Graduation Guide 2017
By Grace Carballo ‘17
It recently came to my attention that I am graduating in less than 2 months, which means these last few weeks as a USC undergrad will be both the best of times and the worst of times. I’m as curious as you are to see what I do after graduation!
These last few weeks aren’t all fun and games and increasingly desperate job applications! We, the seniors, have some decisions to make before Commencement 2017.
Are you going to go to Baccalaureate? My mom really wants me to so you’ll probably see me there. I had no idea what it was and feared I wasn’t invited, BUT Baccalaureate is “a non-denominational, inter-faith celebration open to all students and their guests, and is a wonderful opportunity to bless our graduates as they proceed with the next stage of their lives.”
The ceremony is 5:00-6:00 in Bovard the night before graduation and there is a dinner after ($40 per person) at 6:30, which you need to order tickets for ahead of time.
The following day is Commencement and it starts shockingly early! We can start lining up at 7:30 and the procession starts right at 8:30.
If you’re walking at graduation, you’re going to need some regalia and you may even want to customize some of your grad attire.
Believe it or not, this is the first time I’ve graduated from college, so for your sake and mine, I’ve compiled this handy little guide.
Your Cap & Gown:
Undergraduate gowns are black, so unless you’ve got your doctorate (omg congrats!!!), make sure you buy the right robes.
At Commencement, just so you know, you start wearing the tassel on the right side. After President Nikias salutes us, we move the tassels over to the left side which makes it official (symbolically).
I might decorate my cap to catch Will Ferrell’s eye, and then might hand him a script I’ve been working on, but who knows?
At the Bookstore:
Full Traditional Black Bachelor’s Robes, which includes the Black Cap, Bachelor’s Gown and Tassel are available for rental for $59.99.
You’re never going to wear these again, so it doesn’t really make sense to buy them at bookstore prices.
If you pre-ordered your Cap & Gown, you can pick them up on Thursday April 27th or Friday April 28th.
*if you ordered a cap/gown/grad pack at Grad Fest, that qualifies as a pre-order AND any online order also qualifies as a pre-order.
Other Buying Options:
These USC grads are looking out for the Trojan family and embracing an entrepreneurial spirit by ordering in bulk so you can save dat money on your graduation gear!
A Discount Undergrad Cap, Gown, and Tassel is available for purchase for $32.99. The order deadline for everything from this site is April 16, 2017 or while supplies last. Tell them I sent you. I ordered all my graduation gear here and feel very good about my decision.
YOUR STOLE/SASH
The USC Bookstore has two sash options available for $49.99 each. One sash has the USC Class of 2017 Logo and the other has the USC Shield Logo.
A Discount Sash (without USC’s logo) is available form Discount Gaps and Gowns for $35.99. I’m picking mine up from their house on 28th street today!
Embroidering Your Sash
Lots of people personalize their graduation sashes to include their majors and their favorite organizations/clubs/teams they were involved with at USC. Some people (see above) add a personal message, as well.
If you’re feeling Sash Writer’s Block ™ check out these throwback posts featuring USC’s best and brightest that came before us:
The 2016 #USCGrads had some amazing graduation photos rocking their sashes/stoles.
Likewise, the Class of 2015 has some SCenior Portraits worth revisiting for inspiration.
If you want to get your stole embroidered, one of the most popular options is Greek Escape where you can personalize it with a simple online order form. Their stoles start at $49.99 and include your Greek letters and Year. If you’re not part of the Greek system, you could probably talk them into including something else for that price if you’re really polite and persuasive.
Adding images/flags/crests/seals/logos and things of that nature are $16 each, but some custom images carry an additional fee. I’ve seen people put the flag of the country they studied abroad in, the logo of their student org, the law scales if they’re Pre-Law, etc. But maybe think twice about including an organization you feel lukewarm about on your sash cuz they will cost you at least $16 each.
Text from Greek Escape ranges from $10-$16 per line. I know a lot of people who got their stoles done here and they turned out mighty nice.
You can also Customize Your Sash through the Bookstore. The Sash Builder tool is actually pretty fun and I was having a great time until a message popped up warning me, “The deadline to validate your order has already expired. You can still place your order at the bookstore, but your order is no longer guaranteed to get to you on time for graduation date.” I would obviously be livid if I paid top dollar for a sash and it didn’t come in time for me to flaunt to my parents and siblings so I’m looking into other options.
The personalized sashes from the book store will cost you $75, which includes 2-8 letters of text. Extra letters are $3 apiece and any extra seals or logos are $10. Adding a personalized fabric bottom is $10 (my friend did this and I saw a picture and it looks so cool).
Not in love with these options? It’s totally fine to leave your stole simple and streamlined- I may do the same out of pure frugality. But, lucky for you, I’m always on the lookout for a bargain!
I reached out to Raul from Patsy’s Embroidery on Vermont to see how much it would be to simply get my full name and “Someone please hire me” embroidered. A perfectly brilliant plan!
Based on my fairly extensive research, it seems that Greek Escape is your best bet for Symbols/Images cost-wise and that Patsy’s Embroidery might be cheaper for longer blocks of text, although you may want to clarify that before you commit.
YOUR LEI
I’m from Lisle, Illinois, the heart of the Midwest and the idea of wearing a flower lei as part of a graduation ceremony fascinates me. But I noticed from FB creeping on some of my peers that a lot of high schools on the West Coast have leis at graduation- who knew?! Lots of #USCGrads wear leis, as well.
USC Commencement Leis will be available for purchase at the bookstore on Thursday, May 11 & Friday, May 12. Single Leis cost $29.99 and Double Leis are $39.99.
They will lots of selling locations on campus on Commencement Day so go ahead and wait until the last minute and see if you can convince a family member to buy it for you!
A Cardinal and Gold Lei is available for purchase from Discount Caps and Gowns for $22.99. You can pick it up from them on the 11th or 12th of May. These are fresh flowers, folks, so I assume you have to refrigerate them.
I hope you found this guide helpful and informative! If Senioritis is hitting you pretty hard, keep on keepin’ on and push through these last few weeks.
Also, be sure to read the official Commencement Guide for more information! Looking forward to seeing you in all your regalia and with that ~graduation glow~!!
Fight On 4EVR,
Grace Carballo ‘17
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