university of southern California is among the top universities for its computer science program so it became an obvious choice for me. It has renowned faculty, a great curriculum, and is located in the city which is beneficial in terms of networking. Located in California, companies find it easier to interview students and also make it easier for students to find jobs.
Course Curriculum
The course curriculum is very impressive. I never knew I will appreciate studying a course in depth so much but the way the courses are structured, the assignments, the examinations, everything makes you learn the material very easily and thoroughly. You will be able to retain the studied material for a much longer time because you are forced to understand the topics instead of a rote mode of learning.
Exams
Your GRE and TOEFL scores are required for your admissions (they have started accepting IELTS in place of TOEFL as well). My GRE scores were 157 in the verbal section, 167 in the quant section, and 4.5 in writing. My TOEFL scores were 26,29,29,29 in reading, listening, speaking, and writing sections respectively.
Placement
The research opportunities at USC are great. Students can also study at another university after attending USC as great recommendations and the reputation of the university acts as a bonus on their profile. The placements are among the best because of the name of the university, its competitive admission process, and also location. Being located in California, even startups find it easy to find students and give them offers.
Internship
I have not yet opted for an internship or co-op.
Events
Campus life is the most amazing aspect of USC. The campus is located in Los Angeles, so the city itself has a lot to offer. The campus is beautiful, and the weather compliments being on campus throughout the year. There are more than 10 libraries, many of which are open 24 hours to help students with their studying and provide a quiet environment. Fun activities are organized many days of the week on campus for students to unwind and relax for eg:- movies, cookie decorating, dance workshops, and basketball matches.
Fees
The total tuition fee is approximately $66,000.
Scholarship
No, and it is difficult to get scholarships in privately funded universities such as USC.
Faculty
The faculty is good. The faculty takes a lot of interest in teaching their students and ensuring they perform well in their courses. If any student is struggling, they make sure to give them special attention, and the faculty and its team for a course are always available to students to understand any topic. They are very approachable, you can send them emails anytime or join their office hours and they are readily available to clear all your doubts.
Hostel
Masters students usually prefer to stay in rented apartments near campus. Campus housing is also located in the same area so distance is not an issue for these students. The rent is slightly higher for campus housing. Students prefer to take rented spaces of 2 or 3 bedrooms and they share the bedrooms with other students. They travel to the university on foot, or via university bus. University also provides free cab service after 7 pm for all students in a defined area around campus which is a blessing for all students as they even use it for grocery shopping, traveling to and fro campus at night, etc.
