Quote:
Originally Posted by mpmo
I thought it might be helpful to add to my earlier post for the benefit of future non-Texas pnms at Texas. Out-of-state candidates almost by definition have to be incredibly smart and active in high school to even gain admission to UT Austin. There is no automatic admission for being at the top of the class. And there is a large applicant pool and a very limited number of spots. So, they are all going to have much to offer and be strong candidates. Nevertheless, being from out of state will be a significant detriment during rush, because you don't have friends in the sororities to advocate for you. Plus, you are just different. You haven't grown up in the Texas culture. And that's not a slight to Texas. It's just a nod to the fact that every place is a little different. And 95% or more of the freshman at UT are from Texas and have that relatively (because it is a big state!) common background.
Maybe if the out-of-state pnm has done something truly extraordinary or has some other amazing attribute or background, but for very strong candidates—smart, active, popular, pretty--there is little to any point in participating. Multiple recs--that doesn't matter, either. I think it's helpful not to sugarcoat it for future students who want an honest assessment. There are better ways to spend your first days on campus. In hindsight, the deafening silence in response to my initial query on this website should have told me what I needed to know, but for the benefit of future pnms, I will lay it out for you—don’t bother. Sure, some out-of-state students probably receive bids to a sorority they would like to join, but they are going to be the extreme exceptions. And I’m sure there will be the responses saying that I can’t possibly know what transpires in the decision-making process because I wasn’t there, but don’t be fooled by those who want to hide behind the sorority-created lack of transparency. I haven’t seen sausage made, either, but I listen to what people say about it and I have a sense of what goes into it. The same is true here. It’s not rocket science; it’s common sense. All else being equal, friends choose friends; girls look for girls similar to the ones who are already there. The good news is that you probably didn’t choose the school for its sororities. Remember that, and skip the part that will just leave a bad taste in your mouth.
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have i completely misinterpreted your post? are you seriously telling out of state students at UT "not to bother" with recruitment? that is absolutely ridiculous. i know many out of state girls who have had VERY successful recruitment at UT. of course, they are at a disadvantage because of the lack of connections, but the fact that they are out of state DOES make them stand out, as the out of state contingent at UT is very minimal. of course, these girls especially need to go in with an open mind, and be prepared to look into other options if they do not receive a bid. the girls who do well from out of state do usually have somewhat of an idea of what they are getting themselves into. but why would you tell someone not to even bother? i am not coming from the angle that you have no idea what goes on behind the curtains, i'm not sure if you are a PNM, active, mother, whatever, but i would never discourage anyone from atleast giving recruitment a CHANCE if they have any interest in joining a sorority.