Greek Life at the University of Texas at Austin
 

If you haven't already done so, look at the UT-Austin greek life web site.

http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/gle

good luck with recruitment.

Hey! I would suggest looking at individual webpages of organizations at UT. I don't know if you are looking at a particular type of org (NPHC, NPC, Multicultural, Latina, Asian, ect.). but looking at the individual pages of the organizations at UT might help you figure out which group is more interesting to you. From what I know about UT, there are a LOT of options in all the different categories of sororitites to choose from, so doing research before you get there might help you have an idea of what you want to do.

do a search in the rush forum -something like-university of texas rush or texas rush. we had a couple of girls who wrote of their recruitment experiences there.

also, you will need recommendation letters to the chapters at u of texas-ask your teachers, family friends, co-workers, fellow church members, etc., and of course the one person you know who a sorority member-and ask her if she knows any women in other sororities who have chapters at u of texas. good luck.

Ditto FSUZeta - you will DEFINITELY need references before going through recruitment at Texas. You should look for the rush thread about competitive southern rush as I have heard University of Texas rush is the epitome of southern rush. Make sure you are prepared.

Best wishes!!

Not to sound critical or out of the loop, but are you serious about needing letters of reference? Do they need to supply a cover letter and resume as well?

Any advice on "being prepared?" I have been trying to get references and one ChiO said I was required to have 5...some people have been telling me that that's ridiculous, but I definitely want to be one the safe side. Greek life is NOT a big thing in my area, so there's only so much I can do locally, you know?

I read the posts about "cutthroat southern rush" or something along those lines, and I got a lot of info about UT from what someone posted, which unfortunately freaked me out even more! It was the post about how 99.9% of the time you won't get like any of your top 6 picks or something...and how its all about what high school you went to and how much $$ you have etc. I'm not quite sure how to deal with that...and everyone tells me I'm worrying much more than I should be, but maybe I SHOULD be this worried, am I right or wrong?

Yah, I dont know about the above nonsense.

Sounds like someone who's only been in a fraternity for about seven minutes decided to get involved in a process that dosent really involve him.

Let me fill ya in dude. Think of everything you know from fraternity rush and throw it out the window. Sorority rush is completely different from anything you have ever contempletated. Your experience is non-relevant. Your attempt at humor, while not even really appreciated, is non beneficial. Its not even ironic, cause this sorority recruitment thread stuff is taken real serious by the ladies on here. NPC is not a joke. They have a book that governs their recruitment proceedures that is about 200 pages big. Its called the big green book and go ask your Panhellenic if you can see it. Yeah, they have 200 pages of how their rush goes. In our IFC, we had 8 pages. So it really doesnt compare. Rally against it all you want, and it wont matter. Its been this way since like 1956 and is isnt going to change on your behalf. So here's what you should do. If you really want to be involved, ask a chapter you care about if you can help set up/tear down for their rush. If not, shut up. Cause your comments really dont help whats going on in here. Funny? Sort of, but not really so much. Just stay out of their business. Its how its done. Really it is. Ask around. Your input (and mine for that matter, is not asked for or sought after).

Be greek for 10 minutes and you'll see that.

You wouldn't want the women mocking your rush process. Lets show some respect.

Seriously, learn how the game is played. Keep the stupid comments to yourself. You are so in WAY over your head. You have no idea. lol.

Hey there,

I'm sending you an important pm about rush at Texas!

LETTERS OF REFERENCE

by the way, if any of you gals would be willing to write me a letter of reference for UT, I would really appreciate it as there is not much Greek action here in Boise. The more, the merrier! I could use references for the following sororities:

Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Epsilon Phi
Alpha Phi
Alpha Xi Delta
Chi Omega
Delta Gamma
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Delta
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Pi Beta Phi
Sigma Delta Tau
Zeta Tau Alpha

Thanks to everyone for replying, I feel so much better knowing that I have like this network of support rooting for me! It means a lot to me. :)

I dont know many that would be willing to write an recommedation for someone on the internet however you could contact the local Alumnae Associations for the different sororities in that area.

Here is a good recruitment story from UT if it will help:

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ighlight=Texas


Your best bet is to read as much as you can about recruitment on GC and to get as many recs as you can. If you present yourself well, have good grades, good activities, and keep an open mind, I am confident you can find a Greek home there. I wish I knew more and could point you in the right direction, but I am not from Texas! Perhaps someone on GC will be kind enough to give you some additional advice and direction. Do not worry too much, just be prepared and keep that open mind.

Yes, exactly. People here aren't going to do your work for you :) There's a nice thread tacked up in the rush forum about how to go about procuring recs. Since you're getting a late start, i'd suggest you get your tail in gear contacting local Alumnae Associations. :)

Though I think needing 5 for one group is absolutely f'in ridiculous.

Excuse me, who are you to criticize? I have been involved with greek life for 10 years. The sorority organizations I have acquantanced do not hold rush with a requirement of letters of recommendation. It kind of defeats the process of getting to know the girls. Instead, you rely on what someone else thinks about the girl.

The women can mock our recruitment, but I don't see how getting to know the guys is a bad thing.

"Keep the stupid comments to yourself"-Are you kiddin me? Grow up. Not everyone does things like they do in your beloved south.

About recs at Texas...

The larger the sorority here, the more recs you need. For smaller sororities, you'll need about 2-3. For larger ones, you will honestly need anywhere from 3-5 (depending on the sorority). This especially applies if you don't know any of the girls in a sorority. Of course, each sorority here has their own policy of how many recs a girl must have in order for them not to cut her. I'm not kidding about this either. I can most certainly guarantee you that if you have 0 recs, you WILL be cut from, more than likely, all or almost all of the sororities on the first day.

Another thing about Texas - if you can, get to know girls in sororities BEFORE you go through rush! It will help you out a lot.

Anyway, good luck to everyone going through rush at Texas this year :)

I know that Alpha Xi Delta and Alpha Chi Omega have a chapter at Boise State so maybe you could go and talk with some of the alumni that they might have in the area. Good luck and hope you find the place where you belong.

But we're not talking about sorority recruitment at Backwoods College. Were talking about it at The University of Texas - a university of nearly 50,000 students. So your experience or comments arent relevant to this discussion. Again.... this is how its done. Its their process, not yours or mine. So it dosnt matter what we think of the process. Its what they want to do. Were not just talking about 'in my beloved south' - its how recruitment is conducted at hundreds of univeristies across the US and Canada and it's been that way forever.

Recruitment at Texas
 

Best Wishes on finding your GLO at UT Austin. The campus is huge and has all types of things to offer. I almost went there for my undergrad. Whatever you decide to rush/pledge make the most out of your experience. You will cherish those moments tremendously during your post years as an active. Brother/Sisterhood is the greatest thing.

Best Regards,

Boodleboy322
Gamma Theta Chapter
University of North Texas
Delta Omega Class of 99

I was the Alpha Xi Delta Panhellenic Advisor at UT for a number of years and got to know and work closely with many of the advisors of the other 13 chapters. I have never heard any of them state that a woman needed more than one rec in order to get a bid. It all comes down to the quality of the rec - does the person writing it know you? Did the person writing it give specific details of why you will be a good member? Is the person writing it an active alumna on either the local, regional, or national level? Does the person writing it contribute financially to the local chapter or the National Foundation?

I assume if it came down to all other things being equal, a woman with 5 recs from women they don't know would get an invitation over another woman with only 1 rec from a woman that they don't know but I really wouldn't waste your time trying to get 4-5 recs from women that obviously do not know you, or know you well.

It is true that many groups will release you if you do not have at least one rec. Not all groups require them but it is a good idea to secure them for all of the chapters if you can.

Many groups have to release a significant percentage of the PNMs due to release figures after open house and then again after each of the other rounds. That's just how it is at UT and you cannot let it get to you. All of the chapters are great at UT. All are regarded very highly by their national organizations. Best of luck to you!

nebraskadelt, i will try to explain the reasoning behind a letter of recommendation. first, think of it as the same sort of thing that you might be expected to acquire when you seek employment-a reference, so to speak. it can give insight into how a pnm might fit in with a chapter and how her special talents could enhance their group.

on a large campus, with many potential new members, it might benefit the pnm to have a letter of recommendation. on the first two days of recruitment, which on large campuses are duplicate days, the pnms are herded in and out of the houses at breakneck pace and many times, not much information is exchanged in conversation other than: name, hometown, major and where they are living on campus. this is because of time constraints. the recommendation provides the sorority with her gpa, her activities in high school, awards and honors, other things that might show the chapter how that girl might enhance and fit in with their group,her hometown and high school and campus address. this information can be used to facilitate conversation and if accompanied by a photo, it is easier to put the correct information with the right face. no one bases their decision to extend offers of membership to a pnm on one recommendation, but because of the extra information that might not have come up in 10 or 15 minutes of conversation, that pnm might be invited back to the next set of parties, where more could be learned of the pnm. and added bonus is that many chapter will pair their best rusher with a pnm who has a recommendation and that works in the pnms favor. the stellar rusher can make conversation with anyone and make them feel comfortable and at home.

now, there can be negative recommendations sent on a pnm. if an alumna felt that for whatever reason a pnm would not fit in with that particular chapter of her sorority, she might send a recommendation where she states that she does not recommend the pnm for membership. it is still up to the chapter to use that information or ignore it.

we alumnae take recruitment seriously, and while i cannot speak for everyone, i would only send a negative recommendation on a pnm if they were drug users or dealers, the high school slut, a drunk, a thief-in other words, someone i felt certain could ruin the reputation of the chapter singlehandedly.

by the way, you say that the sororities on your campus do not use recommendations. that may be so, but then again,the members you know may not know everything that goes on in their chapter. it may be that their chapter did receive a recommendation, that it was favorable and the person in charge of recruitment for that chapter filed it away. no chapter has to use the information they receive-they are free to make their own decision. but it is nice to have that extra information before the girl crosses their threshold.

To add to this - for the informatio of all - there are GLO's that require a recommendation from an alumnae member before the women can be pledged or initiated.

NPC and the University Panhellenic will always tell you it is the individual chapters responsibility to get these recommendations (since they are the ones that require it). Don't rely on this. If you are at a school where there are 800+ women going through recruitment it is unrealistic to thing that the chapters are going to find a rec for each and every woman.

No matter what your recruitment material says, you are in charge of your own destiny in relation to recs. Don't just assume that you have a rec for all chapters on campus if you go through your area Alumnae Panhellenic. You need to make sure that you have them. Don't just send your info to them and forget about it. You have a responsibiity to right a thank you note to those that do write you a rec - be sure to follow up with the Alumnae Panhellenic and get the names of the women who are writing the recs. Contact them personally to thank them and also write them a thank you note.

On behalf of The University of Texas, I would like to say that in many ways we are not the ruthless system that we were in the late 80's early 90's. I went through recruitment during that time and was a chapter member when many of the changes rolled down from NPC and The University.

I'm not saying that it is not a tough recruitment - recruitment in the August Texas heat will never be easy - but I think that other systems in Texas are tougher than ours. Get you ducks in a row in regards to recs. Be sure to include everything you have ever done in your life on your information sheet/recruitment application. Research each of the chapters on campus (on a local and national level). An of course the biggest thing - KEEP AND OPEN MIND!! This is the most important thing you can do.

Don't forget, your ultimate goal is to have a home away from home and a sisterhood that will last a lifetime. While a rec may get you invited to the second round, only you can get yourself any further.

Honey, not to be rude but you've clearly been misinformed. Every NPC org has some form of a recommendation process even if it's not required at the school. Maybe the sororities at your school don't use this system but there are a large number of schools that do...it's just the standard procedure at those schools. From what I've heard, UT is one of them. (Hence the thread title "Greek Life at the University of Texas at Austin) It doesn't give anyone an automatic bid, the chapter and the girl still have to pick each other through a "mutual selection process".

Also, don't knock Lifesaver...we love him. :)

edited to be a more pleasant person :)

UT-Austin is the most selective public school in the state, and considered one of the best public schools in the nation. So, I wouldn't be surprised if the GPA requirements are higher, especially when so many of the incoming freshmen have high GPAs.

Each GLO has their own national minimum GPA requirment for pledging - a local chapter may have a higher GPA requirement. I don't know what all of the national minimum are and was only able to find a few on their national websites.

Of course as said earlier, UT is one of the most competative schools in the nation, so most will have grades requirements that are above the minimums. I would think that most chapters are higher than the minimum because of this.

And having been there and done that, most chapters will use grades as their first release criteria and recs second. With the changes in the release figure method, it is going to be hard for all chapters to give courtesy invites for those that don't have grades but have a rec.

i come from a small campus in texas and hard time reconcilling my own beliefs and that pf using rec's to cut someone. that is until i spent a weekend with the UT panhellenic advisor at a conference. we talked a lot about UT's recruitment b/c i was so fascinated (both of the campuses i've worked at have very small scale recruitment).

after first round, the larger chapters have to cut somewhere around 400 women! (i just wish that many WENT through recruitment at my campus!) holy crap, what are the chapters supposed to do? it is not possible to get to know that many women really well, so it is necessary to devise some method to make cuts. while it sucks that pnm's can get cut for not having a rec or not enough and only a handfull of women from each chapter meet her, it is important to remember there are few other options. grades will only cut so many. i still don't necessarily agree with it (using recs), but also don't know if there is really any other way.

while we can criticize it all we want, until another way can be found to make cut decisions in a better way, it seems this is what has to be done.

I triple that! Coming from just a few miles north of there, I know what rush in Texas is like! UT has a huge greek system and the websites are a great place to look, however, some of the big chapters don't have websites. My best friend was in a sorority at UT and I knew some of the ADPis there. I also personally know the new Greek advisor there, and she is sooooooo sweet!! Anyway, that was random, but I've known girls in about 5 different sororities there, and they are all fabulous.
You definitely need recs. In your application, be sure to put your best foot forward. The process can be really tough, but a lot of fun. GOOD LUCK!

I'm sad to break this to you but you are too late for rush 2005...my sister was rush chair of her sorority at UT when she was in college so I know what I'm talking about. Most girls send in their UT recs at the beginning of June. Sorority rush teams have been looking through pics and recs all summer.

Yes, the sororites at UT make cuts based on pics and recs but there are HUNDREDS of girls going through rush....that's why quota is 60+ on a campus with 14 chapters!!!

My best suggestion I can make to you is go to UT, make friends, meet some girls you like and try to pledge as a sophomore.....yes it is harder as a sophomore but it is impossible as a freshman at this point.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. However, UT is a huge campus and being greek isn't everything there. Austin is one of the best cities in the world....you will love it!! Go eat at Hula Hut for me!!

Hey smarty pants- you're wrong. Recruitment registration ends August 23rd: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/gle...pc_recruit.php

July 31st is the last day to register with reduced fees.

This was copied and pasted from the texasgreeks.com website. It looks like you have until the end of August, althought I would certainly NOT wait until then.
Recruitment registration begins on May 1, 2005 and ends August 23, 2005. Any registration form received before this time will be returned. Complete the downloadable PDF form or fill it out online. In order to complete the online application, you will need a digital or scanned photo of yourself for identification purposes.
My suggestion, don't wait until you are a sophomore, it greatly reduces your chances or being accepted, especially at a school like UT. My best friend rushed as a sophomore, with a high school activities resume that would put many people here to shame and she was cut by most sororities.

baylorgirl: Welcome to GC from a fellow Baylor Bear (alum).

i just have a general question - as I am not a member of an NPC sorority, but a multicultural one with a much smaller membership/pledge classes.

How do people in such a big pledge class at a school like UT really get to know each other and how do women in the sororities really get to know the girls in order to select them? I understand that there is the registration package and rush parties, but do people really get to know the girls with so many attempting rush?

Just wondering and I thank ya'll in advance for any insight you can give:)

THIS is the purpose of the recommendations, and why they are so important in a large recruitment. You may not get to spend very much time with a rushee, but you have this reference letter, written by an alumnae who you should hopefully trust, that says, "Hey, I believe that Suzy A would make a good XYZ because of A, B, and C reason!" Then some sisters meet her during a recruitment event, decide she was fun to talk to and not weird, and that's it. So you don't really "get to know" anyone at Recruitment- and this is actually not just a large-rush thing. My school usually has about 100-120 PNMs going through, but you still don't really get to know them. You just meet them and chat with them and get a feel for them, I guess.

Let me clarify....the registration process is still technically open...but you will need awesome recs and resume at this point...the chapters have been thinking about girls since the beginning of the summer.

AND MAYBE SHE HAS THEM.

Geez, no reason to get all Debbie Downer on the girl.

Not to mention if a chapter has their pledge class picked out before evaluating ALL the applications before the due date, not to mention before the women actually go through rush, I'd say that's violating a few NPC rules. We do not rush high school women.

Baylorgirl is right. And I feel qualified to speak on the matter since I went through Texas rush last year and I am currently in a sorority there. During the summer, the sororities look through all of PNMs applications, recs, photos, etc. As crazy as it may sound, many sororities already know who they want to cut the first round before recruitment week even begins. These cuts are usually based on GPA, rec letters, appearance, high school activities, sometimes hometown even. **I would like to point out that you sort of have to do this because it is impossible to decide in one night which 300-400 girls to cut!!**

HOWEVER, it is not too late to register for rush! If you have great recs and you actually know girls in the sororities, don't worry about it that much. And in longhrn_cutie18's case, I know that she's already turned in her app, and has been working on this for awhile.

I would NOT advise anyone at Texas to hold off from going through recruitment freshman year. First of all, you will almost automatically be cut from about half of the NPC sororities if you go through rush as a sophomore and aren't friends with the girls already in a sorority. Secondly, if you do go through rush as a freshman you WILL meet people in your recruitment group who are going to end up pledging a sorority. And that way, you'll actually know the girls in the sororities.

An option to not actually going through rush is waiting for some of the groups to do their spring recruitment. This year we had about 5-6 of the NPC sororities do spring recruitment. This is a LOT LESS formal than fall recruitment. However, be advised that our panhellenic does not sponsor this and that the number of sororities participating in this varies from year to year.

Please don't flame my post! I'm just giving information on how our rush process works. Yes, it is cutthroat. But we have about 600-800 girls come through recruitment each year! Oh and by the way, quota last year was 47.

longhrn_cutie18, you'll meet so many girls going through recruitment - it's an experience you won't ever forget! Don't feel discouraged about anything :)

Just curious...but I figured the #of PNM's would be greater than 600-800 @ Texas. I know it varies from year to year, but Texas Tech avereage b/w 600-800 women the 3 1/2 years that I was at Tech from '98-2001.

Last year the number of PNMs was a little over 700. This year I think there are about 550 girls registered so far.

It is not impossible as a freshman at this point as long as you keep your mind open. Yes, many groups probably already have a list of their top 150 women based upon recs, applications, and pictures but remember that recruitment is MUTUAL SELECTION.

If you have your heart set on a few particular groups then it will likely not be a great experience for you. Without quality recs or being a legacy to a group there are some organizations that, quite frankly, you probably wouldn't be considered for anyway. However, as I have stated before, every group on this campus is great, and, if you keep an open mind, you can find a home.

Do keep in mind that Texas is all about "the look". It is incredibly important that you put your best foot forward. Every group wants new members that they can be proud to call sisters. It can be very superficial. There are women that do get released from every group. In my experience, these are women that (a) don't meet the grade requirement, (b) have a bad reputation, (c) come across as rude or disinterested - can be an issue for shy women, or (d) don't take pride in their appearance.

On a percentage basis, there is a very small population of women who go all the way through the formal recruitment process at UT and do not receive a bid - VERY SMALL.

As far as numbers, typically a little more than 900 women sign up for recruitment at UT. Many women decide not to go through recruitment, quite honestly, because of the bad reputation that UT recruitment has - thanks to articles in Teen magazine and posts like some that are on this board. Panhellenic has taken great steps to make recruitment a better experience for women however the reputation is going to take a while to live down. Like someone else on the board said, recruitment in Austin Texas in mid August is never going to be easy - walking house to house in heels, full make up, and 95+ degree weather - but it is much better inside the houses now than it was 7-10 years ago.

GOOD LUCK!

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but -- is UT-Austin using the new release figures stuff yet?