(Nov. 22, 2011) — “I enjoyed being in a college environment,” said senior Erica Barin on a gloomy and rainy Sunday morning as students gathered at USC for their annual Discover USC Day, an all-day event to get high school students familiarized with college life at USC. Discover USC offered a wide variety of programs for students to choose from. Students were able to sit in the Bovard Auditorium and listen to biological sciences professor Dr. Donal Manahan, along with a student panel, speak about the pre-health program, while they also enjoyed a financial aid presentation or campus tour in the next hour. Many of the different professional schools had their own student panel to give their input and experiences at USC. Barin chose to attend the Viterbi School of Engineering informational session in one of Seeley G. Mudd building’s lecture halls because she is going to major in biomedical engineering. “I’m glad to be a female in a male dominated major,” said Barin. “I’m scared about the admissions because only 400 seats are available in the engineering program.” In her informational session she heard from both directors of admissions for Viterbi and current engineering students. Throughout the many programs there was a lot of student input. Current students could be found all around campus either helping prospective students along with their parents find their next destination or speaking about their experience attending USC. One informative student panel discussed all aspects of a college life, academic and social, with their own experiences and anecdotes. Four students spoke about their transition from high school to college, the campus life and their future. Unfortunately, due to the weather conditions, Barin was only able to attend a campus tour before leaving. Luckily Barin was able to attend, unlike senior Katherine Anne Cruz, who wasn’t able to make it to campus along with many other seniors who had made a reservation. Although Cruz wasn’t able to attend Discover USC day, she is still hoping to make an appointment for a campus visit with a few of her friends. Even though many Clark students didn’t attend the open house, several students are applying to USC. Senior Christopher Allahverdian is applying because he likes the small class sizes (average class size is 26 students), the personal relationship with faculty and the numerous research opportunities. “I want to be a part of the Trojan Family,” said senior Sipan Beglaryan. The Trojan Family is a global community that consists of current students and alumni. USC students and faculty members said that Trojans care for one another, so with a global community one can always find a Trojan somewhere in the world ready to help. Barin says that while USC has always been one of her top choices because of location and prestige, visiting the campus convinced her to make her application that much better. “I can’t wait to be a Trojan.”