament berths are getting tough to come by.
In any event, as I mentioned, the last few years under Coach Gillespie were kinda tough (ending last season losing 19 of their last 22 games). But USC has been a perennial baseball power, with little problem recruiting who they want and I would believe the program will be back on the upswing soon enough.
Facilities are first rate. School is a "NIKE" school with Nike equipment, uniforms etc. flowing like water. Games get 500 to 1000 fans with sellouts of about 2000 for ucla and Stanford games typically.
USC is a very urban campus (sort just blends into the rest of Los Angeles, certainly not a college town type of enviorment). I think it's biggest short coming is very poor amount and quality of campus housing, but most everything else about the school is otherwise pretty first rate.
Any other specific question, happy to help if I can.
USC recruits nationally, although its roster is typically VERY VERY heavy with Southern California kids.
Other than pitching coach Dave Lawn, the rest of the staff is brand new, with new head Coach Chad Kreuter, who is a former MLB player and son-in-law of previous coach Mike Gillespie who just stepped down after about 20 years at the helm. Before Gillespie was the legendary Rod Dedeaux.
Jury is still out on Coach Kreuter, but I hear positive things through the grape-vine. Inital grumbles were that search wasn't made for Gillespie's successor and that school just went for the easy "fix" with the son-in-law Kreuter, but I've got NO idea how true any of that is, although no search was sorta odd.
USC usually competes in recruiting with the likes of Stanford, UCLA and major league baseball. Typically USC battles for its top recruits with the pro-draft.
See very, very, very few walk-ons at SC, they attract and rarely settle for less than the top echelon recruits. Of late SC has had a little difficulty in that its academic standards and requirements have sky rocketed in recent years and a few players have not been able to gain admission or have shyed away or transferred from the program due to there being a little more higher academic standard than in the past.
Other than the last couple years, the team is usually in the hunt for the Pac-10 title and a NCAA tournament berth, but the pac-10 is tough from top to bottom and there are a tremendous number of other top west coast schools (Fullerton, Pepperdine, Long Beach St. etc. etc.) so those tournament berths are getting tough to come by.
In any event, as I mentioned, the last few years under Coach Gillespie were kinda tough (ending last season losing 19 of their last 22 games). But USC has been a perennial baseball power, with little problem recruiting who they want and I would believe the program will be back on the upswing soon enough.
Facilities are first rate. School is a "NIKE" school with Nike equipment, uniforms etc. flowing like water. Games get 500 to 1000 fans with sellouts of about 2000 for ucla and Stanford games typically.
USC is a very urban campus (sort just blends into the rest of Los Angeles, certainly not a college town type of enviorment). I think it's biggest short coming is very poor amount and quality of campus housing, but most everything else about the school is otherwise pretty first rate.
Any other specific question, happy to help if I can.
Great synopsis, HeyBatter. What do you think of USC for a young lady? My daughter is interested. How about the neighborhood in that regard?
You really have to look at all of Los Angeles as the "neighborhood" for USC. The campus is very nice, as I mentioned, the on campus housing is very limited and USC has a very large "commuter" population. the Greek system is pretty strong and other than football game days, the "greeks" provide alot of the "social scene" at the school.
The immediate neighborhood around SC is not dramatically unsafe, but you'd best not venture too far away, especially at night. There is a big revitalization going on around USC. Just north of Campus is the Staples Center (lakers/Clippers, etc.) and immediatley adjacant to campus is the new Galen event center for uSC basketball, volleyball, concerts etc. Both border on Figueroa Avenue and efforts are being made to make sort of a sports/entertainment/hotel corridor on Figueroa from Staples to USC and hopefully to add housing, but that's just all starting or in planning/hoping stage.
I think as an SC student you're going to find most of your fun and activities traveling around Los Angeles/SoCal. There are certainly events on campus, sports, theatre etc. but, again, with limited on campus housing there is not a huge community type feel and weekends, other than football weekends can get pretty quiet around school.
I went to USC MANY moons ago. Academic standards are much higher (I doubt that they'd have me now), but I don't think things in general have changed alot. Again, pretty big greek system presence, limited on campus housing and limited around campus and students live immediatley next to campus or, if not, then they are all over LA and thus a pretty big commuter presence.
My personal taste is more of a college town type atmosphere, which isn't LA, but being from here I don't have the same perspective of someone from out of the area who may well find a figurative (and literal) Disneyland out of all that LA has to offer.
At the bottomline I wouldn't be scared off by the "reputation" of it being in a tough neighborhood. There's no reason for students to be in these "rougher" areas, there are no attractions of any sort there and USC does strive to keep good relations, participate in community activities, help with building parks, tutoring at schools, etc. and the campus itself, fraternity row, etc. are extremely safe.
Most of my kid's friends that are now students there like it alot, I don't think by small coincidence all of 'em are in fraternities/sororities, which if you are from out of state/out of SoCal, I think is very helpful/beneficial.
Bottomline, definitely a school to consider. Professional schools are tremendous as are most undgergrad departments and SC alumni network is amazing. And you get the horse mascot and all those Rose Bowl games to boot.
The immediate neighborhood around SC is not dramatically unsafe, but you'd best not venture too far away, especially at night. There is a big revitalization going on around USC. Just north of Campus is the Staples Center (lakers/Clippers, etc.) and immediatley adjacant to campus is the new Galen event center for uSC basketball, volleyball, concerts etc. Both border on Figueroa Avenue and efforts are being made to make sort of a sports/entertainment/hotel corridor on Figueroa from Staples to USC and hopefully to add housing, but that's just all starting or in planning/hoping stage.
I think as an SC student you're going to find most of your fun and activities traveling around Los Angeles/SoCal. There are certainly events on campus, sports, theatre etc. but, again, with limited on campus housing there is not a huge community type feel and weekends, other than football weekends can get pretty quiet around school.
I went to USC MANY moons ago. Academic standards are much higher (I doubt that they'd have me now), but I don't think things in general have changed alot. Again, pretty big greek system presence, limited on campus housing and limited around campus and students live immediatley next to campus or, if not, then they are all over LA and thus a pretty big commuter presence.
My personal taste is more of a college town type atmosphere, which isn't LA, but being from here I don't have the same perspective of someone from out of the area who may well find a figurative (and literal) Disneyland out of all that LA has to offer.
At the bottomline I wouldn't be scared off by the "reputation" of it being in a tough neighborhood. There's no reason for students to be in these "rougher" areas, there are no attractions of any sort there and USC does strive to keep good relations, participate in community activities, help with building parks, tutoring at schools, etc. and the campus itself, fraternity row, etc. are extremely safe.
Most of my kid's friends that are now students there like it alot, I don't think by small coincidence all of 'em are in fraternities/sororities, which if you are from out of state/out of SoCal, I think is very helpful/beneficial.
Bottomline, definitely a school to consider. Professional schools are tremendous as are most undgergrad departments and SC alumni network is amazing. And you get the horse mascot and all those Rose Bowl games to boot.
I am also a grad of USC (a long time ago). HeyBatter was right on!!
USC is a great place to be an undergrad. However, the point that HB makes about fraternities/sororities is very accurate. Once you get through your freshman/sophomore years housing is scarce. Those that are in the frat/sorority system seem to be more connected.
Would I send my kids to USC. Yes, in a heartbeat, however, it has become so competitive, that neither they nor I (if I had to do it again) could get in.
When you go to the school, remember to flush twice because it is a long way to UCLA.
USC is a great place to be an undergrad. However, the point that HB makes about fraternities/sororities is very accurate. Once you get through your freshman/sophomore years housing is scarce. Those that are in the frat/sorority system seem to be more connected.
Would I send my kids to USC. Yes, in a heartbeat, however, it has become so competitive, that neither they nor I (if I had to do it again) could get in.
When you go to the school, remember to flush twice because it is a long way to UCLA.
ILVBB ...
Now that is funny ... I love the rivalry between the two schools. Too too funny.
quote:When you go to the school, remember to flush twice because it is a long way to UCLA.
Now that is funny ... I love the rivalry between the two schools. Too too funny.
ILVBB- do you think that flushing trick will work? Have they finally installed indoor plumbing at ucla? 
Hey Jemaz - My daughter is a Junior at SC, and it could not have been a better decision for her. Small classes, excellent professors, great social scene, VERY good connections in LA, lots of scholarship/grant money available. You just have to be smart to get in as their average SAT score and gpa is as high or higher than Cal's (and I went to Cal). One more thing - my daughter and all her friends are very proud of their school - both academically and athletically. They are kids with goals. That really tells you something.
SC is situated right next to the Harbor Freeway, the Coliseum and Watts. Student housing off-campus is a little dicey, but the campus is well patrolled, and the frat-sorority scene is vibrant. As with anywhere else, you have to be careful.
Baseball takes a decidedly back seat to football, which rules that campus. Baseball does have excellent facilities, and they get top recruits, if not top results. Robert Stock is a good example. But as previous posters have stated, the southern part of Ca. is a tough place to play and their baseball program has struggled over the last couple of years. Believe me, though, they do not accept mediocrity there and it will improve or changes will be made.
SC is situated right next to the Harbor Freeway, the Coliseum and Watts. Student housing off-campus is a little dicey, but the campus is well patrolled, and the frat-sorority scene is vibrant. As with anywhere else, you have to be careful.
Baseball takes a decidedly back seat to football, which rules that campus. Baseball does have excellent facilities, and they get top recruits, if not top results. Robert Stock is a good example. But as previous posters have stated, the southern part of Ca. is a tough place to play and their baseball program has struggled over the last couple of years. Believe me, though, they do not accept mediocrity there and it will improve or changes will be made.
brod:
Thanks for the input. And thanks to everyone else as well. I will show this to my daugther, who has some tough choices to make. I'm sure it will help in her decisions.
Thanks for the input. And thanks to everyone else as well. I will show this to my daugther, who has some tough choices to make. I'm sure it will help in her decisions.
Not the biggest deal, but since interest was expressed about USC's location, the comment above that USC is next to Watts is a bit of a stretch. Watts is significantly south of USC and on the other side (east of) the Harbor Freeway and you'd have to make an effort to get there.
