University of Southern California move-in checklist
Los Angeles is hot and dry through August and September — move-in week regularly hits 90°F+. Mild, mostly dry winters.
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Things USC doesn't put in the brochure.
- USCard pickup typically happens during move-in week — bring your photo ID and confirmation email so you can get into your building and dining halls day one.
- Most classic freshman halls (Birnkrant, New North, Marks, Pardee, Trojan) do not have central AC, and LA move-in week can hit 90°F+ — a sturdy fan is mandatory.
- Cooking appliances (microwaves, hot plates, coffee makers) are banned in traditional dorm rooms but allowed in suite/apartment kitchens — confirm your building type before shipping.
- USC sits in University Park; bring a sturdy bike lock or invest in a scooter — campus and surrounding errands are bike/scooter friendly and DPS recommends U-locks specifically.
- Twin XL is the default — even in the older halls — so buy XL sheets, not standard twin.
Halls at USC
Classic eight-story freshman hall on McCarthy Quad with community bathrooms and no AC — bring a fan.
Four connected classic halls (EVK, Harris, College, University) — traditional doubles, communal baths, social atmosphere.
Older South Residential College tower with long-corridor doubles and shared bathrooms — quieter, less central.
Eight-floor coed tower with single-sex floors, ~18 doubles per floor, one shared bathroom per floor.
Traditional South Residential College hall, mostly doubles with communal bathrooms — among the oldest freshman housing.
Centrally air-conditioned 14-story tower with apartment-style suites for upper-class and some first-year residents.
Suite-style tower with 8-person suites, doubles, and AC — popular alternative to the classic halls.
Modern honors suite-style residence with AC, in-suite bathrooms, and shared common rooms.
Suite-style first-year residence at Parkside with AC and a courtyard layout.
Banned at USC
- Candles and incense
- Open-flame devices
- Halogen lamps
- Hot plates
- Toaster ovens
- Microwaves (outside kitchens)
- Coffee makers (outside kitchens)
- Rice cookers
- Barbecues
- Hoverboards
- Portable AC units
- Space heaters
- Daisy-chained power strips