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-   -   Out of State Rushing a Frat at Bama (https://greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=91328)

ccmtx08 11-04-2007 10:38 PM

Out of State Rushing a Frat at Bama
 
I am a senior in high school from Fort Worth, Texas and I want to participate in rush at Bama next year. I have heard that being in a frat at Bama is all about knowing people and since I'm from so far away, I don't really have connections. I have also heard that informal summer recruitment is important, but Alabama is so far away that it would be hard for me to really participate in that. If all I can do is formal rush in the fall, and go into it knowing no one, do I have a chance of getting a bid? If not, is there anything else I can do to get connected or make up for missing most of the summer informal rush. I tried searching for answers to these questions but didn't really see anything so any help would be good.

Bamamom13 11-05-2007 03:17 PM

Contact the Greek Life office at Bama. You will be able to register in the spring online. There will be opportunities at your Orientation session to meet members of Fraternities at Bama. Talk to them about rushing in the fall.

Tom Earp 11-05-2007 03:27 PM

You may try contacting the different Fraternities there telling them that you are planning to enter Bama and when.

Make your self known and good luck.

The SEC school are actually closer knit than some say in the Big 12 and Big 10.

If you have an outstanding post to hang your hat on such as athletics or GPA would interest them.

macallan25 11-05-2007 05:16 PM

"Closer knit"? Explain?

For the guy who made the thread.....I have quite a few friends ( I am from Texas, go to Texas) that go to Alabama and they are all in very good houses. I wouldn't worry about it.

TSteven 11-07-2007 02:25 AM

I agree with macallan25 here. (not necessarily the part about going to Texas) I wouldn't worry about it. And as Bamamom13 said, contact Bama's Greek Life office. Also, there may be rush events in the summer in the Fort Worth area and they should be able to tell you about them. Or at least put you in contact with those fraternities that have them there.

Firehouse 11-14-2007 10:49 PM

Once you get to Tuscaloosa, don't say "frat" anymore.

MysticCat 11-15-2007 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firehouse (Post 1548836)
Once you get to Tuscaloosa, don't say "frat" anymore.

Just to expand on this advice a little, ccmtx08, many fraternity members consider "frat" to be disrespectful or to carry Animal House-style connotations. Not everyone does, but Firehouse is right -- there's no point in risking offending someone inadvertantly.

magnoliacurious 11-19-2007 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ccmtx08 (Post 1545287)
I am a senior in high school from Fort Worth, Texas and I want to participate in rush at Bama next year. I have heard that being in a frat at Bama is all about knowing people and since I'm from so far away, I don't really have connections. I have also heard that informal summer recruitment is important, but Alabama is so far away that it would be hard for me to really participate in that. If all I can do is formal rush in the fall, and go into it knowing no one, do I have a chance of getting a bid? If not, is there anything else I can do to get connected or make up for missing most of the summer informal rush. I tried searching for answers to these questions but didn't really see anything so any help would be good.

I think if you let the Bama' greek life office know you want to rush, you're actually in a lot of luck!! Alabama has made a point the last few years of trying to bring more out-of-state guys into the IFC system. In fact, they are still looking for ways to put more structure into their fraternity rush without limiting it too formally. As far as possible encouragement in your case, here's this from a 2004 article of the Crimson White student newspaper:

"That's one reason we went to this deferred (fall) Rush, " (then IFC President Will)Norvell said. "Before this, those guys, especially out of state guys, didn't have a chance. I think we can improve on our out-of-state numbers. It's a huge pool we haven't fully looked at until now. . . Having men interested in rushing register online has helped with that process, Norvell said. The IFC has also formulated a database that each fraternity can access throughout the summer to see which men have pledged, so that they can focus on recruiting those who have not."

And as a later CW article noted, fraternities send out information on recruitment activities to incoming students in the database and all incoming men will be mailed information about the database. So I'd say let the greek life office know you want to rush and get registered for recruitment as soon as possible. You might even be thankful that you have an opportunity that many other out-of-staters before you at Alabama did not!!

Firehouse 11-19-2007 09:20 PM

I didn't realize that the University of Alabama had deferred rush till second semester!!?? That's the first step toward regulating the fraternities out of business. I'm shocked that the fraternities agreed to submit without a fight.

TSteven 11-20-2007 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firehouse (Post 1550729)
I didn't realize that the University of Alabama had deferred rush till second semester!!?? That's the first step toward regulating the fraternities out of business. I'm shocked that the fraternities agreed to submit without a fight.

They don't. "Deferred" means Fall Rush. I believe that in previous years, Bama fraternities could extend bids during the summer. Now, while Bama chapters may still have summer rush events, bids are not extended until the start of the fall semester.

Firehouse 11-20-2007 12:53 AM

TSteven, you've always appeared to be a free-market sort of guy. Why in the world would an SEC school agree to eliminate summer bids? That has always been a staple of their great success. It angers me when bureaucrats try to bully the fraternities into restricting rush. Unlike sororities, fraternities have no quota, no limitation. Why not open up all sources of new members and allow the system to flourish to the max?

magnoliacurious 11-20-2007 12:57 AM

Quote:

They don't. "Deferred" means Fall Rush.
Exactly! That's why I had "fall" enclosed in parentheses in my post. Previously, as I understand it, fraternities had their more formal rush the week before school started in addition to the spring and summer pledging mainly for in-state guys. Now, if I've got it right, they can informally offer bids during spring and summer events, but they don't become official until the university's pledge period begins in September. And the fall rush is spread longer during the first month of the fall term to help out-of-staters and those not sure of which fraternity they want to pledge decide which fraternity might be best for them. Things sound so much easier now than they used to be for guys not-in-the-loop to pledge!

LaneSig 11-20-2007 09:44 AM

Guys, I think you are meaning "delayed" rush.

"Deferred" rush occurs when freshmen are not allowed to rush until 2nd semester or they have completed 12 hours.

If rush is held a few weeks after the start of the school year, it is "delayed" rush.

TSteven 11-20-2007 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firehouse (Post 1550861)
TSteven, you've always appeared to be a free-market sort of guy. Why in the world would an SEC school agree to eliminate summer bids? That has always been a staple of their great success. It angers me when bureaucrats try to bully the fraternities into restricting rush. Unlike sororities, fraternities have no quota, no limitation. Why not open up all sources of new members and allow the system to flourish to the max?

I totally agree. Frankly, one rarely hears of issues regarding IFC rush (as a whole) like you do with NPC recruitment. Yet, while the system isn't broken, some administrator feels that they have to "fix it".

Having year round recruitment (Summer, Fall and Spring/Winter) has always been an effective and successful way to recruit. Summer Rush gets you the local pledges and the men already known to the chapter. Fall Rush picked up out-of-state guys, guys from summer rush who needed more time to make an informed decision, guys who - for what ever reason - did not attend summer rush events, and returning students now interested in fraternities. Spring Rush (winter rush) picks up the guys who want a semester of school under their belt, guys who could not devote time to rush (pledge) during the summer or the fall (for example - athletes, band), guys who didn't really have a clue about Greek life on campus before they arrived, and friends and class mates of current members.

Bottom line is that a year round recruitment system supports not only incoming freshemn, but also upperclassmen with rushing. No "one time to receive a bid or else" factor. Year round recruitment allows the rushee to pledge when - and how - he feels most comfortable doing so. It can even the playing field by allowing chapters to use their strengths when - and how - they rush. For example, a chapter might not have a house on campus, but can compete during summer rush. Or a chapter doesn't do well during formal rush on campus but does well one-on-one either during the more relaxed summer rush or recruiting one-on-one during the school year (and then pledging during the spring). Or a chapter may do it's best recruiting during the more formal structure of fall rush.

Restricting how and when fraternities rush is... restrictive. And not good for the fraternity system as a whole. Which is why the NIC (IFC) advocates no restriction and year round recruitment.

TSteven 11-20-2007 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaneSig (Post 1550949)
Guys, I think you are meaning "delayed" rush.

"Deferred" rush occurs when freshmen are not allowed to rush until 2nd semester or they have completed 12 hours.

If rush is held a few weeks after the start of the school year, it is "delayed" rush.

You are right. Generally speaking, deferred refers to freshman rushing the second semester. However, the confusion lies with this quote from the Crimson White article.

Quote:

"That's one reason we went to this deferred (fall) Rush, " (then IFC President Will) Norvell said.
In this context, "deferred" means extending bids in the fall and not in the summer.

Actually, in rereading Mr. Norvell's quote from the Crimson White, it seems like Bama allows bids to be extended in the summer along with (perhaps) a more formalized or structured rush in the fall.

Quote:

"The IFC has also formulated a database that each fraternity can access throughout the summer to see which men have pledged, so that they can focus on recruiting those who have not."


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