My Graduation Prep (Mistakes + Prices)

by Tamanna Sood ‘24

As a senior only weeks away from graduation, I am proud of myself for getting through four rigorous years at USC. At this point in my life, I should feel relaxed and happy because I’ve made it, but let me tell you, that could not be further from the truth. With graduation comes the extensive graduation prep, which no one warns you about! And if they do, trust me it’s way more expensive and time consuming than you think it is. I’m here to give you a rundown of all the things you should do and when to start in your spring semester as a senior so you don’t end up like me (pictureless and dressless three weeks away from grad!)

Essentials

Early February you will start getting emails for Grad Fest! Grad Fest tends to fall somewhere in the second or third week of February. If you are anything like me, avoidant and anxious, you will ignore the emails because you don’t want to even think about graduating. I totally get you, but to avoid last minute chaos, I would recommend you to click through the USC Bookstore site and take note of all the deadlines. 

Attending Grad Fest, in my opinion, was really overstimulating and it was hard to focus on the essentials needed for graduation because there was just so much information that was being thrown my way. While the experts at Grad Fest will be able to give you a lot of information, they will try to sell you things that you don’t necessarily need. I still recommend attending and seeing everything displayed as it will help you get a feel for what you need. Also, some things are cheaper during Grad Fest. 

The main things you will need are your cap, gown, and sash. You will be given the opportunity to choose between buying your cap and gown or renting. If you want to rent your cap and gown, it’s cheaper to order it during Grad Fest, so definitely keep that in mind. There are two different sash options that are available and the same standard price throughout the year. 

My Total Price of Rental Cap & Gown + Sash: around $146

Sash Embroidery  

Whether you want your sash embroidered, how much you want to embroider it is all up to you! The USC Bookstore, though convenient, is quite pricey when it comes to embroidery. When I designed my sash through the Bookstore, I was quoted $600 for the job, which was absolutely insane. If you want to upload a logo that the Bookstore’s catalog doesn’t have, it will run you an extra $100 each. 

 Most people design their sash through the website, take a screenshot of their design, and use a third party print shop. I got my sash embroidered the first week of April, which is quite late. Getting your sash embroidered early will save you in the long run. If you wait until later, shops in the area will start getting overwhelmed with orders and will charge you more. On top of that, you will end up getting your sash much later, which cuts into the grad photo timeline. I recommend getting your sash embroidered no later than mid-March!

 I chose to go with a shop near my hometown, and the process took me only a couple days and was much cheaper and quicker than the ones in the USC area. I have a car, which made this easier, but even if you don’t have a car, looking further from campus might be worth it if you’ve procrastinated. My sash embroidery cost me around $190, which is still on the pricier side, but it was definitely cheaper than what shops near USC were quoting me. I went to Spectracolor in Simi Valley, but other popular shops closer to campus include Stitch Me, Patsy’s Embroidery Digitizing, and Andre’s Jackets and Embroidery.

Some of my friends were able to get their sashes done for $40 because they got in early, so don’t procrastinate like I did if you want a deal and to get your sash back early.

My Sash Embroidery: $190

Expected Embroidery Cost: $40-$600+

Outfit Shopping

I still don’t have my outfit yet (YIKES)! Finding an appropriate white graduation dress is much harder than I thought it would be in my budget. Not having a dress is also forcing me to delay my graduation photos with my friends. Grad dresses can really be as expensive or as cheap as you want them to be. Some of my friends are wearing casual dresses and rompers from local department stores, and some of my friends are wearing high-end designer dresses; it’s really up to you and your budget. My budget for a dress is about $40-$100, and I have found a lot of great options online but the problem is expensive delivery fees and getting it in timeI would recommend buying your outfit as soon as you can as the options for white dresses decrease as time goes on. Online stores like Meshki, Lulu’s, and Princess Polly have great options, but they are popular, so chances are other people will be wearing the same thing. Department stores like Macy’s, Abercrombie, Windsor, JCPenny, and Express also have some great and affordable options that may ship quickly as well! In conclusion, buy your outfit early!

My Expected Clothing Cost: $100

Expected Clothing Cost: $100+

Grad Photos

I initially wanted to take professional photos for graduation, but as the time gets closer, I have decided to use my own camera and ask friends to take pictures of me and vice versa. 

Student photographers at SC are pretty reasonable. Some will take individuals for as low as $35, and other professional students can quote up $200 for individual pictures. It really depends on what you want. Finding a photographer can feel intimidating and like a lot of extra work, but Slack channels, GroupMes, and clubs are a great place to ask for contacts. If you take an hour to sit down and message a couple different photographers for quotes, the process is not that daunting. Remember that this school is huge, and even if you think you are late in the process for finding a photographer, you absolutely will find one. If you want cheaper options, I suggest reaching out to freshman and sophomores who are beginning their career as campus photographers. 

 As a journalism major, I feel pretty comfortable taking pictures for other friends and having them take pictures of me. However, graduation is a really special time in your life and taking photos can be a great way to remember it. They absolutely do not need to be professional if you don’t want them to be. Your phone camera works just great! 

If you are an Annenberg/SCA/Roski student  you can also rent a camera under the guise of class and use it for your senior photos. I am taking my pictures in late April, which isn’t a bad time, but if you are able to plan for earlier, you should! Students all around campus are taking their pictures right now, which can make the process of securing locations a little harder, but not impossible! Also, near the end of the semester there are more events like the Los Angeles Festival of Books that make it hard to access certain locations or alter the look of campus.

My Photos Cost: $0 

Expected Photo Cost Range: $35-$200+

In total, my graduation costs will be somewhere around $450, which absolutely could have been cheaper had I started early! Now that you have this outline, make sure you don’t make the same mistakes I did. But if you find yourself dressless and photoless three weeks away from grad like me, do not worry. You’ll make it happen! Remember to take a step back and remind yourself the hard part is over and now it's time to enjoy accomplishments!

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