Rushing in the Fall 2015 UT Austin, Transfer Student. Help please!
 

Hi everyone, I'm Katie! :)

I transferred to UT Austin last year and I'm hoping to rush this fall. I rushed in fall 2014 but didn't make it because I had no idea how competitive it is and wasn't prepared. I'm supposed to be a senior in the fall, but transferring in was difficult and I've fallen behind on my classes. So I guess I'll be a junior in fall 2015? I've read that you should classify yourself by year and not necessarily by credit, what are your thoughts on this?

I'm nervous because I'll be an upperclassman rushing and I have very little connections to any girls in a sorority. I've tried to meet people in greek life but just haven't met people I've gotten to know well. I know maybe 2 girls I went to high school with who are in a sorority, but I don't think it will help much. Most of my family didn't go to college so they don't know anyone that could help me. I'll try to get recommendation letters, but do you think that's enough?

Also, how important is GPA? I've been involved in a couple different organizations here on campus as well. I'm currently an officer in one, and did some volunteering for Habitat for Humanity last spring.

Thanks for reading if anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated!

Grades are enormously important. As a junior/ senior, your grades will have to be very high to have any shot. I hate to tell you that if you have been on campus and still do not have any friends in sororities, it will be really difficult to get a bid the second time around. I am really sorry that the outlook is not better, but I won't blow sunshine and tell you that all you need are a few rec letters... not at UT.

It's still relatively early in the semester for you to make a few contacts or to let the gals who you do know know that you will be rushing in the fall. But I'm wondering if any chapters are doing an informal rush this spring. If you have any chance, I'd go that way. Talk to the Greek Life office. If there is someone doing an informal (and they haven't done it already), they should be able to let the chapter know you're interested.

But to be clear, I still don't think you have much of a shot. Schools like that take upper classmen only in very special circumstances (best friend who has been visiting UT a couple times a year transfers in, Miss America finalist finally has time to rush, daughter of famous actor has decided to go through). That's not to say you have ZERO shot, but you will have to be very lucky and VERY prepared.

I would think if chapters were going to informally rush and have a class this semester they would already be halfway through pledging at this point.

33girl is right - we're coming up fast on Spring Break for schools on the semester system. Classes started fairly early/mid January and unless a chapter is doing COB the entire semester, they are getting ready to initiate spring cob new members here in AZ.

Not blowing rainbows either, BUT I do know that UT has an "upperclassmen quota". Before anyone blows a gasket, let me finish. What that means is that the chapters do have the option of extending bids to upperclassmen (sophomores and above). They do not have to, but the option is there. A little wiggle room, if you will - that's all.

Note I said OPTION. In my experience, those bids typically go to women who are known to the chapter but for one reason or another did not get a bid freshman year (they didn't go through recruitment, grades weren't high enough, etc).

For the OP, I am in agreement with the others who've posted here. UT is a very difficult, competitive recruitment. Prepare as best you can, go through with a completely open mind, and no expectations.