Questions about Formal Recruitment (in general and) at the University of Washington
 

Hello! I have a few questions about rushing at UW that I'd like to see if anyone could help me answer. I haven't had much luck finding UW threads, so any help AT ALL would be appreciated!
Before the questions, here are some details about me. I am really interested in sorority life because I will be coming to UW from about 2,500 miles away. I think sorority life could provide me with a home away from home, especially since I'll be so far away from home. Going Greek doesn't run in my family, although I do have a cousin currently in Alpha Gamma Delta.

1. How competitive is recruitment at UW?
2. Would my relationship with my cousin make me a legacy?
3. How important are recomendation letters?
4. What are my odds of not receiving a bid?
5. If I don't receive a bid, will it be to late to receive housing in a dorm? Once I show up for recruitment week, I'm there for good. No going back home.
6. Would attending Greek Weekend/Preview help my chances?
7. What is typical Greek life like at UW?
8. During recruitment, is it smarter to stay in a dorm? My parents would be with me in Seattle.

That's it for now. I will post if I can think of anymore. Thanks in advance for your help!

1. Competitive is relative. At virtually all schools around the country now (IU excluded) the RFM system means that unless you don't make grades or you do really poorly in the rush process, you should find a home. The trick is being open to the chapters who are open to you. Competition generally means there is a big fight for a select number of chapters. Even at the most competitive schools (again, IU excluded) a very small percentage of girls will get cut completely out of rush for a reason other than grades.
Is UW going to FEEL like the most competitive rush in the country to you? YES.
2-I'm not an AGD. Hopefully one will pop up here. Each sorority has different definitions of Legacy. You can find a thread here that spells out all or most of them and their differences.
5. UW takes this into consideration. Although not that many girls get cut completely from rush, plenty drop out and therefore need campus housing.
6. You should take advantage of any opportunities you have to meet the gals in advance and start to wrap your mind around what Greek Life is.
8. I would stay in the dorms with the other girls. It will heighten your experience. But others would say stay off campus so you can sort of shake off the intensity. When you live it, breathe it, sleep it for a week you do tend to take it more personally than if you could walk away from it for a couple hours a day. But it's a great way to meet other high strung, nervous, in the same boat as you girls.

tngirl01,

There are actually a fair amount of threads on here about UW. This is one:
http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=95905&highlight=University+Washin gton


My information on UW is limited to many of daughters friends and family friends' children who went through recruitment there (we lived in Washington for several years and are now in Oregon), so it is strictly 2nd and 3rd hand.

1) UW recruitment is fairly competitive but not cutthroat and not like most big schools in the SEC or midwest at least based on what I've read here about recruitment in those regions. By that I mean that recs aren't as necessary, girls don't prepare for it years in advance, and not many have set ideas about the few sororities they want to join.

2) No idea - question for a woman from that sorority.

3) Recommendation letters - from what I understand- they are a little more common than they used to be and on any campus they would be helpful, but its not a "get 2 or they'll cut you" thing. Most of her friends didn't have them.

4) I doubt anyone could give you odds. You can look at their stats (I think they have them on their website somewhere) and see how many girls started recruitment and how many got bids, but most of that difference reflects girls who dropped out not girls who got dropped. I will tell you that every single one of the girls she knew that went through recruitment got a bid (not always to their first choice but they got a bid). That number included one sophomore. I would guess that if you are a freshman, you have good grades (which I'm assuming you do anyway if you got in), you have reasonable social skills, you're appropriately dressed, you maximize your options and stay open-minded, your odds are very good.

5) Info on how the housing works is here:
http://www.uwpanhellenic.com/join/re...ersity_housing. It does say you have to complete formal recruitment (not sure if that means you can't drop - you have to be dropped or what) and you have to sign up for it before September 1 to qualify.

6) Some of her friends went to Greek Preview week, but most didn't. Of course, they were all in-state girls. I think if you could afford it - its a great way to ask questions, get a feel for Greek life at the school and meet some people, so why not.

7) All of her friends who joined houses really loved Greek life at UW as far as she knows, but she knows people who chose not to go through recruitment who've enjoyed their time at UW too. Its a huge school in a big city so of course you can find plenty to do if you don't join. Her impression from friends is that a lot of the school's social life does occur in and around Greek life. She's been up there (Greek row that is) several times to visit and always really liked the people she met and had a good time. She thinks UW's Greek row is certainly the prettiest in the Pac-12 (and that's coming from a Duck - she doesn't give UW compliments freely:)).

8. I would say stay in the dorms only because most girls will and again, even if you decide Greek life isn't for you - it will give you a chance to meet some girls before school starts.

Hope that helps. PS. Bring a rain jacket, but NOT an umbrella.

Cousins are not considered legacies in Alpha Gamma Delta, but you should definitely ask your cousin to submit an RIF for you. See if she can also help you secure recs to the other chapters on campus. Surely she has friends in other sororities.

Thank you all for your answers so far! Any information I can get is valuble information considering my circumstances. About grades, coming out of high school I should still have a 4.0. I know of at least 3 sororities I can get recs from through women I know personally, and my home town has as a panhellenic alumnae association I heard could probably help. Also, I have literally no sorority preference at all. I'm completely open minded.

That is by far the best way to go through!

That's what I've heard, so that's my plan and I'm sticking to it! Coming from the South, and especially since I live near a large university, I know some GLOs have reputations, but since UW is 2,500 miles away, it would be stupid of me to even consider making assumptions of chapters there.

tngirl - not sure if you saw this, but I just happened across it:

UW Panhellenic blog for Recruitment 2012
http://www.uwffr2012.blogspot.com/

ETA - since I wasn't sure where else to put this, I figured here is as good a place as anywhere.