My Trip to USC: Part Deux

Recently I wrote flippantly about my trip to USC. In many ways (the missed flights, complete lack of sleep, etc.) I was amused by my excursion to the west coast but I also gained invaluable insight into how I chose the journalism program I will ultimately attend (which isn't USC, as I'll explain why).

Among the program's major selling points was the faculty and their demonstrated commitment to use force if necessary in beating writing fundamentals into students. I admit that I write by ear -- grammar and syntax be damned -- so having logical rules and structure to prop up my pieces would be eminently desirable. Even my roommate, a USC undergrad in the same department, spoke highly (if with a margin of frustration) about the program's emphasis on writing fundamentals.

The classes I attended also proved the instructors' credentials. One instructor explained an editorial decision he made that directly led to the current brouhaha about a presidential candidate's "bitter" comments. You may have heard of this controversy. That instructor's class centered entirely around the ethical and managerial decisions borne out of this real-life example.

Current students spoke often of the plum interning jobs available through USC's journalism department and their foreign country intern program also intrigued me despite it's unpaid status. You can't argue that USC has impressive connections in the industry and one student told me she suppressed her Bruin loyalties to join the department for exactly that reason.

I know very little about cameras, microphones, and other tools of the journalism trade but U of Southern California's technological offerings nonetheless impressed me. Every student gets their own mic and camera pack at the beginning of the year to use or abuse as they see fit. I don't think any other program gives out equipment that freely.

Sounds great right? USC stresses strong writing, detailed reporting, and offers the technology and connections to make a near-seamless transition into the journalism racket.

However, two major considerations convinced me to choose a different program.

The lesser of the two considerations was L.A itself. As much as my roots are in the west coast, Los Angeles does not appeal to me in the same way as New York City or Chicago. L.A. sprawls like a husky woman relaxing at the beach while NYC and Chicago swirl in compact eddies of activity.

I really dislike driving and NYC's subway system is hands down my favorite mode of transportation. Chicago's transit system might not be as extensive nor reliable as NY's but it still offers the convenience to traverse, study, and learn the city better than I could ever hope to do with L.A.

But even greater than my dislike of driving is my dislike for being in debt and attending USC's Journalism department would send me heavily into debt.

I don't care about being rich. I'll be attending journalism grad school so that may go without saying, but I can't justify taking on greater financial burdens in the midst of uncertain financial times. Hypothetically, I could land a lucrative job in the near future and afford to summit a mountain of debt, but I don't want to bet the house on it.

Ergo, therefore, in sum total, I won't be attending USC. They impressed me and they wowed me but the entire package wasn't exactly what I was looking for.