USC
USC's University Park campus sits just south of downtown LA, all cardinal-and-gold brick and palm trees under near-permanent sunshine. Tommy Trojan guards the center, everyone throws the two-finger 'Fight On,' and first-years live in residential colleges — the newest clustered in the 2017 USC Village, a Collegiate Gothic mini-town with its own Trader Joe's. Downtown, the beaches, and the Coliseum are all minutes out.
What to wear in Los Angeles, month by month
This corner of the country breaks every generic packing list. It is not about surviving cold — it is about staying dry through a long gray winter and a famously short, beautiful summer.
| Move-in (Aug) | 65–86°F | Warm, dry, and bright — classic LA August, with the odd Santa Ana spiking it into the 90s. The air-conditioned buildings earn their keep. |
| Sept–Oct | 60–86°F | Often the hottest stretch of the year — Santa Ana winds push September and October into the high 80s and 90s before it eases. |
| Nov–Dec | 48–73°F | Mild and sunny with cooler nights — shorts most afternoons, a jacket after dark, and the season's first real rain. |
| Jan–Feb | 47–68°F | LA 'winter' — the rainy season, cool mornings, and plenty of 65-and-sunny days. A light jacket, never a parka. |
| Mar–May | 50–75°F | Warming spring — 'May gray' marine-layer mornings burn off to bright, dry afternoons. |
What USC lets you bring
- A fan — the older halls and towers (Birnkrant, New North, Marks, Pardee) have no central A/C, and September is often the hottest stretch of the year
- Sun protection — the LA sun is relentless year-round, so a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses are load-bearing
- Twin XL bedding (confirm your specific hall)
- UL/ETL power strip with a built-in circuit breaker — not a bare extension cord
- Damage-free wall hangings like Command strips — no nails or screws
- Low-draw LED desk and task lamps
- A fan, a reusable water bottle, and UL-listed electronics
- Open-coil / open-flame cooking: toasters, toaster ovens, air fryers, hot plates, electric grills, sandwich makers
- Candles, incense, wax warmers, and anything with an open flame
- Halogen lamps
- Extension cords without a breaker; outlet splitters and multi-plug adapters
- Space heaters and personal A/C units (unless your school provides/approves them)
- Hoverboards, e-scooters, e-bikes, and other e-mobility devices
- Weapons of any kind — including decorative — and fireworks
- Pets — only fish in a tank of 10 gallons or smaller are allowed
- Your own window or portable A/C unit — you can't install one, so pick an air-conditioned building if you need it
- Cooking appliances in rooms without kitchens — hot plates, toaster ovens, rice cookers, and the like are out
- Extra furniture — every room is fully furnished, and Housing asks you not to bring your own
These come from USC's official housing pages and cover the essentials plus the genuinely local rules. Double-check the current official guidance before you buy — policies and renovations change every year.
Getting your room at USC
- 01As soon as you deposit
Apply for housing
USC housing runs on an application, not a lottery — first-years aren't guaranteed a specific building, so applying the day the portal opens shapes where you land. Rank the residential colleges and flag the air-conditioned ones.
- 02Summer
Assignment posts
Building, room, roommate, and your USC address arrive over the summer through the housing portal.
- 03Mid-August
Move in + Welcome Week
Move-in runs in 30-minute time slots (7 a.m.–6 p.m.) on one August day — LA traffic is real, so honor your slot. Welcome Week and convocation follow before classes start.
Where you'll live at USC
USC Village & the suite colleges
USC houses first-years in residential colleges — living-learning communities with faculty-in-residence, weekly themed dinners, and RAs on every floor. The USC Village and Parkside colleges are the newer, air-conditioned, suite-style option.
The visual center of USC Village — a Collegiate Gothic clock tower over air-conditioned suites for first-year honors scholars, with a dining hall, Trader Joe's, and Target downstairs.
A suite-style college of nearly 450 first-years drawn to the arts and humanities, just west of the main campus.
The largest Parkside college — suite-style living with a strong international community and a cultural, creative bent.
The residence halls & towers
The classic residence halls and high-rise towers put first-years in traditional corridor rooms at the heart of University Park. Older, mostly without central A/C — this is where the fan pays off.
An eight-story campus landmark famous for its open-door floors — traditional corridors, shared baths, and big social energy.
Four traditional halls (EVK, College, Harris, and University) with a dynamic social-and-academic mix, steps from campus dining.
The traditional first-year towers — Marks and Pardee (South) and Webb (West) — high-rise corridors with skyline and campus views.
The USC move-in checklist
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Bedding6
Bath5
Laundry4
Storage & organization6
Desk & study4
Electronics6
Cleaning5
Kitchen — within the rules5
Health & meds4
Clothing — see the seasonal guide7
Move-in day go-bag5
Los Angeles logistics, sorted
How to send a package to a USC student
USC [Residential College / Building]
[Room Assignment #]
[Building Street Address]
Los Angeles, CA 90089
Tommy Trojan, Traveler & 'Fight On'
The $700-million USC Village
Los Angeles & around
Exposition Park
Across the street: the Natural History Museum, the California Science Center (with the Space Shuttle Endeavour), rose gardens, the LA Memorial Coliseum, and BMO Stadium.
USC Village
The on-campus plaza — Trader Joe's, Target, an Amazon store, and cafes, all a walk from the residential colleges.
DTLA & the Arts District
A couple of miles north via Metro or bike: Grand Central Market, The Broad, Disney Hall, and the warehouse cafes of the Arts District.
Santa Monica & Venice
The Pacific is thirty to forty-five minutes west, traffic depending — the classic weekend reset.
Where to stay near USC
USC Hotel
Figueroa StUSC's own hotel, right across from campus and a three-minute walk to the Coliseum — the obvious parents' pick.
Hotel Figueroa
DTLAThe landmark 1920s hotel downtown, a short drive north — style, a rooftop pool, and the DTLA scene at the door.
The DTLA hotels
DowntownDowntown LA's cluster of chain and boutique hotels adds deep inventory a few minutes north of campus.
USC gear & gifts
USC — links & contacts
- USC Housing: Visit page