Yes, indeed, Greek Life was not recognized by the University for a number of years. Panhellenic hired their own director. Her office was off campus on the ground floor of a private dorm. It was to her that Texas Kappa Delta alumnae went to to see if they might have the opportunity to recolonize. You also have to understand that at this time 1000+ girls would register for rush and quota for every chapter was set at 50 (for years) It didn't matter how many registered, quota was 50. It was the wild West. I am so very proud of our Sigma Epsilon Kappa Delta chapter. (Even if UT Mom ranks us #11) We have been #1 or #2 in grades for several years, raised thousands of dollars for our community service projects. What a testament to those alumnae who took a risk 35 years ago and put up their own money to buy a House which they knew was a necessity to survive. I couldn't be more proud. I know I'm ranting a bit but so be it.

Unbelievable! What a system to break into, and Sigma Epsilon does us proud.

I love hearing about how recruitment has evolved and transformed over the years at various schools. Recruitment is probably more fair, more open and more diverse now with RFM than at any other time in our past

In the last few years, Nebraska has implemented an Open House round where each chapter house is visited by all rushees.

Prior to that, the President and Recruitment Chair from each chapter would give a presentation to all of the PNMs in the Union on the first day of recruitment. The second day of recruitment invite lists would go out and it would be the first opportunity for PNMs to visit the actual chapter houses. Invites for this day were based on recruitment applications and recommendations. There was no way to visit all of the houses as there were less parties on day 2 than actual chapters.

I would have appreciated an Open House round when I went through. There were a few chapter houses I didn't enter until I was a Rho Gam as a senior. It was hard to decide what chapters to accept invites from after the short presentations on day 1.

So you couldn't accept invites to all chapters who invited you?

It was this way at Texas Tech as well prior to 1994. We had 12 chapters but PNMs could only visit 9 so both parties potentially engaged in "blind cutting" (PNMs who received more than 9 invitations had to decline (or decline with regrets) the extras. And even in 1994 when we started open house, the earliest years were truly a minimally "staffed" house tour. We could have (if I recall) 15 chapter women there and two Rho Gamma groups came through at a time for 10-15 minutes each. No songs, decorations, or speeches - just a quick house tour.

Wow, I had no idea this was at all common as late as the mid 90s. Fascinating...and stressful for all sides.

I rushed in the 2000s and that was my experience.

When I went through in 1982, I was invited to 10 of the 15 houses and had to decline two invitations with regrets. One of the ones I turned down was Gamma Phi Beta; even though I had met some wonderful girls during summer rush (also a thing; Panhellenic called a halt to it several years ago after multiple violations of the rules), I had high school and family friends in the other houses and felt that my chances would be better there. Went to all eight houses, then was handed four invitations (the maximum you could accept) for the next round. Five houses had dropped me, leaving three remaining--but Gamma Phi put me back on their invitation list, and after visiting the maximum three houses on pref night, I had Gamma Phi at the top of my list. Later, the rush chair told me that they had never gone back and reinvited someone in the middle of rush, but several girls urged her to put me back on the list because we'd had so much fun that summer.

Also, even though Panhellenic wasn't officially recognized by the university, every sorority and its members were prominently featured in The Cactus yearbook every year.

This is so amazing to those of us not from Texas!

When I went through at Tulsa, I had 3 party invites for (2 party) Pref and had to regret 1. All 3 were/are great chapters and I would have been happy to be in any of the 3. I was tearing up that I had to regret one.

(Your jaw might drop with this next part ...) I was actually able to WRITE on the invite "So sorry I have to reqret. XYZ is a wonderful chapter with amazing women." (The invites were 2 page carbons -- 1 went to Panhellenic, 1 went to the sorority.) On bid night (in my new XO shirt), I saw some of the XYZ girls who came up, hugged me, congratulated me and said they were sad that I had to regret also (b/c they read the copy that went to the chapter), but knew I would have a wonderful Greek experience in Chi Omega.

Hey, those of us from Florida might think it was a RELIEF not to have to get heat stroke walking to 19 houses as I did at FSU many years ago.

But sorry, at the end of the day PNM's should be welcomed to every single house on the campus.

I really like the "decline with regret" option. Sometimes girls get cut later in the process and rethink rankings. When I rushed, we actually got all the invitations physically, so there were no delusions that "so and so really liked me but somehow, XYZ ranked me higher and bumped me out of so and so's list". You either had an invitation or you didn't. However, as a rush counsellor I definitely saw girls decline invites in early rounds, be cut heavily in later rounds and think to myself that her perfect match may have been left on the floor in round 2. Decline with regret would allow for chapters to extend an invite later. Most times it wouldn't make a difference, but it might...for both the chapter and the PNM. Especially for WRC, but I guess in most locations RFM has taken care of that.

God, I really am a Panhellenic Greek life geek.

The UT -Austin chapter of Kappa Delta is a terrific chapter. It's so annoying when people talk crap about them.

Texas PNMs have an embarrassment of riches. They have so many great chapters to join. To see so many PNMs walk away from great chapters, because they didn't get their top pick is frustrating. To see them walk away because they didn't get a pick that Greek Rank would approve of is crazy-making.

^^^^^So much like in this post. :D:D The Alpha Xi chapter there is excellent but for some reason they get a lot of hate. :confused:

That's a great way to put it!