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Originally posted by YTNUKLR
2) The Claremont Colleges. Very cool social atmosphere-VERY! Bit small, but intimate. Harvey Mudd if you want to get very technical (think Caltech, MIT), Pitzer if you like bongs (it's not as highly regarded as the others..), Claremont McKenna is great all-around (moderately difficult to get into) and Pomona College is really good (read : tough). You may say that Claremont as a location really isn't that interesting, but college is college; I find I spend a lot more time on campus in class/hanging out than I do "out in Berkeley" or going to SF or something. Might not be so bad? I really like these schools, I have a lot of friends at Claremont Mckenna and 1 at Pitzer (yes he likes his bong a lot).
3) USC. Definitely has an image. You either must fit the image or not mind being associated with it, granted, I think the image is changing a lot (or has changed a lot since 50 years ago). USC is a pretty decent school now with a lot of generally well-rounded, intelligent people. The girls are incredible. Seriously. Did I mention the girls at USC? Anyway, yes, you will learn things at USC. The kegs are a nice touch, too. Don't ever go the hell out into L.A. at night-you will get shot or molested or something bad will happen. Last time (the only) I visited the lovely south central neighborhoods, I found a big dog with rigamortise (sp?) wrapped up in a trash bag. So, a little rain on the beer and girls parade but you can be assured that USC has the security in place to take care of its precious little inhabitants. Try not to develop ego issues if you attend. Marshall School of Business is a ticket to anywhere.
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Two completely different places. Claremont is small, USC is large. Small liberal arts colleges would be my choice, but they aren't for everyone. They are good however for those that are not pushy, as in a bigger school only the squeaky wheels get the really good opportunities.
Each of the Claremont schools has a different vibe...along with different rankings/quality. If you dig it, great. Location is hot and smoggy in the summer, but great the rest of the year. It is close enough to much of LA so that there is plenty to do. And if you're into more nature things, you're about 10 minutes from hiking and mtn biking, and 30 minutes from skiing (in season
).
Not sure about the "don't go out at night" comment re:USC. Most of the students have cars, and other than the immediate area, LA is as safe as any other city. And there is more to do here than pretty much anywhere else. USC is really a collection of schools though, and some are better than others. The reputation has grown considerably over the last 20 years, and some of the schools are among the best in the world (Cinema leading the pack). If I stay here for 15 years and vest I'll definitely suggest it to my son. If I had to pay out of pocket...I'd seriously consider other alternatives, most likely UCs.