A Comprehensive Review of USC Dorms: Finding Your Perfect Fit
Choosing where to live at the University of Southern California (USC) is a significant decision, especially for incoming freshmen. With a variety of housing options available, ranging from traditional dorms to apartment-style living, understanding the unique characteristics of each residence hall is crucial. This article provides an in-depth review of several USC dorms, highlighting their pros and cons to help you find the perfect fit for your needs and preferences.
Traditional Residential Halls
Traditional residence halls offer a classic college experience, characterized by shared rooms and communal spaces that foster a strong sense of community.
Birnkrant Residential College
Located on McCarthy Quad, in the heart of campus near Leavey Library and Everybody’s Kitchen, Birnkrant is known for its central location and community feel. Described by some as "eight floors of open doors," Birnkrant encourages interaction among residents.
Pros:
- Central Location: Close proximity to McCarthy Quad, Leavey Library, Everybody’s Kitchen, and Starbucks.
- Community Building: Encourages interaction among residents due to shared rooms and communal spaces.
- Floor Events: RAs organize floor events like sports days, resume-review sessions, and movie nights.
Cons:
- Communal Bathrooms: Shared restrooms with limited showers.
- No Air Conditioning: Can get hot, especially during warmer months.
- No Kitchen: Relies on the mandatory meal plan, with access to a microwave and mini-fridge.
- Older Building: Built in the 60's, with small study rooms and questionable electricity at times.
- Reputation: Some consider the culture/environment to be "boring".
Birnkrant is a fine place to live and is a good option for students looking for a traditional dorm experience and who value community and a central location.
New North Residential College
Situated next to Birnkrant, also near the center of campus, New North has a reputation as a social hub, though perhaps not in the way that appeals to everyone.
Read also: Living on Campus at EMU
Pros:
- Central Location: Close proximity to the center of campus.
Cons:
- Party Atmosphere: Known for partying, which can lead to noise and disruptions.
- Messy Bathrooms: Shared restrooms can be less clean due to the party culture.
- Loud Weekends: Can be disruptive for those who prefer a quieter environment.
New North may be a good fit for students who enjoy partying and a lively social scene.
Suite-Style Housing
Suite-style dorms offer a balance between community and privacy, with shared common areas and bathrooms among a smaller group of residents.
Fluor Tower
Located above the Cafe 84 Starbucks, close to the cinema school and the USC Village, Fluor Tower offers suite-style living.
Pros:
- Suite-Style Living: Great way to meet people and form close friendships.
- Spacious Rooms: Offers spacious rooms.
- Air Conditioning: Equipped with air conditioning.
- Chill RAs: Features chill Resident Assistants.
- Shared Bathrooms: Bathrooms are shared with a few suitemates.
Cons:
- Less Social: May be less social compared to other dorms with a more distinct culture.
Parkside Arts and Humanities Residential College
Located on the south side of campus, Parkside Arts and Humanities Residential College (Parkside A&H) offers a suite-style living experience with a focus on arts and humanities.
Pros:
- Suite-Style Living: Bathrooms are shared with 3-4 people.
- Cleaned Bathrooms: Housing comes in to clean.
- Close to Parkside Dining Hall: Conveniently located next to the best dining hall.
- Decent Amenities: Offers decent amenities.
- Safe Location: Feels like a safe location.
- Spacious Rooms: The rooms were spacious.
- AC: AC worked a little too well during the summer AND winter.
- Nice Desks: The desks were nice.
Cons:
- Location: Far from most classes, requiring extra travel time.
- "Parkside Darkside": Has a reputation for residents keeping to themselves.
- Laundry Facilities: The laundry facilities are gross.
- Expensive Laundry: $2 per load, $1 for drying.
- Study Rooms: Study rooms are really nice but can get noisy.
- Limited Sunlight: Wish that there was more sunlight coming into my room.
- Guest Policy: Only check in 2 guests per person.
Parkside A&H may be a good fit for students who appreciate a quieter environment and are involved in arts and humanities.
Read also: All About Freshman Dorms at BU
Parkside International Residential College
Parkside International Residential College (IRC) offers a unique suite-style living experience, particularly beneficial for students interested in STEM fields.
Pros:
- Suite-Style Living: Shared bathrooms with a small number of suitemates.
- WISE Floor: Offers a Women in STEM and Engineering (WISE) floor for connecting with like-minded individuals.
- Quiet Environment: Provides a quiet place to sleep or study.
Cons:
- Location: Located on the south side of campus, requiring extra travel time to other parts of campus.
- Lack of Kitchen: No kitchen facilities available.
- Not Very Social: May not be the best option for those seeking a highly social dorm environment.
Cale and Irani Residential College
Located in the USC Village on top of the gym, Cale and Irani offer apartment-style living for sophomores and freshmen.
Pros:
- Modern Amenities: Up-to-date, renovated, and offers great amenities like laundry room per floor, balcony/outdoor common area, AC, and great plumbing.
- Convenient Location: A very good location right next to campus and offers an indoor bike garage!
- Spacious Rooms: The 6 person is very nice, tons of room and storage.
Cons:
- Social Scene: Personally I wouldn’t recommend living here freshman year because it’s harder to make friends than a traditional dorm.
- Loft: The loft isn’t great, it’s tiny and has very little storage space (but at least it’s cheap).
Cowlings and Ilium Residential College
Cowlings and Ilium offer a suite-style living arrangement with high-quality furniture and a convenient location.
Pros:
- Excellent Location: Cannot beat the location.
- New and Well-Maintained: The building is new and well maintained.
- Thick Walls: The walls are pretty thick, I never had any problems with noise.
- Clean Lounges: Lounges are clean and useful.
- High-Quality Furniture: The furniture is high quality.
Cons:
- Small Kitchen: The kitchen is a little small but big enough to share.
- Room Layouts: One of the rooms is long and skinny while the other is box shaped which is kind of weird.
- Microwave: You need to purchase a microwave.
Apartment-Style Housing
Apartment-style living offers more independence and privacy, with private bathrooms, kitchens, and living rooms.
Webb Tower
Located on the north end of campus, Webb Tower provides apartment-style living with spacious rooms and excellent views.
Read also: UWM Dorms: An Overview
Pros:
- Apartment Style: Private bathrooms, kitchens, and living rooms.
- Spacious Rooms: Offers fairly spacious living rooms.
- Great Views: Higher floors offer great views.
- Proximity to Lyon Center: Close to the Lyon Center (gym) and the Village.
- AC and Heating: Has AC and heat in the apartment.
Cons:
- Location: Far from most classes and other freshman dorms.
- Not Social: Less social compared to traditional residence halls.
- Lack of Microwaves: Kitchens do not come with microwaves.
- The Atmosphere and Social Scene: Apartments at Webb tend to stay closed, and hallways are quiet.
Webb Tower is a good option for students who value privacy and independence.
McCarthy Honors Residential College
Located in the USC Village, McCarthy Honors Residential College is exclusively for freshman honors students and offers modern amenities and a unique living experience.
Pros:
- Modern Amenities: Up-to-date, renovated, and offers great amenities like laundry room per floor, balcony/outdoor common area, AC, and great plumbing.
- Spacious Rooms: The double room was really spacious, but not as big as the 2 bedroom 2 bathroom- those rooms are huge.
- Nice Bathrooms: Bathroom is very nice with a tub shower.
- Clean Lounges: Lounges are always clean and nicely kept.
- Thick Walls: Walls are thick so you can’t hear what’s going on in other rooms.
Cons:
- Potential RA Roommate: If you choose the three person you may end up living with the RA as they could have the single room.
- Thin Walls: Also the walls between the double and single are kind of thin so be considerate.
- Reputation: Some people view “McCarthy kids” as stuck-up, pretentious, hyper-intellectual, and boastful.
Nemirovsky and Bohnett Residential College
Located in the USC Village, Nemirovsky and Bohnett (Nembo) is highly regarded for its convenient location and spacious rooms.
Pros:
- Prime Location: Closest to the main entrance of campus, Trader Joe's, and Target.
- Spacious Rooms: The 6P rooms are spacious, with ample storage.
- Functional Layout: Well-designed layout with a large pantry area and loftable beds.
- Great Views: Rooms ending in “118” and “120” offer the best views of downtown.
Cons:
- Courtyard Views: Most 6P rooms have inside courtyard views, resulting in less natural light.
- No Microwave or TV: Not provided in the rooms.
Troy Hall
Located a block away from the Frat row, Troy Hall is intended for Graduate students but they allocate a whole floor for upperclassmen.
Pros:
- Courtyard & Conference Room: A courtyard, conference room.
- Free Parking: There is free parking.
- Good balance of quiet and social: It's a good balance of quiet and social which I like.
- Location: It's super close to everything; Blue Line Metro (Downtown LA - Santa Monica), USC Village, Target, Trader Joe's, USC Caruso Center, Galen Center.
Cons:
- Not located inside the campus: It's not located inside the campus but the convenience of this location is something that I appreciate a lot while staying there.
- USC rule: USC has this rule that you should change living space every year.
McMorrow Residential College
Like all rooms in the Village it is up to date, renovated and offers great amenities like laundry room per floor, balcony/outdoor common area, AC, and great plumbing.
Pros:
- Modern Amenities: Up-to-date, renovated, and offers great amenities like laundry room per floor, balcony/outdoor common area, AC, and great plumbing.
- Small Community: I appreciates the small community.
- Study Lounges: Easily accessible study lounges where u could hook up your laptop to the TV’s.
- Location: It’s a very good location right next to campus and offers an indoor bike garage!
Cons:
- Laundry machines disconnecting: My semesters, the laundry machines kept disconnecting leaving the whole building to what one laundry room for 2 weeks.
Additional Factors to Consider
- Special Interest Communities: Certain USC Housing buildings have “Special Interest Communities,” which include the APIDA Leaders floor, the Latinx floor, the Honors community, and the Rainbow community.
- Roommate Selection: USC housing happens on a first-come, first-serve basis. You can apply for housing as soon as you are admitted to the university. There are three ways to get a roommate.
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