Quote:
Originally Posted by Elephant Walk
Don't give him false hopes.
Age CAN be a detriment.
And often will be, at Alabama/Auburn.
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Very true. I think the "why" matters a lot as well though. Military service is, in my experience, rarely a problem. Being in a band, I am not so sure. I guess it depends on the type of band and the part of the country where you plan to pledge.
I will just tell you that when I was an active in my chapter, military service as a reason for pledging older would not have bothered me at all- but being in a band/going to LA to be an actor etc. would at the very least have made me cautious- and it would have taken a lot to convince me to vote yes for extending a bid.
EW and CB correct me if I am wrong; but if a guy were from the same high school, background and reputation as is the norm for top tier chapters at a given school- then I do not see how having served in the military first would be an issue except possibly for the fact there are already too many top prospect incoming freshman right out of high school for that chapter to expand the pool of potential rushees.
In other words, a guy who went into the military and did not come right from high school to college could be out of the running purely due to the realities of numbers- but would still be a good candidate provided there was room in the pledge class.
On the issue of being in a band or some other show business type venture, I cannot speak for every school- but at Texas, Auburn and Georgia that would be a very unusual issue for most chapters. It really comes down to the types of guys that populate most big southern chapters and the fact that being a "star" is not a common pursuit, nor something that is generally looked upon with favor.
bama24- I still say go for it and see how it goes. Noone here can tell you if you will find a good place. But just be prepared for the fact a lot of questions might be raised, and just be honest. If you are honest about what you did and why- then if there is a good place for you, you will get a bid. The one mistake would be to downplay the last few years like they did not matter. That will make you look shiftless and without direction. But if you are glad you took that time to travel with a band, own it and it will be to your credit that you gave it a shot when the opportunity arose.