The ratio is around 3:1, and I promise, it's not as great as it sounds lol. All of the houses are on campus. And it's a competitive/unique system in it's own way.

Ask your GLO to put you in the pool for training.

I went through rush at Ole Miss. It was amazing to be a part of such a well-oiled machine: 200+ (now even 300+) members, hyper-organized campus election teams and Derby Days routines, gorgeous houses, always way more willing volunteers than officer positions, etc.. But it was way too easy for girls to get lost in the crowd, and harder to develop a unique sense of sisterhood. Lots of women don't feel the bonds so strongly in such a big group--it's easier to get lost in the crowd.

I'd definitely want to "do-over" at a school that still had houses, but slightly smaller membership. I'd love to be in a housed chapter of about 120 women.

Word life. Greek life in a large metro city is a different beast. Not sure it's even a beast as its some kinda mythical creature. I would've liked to go away and experience Greek life at one of the SUNY schools, or maybe Syracuse, for the Greek life.

Well, that kinda sums it up for the D9 side. Ill extend that list for myself for some of the other bigger-name HBCUs: NCAT, FAMU, Hampton, Bennett (women's college)... Ok drawing a blank here on others, but I'd like to experience Greek life specific to that college experience, from the icebreaker to commencement.

LOL

Hampton had crossed my mind as well as Bennett.:D Ultimately, it came down to the "meccas" of D-9 life.

Ha, ha. I had to come out of lurkdom just to reply to this thread. This is something that has fascinated me since I discovered Greek Chat. I'm from a small midwestern school and the whole concept of recs and these giant formal rushes is completely foreign to me. I think experiencing an SEC rush or UT (I live in the south now) would be interesting. Personality-wise, I probably would have failed because I'm shy and insecure (which being in a GLO helped), but it would just be such an interesting experience to see the systems on those campuses. We had four NPC orgs when I was an active. I just can't imagine the logistics that it takes for 20+ chapters. Although, the organizing nut in me would really love to be part of it!

Just because I am a number cruncher, I think there are only 3 schools with 20+ chapters, and none is in the SEC or the south. (If you're talking NPC.) But, I get what you're saying. :)

Thank you for understanding. Just a random number I typed up. :)

I guess I'd pick the school I didn't go to - College of Charleston. I rushed at UGA back in 1993 - presumably before RFM - and got cut hard every round, but ended up at the perfect house for me (which happened to also be one of my top choices every round).

I wouldn't mind trying rush at UGA knowing now what I didn't know then - with the 18 y/o body, the 38 y/o brain and budget. And this time, recs. I mean, I didn't have a clue.

But my sister went to CofC, and it was my second choice - would I have ended up a Theta like her, some other house, or not Greek at all?

Having skimmed through this thread ...

I think it would have been interesting to go through an SEC or otherwise heavily competitive rush - knowing what I know now. Knowing what I knew as a 17-year-old freshman, with an anti-greek father and a mother who went to school overseas and knew zero about greek life, I probably would have fallen flat on my face. Knowing what I know now, I'd have lined up recs, chosen appropriate outfits, makeup, and jewelry, put Vaseline on my teeth, and gone in all guns blazing.

As for the religion issue ... It was dicey when I was a collegian. Recruitment was held during the last weekend in August. My chapter had a rule in our bylaws that no mandatory events were to be held during the holy days of any religion of any member, and this included Shabbat. Guess when recruitment started? Friday night. :-/ Our workaround was that, since Panhel had dictated the dates and times of FR, anyone with a religious issue could be excused. Anyone who was Shomer Shabbos was excused from Friday night and Saturday daytime parties. During my sophomore year, I was still a practicing Catholic, and I had to excuse myself from one party during the weekend because I had to attend Mass. People did what they had to do to meet their religious obligations.

The High Holy Days were never an issue recruitment-wise, but there was a nice little incident one year where the head of Greek Life (who was himself Jewish) decided to schedule an all-GLO president's meeting ON YOM KIPPUR. When the presidents of my chapter and of AEPi called him out on it, he refused to reschedule, claiming he "didn't notice" it was Yom Kippur because he had a sticky note on his calendar over the date. The presidents of AEPhi and AEPi boycotted the meeting, and IIRC, several other GLOs with Jewish presidents sent their VPs in their stead.

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Just curious...where are the other two schools with 20+ chapters. I know Indiana is one of them. Illinois used to be 20+, aren't they at 18 or 19 now?

Yep - the only ones that ever flirt with 20 or have had 20 at some point fairly recently are Illinois (currently 18 plus one colony in the fall), Indiana (currently 21 plus a colony next year), and Penn State (currently 19).

The chapter membership totals might put Alabama or Oklahoma ahead of these schools, but in terms of number of chapters, these 3 always lead the pack.

Interesting that those are all Big Ten members. I know Purdue has just around 17 or 18. Over 20 if you include non-NPC members. I didn't go to a Big Ten school, but I did grow up in that area and I never heard much of the Greek culture. I was even at a Big Ten school for recruitment one fall! It really was an eye-opener for me to read here about the big southern Greek culture. I also have two close friends now who both went through recruitment at UT. I have two small daughters and who knows where their lives may lead them. At least I'm more prepared now. ;)

After formal recruitment in January, Indiana might come close to those schools' totals. Even the smallest chapter is around 150 while the largest goes up to 250+. Most are between 180 and 210.

For the record - Alabama has 18 Panhellenic chapters - current total is 285. They were looking at expansion still. Georgia and Auburn each have 17 NPC groups.

ETA- ADX is not a member of NPC but of the CPC