ONE ON ONE WITH A USC STUDENT
What did you do when you first found out you got into USC?
When I found out about my acceptance to USC, I ran out of my room and downstairs to wake up my parents and tell them. We celebrated together, and then I called my sister and texted all of my best friends. It was such a weight off of my shoulders and feeling of utter happiness to have gotten into USC.
The acceptance came at such a stressful time of senior year when all of my decisions were coming in, and it was such a confidence boost and feeling of relief to get into my dream school.
What are you most excited to learn/do/experience/etc. while at USC?
I am so excited to take advantage of all of the incredible opportunities USC has to offer. I can’t wait to explore Los Angeles, travel abroad and dive into subjects that I am passionate about alongside my equally passionate peers and USC’s esteemed faculty and staff.
What is one thing you brought with you to USC that means the most to you?
There’s a small print that I have hung above my bed that really reminds me of my family. It has a heart shape in the middle, and on the left side it says “LA,” in the middle, it says “KC,” and on the right side it says “NY.” To me, this represents my family because I am living in LA, my parents live in Kansas City (where I grew up), and my sister lives right outside of New York.
The print wasn’t custom made, but it fits so well with, and it makes me happy to have a little piece of each of my family members in a simple print on my wall.
What piece of advice were you given about starting college that you’ll follow?
Everyone who has recently graduated from college or who is currently an upperclassman in college has told me to really soak in every moment. Having arrived at USC, I can see how time really will fly by here and how vital it is to take advantage of every moment living in this “happy bubble” surrounded by opportunities.
I hope that I can graduate from USC with the feeling that I spent my time here wisely and took advantage of everything possible.
What do you hope you’ll be like four years from now?
I hope that in four years from now I will be so curious about and in love with what I am studying that I will be ecstatic about starting my career. I hope that I stay in touch with my roots and values but grow in my understanding of and excitement about the world.
Margaret Schwartz is passionate about gender equality and very active in her community. The USC communication major served as Editor-in-Chief of her school paper, founder of her school’s chapter of Girl Up and a leader at the annual national summit for Girl Up.