Texas A&M recruitment 2009?
 

Hello,
I am a brand new member, although I've been reading this board for a while and scaring myself to death :). My daughter will be going through recruitment at Texas A&M in less than two weeks. I've read alot about how competitive recruitment is at UT, but how does A&M compare? We secured recs for all 12 sororities through the local panhellenic, but didn't realize the importance of following up with personal letters of support as well. Nevertheless, she has gotten two from ladies that do know her very well. (friend's mom and well-loved teacher).

The recruitment information that has been put out states that for pref night, formal dresses are not necessary, that a church type dress or something you would wear to a summer wedding is appropriate. In your experience, is this good information? She plans to wear a royal blue strapless dress that has a full skirt that falls an inch above her knee. It is cotton, but has a dressy sheen to it. Does this sound alright, or is the strapless a no-no?

Also, her older sister was a member of a sorority at TCU for two years. This particular sorority does not have a chapter at A&M. Her sister dropped after the second year because of time constraints and just not having her heart in it. How should Aggie daughter respond to questions about Greek family members?

Thanks for any advice!

First of all, she will love the sororities at Texas A&M. Although recruitment is competitive she will find a more laid back environment than will be found at UT. As long as the references are in place and she keeps an open mind and she has what the individual groups are looking for she should do fine. (I realize that's a lot of if's)

What she has selected for preference sounds perfect. The Aggie way is much more down home and friendly. Black is NOT a must!

As far as mentioning her sisters' group. I'm not sure. Her sister did drop out and is no longer a member and retention is always a issue. Does Aggie daughter have a 4 year commitment? I don't think I would bring it up unless it was on a reference or she put it on her registration form.

I do not think anyone will ask her about her sister's experience, especially since it was at a different school (although still in Texas). Aggie daughter just needs to be firm and clear in her conversations that she desires to be Greek and is looking forward to all of the experiences and opportunities that will afford her during her four years at A&M. (of course alumnae years,too but no one is talking about that during rush). That way, if they have heard through the grapevine about her sister's situation, aggie daughter's comments will answer any unspoken questions.

Best of luck with her recruitment! Keep us posted.

Thank you for your replies. She did put the info about her sister on the registration form since it plainly asked if any family member had Greek affiliation and she didn't want to look like she was lying. My girls have very different personalities and I feel Aggie daughter will be fully committed. Also, the TCU sorority does not have a chapter on the A&M campus. I don't think TCU daughter has any girls she is friendly with at A&M, so I doubt this would come up.

Was exactly where you were last year. My daughter loved going through rush at Texas A&M and said it was a great experience. In fact we just got back from moving her into the sorority house. Rush is a little scary at first and somewhat confusing, but make sure your daughter keeps a little notebook to jot things down before going to the next party. Being a legacy of a sorority that isn't at A&M should cause no problems and like said above, probably won't even be discussed. It is very, very hot during rush so if she has one of those little fans to carry with her that will help a lot. 12 parties the first day! Tell her best of luck in finding her home!

I think everyone has given you good advice. Carrying a notebook and jotting just a name or 2 and a one or two word thought is always a great idea between parties. I told both of my girls to do this. They would call later and read their notes to me. This helped them be clear on each house because 12 parties in one day is overwhelming and they can run together. I never asked my daughters what they were going to do, but I could tell by what they read to me in their notes. The fan is great as well as a bottle of water.