Recruitment at U of Alabama
 

hi! i'm a high school senior and bama is one of my top schools. i'm really interested in joining a sorority at UA, but i have a few questions.
i know that southern rush is really, really competitive and i am trying to take all the steps to increase my chances of getting a bid (recs, doing some research on the chapters, etc.). i'm trying to get a feel for how likely it is that i would be able to get a bid and i would appreciate any and all opinions!
-i am from the northeast. i don't know very many sorority women, and while i plan on getting recs for all the chapters, the women most likely won't know me very well.
-i am pretty involved in high school. my resume isn't off the charts spectacular or anything, but i actively participate in art, music, sports, and i volunteer every week in addition to other service projects/organizations.
-i'm not incredibly outgoing. that's not to say that i'm unsociable or super shy, but i'm not one of the extremely chatty types either. however, i have an easy time talking to people, i love meeting new people, and i know i can make sure i appear interested, engaged, and smiling when i would visit houses and such.
-i'd be in the honors college at alabama. at UA, there's a program for honors students called alabama actionthe week before school starts where the honors students get to know each other, do service work, etc. unfortunately, it directly coincides with recruitment week, and it's unrealistic for me to do both. since i'll be so far away from home, it would be nice to start off the year with friends already made, either in alabama action or recruitment week. however, i'm terrified of choosing rush week over alabama action, not getting a bid, and starting the year emotionally distraught and without any good friends from honors or my potential sorority.
does anyone have any advice at all? i know no one can tell me that yes/no i will get into a sorority, but i appreciate any and all opinions and insight :)

Do a search on Alabama recruitment and start from there. Read and read and read before asking any more questions. That's my advice.

That is crazy poor planning on the school's part.

I was Honors College but not at Alabama. How important is that event to the rest of your college experience? Personally, it would matter a lot more to me to participate in recruitment and find a lifelong sisterhood than it would to hang out with the honors college people. Unless there is some reason that missing that honors college event would totally derail your academic career, that is a no brainer to me. Go for recruitment. No, it may not turn out, but at least you won't have the what ifs the rest of your life. :)

u go glen coco: thanks! i search alabama recruitment now and i'm finding some really good information. sorry, i'm new and i'm still figuring out how everything works lol :)
33 girl: i agree completely! it's so annoying.
tridelta: participating in the honors college program isn't as important to me as it is to have some good friends off the bat when i start college. i know i will make friends if i do alabama action; if i do recruitment, i run the risk of not getting a bid and starting college only knowing girls in sororities that i'm not a part of. i am leaning towards recruitment though, just to avoid the what ifs :)

I doubt that you would be the only Honors College student who is participating in recruitment. Those are the students that sororities want. They already know you have great grades and actvities. My daughter was in Honors College at LSU and during recruitment week they had several meeting to go to during that week. They were all actually scheduled around the recruitment actvities. See if you can find last years agenda somewhere on line. It might give you some idea. Or better yet just email the Honors College and ask how it is handled? I can't believe you would have to choose either or.

I agree 33girl, but the University has scheduled Alabama Action this way for a very long time. Panhellenic has compensated for it though. On the 1st night of round 1 there will be a "Meet & Greet" where each sorority sends 2-3 reps to meet these PNMs.

Last year Panhellenic expanded this event from just the AA, band members, etc. to include any PNM who will miss a day or a significant number of parties during Recruitment. It's conducted similarly to a party round. PNMs will be divided up into groups and will move around to each of the sorority reps. After a certain period of time each PNM group moves to the next group of sorority reps. It worked well and I assume Panhellenic will continue this plan.

The fact is there are just so many days in a year, and orientation/new student stuff pretty much all has to happen at the same time. It sounds like the school has compensated really well. I would, however, ensure that this system actually works for the PNMs and isn't just a courtesy.

Zillini, can you estimate if the girls suffer as a result of going through round 1 this way? If it works, I think it would a fantastic way to reward the girls going in as campus leaders (honors, band, etc.). Does the AA not conflict with the rest of recruitment? I'm assuming they won't get a pass for more than day 1 from having to attend the parties with everyone else.

soccerchick - you seem to be relying heavily on either Alabama Action or Recruitment to make your friends for you. Trust me - this will not make or break you socially in college. Of course everyone wants to make friends going into college, but most of them don't make those friends the week before freshman year starts. Regardless of whether or not you go to AA, or you receive a bid to a sorority, you will meet A LOT of people in just the first few weeks of school - in classes, in the dorm, etc. Keep in mind that every other freshman on campus is new, just like you are.. and just like you, they are looking to meet new people and make friends.

All I'm saying is, don't make this decision because you think that if you don't participate in AA, and don't receive a bid, that you'll also go without any friends to start college.

I do not have personal experience with Bama recruitment, but that said, I have some general comments/advice:
When getting those recs (remember, we're thinking 2ish for each chapter), use the alumnae to prep for conversation. She likely didn't go to Alabama, but she likely HAS had many conversations with PNM's (or "rushees" at the time) about topics you'll be covering. You will want to be comfortable enough to be able to talk to a brick wall, haha.
See if there is a local Alumnae Panhellenic in your area. You'd be surprised that there are active APH groups outside the South :eek: ;) Boston, for instance, comes to mind. Like I said, there may not be 'Bama alumnae in the group, but they will do their best to prepare you for an SEC Recruitment!
I imagine there will be A LOT of PNM's from Alabama, Georgia, Florida, throughout the Southeast & South. You won't be from one of the cities many others are from- Atlanta, Mobile, wherever, so they won't know your prep school, church, country club, etc. BUT they will likely remember you because you are the one person from Ithaca or Philly or wherever.
I would skip the Honors School week and to Formal Recruitment instead, and here's why:
I don't see that as "not putting school first." I see that week as really the only time to participate in Fall Formal Recruitment your Freshman year, and something I would not advise you to miss at Bama. Also, I feel that you would meet many students from the Honors program in your classes, would you not? You'd all be in classes together, right? I mean, a few of them will have already met each other, in that week prior to classes, but I don't see why you couldn't make up that program/college-specific socializing in the first few weeks.
Best of luck to you, and, again, this is Northern Yankee Big Ten alumna giving advice so a Bama lady's advice would likely trump me ;) as it's more school-specific, but I thought I had a few points to add.
Happy school hunting, and enjoy your last semester of high school!

Alabama Rush
 

If you are planning to go through recruitment I strongly advise AGAINST participating in Alabama Action. It conflicts with the recruitment schedule, you WILL NOT be able to meet the active members of the different sororities. You will be at a disadvantage. I work with rush every year and have never understood why these two events were scheduled at the same time.