Quick SEC question
 

Is MSU (Mississippi State) considered an SEC school? How competitive is their rush (as opposed to cutthroat places like Bama, Auburn, and Ole Miss)?Thanks!

MS State is a part of the SEC and their recruitment can be pretty competitive.

ETA: SEC list

University of Alabama
University of Arkansas
Auburn University
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Kentucky
Louisiana State University
University of Mississippi
Mississippi State University
University of South Carolina
University of Tennessee
Vanderbilt University

I was asst Greek advisor there a few years back. They are extremely competitive!

Mississippi State is very Competitive....All of their houses are very good and are top chapters.

Chapters are:
Phi Mu
Tri Delta
ZTA
Chi Omega
Delta Gamma
Kappa Delta

Their recruitment ended two weeks ago I think.

http://www.msstate.edu/org/panhellenic/

Seeing as it is in the Southeastern Conference, I would assume that it is, indeed "considered" an SEC school. I don't consider it as tough to get in as say auburn, alabama, ole miss, georgia, but it's tough still.

ooo, I don't know
 

They have fewer groups and some have been around forever. I think it's it's pretty tough.

Let me think, orchid2...it's competitive in a slightly different way from some of the others. I felt that more so at State, it's harder to get your bid of choice if you're from out of state. State doesn't have as many out of staters as, say, Ole Miss or Bama. Someone once remarked on GC that everyone in Mississippi seems to know everyone else there and I was often astounded by how true that seemed. Sorority members from the coast would talk about how they knew these 3 girls from Tupelo from camp or those 2 girls from Laurel from a pageant. I often felt that some of the sororities went into rush with their bid list already made out.

A PNM had better have something incredible that makes her stand out if she doesn't know any Greek women before rush.

There are 6 sororities but State has lost 4 since I was there.

That's true at Arkansas as well however. Give me any town, and I most likely I probably know someone you know.

Thanks for the responses! Hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday weekend.

Carnation - Do they have the same issue as has been discussed about Ole Miss and other schools, i.e. PNMs will only consider certain houses? What groups did they have that closed?

Pretty much, although it used to be worse; they really only wanted one group back in the day but would settle for 3 others. There were 2 more that were conisdered "medium". Many dropped out if they were left with the 3 groups that folded after I graduated. There was a fourth group that left but they came after I was gone.

MSU
 

I have a good friend who was a Kappa there, but their chapter closed, I believe when they couldn't build a house (that's hearsay...)

Her younger sisters were Phi Mus. That chapter still looks, by the website anyway, to be very strong.

As mentioned there are six chapters at MSU... Most students are in-state and have six degrees of seperation! All six chapters are over 100 in membership w/ five ranging from 165-180. You NEED recs, and please believe that membership checks recs thourghly for the chapter (even when they know the girl). Ex. My cousin recently grad from MSU (where she was a KD). Her senior year in HS she spent many weekends in Starkville w/ friends (mostly at the KD and DG house). Several of my friends who wrote recs for her were called, my dear gf who was a KD was GRILLED about my cousin. I know chapters at Ole Miss that have their first bid list made out prior to recruitment... However, I would not say that MSU is similar. If you told me where a PNM is from and a little background, I could tell you where she will be offered a bid. In that aspect, it is competitive.

I didn't know that Kappa had a chapter. I know they use to have and I could be wrong, ADPi and Alpha Gamma Delta. Does anyone know what chapters were there and have now left?

I was at State last night for the MSU/USC game, my boyfriend is a proud State Alumnus...I saw lots of cute sororities girls there dressed cute wearing their stickers/buttons that say "XYZ loves the Bulldogs" and things like that...I would think from seeing a few girls from each chapter that all of the houses there are very strong and very competitive! (I know they have some gorgeous sorority houses down there!!!)

Hijack

I watched the MSU/SC game last night on ESPN. I was surprised to see the camera crew was allowed inside a sorority house for some pre-game footage. No interviews, only shots of folks getting food from a buffet and they didn't even identify which Chapter. Just said something about "sorority life at MSU".

I was surprised though because I know ADPi has a policy that requires permission from our Grand Pres to have any contact with the press. While this was minimal exposure and a sports station, still you never know what might happen when the press and cameras get involved. I assumed most sororities had similar policies.

I wonder if someone tracked down their Pres ASAP or just skipped that. I doubt ESPN would wait around very long while someone tracked down the right person to grant permission. There's plenty of other fans they can film.

/hijack

Unofficially:
Chi Omega 1936
Zeta Tau Alpha 1940
Phi Mu 1962
Alpha Delta Pi 1966-1988
Delta Gamma 1969
Kappa Delta 1971
Delta Delta Delta 1972
Kappa Kappa Gamma 1977-1984
Alpha Gamma Delta 1989-?
Alpha Chi Omega (closed but I don't know the dates)

I'll verify your KKG dates. That's what's on our website.

A little late on this thread...its interesting how people are pointing out the "in-state" dynamics of MSU. I am a MSU Phi Mu alum from Tennessee and went into rush basically clueless! I did have recs for all the chapters except Tri-delta. I am a Phi Mu legacy as well. During rush, I never felt overlooked for being out of state, but once on the chapter side and then on Panhellenic, I do recognize that Mississippi does tend to cluster its small-town girls into certain chapters...(eg: Many Tupelo girls go AAA, many Meridian girls go XYZ, a lot of delta girls go BBB...) but even over the course of a few years that can change. Out of state girls going through rush just need to have some stand-outs on their application and SEND A PICTURE with a recommendation to each chapter to help the chapters remember who they are during the week...it doesn't hurt to make it a good picture with a memorable feature (fun top, cute background, pets, etc)! I love the MSU greek system...message me with any questions!

That's a heartbreaking thread to read.