I was very fortunate to have been invited to attend the 2-day Explore SC event and interview for USC’s Presidential Scholarship, a half-tuition merit-based scholarship. It was my first opportunity to visit USC, and as you could tell from my first impressions here, I was very impressed. Here’s a more thorough overview of my time.
DAY 1:
I woke up at the regular time, got the last-minute things ready, said good-bye to my brother, and then my mom and I went to pick up my dad at his workplace. We then headed off and arrived around 9:45.
First thoughts: H-holy crap. This place is huge.
My mom and I were pretty much in awe. And yeah, we were outright gawking as the three of us tried to find out way to the Ronald Tutoring Center. The school was so flat, and weather so sunny yet cool, the buildings so beautifully constructed. I was almost run over by 3 different bikes, but I managed to get to the Center in one piece! I got labels for my luggage, which I dropped off, then headed upstairs to find…FREE T-SHIRTS HEEHEHEHEH. Oh yeah, and registration information. BUT STILL. FREE SHIRTS.
Apparently the welcome ceremony doesn’t take place till 2:30, so until then, we could pretty much do whatever: join a tour, eat food (at our own expense), do our own walk around campus. My parents and I decided to do the Neighborhood Bus Tour first because that’s their top concern and the fact that my dad has to return to work after an hour. So we walked, got on the bus, and headed off! The staff was super friendly and I learned that USC pretty much owns…everything. Sorority and fraternity housing, apartments, a hotel, vast amounts of housing in general…the list goes on and on. There’s also a lot of renovating around campus, which includes possibly a new freshman dining hall next year! The only…bad thing is, right before the end of the tour, we saw security checking the pockets of one of the students. Yeah…bad timing…
Once the tour was over (it took 30 minutes), my parents and I went to one of the cafes to buy some food. We bought Carl’s Junior and Panda Express, which isn’t so bad! I had to eat really quickly, though, because the walking tour was about to start. I said good-bye to my parents, and took off!
The walking tour was amazing. I wish my parents were there to see the beauty of all the buildings. USC apparently has 19 libraries. NINETEEN. The Doheny Library is nine stories tall: five above round, four below. That is insane! And of course, one of the library happens to be open for 24 hours. It is also conveniently located next to the 24-hour coffee shop, haha! During the tour, we saw Doheny Library, Leavey Library, Heritage Hall…ah shoot, I need the map with me to know all the places. But I ended up seeing a lot of the campus!
After that, I went back to the Tutor Center to attend a Pre-Health information session, where I got to hear from Professor Herrera, a Pre-Health advisor (whom I forgot the name of OTL), and two Pre-Health students. The session was really just what makes the Pre-Health track more flexible than Pre-Med tracks at other schools, the special study abroad opportunities available, and an panel for questions concerning the program.
Once the session was over, I went across campus to the Gerontology Center to attend a Thematic Option info session. I went in not planning to take TO at all because of the extra workload; I went out itching for internet access so that I could sign up. It sounds like such an amazing opportunity. Small, concentrate classes centered on themes; multidisciplinary courses; extremely accessible professors and TAs; special field trips–what more could I want for a general education? Looking over the application, I still have to find some answers to the mini-essay questions. Note to self: Get things done by April 4th. My host and her floormates have given me mixed reviews on the TO program, but all of those taking it loved it.
TO was my last info session, so between 2 to 2:30, I was left with time to wander around. And so I did. And got lost. BUT! I didn’t feel lost; in fact, even though I had no idea where I was going (and looked even more like a tourist, with a map in my hands and staring at different buildings), I didn’t feel unsafe or scared. The students were extremely nice, too! Several of them stopped and asked me if I needed help.
I finally found myself in front of the Bing Theater at around 2:15–right before the Welcome Ceremony, yay! The theater, although large, was very cozy, and I ended up meeting a girl from my school district. She’s also from the AD team that kicked my butt OTL. We talked for a few minutes before the ceremony started.
The ceremony…goodness, it was nothing short of spectacular. All the regional admissions officers came up on stage and shouted out congratulations to all the students they admitted. It was a really nice surprise to hear the admissions lady who visited FVHS shout out my name in congratulations; I felt special, teehee. After that, the Director of Admissions started reading of the Quick-Takes answers of some of the applicants.
- Three words to describe yourself: Handsome, charming, and humble.
- The best invention of all time: The Common App.
- Your favorite thing to read: USC’s website.
He then mentioned something about band, and then! USC’s marching band came out of nowhere! It was such a surprise, but I loved it! They performed 3 pieces, including “Party Rock Anthem” and “Tusk.” It was a spectacular show. The band…coach? instructor? had the entire audience stand up and put their hands in V’s in support. Fantastic marketing, right there.
After the big welcome, we were all split up into our respective schools (Dornsife!). Once in the college, they passed out free backpacks and folders containing information on each student’s prospective major. It was really impressive; I didn’t think they’d go to such lengths as to tailor the folders to each student (Can you tell that I was totally being won over?). There was a presentation by Professor M—–, a bio teacher who talked about the value of education at Dornsife: of a liberal, well-rounded education, of a flexible starting point which includes possibilities of double-majoring, double-minoring, etc. Oh yeah, and they gave out free Starbucks coffee.
After the presentation, we were divided even further into Social Sciences/Humanities and Natural Science groups. I was ushered into another hall, where I heard lectures and presentations from an International Relations professor. He taught about the four view of government and equality, and had us actually do a case-study of pollution in the Ivory Coast due to weak governmental restrictions. It was really fun, and super exciting because he was speaking to us as if he were speaking to his own students: he joked, asked questions, and made us think. We then heard from students taking SS/Humanities majors in Dornsife, and heard their opinions on the school, the opportunities, the faculty. It was really informative.
And then…it was time to split up the parents and children. We were finally going to meet our hosts! My host (C——) was happened to be a Health and Humanity major! So exciting! My co-Explorer was an Art History major, so that was really interesting. C—— took us to art at Parkside’s dining area, which turned out to be quite a walk, but before that, she introduced us to her floormates. Everyone was so kind and welcoming! And apparently they were all scholarship winners. C—— was a Trustee Scholar, and I’m so happy for her.
The dinner to Parkside was super long (it was on the other side of campus), but it was worth it. USC was so beautiful at night! Even though it was dark, a lot of students were out, so I felt really safe. The food at Parkside was really good, too! C—– warned us not to get dessert, though; she would be taking us to Ground Zero to get milkshakes later.
Once we were done eating, we went back up to Birnkrant and just…talked. C—— told us about herself, her experiences with USC, her love for the school, and her Explore experience. We met more of her floormates and learned about the various majors they’re pursuing. At around 9:00, we finally went to Ground Zero.
Ground Zero was very…hipster. That’s really the only way I know how to describe it. That’s how all the USC kids describe it. Super duper dark, lots of people, but not dancing. Just talking. And milkshakes. Lots and lots of milkshakes. I ordered a Blarney Stone: Irish creme and cinnamon and vanilla. Yum. As we drank, we watched the Music students play jazz tunes; apparently that was their midterm?! Oh gosh, the pressure. They did a fantastic job, though. The atmosphere was really relaxed and soothing (strangly enough.)
We went back up to Birnkrant, and I went to shower. Public showers…but it really wasn’t that bad. The rest of the day was kind of a do-your-own-thing. C—— was doing her homework, while my co-Explorer and I were reading over our applications in preparation for the interview. Then I took out my DS and played Pokemon Pearl LMAO. And then I slept.
Day 1 complete.
DAY 2:
Woke up at 6:40. I NEVER WAKE UP THAT EARLY. I was super nervous and jittery, though; after all, the type of scholarship I receive would decide whether or note attending is even an option. I ended up rolling up my sleeping bag, pulling out my things, and went over my application and notes one more time. I found myself writing possible (general) interview questions and my answers to them. Doing so helped calm me down. At around 8:15, I changed into interview attire and got my things ready.
C—— and O—- woke up later and by 8:30, we were out to eat breakfast at EVK. The food was really good, and I tried chocolate croissants for the first time! I kept thinking about the interview though, and was getting more and more nervous. I was gradually losing my appetite by the end of it.
At 9:15, we dropped off O—-, who had her interview at 9:30. To burn some time, C—— showed me around; since she’s a tour guide, she knows about the little secrets of the school. We went into the Philosophy library (which was beautifully cozy yet spacious) and then saw a student Winter Art Exhibit. I loved looking at the conceptual art pieces, though I wished there was some sort of description so we could get some perspective from the artist.
We then went back up to Birnkrant so C—— could pick up some things for her bio lecture. I sat in on the lecture with her, which was being taught be Professor H——! Human Physiology. Even though the room could seat about 200 students, it didn’t seem so intimidating. The projection and slides are large enough, and many students had printed out the notes beforehand.
Since my interview was at 10:30, I had to leave at around 10:15. I thank C—— for all she’s done, and quietly left. The wait for the interview was nerve-wracking! I couldn’t stop squirming in my seat, and got even more nervous when I wasn’t called in on time. Finally, at 10:30, Mr. U—- called me into a room with a Classics professor and an IR senior. I then remembered that Mr. U—- was the one I emailed long ago about the Health and Humanity major.
The interview started easily enough. They asked me to talk about myself and my school. They then asked to elaborate some of my answers to the Quick Takes section: why I think the video camera is the best invention of all time, why my favorite movie is “Rush Hour 2” (and not its prequel), stuff like that. I somehow got into talking about blogging, and then the Classics professor just grilled me. He started asking for my opinions and thoughts about the ethics of blogging’s potential to be an instrument for bullying, and how I would go about solving. At first I thought he meant just students, but then he expanded it to the entire population. Yeah, I failed. I struggled with the question for a moment, giving out quick thoughts before apologizing and letting him know that I couldn’t answer the question. He was kind and told me it’s alright. Way to go, Pauline.
The IR student then talked about my essay, and I just ran with that topic. Didn’t even let her finish her question LOL. I talked about my process writing it and how good it felt to let out those feelings. She then asked about what I meant by the statement “I want to spread out my wings…” I told her how I wanted to study the major I want to study, study abroad, and be independent for a while. Mr. U—- then asked “Why USC?” I talked about the flexibilities with the curriculum, the major, the club opportunities, how human the professors were in comparison with those in the MIT videos, how comfortable I was there even though I got lost HAHA. He then asked me to describe a health concern in today’s society, and what I would do to go about it.
And then it was my turn. I asked about what makes USC’s Health and Humanity’s major stand out in comparison to UCLA’s Psychobiology and Cornell’s Human, Health, and Society majors. Mr. U—- said that HAHM is a lot more flexible in that one can choose a Group Module to focus on: for example, I would probably choose Mental and Global Health, due to my passion for psychiatry and desire to be a part of Doctors without Borders. They then talked about how safe USC is, and that my worries are needless. It was very comforting to have my questions answered so thoroughly.
Then, the interview was over. I handed in an updated copy of my Activity Sheet to the Admissions and Aid office, picked up my luggage, and walked around campus waiting for my parents to pick me up. I missed out on the lunch at Town and Gown, but eh, no biggie. I was sad to leave though, haha; I felt really comfortable there.
Once at home, I emailed the interviewers and thank them. I also updated Mr. U—- about my NMF status, which I had debated about, but then felt that it would be the correct thing to do.
And so now, I’m desperately praying–not only that I get the scholarship, but that I get “bumped up” the scholarship I would need to attend. I have around a 20%; it doesn’t hurt to hope, right?
