Alabama Rush and First Cuts: Predetermined?

[bamamama14]

My daughter is an oos student at Alabama. She is taking advantage of the National Merit scholarship that includes everything except meals. That includes a laptop, summer study money, and book money. She looked at Indiana, UK, Belmont, Vanderbilt and a few others. After she visited Alabama, she was sold. The people were so nice, the scholarship was the best of all the places she considered, and the campus is just gorgeous.
Some people wonder why she chose Alabama, but there are many Ole Miss alums in our community that get the appeal of a southern school. Her rush experience was near perfect, so yes, oos students are making an impact on the Greek system and can have a successful recruitment. Dr. Witt has said that the next increase in the student body would come with graduate students, and he hoped to cap undergrad enrollment at 30,000.

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by bamamama14

Dr. Witt has said that the next increase in the student body would come with graduate students, and he hoped to cap undergrad enrollment at 30,000.

I think that "cap" has been increased to 35K.

[magnoliacurious]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

I think that "cap" has been increased to 35K.

I'm pretty sure you are correct, ma'am.

[UGAalum94]

I may be wrong, but I think most chapters at UGA do accept affiliates. Certainly, there may be some that don't, but I don't think it's the majority.

As far as the HOPE scholarship in Georgia, I'd say the majority of kids in my area who get turned away from UGA or (think they would get turned away and don't even apply) stay in state and go to a less selective school in state.

But there are some who, as someone already noted, want the SEC experience who head to Auburn, Alabama, and Ole Miss (and other schools but those seems to be the ones the kids talk about the most). Some get good scholarships but others are from families who have the resources to pay and don't mind doing it.

I'd be interested in knowing how many of the OOS students are Greek. I wouldn't be at all surprised if going Greek is considered to be an even bigger part of the experience that they are looking for than the in-state kids consider it to be.

[magnoliacurious]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

I wouldn't be at all surprised if going Greek is considered to be an even bigger part of the experience that they are looking for than the in-state kids consider it to be.

Well, I would say in lots of ways and cases yes, in other ways and cases no. I mean, as many of us know, lots of established families in southern states like their kids to carry on the tradition of joining XYZ GLO at the state university to keep the bloodline going, so to speak. Of course I'd say it's also true that with many of those kids and their families, it's so taken for granted that by the time the kids get to college, they don't much think about it, they just do it. Do you understand what I'm saying?

Also and on the other hand, OOS students are much less likely to know anybody coming to school and often look at going greek, as a matter of fact, as the easiest, quickest way to make friends and have a support group.