University of South Carolina Recruitment 2013
 

My daughter has two friends going through Recruitment at USC. I'm curious if anyone has experience with their Recruitment process. It sounds much more laid back than most SEC schools.

My daughter is currently going through the process at USC. Today is the 2nd half of Round 1. While it is a little more laid back than most other SEC schools, it is still a very competitive process. This year there were 1583 girls registered----the most ever---for recruitment at USC. There are 11 houses; Alpha Gamma Delta is the newest chapter and is participating in formal recruitment for the first time. Phi Mu has a newer chapter as well (est. in 2009 I believe) as well as Gamma Phi Beta. (I am mentioning real names of the groups only for information!!!)

The recruitment period is longer than most schools, which I'm thinking so far, is a good thing. They'll break for the weekend while the other on-campus students move in on Saturday, then have Convocation on Sunday. Second round is Monday & Tuesday, third round on Wednesday. Classes begin on Thursday. Prefs are on Saturday and Bid Day Sunday. USC also promotes a big welcome week schedule from this Saturday until classes begin. I like this because the girls are not just consumed with recruitment as at some schools and there is a halt to activities for, of all things, classes!!!

Pledge classes for last year were around 111. Pretty big groups.

They have strict requirements for the girls as well....specifically no running around partying in the evening and in particular at frat houses. An infraction will result in being removed from recruitment. Now, I'm not that naive to believe that all 1500 will follow that rule, but in theory love the thought behind it.

I too would like to hear from any others out there who have had experience with the process at USC.

I saw some of your posts on the UGA thread....my oldest daughter is now a senior there and, while she would have LOVED the opportunity to have been a part of greek life, unfortunately she was released after 3rd round. She did go through her sophmore year and once again, was released. So despite being Dean's list first term, President's List second, all the other accolades, etc., met/hung out with sorority girls, etc. to make additional friends and have advocates on the other side, it just wasn't meant to be. I say this because UGA, despite having 17 sororities, has one of the most competitive recruitments systems out there....no idea the number that came through this year but know their pledge groups have been in the 70's since I was there from 76-80.

Hi,
My daughter called earlier today during lunch. She said it has been POURING down rain all day and she felt so bad for the PNM's. They were sitting on the porch eating their lunch rather than on the grass. Some of the houses don't have big porches so I really feel sorry for them! It is also rather chilly in Columbia today which is very unusual in August! Hopefully by Sunday the weather will clear.

I do believe that USC does have a more laid back rush, and luckily they started this year a week earlier than usual, before classes start. Other than the terrible weather, my daughter said that it is going great so far. As BeachMom mentioned, close to 1600 girls registered this year!!

I have a Gamecock, who is a senior. For the second year she is on her recruitment team. Trust me when I tell you, they having been putting in long hours processing Recs. I agree this years schedule is better. Last year there was a week between 3rd round and Pref. When my daughter went through, they did all 10 ( at that time) houses in one day. Columbia's nickname is Famously Hot, so some rain and cooler temperature would be a bonus. Any Gamecock PNMs out there? Good luck to you!

My out of state God daughter is a senior and pledged her freshman year. She was well prepared, had recs for each house and was told by me and her greek mother that nothing was a given. She had a great recruitment with a couple of (very typical) ouchies, and happily pledged her mother's legacy org. She has had a great time. Her recruitment story is posted somewhere. I would say it is a competitive situation and a great greek system.

Good luck to your daughter BeachMom and to PearlGirl13 friends!! I finished Carolina in a previous life (ha) and am familiar with the campus/recruitment. It is a competitive recruitment and grades are very important, but if they keep that open mind and put their best foot forward they should be able to find their place. Carolina has a very strong greek system and something to offer everyone. Let us know how things turn out and hope they are having fun!!

Yes
 

Yes, they have put in countless hours and such hard work! The recruitment teams are incredible, and hats off to them for working so tirelessly to make recruitment such a great experience for all of the girls coming through! As far as my laid back comment, I meant that to mean that it is more spread out over time, which makes it a little easier on the girls. It is competitive, and I agree that grades are extremely important and an open mind is a must! I'm looking forward to hearing how it goes for everyone!

My cousin is a junior at USC and says that the PNM pool this year is absolutely amazing... and yes, 1,600-ish. Quota is going to be insane!!! It's so great to see another thriving Greek system.

Our next door neighbor girl is a PNM at USC right now. I offered to write a rec for her and unfortunately like many girls around here, she did not take me up on my offer. She is a great girl and I'm really hoping for a positive outcome for her. I am a bit worried, however, since I don't believe she had any recs sent in. It's so hard to get it through some of these girls heads how important they are.

regarding the whole laid back thing....
So far, as a mom of a PNM at USC, I am thrilled to see a SEC school (because we are so over the top...I mean look at Alabama with 2000+ PNM's [still rushees in my book and we called it rush becaused we all rushed through it!!!]), spread the process out. Having one DD go through the process at UGA and numerous friends with their DD's at most of the other big SEC schools, this is a welcomed process. Of course, check with me next week and I may feel differently.......

Though I really do believe that the USC slower Recruitment schedule is healthier for the girls, I am sure that dragging it out for ten days would have been awful for me as a Mom! That said, I think the USC schedule makes much more sense as they allow the girls to settle in with classes in the midst of all the recruitment hoopla.

In my UGA daughter's flurry of texts last Sunday after Prefs and the day before Bid Day AND the first day of classes she told me that she felt like she was the only person on her floor who remembered that they were all starting college the next day. STRESS...!

I had two rec girls at South Carolina last year, both OSS -- one from the south and one from the north. Both had successful recruitments, love their houses and are on the other side of rush this year, as well as living in their houses. I have one rec girl there this year and can't wait to hear her results! One of my girls from last year told me that the thing she loves so much about USC Greek Life is how supportive they all are of each other's philanthropy events. She feels like there is good unity among Greeks.

All the best to your rec girls!

Gamecocks begin the first day of round 2 today! Currently it is pouring down rain again, but hopefully will clear up by 2 pm when parties start. In response to the discussion about the benefits of a spread out recruitment, I think it's wonderful for the PNMs but beyond draining for the actives. Many chapters have practices on the days without parties. At least from my perspective, this makes it really hard for us to do the things we need to do to prepare for classes and settle in. When I went through I definitely appreciated the break, though the week in between round 3 and preference was pretty nerve wracking! I much prefer the way we're doing it this year. Recruitment began a few days before the official move in. Wish us all luck today!

DD has been invited back to 7 houses. She sounds wonderful despite not receiving an invite from her top 3....the 4th one she liked a lot and the girls were very nice and she felt welcomed, but did feel it wasn't the best fit. Laughed over her comment on that house: "It was the most beautiful home I saw; I'd feel like I'd need to take my shoes off to go in!" Also loved how she said she quoted me to another girl when receiving their list today..."Don't think about what you don't have; think about the opportunities with what you've got!" So...on to Leadership Day today and tomorrow. Hoping that they've escaped the rain!!

I have a rec girl (and dear friend's daughter) going through at USC and am anxious to know how she's doing. I'll be keeping up this week - like I did for my own DD at Alabama last week - and hope all the girls have as much fun and as happy an outcome as she did.

What a fantastic perspective your daughter has. The best of luck to her the rest of recruitment!

well.....I must be the sole mom posting for Gamecock recruitment....

The girls received their list this morning for 3rd round, Philanthropy. And they can attend up to 5 events. My daughter (who had been invited back to 7 (total of 8) houses), was invited back to the full 5. Two continue to be strong favorites from the second round and she's very grateful for that. The remaining three have been her bottom choices throughout; one house edges the others a bit, not by much. I've told her they have invited her back for a reason....if they were not interested in what she had to offer, she would have been let go a long time ago......"You like me, you really like me" an actress said once!

So, my advice for her today was to let her top 2 know how excited she is to be back and, if the Spirit led her, let 1 know that she wants to be there for the next 4 years. I may get a backlash from others out there, but what the heck at this point.

She continues to amaze me at her outlook on the whole thing and when it's all said and done, I'll tell you more about her story.....

Her humor on one of the houses has been hysterical! "More green and pink Lily with Jack Rogers sandals than I can shake a stick at!!" Eeks....sorry if I've offended anyone with that post!

On Saturday a.m. they will receive their list for prefs and I hope she's able to go to the ones that are her favorites. Sunday afternoon they receive their bids at the Horseshoe.

Stay calm and carry on!!

Good luck BeachMom and daughter! Thank you for the update. I have a rec girl going through recruitment, but haven't heard much, even her facebook is quiet. At this point, no news is good news though. Saturday seems so far away!

[QUOTE=BeachMom;2232876]
Her humor on one of the houses has been hysterical! "More green and pink Lily with Jack Rogers sandals than I can shake at./QUOTE]

So true!!


When we visited a few years back on scholars weekend, we were able to take a tour of the Greek Village. All the girls giving the tours were wearing these strange uncomfortable looking sandals. I told my daughter, if she was going to rush she needed those strange sandals. I bought her a pair, she begrudgingly wore them for the first few days of recruitment. She said they were very uncomfortable. Fast forward to now, her senior year. She would not be seen without those dumb Jack Rogers.


Classes start tomorrow:).
Good luck to all the little Gamecocks!

Hi all
Today is preference day.
My DD had a rough beginning & she was 'bummed'. Her wonderful Pi Chi shared that a bumpy beginning can often be easier to deal w/than the highs & lows that many would experience. She was right. My daughter said many girls either broke down or they were fuming about their schedules at the next round. Others were quiet.
I hope the girls believe what we heard at parent orientation - trust the process.

I have a ? about my 2nd daughter who will be applying to USC this fall. Should we start hitting the pavement for rec letters this spring, if she decides to attend
? My current USC daughter had 2, and I was told she should have had one for every house. "It is common knowledge that SEC schools have highly competitive recruitments." Oh well...

Best wishes to all!

My DD is going through recruitment at USC and is a legacy and oos. Her legacy cut her after the second round. Although we were bummed, she focused on the others that she liked. She is going to pref to one of her favorites since the beginning and another one she likes and would be ok with joining. She had recs for all but one sorority. ....funny thing that this sorority with out a rec has been her favorite all along! She is going to their pref party and I hope she gets a bid from them. Her friend didn't have any recs is doing great and has a lot of her top houses. I would still work on getting recs for all the sororities if you can. It may just help to calm the nerves going into recruitment a bit and you have nothing to lose with getting them. ....I did laugh out loud at the Jack Rodgers comment. We too, saw those funny looking sandals at orientation and went out and bought a pair. They were great to wear because they go with most anything! Good luck to all. Nervous mom.........

On GC, we recommend that women attending SEC schools try to find at least one rec to each chapter. Some chapters require it based on their membership selection. Others like them so they can get to know the PNM better in a sea of 1000+ women. Starting in the spring would be great. Even if she doesn't go to USC, she could start to gather letters. They don't hurt at just about any campus. As we are not in the membership selection, we cannot say the weight of the letters, but in the collective experience of members of the forum, we believe that they are important and are more than a comfort blanket.

Good luck to your daughter in recruitment and good luck to your other daughter for her senior year. Lastly, you've almost made it! Good luck to you!

My daughter is excited about the prefs she was invited back to today (actually...I think they just may be ending) and I can't wait to see what bid day holds for her tomorrow! While one edges the other just a bit, she's happy with her opportunities!

She was also bummed a bit when receiving her list for 2nd round....interestingly enough, the house that has the edge has been a favorite of hers since that round. In fact, she really didn't remember much of it during 1st round. Goes to show you to trust the process, forget who didn't call you back, and all will be well.....

Good luck to all moms out there and until tomorrow.....

forgot to ask....

does anyone out there know what quota may be??

My Gamecock shaped crystal ball says between 90-125 depending on how many suicide or drop all together. I would have thought it was higher. A bunch of girls must have dropped/ been released.

Good luck to all the PNMs and their mothers!

from my sources, I think last year was 110 or 111....I know they have very large new member classes (remembering not to say the word "pledge"!!)

2:30 p.m. is the time in the Horseshoe!

Good luck to all out there!!

I know the path to a healthy adulthood should not be limited to a comfy, cozy cul-de-sac, however, I would have preferred this recruitment experience for my DD in the spring. She has been very positive about this process, her small classes (bet. 18 - 34 students), her impressive instructors & her darling suitemates. Having no sorority experience myself, I hope she can nurture these new relationships as well as those w/her PNSisters. Can you tell she's my first one in college?
I appreciate the good wishes sent to the girls & moms.

I've seen it both ways. For lessons on the problems with spring or what we call deferred formal Recruitment check out the SMU or Indiana recruitment threads. For recruitments as huge as the SEC, before classes start or early on is not only more sane, it conflicts with school less. There is also less time for hurt feelings.
- she'll still be friends with the suitemates even if they pledge other sororities :)

Hmmmm......
My story: this mom's DD#1 went not only once, but twice, through the steriod injected recruitment process at UGA....yep, she had grades (strong independent school in ATL - and not the Buckhead trinity), activities, personality, friends, recs, legacies, etc and la-di-da and was rejected not once but twice in the process. The only thing she had not done was find a cure for AIDS and solve world hunger. I wanted to slap the next person who was shocked that my DD had not been accepted in to the greek system at UGA. The joke became that it was easier to gain admittance to UGA than to pledge a sorority. All of this considering it was 1500+ PNMs, 17 sororities and quota around 70 (give or take). And all before classes started.....

DD#2...some of the same accolades and missing a good deal more....a longer recruitment period interjected with welcome week activities, convocation, and classes. Time to mix and mingle with things other than recruitment. She and only one of her suite mates participating in recruitment. Intro to college life revolving around more than sorority recruitment.

I'm sorry that it wasn't the experience your daughter and you thought it might be. Which is better? Recruitment prior to classes or 1 term later????... I don't know. What I do know is that connecting to a group is important and can be found outside of the greek system. I know that my DD#1 found just that and is graduating in 4 years with a double major. (May 2014!!!) I don't doubt that she will succeed in just about anything she pursues.

This process clearly has it's imperfections. So to MissCocky, I send you and yours the best and encourage you not to put the next 4 years on the expectations that it will not be successful unless she is greek....cause she'll miss out on some wonderful opportunites that are waiting for her!!

I think it will be another record breaking day at South Carolina. Let us know how things turn out for the daughters and friends referred to here. I believe bid day on the Horseshoe is around 2:30? So excited for everyone!!!!!

If she has that small of classes, I would guess that Greek life will be a welcome addition if it works out, but not social suicide if it doesn't. With that sort of college, not everyone digs it and it's probably in the college's, chapters' and rushees' best interests to postpone rush to second semester to make sure the school itself is a good fit. Sorority life can help a lot of things, but if the biggest social event is going to Denny's every Friday when you are expecting a Big 10-type pleasant maelstrom of activity Greek life can't fix that.

My rec girl apparently got a bid as her fb status was "having lunch before bid day!" So excited to see where she ends up. She was the only one to send a thank you letter so she has a special little place in my heart.

just heard.....AXO!!!
so excited for her!!!

Congrats!

It looks like just over 1300 received bids...got this from the sorority council twitter site (where we'll go to get info!!)

Alpha Chi had been her top pick since 2nd round and her text and 2 quick photos can hardly contain her excitement!

I'm excited for you! D1 is AXO, D2 just joined AXO last week at Bama, good friend's D2 got a bid today to AXO at UTK, and just heard another good friend's D is also AXO at SC!!!!

I'm loving all these Alpha Chi endings!

Heard that quota was 117...

Good to know. I think Kappa pledged 120.

Congratulations to your daughter and Alpha Chi Omega!