<p>So, today (July 30 2013) I've got the day off and a T-shirt arrived from USC admissions office congratulating my son for being admitted. It seems like a bit of an anachronism at this point since he got his admission packet around the end of March when everybody else did, but hey, free shirt, no complaints. </p>
<p>I notice that the package had a white sticker applied to the outside near the address label that said "NO BAR CODE", which I assume was added by the post office, since the address lacked the zip bar code that you see on most mass mailers.</p>
<p>Just curious: are they really just sending these out now, or did my post office use his to play shuffleboard for a few months? The package was still sealed but seemed a little shelf-worn.</p>
<p>Did your son attend a USC SCendoff? At the USC Alumni Club of Atlanta SCendoff all incoming students received a cardinal and gold T-shirt from USC. The club gave each student a tote bag holding small gifts with the SC logo. Door prizes were donated as well.</p>
<p>Perhaps if your son was unable to attend a SCendoff the university mailed him a T-shirt. I have never heard of T-shirts being sent along with admission packets.</p>
<p>Did your son accept admission? Every incoming freshman is given a shirt that says “Trojan Family Class of 2017” or something like that. I got mine yesterday and yes, it was tightly packaged so when you took it out, it looked like a crumpled piece of paper.</p>
<p>@Georgia Girl: We’ve been registered for a sendoff for sometime now; I think is is next Sunday. In a nice coincidence, it turns out it is being held just a couple of blocks away from our home.</p>
<p>@Siddysidsid: Yes my son committed to USC back in late April, and he attended orientation in early July. I take it since you also received a shirt recently, USC is sending them out now, and it wasn’t caught in postal quagmire as I suspected. I agree about the packaging – when my son showed it to me after opening it, I mistook the creases for a pattern in the shirt at first glance.</p>
<p>I know that the kids who attend orientation have been given T-shirts at orientation in past years - perhaps the shirts were not ready when your kiddo attended orientation? Ha! It will be funny if the packaging results in a bunch of rumpled-looking freshmen prowling campus the first week!!! Usually the freshmen can be easily identified by their pack-like movements and matching lanyards - add wrinkled t-shirts this year!</p>
<p>@alamemom – I got a good chuckle out of picturing the freshmen the way you describe them here. </p>
<p>My son received a very different T-shirt at orientation (he attended a couple of weeks ago). The shirt he just received in the mail said something like “Welcome to the Trojan Family starting in 2013” – an instant Freshman beacon if ever there was one, creases or no; perhaps the upperclassmen needed a sure-fire way to identify freshmen after hours without depending on the lost-in-the-wilderness look that likely fades in a couple of weeks? </p>
<p>Speaking of students and clothing, I’m curious how students without other options (buying laundry service, family living locally) tend to handle their laundry. Do they prefer having lots of clothes and laundering large loads infrequently? If so, how many days/weeks can they go between laundry runs? How is contention for the laundry machines in the dorms? Students he met at explore were mainly local and many said they took it home every couple of weeks.</p>
<p>Do laundry once a week or more, can send extra socks and understuff to delay it. Do not send too many clothes, closets aren’t big. Laundry machines no problem to get, run off of USC card (I think all dorms do, but not positive). Good way for boys to meet cute USC girls asking for help with colors v. whites. I suggest the Tide (whatever brand) of laundry PODS sold in those plastic containers. Way easier and less messy that powder or liquid. No measuring, small or regular load take one, big load takes 2, just toss them in there. Can’t screw it up with those. We liked the laundry sheets that went from washer to dryer best, but I don’t think they sell those anymore. PODS are cool and dummy-proof though.</p>
<p>In some dorms, there is a laundry room on every floor. In the newest dorms, kids can check online if the washers/dryers in their laundry rooms are in use or available. Why, back in my day!..</p>