Texas A&M: To rush or not to rush?
 

I recently found out that BlinnTeam students are allowed to participate in rush this year. I was incredibly excited as being in a sorority is something I have wanted to do for as long as I can remember. However, I know rush can be extremely competitive, and I am really concerned that I won't be given a bid because I am a BlinnTeam student. Also, I currently attend a really small private school, and I heard from someone that there is little hope for private school girls when going through rush. So, I'm beginning to wonder if it is worth it to put myself through recruitment if I am only going to be upset in the end. I'm also considering just waiting until my sophomore year to go through rush. Does anyone have any advice?

If you don't go through recruitment then you definitely won't be in a sorority--right? So why not take your chances and go through? You might get your feelings hurt, but you might also meet some wonderful friends, whether or not you get a bid. My advice would be the same as anyone going through recruitment: Be the best "you" that you can be. Be open minded to all the groups. Look at it as a chance to meet new people, regardless. Keep in mind that if you don't try then you definitely lose out on sorority membership. The rest is up to you!

^^What she said.

Since this is the first year that Blinn Team students are being allowed to rush, we (the world) doesn't know how it will be received to the sororities. Keep an open mind. Cuts may be heavy since you aren't taking all your classes at A&M.

The private school question is debatable. Two thoughts...one, if your school is more competitive, you're probably on BT because you're not in the top 10% of your class, but you are actually SUPER prepared for college. However, if you'd been at a huge high school, you might have been in the top 10% in a class full of less-academically prepared students. (This is all conjecture, since I don't really know you). Private school students DO, however, regularly pledge all groups at A&M.

My advice is to go through...you won't know until you try.

If one more person says "I have heard" I'm going to scream!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tell me where you read in on the A & M web site under sorority recruitment. Oh, it's not there!

Are you asking about hearing about Blinn Team students being able to rush this year? Our APH said that they were letting them, so yes...I "heard" it...but it came from a pretty reliable source, IMHO.

Actually...it DOES say it on A&M Panhellenic's website:

http://stuorg-sites.tamu.edu/~cpc/node/56

Must be a full time student (taking at least 12 hours in the fall semester). Gateway students are permitted to participate in recruitment if they are fully accepted to Texas A&M for the fall. Blinn Team students may participate in recruitment this fall.

It remains to be seen how the chapters react - but I know for a fact that some are entirely open to the idea of Blinn Team pnms.

I am talking about her comment about private school girls.

Gotcha - thanks for the clarification. There's been some confusion and misinformation on the BT issue since it's new.

I'm sure they are open to it or the A&M Panhellenic wouldn't have put it into play as an option.

How does Blinn Team work? Is it like being wait listed for admission to A&M?

http://blinnteam.tamu.edu

The Texas A&M Blinn TEAM (“Transfer Enrollment at A&M”) Program is a collaborative, coenrollment partnership between a major university (Texas A&M) and a community college (Blinn College). Each year since 2001 this pioneering initiative has allowed the admission of hundreds of additional qualified students into the Texas A&M freshman class that would have otherwise not been possible due to enrollment limitations.

Participating students are initially admitted to Texas A&M University on a part-time basis, and may earn full admission by several methods. Blinn TEAM students are enrolled in one academic course at Texas A&M each semester, and the remainder of their courses at the Bryan Campus of Blinn College. Students who complete 45 Blinn credit hours and 15 A&M credit hours within a two-year period, while maintaining a 3.0 grade point average at each school, are automatically admitted to Texas A&M. TEAM students who wish to transition to A&M sooner may compete for transfer admission when they meet transfer eligibility. Finally, students who do not transition by the aforementioned methods do not immediately matriculate, but may become eligible for future admission as returning former students via the university’s readmission process (subject to current readmission criteria).

Blinn TEAM students benefit from enrollment at both institutions; students enjoy the university experience afforded by Texas A&M (such as residence hall life, sports events, and a huge range of student activities), while enjoying the smaller classroom environments and costs of Blinn College. Academic advisors, faculty, and staff at both schools facilitate TEAM student successes. TEAM was the first program in Texas to connect a junior and senior institution in exactly this way.

So many questions....

1. How far is Blinn from A& M in terms of mileage?

2. If you're only allowed to take one class per semester at A & M, and assuming 3 credit classes, how can you finish 15 credits in 2 years?

3. Can you get a degree from Blinn? What if people change their mind and decide they just want to stay there?

Thanks for all of the help. Does anyone know why they suddenly decided to let BlinnTeam girls go through rush?

The two have been tightly aligned for several year - it's been a way to him raise enrollment at A&M without changing traditional admission standards. It's a dual enrollment program and there is much crossover in other areas of student life so this eliminates having Blinn students living side-by-side with A&M students but missing other activities. Other universities with these types of transitional enrollment/admissions programs are allowing students to participate in recruitment (UC Berkeley, for example).