University of Southern California Recruitment Begins
 

University of Southern California begins recruitment on August 22, 2011 with orientation. All registered participants must have completed the alcohol education requirement.

Nine chapters will participate in formal recruitment. A change this year will be three evenings of "Conversation Days". Three chapters will be visited each evening. Following will be House Tours and Slideshow Day.

Preference will take place on Sunday morning and Bid Night will be celebrated Sunday evening.

Presents, a long tradition at SC, will take place in October during Parents' Weekend.

That's a really interesting change- and I like the concept! Are the parties for the "Conversation" days longer? I hope this schedule works out well. Seems like it gives everyone, especially pnms, a better opportunity to make a good first impression without just blazing through nine parties in four or five hours. By the time you get to that last party everyone is exhausted!

SC Schedule
 

Last year pnms visited the nine chapters in two days. Classes were in session, so it was stressful for both actives and pnms. The hope is women have more time to meet actives and become acquainted with each chapter using the new schedule.

Times are the same for three days: 5:30-7:35 Group I and 8:10-10:15 Group II

Friday will be chapter house tours. Women will visit up to six chapters by invitation. Times are: 2:00-11:20

Saturday is Slideshow Day. Women will visit up to four chapters by invitation. Times are: 11:00-6:10

Preference is Sunday morning from 9:00 to 12:30. Women visit up to two chapters by invitation. Bid Night is 8:00 for the celebration.

Sigma Delta Tau will have informal recruitment after formal recruitment is completed..

Any news on how the first convo day went? How many have registered for recruitment this year?

I have a super-fantastic pnm going through - hope it goes well for her!

Last I heard was over 700 registered as of a week ago Monday, and registration closed last Sunday night. I'm sure it went up after move-in day.

I'm living in this year, and it's an odd experience not being able to go through our front door at certain hours!

The daughter of a coworker is going through recruitment there right now. So far, mom says daughter is having fun & is enjoying getting to know the different chapters.

I like that they have spread convo day over three days...much less grueling for pnm's and actives...do you think everyone seen on the first day will be at a disadvantage because the memory is not as "fresh"?

I don't know, it seems more grueling for the actives, though way easier on the PNMs. I mean, the actives do get more breaks, but still. It's still another day of recruitment.

Any update on how the conversation days went?

Some news
 

Recruitment numbers were down from the record registered last year. I have only UNOFFICIAL news quota was 48, down from 62 in 2010.

Apparently, huge numbers of women dropped from recruitment. No official numbers are available at this time.

I wonder if the new method of recruitment had anything to do with the large number of women who dropped out?

There are many factors involved. In my opinion the student profile of freshmen has changed to more northeastern students and international students. They appear to have less interest in Greek life.

The RFM method seems to place more women who stay with recuitment. SC has lost a list of chapters over the years.

Many of SC students are from Trojan families of many generations. To some only certain sororities are "acceptable". If invitations do not include those chapters pnms drop out of recruitment.

Some pnms use recruitment as a way to meet people and have no intention of becoming Greek. They drop after first round.

SC now has residential colleges. Certain students choose these instead of joining a Greek chapter.

The university encourages double majoring and multidisciplinary choices. Many students feel they would have no time for Greek life due to demanding academic schedules.

The above are my guesses. There are no studies available why the numbers have dropped dramatically.

Although many of these items may be true I doubt that it would be that drastic of a drop from one year to the next. I would think it would be a more subtle decline over years.

As I wrote these are guesses.