University of South Carolina 2014
 

Hi everyone, I would love to hear about how recruitment is going at USC.
Does anyone have anything to share? Thanks!

I heard they have 1655 signed up this year.

That number is correct! This is my daughter's first year on "the other side" and they will begin Round 2 (Leadership) tomorrow and continue through Tuesday. Will update as I'm able!

Thank you for the responses. I can't wait to hear more.
BeachMom, I enjoyed reading your daughter's USC rush story last year. I was/am SO happy with the outcome!

I would like to know more as well. My daughter is going through recruitment and is from the north. She doesn't know girls currently in the houses but she got recommendations for all of them. She thinks at least 200 girls dropped out before the last round. I'm wondering if the cuts by houses are more severe for the preference round.

No, cuts prior to pref are not usually more "severe".

However, a lot of girls will drop out of recruitment VOLUNTARILY prior to pref because they are not happy with their pref invitations. It is their choice to pledge nothing than to be in a group that really does want them. We have little sympathy for that situation.

I hope your DD is having a great time & loves the houses that invite her back.

Thanks. My daughter really wants to be in a sorority so she won't drop out. She was very pleased with her last round choices, could be happy in 4 of 5 if not all 5 she visited. I was just curious if it is harder to be asked back to preference round.

Good wishes for all the PNMs!

Also, more girls may drop out if they aren't happy with their pref choices because Pi Beta Phi is colonizing this fall. They know they have that option as well. My daughter is on the other side and she said it has been hard to make cuts with the all the fantastic girls going through.

Hard to believe my God daughter went through recruitment at SC FIVE years ago! seems like yesterday. She is now a 5th year senior and not a full time students, so is not actively participating in recruitment, but the experience of greek life at SC is great and she loved it.

There are no bad chapters, so encourage your friends and family to stay the course and learn to love new favorites each round if they get dropped by a favorite chapter. She had a great recruitment and was well prepared, but everyone has a few bumps in the road, or gets cut by an early favorite or has some exhaustion/nervous/emotional moments.

The pledge classes are huge there. The number going through only means pledge classes will be larger, not that more will be dropped. The girls that drop typically remove themselves because they aren't happy with their invites rather than being truly released by all groups, although in every competitive recruitment there are some who are released by all.

I imagine that pledge classes might be a little smaller, though, since Pi Beta Phi is colonizing after recruitment concludes. Do they already have housing lined up in the Greek Village?

Pledge class size will be determined by how many girls go to pref and rank groups. Although some girls may deliberately choose to drop out to pursue Pi Phi, I suspect new member groups will still be large.

Pref Day today. Good luck to your daughter 1979greek. Please let us know who she pledges.

Happy Pref, best wishes to all PNMs!

My daughter pledged Tri Delt. It was her first choice but she loved so many of the houses and felt she could have been happy at almost all of them. I know how brutal the system can be, but I think South Carolina seems to be a pretty friendly system that works hard to find spots for as many girls as possible. Phew, so glad it is over for me... I mean her!

Congrats to your daughter and Tri Delta!

Does U. Of South Carolina publish bid lists?

From what my DD says (which is never much!!!!!), it was a great recruitment. Over 1600 registered (she did say this was more than UGA's and the highest ever at USC) and quota was 130. She's an Alpha Chi and they welcomed 133 new members! Her apartment roommates (this term it's practically a Panhellenic smorgasbord!) are an ADPI and Tri-Delt (along with another Alpha Chi) and those groups brought in about the same. Pi Phi is recolonizing this year and will be doing their recruitment later in September and hope to have a house in the Greek Village end of year (...I believe I'm correct on that). I also believe I read somewhere that Alpha Xi Delta is coming on board in 2016.

I've been traveling (6 planes, 3 cities, 10 days) and haven't been able to post much. USC has a looooonnnnngggg recruitment which has it's good and patience-testing points. Good in that freshman orientation programs, summer reading groups, etc. are taking place during the recruitment process so there is time to connect with other students than the women going through rush. While the pledge classes are large, my daughter says they do a good job of breaking you into smaller groups for some activities and mixing the groups up for other activities.

So for all that are following, hope your peeps enjoyed themselves!!

1979greek: Congratulations to your daughter, some of my best friends were Carolina DDDs and it is a great chapter!
BeachMom: Congratulations to your daughter for surviving her first year on the other side!

Thanks Curly95! Until next year!!!!

BeachMom: I look forward to it, there is something about August that makes me so nostalgic!

Congratulations to the PNMS!

Congrats 1979 Greek to you and your daughter. My daughter is a Chi Omega there and they welcomed 131 pledges. I also heard it was a great recruitment. Such a special time in the lives of these young women. Go Gamecocks!

Yay! Welcome to DDD 1979greek's DD! :D

Very happy to find out the sophomore woman I know found her home at ADPi! Was concerned for her after she dropped out last year as a freshman. She will be a real asset!

Help to understand! Why does University of South Carolina stretch the recruitment process out so long? Any info would greatly help! This Greek stuff is All new. Anyone have a DD going through this year 2015?

Sorry that I haven't posted earlier re USC and the Gamecocks! My DD had an internship this summer and missed most of camp so I don't know much of the stats, etc. 2nd round starts tomorrow.... Been told that it's another large group...she thinks she heard around over 1500 participating. One of the reasons they have a long recruitment (as I was told) has more to do with allowing the girls to acclimate to campus with the other freshman orientation activities that occur before the start of classes. The girls began moving in last Wednesday and Rd 1 started on Thursday and Friday. Break over the weekend and RD 2 tomorrow. Having had another daughter go through recruitment at another SEC school, while it seems lllooonnnggg, it's very healthy. Will post more when I hear it!

If there is a bid list published, I would REALLY like to see it! If anyone has a list of those actually showing up for Recruitment this year, I'm terribly interested! I was asked to write a rec for an outstanding PNM, but then she neglected to get any (read: ANY!!) information to me. I'm hoping that she's an exception to the rec rule, and somehow manages to get a good house, but I'm not holding my breath.

BeachMom, Thank you for the insight. Hope your daughter is having fun. Good Luck with daughter two as a PNM. Yes, please post any info on USC 2015!

Please let your daughter know that, if she is a freshman or transfer student taking University 101, she must still attend the First-Year Reading Experience on Monday (8/17). Also, if she is not scheduled to take U101, I would highly suggest it as the University of South Carolina is the model University 101 program in the nation. It's top notch. Your daughter can't go wrong joining any of the chapters at USC because they are all really good. Good luck to her!

So happy to see this thread revived for this year. Best of luck to all and cannot wait to hear your stories!

That's great advice on the University 101....Leadership (Round 2) starts today after that and continues through tomorrow, Philanthropy (Rd 3) is on Wednesday, Sisterhood (prefs) on Saturday, Bid Day on Sunday on the Horseshoe!
As I recall Thursday/Friday is some University orientation or sponsored events for freshmen.
Again, my DD is recovering from her summer internship, moving into an apartment, and jumping in to recruitment. Weather is appearing to cooperate and not be too hot and muggy....which is rare for Cola!!
One thing that seems to be changing is the number of families that arrive for Bid Day on the Horseshoe. When my DD pledged in Fall 2013, mostly locals (or easy drive) were there. Seems last year a ton of parents showed up....all well and good, just a change from the past!

Bid Day has since been moved, as of this year, to Colonial Life Arena.

Will there be a Bid List published?

You know, that's a good question. Unfortunately, I do not know the answer. If I find out, I'll let you know. If nothing else, a lot of times when no bid list is published, the different sororities will welcome their new members via message in the school newspaper.

Any update on how recruitment is going? Would love to hear from any PNM moms? Or from the other side perspective.

USC does not publish a bid list.....
Classes start tomorrow and today ended RD 3....
My DD says things are continuing to go well...(that's not much news in my book!!)...and I had forgotten about bid day going to the arena....
She's not talking much!!! I think she's still trying to get herself into the mindset after a very busy summer. Maybe I'll call her roommate!

Two day break for classes, with Prefs on Saturday and Bid Day on Sunday. No entry into the arena without a pass or ticket of some sort for those not a PNM or Active. It's a long, long recruitment!

I agree on the looong recruitment. What I have read here and herd it has gotten better. Starting earlier, before school starts.
Personally, I would love to see them make Bid Day few days before school. Why to much stress for girls going through, then to still have the first day of school and on top of that Welcome Week!

Can anyone confirm that they will not be running in the Horseshoe? Things have been moved to Arena? Sad,to hear a tradition has changed.