I figured I could give all of you incoming people some information about the timeline. I know I loved getting all the info I could.
(This is what happened last year)
The next time you will hear from us will be about the end of April. We will send you an E-vite to the second look weekend. You will then pick your three top choices for programs at USC, and at the second look weekend you will be given a tour of that program. I would recommend picking a surgery of some sort because those people got free scrubs. There will also be a big lunch out in the quad. (Those things are pretty cool. We get a HUGE one like every month or so)
The next time you will here from them would be about June 1st. They will send you packets at the start of each month with information. I forgot what information was in each packet, but one of the most important things it will deal with is housing. You will get about 6 housing sheets in the mail with people advertising housing, looking for housing, etc,etc. A lot (~70%) of people find roommates this way. You will probably be able to get a good two bedroom for about 1200-1500 tops.
Also, in one of the letters you will get a packet from Salerni (A USC alumni type association) which is basically a guide to med school. (where to live, how to study for the courses, etc)
But back to where to live. There are three main places where students live. Monterrey hills (highest concentration), South Pasadena, and Pasadena. Here are my pluses and minuses for each place.
Monterrey hills: This is a group of condos on top of a hill 3 miles north of the campus. These are the nicest apartments of the three and also the closest to the school by far. Without traffic, you can get to school in 6 minutes. Also every apartment complex has a pool, hottub, and most have a pretty good workout room. Apartments are about 1200-1500 for a two bedroom. I currently am living in a three bedroom for 1500$ (great deal). It is also the closest to downtown LA, which if you enjoy the nightlife in LA is very important. It's still a 20 minutes drive, but it is better than the other places.
The bad side to Monterey hills is that there is nothing in the immidiate area. The nearest grocery is about 4 miles away, and I have to go to Pasadena to go to the gym. Also, there are no young people who live there outside of USC students.
Pasadena and South Pas I'll lump in together. Both places are more of a housing type place. Some people rent out houses, but the apartments arn't normally in an complex, and don't have a pool or hottub normally. They are slightly less expensive than Monterrey hills, but it can take up to 25 minutes to get to school with traffic.
The good news about these places is that there is good stuff right around it. There are a few local bars, old town Pasadena, and most class events are held around this area. Some more bad news about Pasadena, is that it doesn't have a freeway to connect it to Los Angeles. So if you want to go to a club in LA or something it in, it would take you abotu 40 minutes to get to Hollywood.
So you can prolly tell where I live by this description. And I love it there. Wouldn't want to live anywhere else (staying there next year)
As for finding housing, I would recommend just waiting til the lists come out, and finding someone to live with. (Or find them at the second look weekend) Then go to those three areas, figure out what you want the most, and rent from there. One warning is that Monterrey hills apartments tend to fill up pretty fast, so you really need to find a place there by July. (If you want a phone number for a realtor who specializes in renting out Monterrey hills, just PM me) If you are from out of town, and someone else is doing the looking for you, you can't go wrong with any place in the Hills.
Ok, off to play video games. ("spring" break)
