Worth going to Big Friday Engineering Day and/or Scholar Social?

Hey all,
My son had decided to attend USC next year. He will be a Computer Science major and I think will accept a spot in the Capstone Scholar program. Thanks to everyone who answered all my questions about Capstone.

We live in Ohio – about 8 hours from USC. We visited over the summer and again about 2 weeks ago. As I mentioned in another post, he didn’t apply to the Honors program on purpose and got an email extending an offer to be a Capstone Scholar. Unfortunately, he got the email about Capstone as we were driving home from our last visit. So, we didn’t check out the program and Capstone dorms while we were there.

So, we are headed back to USC once again to attend the Admitted Students Day on Saturday, March 25. (Putting a few miles on my car this month!) There is a Scholar Social and an Engineering Big Friday day on Friday, March 24. Has anyone been to a Scholar Social or a Big Friday? Are they worth going to? We feel like this might be a great opportunity to meet some other students and start a roommate search but he doesn’t want to miss another day of school. Big Friday starts at 3:30pm and the Scholar Social starts at 6:00pm on Friday, so he’d have to miss the entire day on Friday.

Thanks for any input!

We weren’t able to get a spot on the 25 for admitted students. Does it include the Capstone info? My daughter is doing capstone tour on the 24th followed by big Friday and then the social. It sounds like the other tours and admitted students day don’t give the full departmental tour. But I may be wrong.

@scmom2017 You can find a link to download the [admitted student day program](http://www.sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/undergraduate_admissions/documents/asd1_agenda_2017.pdf) on the admitted student day page.

The day starts with two academic information sessions that run until noon. After that, you might be able to join in on some of the other information sessions or the self guided tours. If you’re going to be there anyway, I’d swing by and ask or just tag along if it looks like there’s room in a group. Sometimes people don’t show up, so there may be room for you after all.

We’re also going to the Big Friday session and the Scholar Social, although I think I’ll feel like a fifth wheel as DS has already connected with other students through GroupMe. Amongst the many GroupMe groups (?) is one for people attending the Admitted Student Day on the 25th. It has a weird name - something or other squad. I’m going to be “ditched” as soon as we get there.

She has an AP review that day that she was going to skip. Definitely don’t want to do that and end up being told no. We only live about 90 min away so wouldn’t be staying there.

Is the group me on college confidential?

So I totally don’t have a clue about groupme. can anyone shed some light?

GroupMe is a chat app. Your daughter will know. She probably knows someone who’s in a GroupMe group already and they could invite her into a group if she’s interested. And there may be open groups, too. I don’t use this (I’m “old”), but my son and all his friends use this.

I asked her but she doesn’t​ know. Oh well.

@scmom2017 I just sent you a PM

@scmom2017 We originally weren’t able to get into the March 25 program but I called admissions to ask if they had a wait list. They didn’t have a formal one, but the person who answered put me on one and said she would call back if she could get us in. She DID wind up getting us a spot. So, if you want to go, I’d recommend calling admissions.

On the 25th, they have several sessions you can choose from. We are going to the Capstone session and the Engineering session on Saturday. I am wondering how similar that will be to the Big Friday session the previous day though. I’m not sure, but I kind of get the sense that I will learn more about Capstone Scholars on Saturday and more about the Engineering school on Friday, so we are going to go to both, I think.

Before I knew we were able to get a reservation for Saturday, I was told by admissions not to just show up. I think that was mainly for the tours of the freshman dorms though. Apparently, students need some kind of badge to get in to see the dorms. That includes the Capstone dorm if you’re interested in seeing it.

@heidekraut You are right about the GroupMe chats. My son has been on the site where he can talk to other admitted students, and although I’m not sure that he’s joined any GroupMe yet, I think there is one for the March 25 group. There are other GroupMe chats for things like majors, out-of-state kids, Capstone Scholars, Honors, etc. I think your kids can get connected on a GroupMe chat through the admitted student group message board.