UT Austin and Out of State Recruitment
 

Hi, all!

Wondering if being out of state will put me at a disadvantage for sororities in Texas.

Many thanks!

You can't carry purses into the rush parties, so don't waste your money.

Oh no, @AZtheta and @ASTalumna06 - it seems I’ve offended and that really wasn’t my intention, I’m so very sorry. As for reputations, sisterhood was one of the factor Iwas hoping to get a glimpse into, but I realize in hindsight how the wording was misleading. I have no idea was QFP means, admittedly.
As for sharing my location, should I just mention then that I’m out of state? Because that’s really what I’m hoping to understand - views in a Texas towards Out of State rushers. I have searched that topic but found little to nothing so far already up on out of state recruitment, only hearing how it’s a disadvantage.

You haven't done anything wrong! Reasearching what you're getting into and learning how to have your best rush is certainly advisable. Do check out many of the recruitment threads here--many have been stickied. Along the way you'll probably figure out why some bristle at these threads, mainly because some girls come here for advise on how to get THE sorority they want. Period. Then they just stop listening.

You certainly won't be the only girl from OOS so unless you use the same moniker elsewhere or it's got identifying info in it you should be fine.
UT lists some Panhellenic alumnae associations that can help. (Below--there are probably more in your area) Register with one close to you for info on rec forms, etc. Some have conversation workshops, meet-and-greets, and the like.

UT rush can be different animal, of sorts, so do some homework. Taking everything online with a grain a salt can still be helpful and you can get a glimpse of what some of it will be like. What dorm you may be more comfortable in, etc. Reading old articles and even *gasp* threads on other sites can still help you get a glimpse behind the curtain.
There are many great sororities that take OOS girls but you need to be prepared that the process can be bewildering and painful. But also fun! You just HAVE to be open to giving the groups that want YOU an honest chance. If a house cuts you because you didn't summer with any of them, you probably would be happier elsewhere. Truly. And Instagram can be very dishonest--remember that.

Good luck to you, and congratulations on becoming a Longhorn!!!
http://http://deanofstudents.utexas....pc_alumnae.php

I have a close friend whose daughter went through UT Austin rush about nine years ago. And this is second hand. She was from a public high school in a medium-sized Texas city. Both of her parents are very prominent in the medical profession and her mother's sorority was one of the smaller national sororities with a chapter at UT. It was brutal. Don't let anyone tell you it is not. She ended up joining her mom's sorority and had a great time at UT.

There are a lot of stories on this website (and others) about sorority rush at UT Austin - most are likely true (or somewhat true). But times change. My advice would be to prepare for the worse and hope for the best. And be open to joining any sorority that wants you. Wear clothes that are appropriate for UT, if you don't know what that is find out. (I know that is what you are trying to do, but I'm the last person to ask about that.) Coming from California, I'd suggest focusing more on finding connections and recommendations through your parents' friends and associates. There is plenty of advice on this website on rush and how to get recommendations. Find it and follow it.

One thing for sure is that Texas society is not what it once was and there is likely a lot of people in the UT Greek system from what I once heard a Texas probate attorney call "decaying society." In any event, Texans have traditionally been open and friendly, but don't confuse that friendliness with getting a bid. There will definitely be a culture difference, but you have as good a chance as anyone from out of state.

Also, keep in mind that there are several fraternities at UT that have many members attending Austin Community College with the hopes of transferring to UT. (This may or may not be important. But I find it kinda odd that girls will pay a lot of money and compete to get in "XYZ top house" only to socialize with community college kids.) This is a quirk at UT caused by the automatic admissions rules.

Hopefully - someone with more current knowledge will chime in.

(From a Big 12 alumna who is now in SoCal + an Adviser at UCLA)
Not sure where you are in Southern California, but contact the closest alumnae Panhellenic association near you. Orange County, Long Beach and Los Angeles all have websites. You can register and let them know that you’re going through recruitment at Texas. They may be able to help you with recommendations. You can also see if that association has Longhorn alumnae who could help answer specific questions about Texas recruitment. (The LA Longhorns have a Facebook group! Go network at an upcoming event!)

If you are visiting the UT campus before the end of the semester, see if you can schedule a campus tour where the tour guide is in a sorority.

AZTheta — Oh, how I wish we had a “like” button! ��

Never fear, I saw the Longhorn Signal. :D

Relatively recent UT alumna here. I’m going to give you some advice here and some more in direct message, so check that once you’ve read this.

UT rush is brutal. There is no other way to put it. BUT almost every PNM who keeps and open mind and finishes the process will receive a bid. Please remember that open mind part because it is the most important part of what I’m posting here.

You’re going to hear a lot about sorority tiers, both online, when you go to orientation, and once you arrive and start recruitment. The PNMs who get caught up in that are the ones who end up dropping out when they don’t get invited back to the chapters they think they “deserve.” Don’t be that girl. The truth is, every sorority at UT is great and there are out of state members in every house. Your odds of ending up in some of the sororities as an unconnected out-of-state student are essentially zero, but it’s nothing personal. Really! Some houses focus more on people we already know and their membership is very concentrated on a few areas and schools. I’m pretty sure half my pledge class and I were in Brownies together. There’s nothing you can do about it, so if they drop you look at it as an opportunity to return to chapters that are more geographically open minded and interested in you.Honestly, you’ll probably be more comfortable in those sororities anyway since it’s hard to break through established cliques in those more Texas based chapters. Keep an open mind. Don’t listen to anything others say. Every sorority has an active social schedule and honestly, once the crazy recruitment season ends, we all have friends in other chapters.

Get recommendations. THIS IS NOT A SUGGESTION. THIS IS A MUST HAVE. You will be dropped after first set by most of the sororities if they didn’t receive recommendations for you. Two to three per chapter is the norm. You may hear people mention Letters of Support. It’s a Texas thing and pretty much anyone outside of Texas or who isn’t familiar with our ways will look at you like you have three heads and a tail if you mention them. It’s ok to get the regular recommendations the alumnae of each sorority you contact normally writes. Recs from people who actually know you are the best. Check out the thread on here that talks about how to find rec writers. It will help you a lot. When all else fails, you can register with your local Alumnae Panhellenic and get them from local women who don’t know you. Again, see that thread. START WORKING ON THIS NOW! You want them to be submitted by the middle of June at the latest, and May is better. Make it your job in the next couple of months.

Don’t go out and buy a new wardrobe of things that you think people are going to be impressed with. Dress cute and classy but be yourself. It will be hotter than satan’s sauna so keep that in mind.

Clean up your social media. Now. Sororities are going to start stalking you. Make sure it’s fun and light and classy. Make sure it reflects your best self. Stay covered up and don’t show anything that could be misconstrued as an alcoholic drink or worse. Avoid political rants, rants about people etc.

Be very careful if you’re approached by sorority members trying to dirty rush you during the summer. You don’t want to look like someone who’s overly interested in one group or get your hopes up/ misread their signals. Don’t go out with sorority members during orientation and don’t go to the parties you might get invited to. Needless to say, don’t be the drunk girl or the girl who flirts with or worse with some guy a sorority member likes. I can’t even tell you how many PNMs have cratered their recruitment this way, even if it looks innocent to you. Remember, people are watching and want to know how you will represent their sorority.

I think that’s it. Really, you will find your people even if they aren’t in the sorority you thought they were going to be in during rush. Keep an open mind. Did I mention that already?

Awesome post LL.

Thank you all - if there's anything I've learned from this thread it's to be open minded and positive. And also to get recs, haha. Everyone's advice is so appreciated, and I keep repeatedly hearing that every single sorority at UT has something to offer - and I'm so excited to meet and consider them all! I've been looking up and some of the philantrophy they're doing is pretty cool. @ladylonghorn has been especially helpful!!

Now THAT is the kind of post that makes us all smile! LadyLonghorn's advice is 100% spot on. Take every word she says as gold. Just get the tier crap OUT of your pretty head. It will only make you miserable in the end. You can have a wonderful rush experience and wind up with "your people" if you can ignore the tent talk and gossip.

@thetalady thanks to all! You and everyone else have soothed my anxiety

UT active here! Rush at Texas was one of the craziest experiences I’ve gone through. Very stressful. Very intimidating. Snobby, cliquey girls all over. I found lots of helpful info on this site so be sure to read through all of the threads.

UT’s acceptance ratio now stands at 39%. It’s hard getting in these days. Because of that, the Texas girls who thought they’d be an auto-admit to continue their mom’s UT legacy are often not getting in. We have more OOS girls than ever before. All of the girls going through rush here are top students, so other qualities come into play: style, attractiveness, personality, connections from high school or camp, wealth. Like most schools, there is a pecking order but all chapters have well-traveled, very smart actives with plenty of disposable income.

There are always exceptions but basically, the chapters have certain personalities.

PiPhi, Kappa and Theta usually pull in girls they know. ChiO and TriDelta take lots of suburban girls and those that don’t go PKT. Zeta goes for pageant and cheer types. Alpha Phi pulls the outgoing, party girls that didn’t go ChiO or Zeta. Alpha Chi takes lots of OOS girls; really pretty group. AEPhi is predominately Jewish. DG comes next; very involved on campus. KD is the newest house on campus; really involved on campus as well. ADPi has a sweeter, quieter demeanor. AXD girls are fun-loving and don’t care about status. SDT is a very diverse group; no house but they have a nice place to meet at.

Sign up for recruitment early. Try to follow a few actives on Insta. Try to link up at orientation. Of course, clean up your social media. Come down for Round Up but don’t make a fool of yourself.

Be open-minded but pledge a sorority you feel good about. Successful re-rushing at UT is definitely a thing but only if you connect well with actives during freshman year.

With that, welcome to The University of Texas. You’re gonna absolutely love it!! Good luck and kick ass!

Hey Phil Tau, no offense but you don't know what you're talking about. Sounds like your info is 4th hand. "decaying society"...what?? Austin, Dallas, Houston, Midland, San Antonio, The Valley (even East Texas) all have a vibrant society circuit. UT is home to many scions of those social circles. UT is such an appealing school that guys who can't get in still want to be within it's shadow. The fraternities are UT students with a handful of non UT guys here and there. They happen to be wealthy enough enough to pledge (dues are around 6-7k/yr for several groups). So, no, we didn't go greek at UT to hang out with ACC guys (there aren't many). We went greek at UT to be greek at UT.
And be open to joining any sorority that wants you? Wrong wrong wrong. Be open but join a sorority you're psyched about.

In a perfect world girls would get a bid from a house they are totally psyched about. But we don't live in a perfect world and at super competitive schools like Texas, Ole Miss and Alabama, girls can be lucky to get a bid period even if it is guaranteed (given that they go through the system as they're instructed). I've known many girls take a bid who were unsure about their house, but they gave it their best. And you know what? They fell in love with that house. I've heard some say they can't imagine being anywhere else now.

My advice is that in a house with 300-400 girls you can surely find your "home", so take the bid and give it your best shot.

I wish the OP well in finding a home.

I'd venture to say that there are more charity galas and debutante balls in Texas than in any other state, on top of the fact that the Texas economy and population trends just keep rocking along. That decaying Texas society comment was very misinformed.

You likely have to take your A game into recruitment at Texas so be prepared. Best to you on your Texas recruitment experience. Please come back here and tell us how it goes.

@slang You must have Greekchat confused with another site.

OK - LadyLonghorn got my SOS and she's on it with cleo1967 so I am gonna ask a supermod to edit my posts as well. It's all good. I just want the OP to have a decent rush experience and it's TEXAS for the love of Mike, people. Please. Thank you in advance for letting me exit stage left.

The term decayed society may be a little harsh and inaccurate. Perhaps generational wealth or trust funder may be better, less offensive terms. UT-Austin is not alone. The same comment could be made about other well-known Texas universities that appear to place a big emphasis on Greek social organizations (though, in the overall UT System, Greek social organizations have never been considered a big emphasis).

And yes, I am sure there are plenty of parties in Texas. But the old oil money (on which Texas society is based) has been disbursed and diluted through multiple generations. And sometimes (at the end of all that money) their great grandchildern don't turn out so well * * * but sometimes they turn out wonderful. Obviously, UT-Austin has its share of both types of kids.

:rolleyes: wat?

At UT, re-rushing is a good option. The only drawback is foregoing sorority life as a freshman. If you’re connected to actives as a freshman, you’ll be going to all of the frat parties and their formals, TX/OU, Round Up, the profit shares, etc., so you still fun. I’ve seen it happen here over and over. A girl goes through as an unknown, gets dropped by her favorite houses, drops out completely, only to re-rush and get what she wants as a sophomore.

Texas chapters average 200 girls (AXD not that many and SDT even less). Sure, there is always a girl or 2 within any house that you can bond with but you want to pledge a chapter that you fit with overall. Every re-rusher I know who connected with actives as a freshman had success the second time around. Because many girls only get into UT as transfers, all UT chapters are used to bidding sophomores.

And hey, if you’re dirty rushed, that means you’re on a sorority’s radar (a good thing!). Your takeaway: re-rushing at UT works so don’t settle. Can’t wait to hear your story!

You’re seriously out of your element.

We’ve got trust funders and rich kids all over greek life, which is why wealth was one of the qualities I mentioned. The OOS greeks have the means to handle full tuition, high dues and all that travel. Our greek system is old. It’s always been high profile because of it’s connections to cheer, pom, Spurs, Cowboys, student govt, Round Up and more. You think Texas society is based on oil money?? You’re not from here or else you’d know that mineral rights, ranching, farming and business figure pretty strongly into Texas society. And your comment about some oil money kids not turning out so well, see UT’s 39% acceptance ratio, an indication that UT takes students that have “turned out well”.

You should stop; your ignorance is showing. You kinda sound jealous of UT greeks or something.

Huh?

There is a post every year about about UT recruitment. It's like a right of Spring. And, every year, nothing changes. In the last few years Greek life has been growing, but at UT, there has been no growth among Panhellenic groups. It is a sad statement but true that the newest group on campus was the recolonization of Kappa Delta over 35 years ago. Part of me thinks that there are chapters on campus that like it that way. It's a bubble for them to feel secure with girls they have known all their life on a campus with over 40,000 undergraduates. Only 14% of the campus are Greek. FYI, Slang, you need to listen to Lady Longhorn. And also for your information there are a LOT of Greek systems older than the University of Texas and people in Texas with the "old" money don't talk about it. It is not polite conversation. OP, for girls who want the Greek experience there is a home at the University of Texas. Keep an open mind, get your references and be yourself.

Did you read the thread? The only one initiating talk of old money was Phil Tau. UT Greek life a bubble? We say over and over we have lots of OOS students. For the record, UT is definitely one of the older Greek systems in the country, with many single-letter chapters. And I’m listening to LL regarding my own Greek system for....??

OP, yes, we're up over here! Got your pm. Responding now.

Let me guess....you're majoring in Diplomacy?

uh, no. You're mistaken. Or, to use your very own words, "wrong wrong wrong".

What is your chapter, SLang? And if you don't know why you should be listening to LL, that speaks volumes.

I wish there was a like button so I could like AZTheta's response....

FSU-I’m majoring in the same thing as Phil Tau and JInterested (who said Texas society is decaying and UT greeks live in a self-comforting bubble). AZTheta-you really wanna argue that UT does not have an old greek system?! Do.the.math. And remind me why I need rush advice, considering I’ve successfully navigated one of the hardest recruitments at one of the best public universities??

Cleo/kppita got what she needs from me personally so I’m done, but this for all y’all: TEXAS, TEXAS, YeeeHaaaw! bye

it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool ... oh wait, you know everything about Greek history including that it has something to do with math. This is rich.

You don't need rush advice. You need a Dale Carnegie course, for starters.

Again, what is your chapter?

*crickets*

UC-Berkeley had 20 sororities by 1920, nearly all single letter chapters. University of Illinois had 16 chapters. Much more than Texas.

Yep, SLang is one of those "women" that is the stereotype of the entitled sorority b****

UT is the epicenter of entitled sorority B's. In fact, the whole university is quite full of itself.

Profit shares? I gather that is some sort of social event from the context but I absolutely fail to even guess as to what it entails.

And for an active to refer to a 35 year old chapter as though it opened a year ago...for better or worse, things certainly are different there.

Please don't judge the entire UT-Austin student body from the statements of the person who joined GreekChat a few days ago. “I mean, it could be Russia, but it could also be China. It could also be lots of other people. * * *"

The fact is, for better or for worse, UT-Austin (undergraduate) is not the same school that it was when anyone could attend who had the money to go there. (Don't jump on me about this, at one time this was very true.) Also, having done a substantial portion of my undergraduate work there (though not my Greek affiliation), I am not trying to slam UT-Austin.

Many of the perceived problems encountered by the UT-Austin Greek system stem from the state's "Top 10% Plan" implemented in 1997, which was an attempt to transition away from affirmative action. Though this plan has been tweaked a bit just for UT-Austin, it had the effect of denying admission to many students from upper middle class high schools (i.e., the type who join fraternities) who were not in the top 10 percent. So, many of these upper middle class UT-Austin non-admits now go out of state to places like Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Mississippi, etc. - or to private Texas universities.

The cold hard fact is that - despite what they think - those who attend UT-Austin are not special or entitled. The average undergraduate at every university in the UT System is receiving an undergraduate education comparable to that they would get at UT-Austin. There are a few exceptional undergraduate programs at UT-Austin, but the quality level at UT-Austin does not begin to separate out until graduate and post graduate programs are taken into consideration.

It is interesting that none of the other 10+ universities in the University of Texas System or the Texas A&M System have the type of complaints that are repeatedly leveled at the UT-Austin Greek organizations. It is depressing, but the long-term (decades out) outlook for UT-Austin Greek organizations appears bleak unless the active members of those groups come to terms with the seismic, socioeconomic shift that occurred in the student body almost two decades ago.

Profit shares are really common at UT. My daughter does them for her sports team there. It's when a local restaurant/fast food place sponsors a night for them to invite friends to come eat out and in return gives the club a percentage of the profit as a fund raising event.

Oh, okay! We do those around here too but they aren't called that.

I was hoping for a party where everyone dressed in three piece suits and walked around carrying briefcases. :p

Ha, right? I couldn't get a similar image out of my head.

I guess I've never really known these events to have any kind of a name.

Ha ha! There's a visual! I guess if it was held on the day of the business school's job fair that would be a possibility!!!

For OOS girls going to UT - it is very important to connect with girls from your high school at UT and are in sororities (if there are any). You need to do everything you can to level the playing field regarding connections. As a fellow California family, we got 2-3 letters of rec for each sorority, and didn't know about "letters of support". I don't know whether it made much of a difference either way - I view it is each sorority just got more "paperwork" that was probably redundant.

There is a great guide that we used like a Bible - google the Houston area panhellenic recruitment guide - this way you will know what your "competitors" are doing. Read up on the attire for Rush, and don't be afraid to dress it up a bit, many girls do this.

Practice your conversation skills - being OOS is a great conversation starter and way to be remembered. As said up thread, there are a few sororities that primarily draw from the same Texas neighborhoods/camps - no biggie, there are plenty of sororities that actually get to know you and assess your fit. Be ready for a long, exhausting, hot week - the humidity is the hardest thing to get used to. There are things you can bring with you to help cope with the heat.

Good luck!

My niece was top 3% at her large public high school and was awarded a full scholarship to UTD. After much research, she decided on UT due to many factors.

UTD is the strongest school academically in the UT system outside of the flagship but is predominately a commuter school. The difference in resources between UTD and UT is vast. UTD is heavy on sciences but lacks the balance that art, classics, humanities and athletics provide.

The flagship has a higher graduation rate, vastly superior facilities, more vibrant student experience, mammoth R&D funding, a national and global reputation (it's considered a Public Ivy), award-winning faculty (including Nobel laureates), higher freshman SAT scores, is a member of the prestigious AAU, has medical/dental/law schools attached, has Top 10 nationally ranked undergrad programs in business, engineering, comp sciences, Spanish, even more nationally ranked graduate programs, etc. Too many advantages to name. Regarding the other system branches, the differences are even greater.

In national rankings of any kind, the branch schools are non-existent.

The flagship as the sole school of excellence within the UT system is well documented. For example, the UC schools have numerous excellent branches (UCSD, UCLA, Berkely). It is a weakness of the UT system that only UT is excellent. The UT system needs to develop excellence across it's branches if the state as a whole is to fully benefit.

Additionally, the upper-middle-class students not accepted by UT are not giving way to sub-standard, "top 7%" students. Spots are taken by higher performing students, namely in-state Asian & Indian American students and OOS students (the ascent of the Asian/Indian American student accounts for the largest minority student gains at UT).

But back to your point, the branch schools do not deliver the same education as UT in any sense.

Yikes! I'm really getting concerned for my niece rushing at Texas after reading all of the threads on here! She really wants to be part of greek life but the process sounds daunting.