Rush at University of Washington

[DoubleRose]

I just found this great site and I hope someone can help with some info. My daughter just decided to attend the University of Washington. She is interested in joining a sorority because no one she knows is going there. (We live in California). The University web site says that the new members move into the houses after bid day. This is totally different from anything in my experience. I attended mostly male college in the 70's and joined one of three sororities. My sister went to a large university with bunches of GLOs, which now has the problem of more legacies than quota. So how does UW compare?

I emailed the university to get some info, but no response. Rush is stressful enough, but to have to also worry about where you will live? I have gleaned that the chapters appear to be around 90 members and this site says quota this year was 30. But how many girls don't match? I guess we have to get a dorm room just in case. She would also have to hang around or a week after Rush with nothing to do if she doesn't get a bid. (Rush is Sept 7-14, school starts Sept 24).

She will be a legacy to Alpha Gam and I found recs fror ADPi and AXO.

Anyone have words of wisdom about Washington?
Thanks

DoubleRose

[Benzgirl]

Please use your search function. We have many recruitment stories from last year listed. Get your recs lined up.

Also, come on over an introduce yourself on the Alpha Gam website. Happy you are here!

[DoubleRose]

Thanks, I did try the search function first, but I kept misunderstanding the error message thinking I had to add words not delete the word "at" . I guess I need new glasses.
I found the messages from SusieQ very informative, but also discouraging that she went from 10 invites to 1. I wonder if posting her opinions did hurt her, it certainly is something I would not encourage my daughter to do. I guess if you do the math I have my answer about how many girls don't match - if 480 bids are available and 600-700 girls went through rush then 100-200 girls did not get bids. I guess we'll get a dorm room to be sure.
Thanks again,
DoubleRose

When I saw "DoubleRose" I just knew you were a sister!

The search function isn't the greatest here. If you do an advanced search on Google and type in greekchat.com when it asks for domain name, it'll bring up more results.

Have you tried contacting the Iota Alumnae Chapter? I'm sure there are sisters who might be able to answer your UW questions!

Also, several GCers here are quite familiar with UW rush as they live in the Pacific Northwest. Hopefully they'll be here to chime in soon.

[VandalSquirrel]

Unfortunately, housing is at more of a premium at UW than to the east, and you're kind of damned if you do damned if you don't. You can take a chance that your daughter will find and join a chapter, and not reserve a room, BUT if something happens she may be put on a wait list and may not get housing for the quarter. However if you reserve the room and then don't want it, you lose your deposit and/or are hit with a cancellation fee. According to the info below and their schedule, the most you'd be out is $500. I am not really a fan of how UW is setting it up for students to potentially lose money by making sure they have a dorm room in the event they don't mutually select, but that is just the way it is.

Here's the info straight off the Panhellenic page http://www.uwpanhellenic.com/join-chapter.html

University Housing

If you have signed up to live in a residence hall for the 2008-2009 academic year or are planning to do so, you should consider the following:


If you do not want to apply for residence hall housing at this time, you have the option of waiting until after recruitment week to do so. However on-campus housing is very limited, and you may be placed on a waiting list. Late applicants may not be assigned before the beginning of autumn quarter, and, depending on demand, some may not be assigned until winter quarter.


Women who pledge a sorority move in on Bid Day, and therefore are not in need of a residence hall room. You will have to pay the applicable cancellation fee if you apply for but decide not to live in the residence halls, even if you cancel because you will be living in a sorority.


Regular cancellation fees will be assessed upon cancellation and/or failure to move into assigned residence hall space. Cancellations may be made online at https://ucharm.hfs.washington.edu/ucharm/Default.asp. Fees will be assessed based on the cancellation schedule below:

Fees will be assessed based on the cancellation schedule below:
CANCELLATION BEFORE MOVING IN

by May 15, 2008--No Fee

by June 1, 2008--$200

by July 1, 2008--$250

by August 1, 2008--$300

by September 1, 2008 --$400

by September 15, 2008--$450

after September 15, 2008--$500

[violetpretty]

That sucks, and EVERYONE has that dilemna. I always thought it was strange (but also cool) to have new members live in the house, and I always wondered about the logistics (do you reserve a dorm, what happens if you join a sorority, etc) of the process.

UW has a normal quota/total system, instead of a bed rush, right? What happens if there aren't enough beds for all of the new members?

[PeppyGPhiB]

Like other big, old, "flagship" state universities, UW has a lot of 2nd/3rd/4th generation students. And a lot of legacies to the fraternities and sororities. Recs aren't a must, but they will help. UW isn't a place where the whole pledge class is made up of legacies, but I would imagine that many chapters have legacies every year that pledge.

Keep in mind that the numbers you've read for the women who went through recruitment vs. the number of women who received bids ALSO includes women who dropped out of recruitment along the way. I do believe that the vast majority of women that go through recruitment to the end DO get a bid...but that doesn't mean each one gets invites and a bid to their "favorite" houses, which is why some women drop out. Encourage your daughter to stick with recruitment to the end - a lot of women that drop out do it because their emotions get the better of them...they can't handle the rejection, their feelings are hurt, and they're unwilling to accept that one of the DOZEN other sororities will most likely want to offer her a home.

UW does have a traditional quota/total system, though everyone lives in the house. The houses are huge, and I would imagine they would just add an extra bed or two if they went over total...many houses have sleeping porches, too. Otherwise, some may let some seniors move out, but I'm not sure.

There are some others on this board that know a little bit more than me about UW recruitment in terms of logistics/numbers, but I've had several friends (plus a family member) in the UW greek system. I'm jealous of the beautiful houses. Good luck to your daughter!

ETA: Keep in mind that she'll have 16 choices at UW! She's bound to find several that she'd be very happy with, if she gives them a chance.

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

I'd suggest contacting the AGD Seattle Alumnae Panhellenic delegate (I will pm you her contact info). She should be able to give you some helpful information. I know enough about recruitment at the UW to be more dangerous than helpful since I have mostly been on the edges of it and not directly involved.

But yes, as my sister already said, the majority of women who go all the way through do get bids. Recs aren't required but would help her stand out and she has a lot of great choices to pick from.

I would also imagine that the Alumnae Panhellenic local to where you live might be able to help you with recs.

[AlphaXi_Husky]

I have been involved with Recruitment at UW for a couple of years and thought I would add in my two cents/reiterate what others have said.

VandalSquirrel is right - housing is definitely at a premium at UW and your daughter would be taking a chance by not securing a dorm room and going through Recruitment. However, I know first hand that the women on Panhellenic do everything they possibly can to ensure that a PNM going through matches to a chapter (ie has a sorority to live in).

As to legacies, there are quite a few that come through Recruitment, however I would venture to say that maybe one or two chapters on campus have enough legacies to fill up to quota. That's not to say that chapters automatically take their legacies - it's more along the lines of looking to see who is a fit for that chapter, legacy or not (realize this is a general statement on what I see from the UW greek system as a whole).

Now onto the not-matching portion - as I stated above, the women on Panhellenic really do try their best to make sure PNMs are matched with a sorority, though a lot of it depends on if the PNM is willing to accept only certain sororities or any sorority. The PNMs who don't match to a sorority are almost always the ones who "suicide" or "single intentional pref" - meaning they put down fewer sororities on their pref card than the number of sorority pref parties they attended. In fact, I can't think of a single case in the past couple of years where a PNM who maximized her options was not given a bid.

Lastly, if you daughter decides greek life is not for her halfway through Recruitment, she will not be stuck with nothing to do the week before school. The University sponsers Dawg Daze, a week-long series of events for incoming freshman. You can find more information here: http://http://depts.washington.edu/dawgdaze/index.php

In my opinion the UW greek system is a wonderful community with some amazing women - good luck to your daughter (and you!) if/when she goes through Recruitment!

[TrojanWoman]

Originally Posted by violetpretty

I always thought it was strange (but also cool) to have new members live in the house, and I always wondered about the logistics.

My question is what happens if a new member de-pledges?

[AlphaXi_Husky]

Originally Posted by TrojanWoman

My question is what happens if a new member de-pledges?

If a new member de-pledges, she has to move out of the chapter house. My guess is that's pretty standard for campuses where the sororities are housed.

[TrojanWoman]

Originally Posted by AlphaXi_Husky

If a new member de-pledges, she has to move out of the chapter house. My guess is that's pretty standard for campuses where the sororities are housed.

I get that part of it, but if housing is such an issue at UW, I can imagine that it would be difficult for that now homeless freshman to find a place to live. Just one of the hard parts of NM living in, I guess. There must be more positives than negatives though.

[DoubleRose]

Thanks for the info AlphaXi_Husky.

She graduates next week so we will probably fill out the recruitment forms as soon as we have her final grades. She has summited her "paperwork" (everything is online now days) for a dorm room. The problem is that Rush is Sept 7 - 14 and Dawg Dayz is Sept 21 -27 with school starting on the 24th. I know she would be able to fill the time if she was cut, the question is where would she live? I don't think you can move into the dorms on the 14th.

I will probably be asking about this and many other questions when we go up for orientation. When rush starts I may just drive up with her, and hang around until I know she is settled in a house or dorms. I've never been to Seattle so I'm sure I can fill the time. (PS I don't think she is the type that will fixate on one or two groups and drop the rest. She's pretty open to the idea of checking them all out). Although I 'm thrilled there is an AGD chapter, I have told her that it is up to her to decide and I won't disown her if she goes another way .

Since you are from UW, what is your opinion on listing legacies on the application? IS UW a place that it could get her dropped from some houses, if they see that she is a legacy to another house, or does it make no difference. I had never heard of that until I started reading here.

[AlphaXi_Husky]

Originally Posted by DoubleRose

Thanks for the info AlphaXi_Husky.

She graduates next week so we will probably fill out the recruitment forms as soon as we have her final grades. She has summited her "paperwork" (everything is online now days) for a dorm room. The problem is that Rush is Sept 7 - 14 and Dawg Dayz is Sept 21 -27 with school starting on the 24th. I know she would be able to fill the time if she was cut, the question is where would she live? I don't think you can move into the dorms on the 14th.

I will probably be asking about this and many other questions when we go up for orientation. When rush starts I may just drive up with her, and hang around until I know she is settled in in a house or dorms. I've never been to Seattle so I'm sure I can fill the time. (PS I don't think she is the type that will fixate on one or two groups and drop the rest. She's pretty open to the idea of checking them all out). Although I 'm thrilled there is an AGD chapter, I have told her that it is up to her to decide and I won't disown her if she goes another way .

Since you are from UW, what is your opinion on listing legacies on the application? IS UW a place that it could get her dropped from some houses, if they see that she is a legacy to another house, or does it make no difference. I had never heard of that until I started reading here.

I see the issue now - and I'm sorry to say I don't have an answer for you. I would definitely ask that question (about housing) at Orientation (or before by calling the Panhellenic office - once school/finals are over hopefully you will get a better response).

About listing legacies, I would recommend she do so. Last year the UW Panhellenic revealed legacies to only the legacy chapters - to help prevent that practice of legacies getting dropped from other chapters who assumed the PNM would want to pledge their legacy chapter. My guess is they would continue to do this for 2008 as well. The AGD chapter I'm sure will want to know that your daughter is a legacy. Incidentally, I've known some people in that local chapter - they are a wonderful group of women.

[VandalSquirrel]

Please

Please

Please

Please

Send a LIF!

Also please check that your information is current in the member database. If a member wants more information about your daughter (interests, sports, awards, etc.) and wants to reach you, a different phone number or wrong email address can make things interesting. I've seen and heard of both women missed who are legacies that we had no information on, and women who claimed legacy status that were not accurate in which female relatives count for legacy status.