Transferring colleges?

[thetaj]

Don't transfer for any one reason, no matter what it is. But if in your heart you don't want to spend the rest of your college career there, go ahead and transfer. If you feel like if you went through rush at a new school and were not offered a bid that you would think transferring was a complete waste, then don't bother. But hey, I know how it feels to not have found a perfect fit. I transferred after my freshman year (had NOTHING to do with greek life; I rushed for my first & only time at my second school sophomore year) to a school 700 miles away and it was the best decision I have made to date. It's okay to make something your top reason for leaving, as long as it isn't your only reason.

[LadyLonghorn]

This is hard. Really hard. To those who don’t believe that girls slip through the cracks at Texas, it does happen. So many GC people were excited about the new quotas at UT, but for the most part those quotas did not positively affect re-rushers and they were given way too much hope. You can still be a really great girl and not get a bid the second time around even if you’ve done everything right. It happens. (And yes, there are also many pnms who really were not sorority material too, so don’t think that every single one of the unplaced ones were girls who fell through the cracks.) A re-rushing sophomore can be a great girl and know lots of sisters, but in the end, there are 800 brand new freshmen and transfers to choose from. Everyone is competing for those, and re-rushers get little consideration since they already got a chance last time. It’s not always a “once cut always cut” rule type of thing, but that ends up being the de facto situation.

UT is a huge campus with a small Greek population in comparison to the overall population, but Greeks are everywhere. Even being Greek, sometimes you feel like you can’t get away from it and it’s really hard to go anywhere and just be by yourself for an hour or two without having to be prepared to be Suzy Sorority at all times. I really can imagine how hard it would be to want to be Greek so much and be confronted with it every day. If you let your entire life revolve around being at and around campus and you’re in a certain social sphere where most of your friends and the people you meet are Greek, I’m sure it can be very overwhelming. However I don’t think transferring schools will solve the problem.

Just because a school is smaller and has a more inclusive Greek system, doesn’t mean that you will be able to get a bid, especially since you will be a junior at the very earliest and a second semester junior if you have to wait until fall. Even if you do receive a bid, Greek life at your new school may very well not live up to your expectations. It’s really hard to compare being Greek at a school like Texas with that of another school that’s the kind where you’d be likely to get a bid. You’ll also be older than most pledges and in a very different place emotionally (as you would be if you’d been active for two years already.) Your relationship with your sorority changes through the years, and some of the demands of being a new member can just be annoying and time consuming once you’re no longer an enthusiastic freshman. Let’s not forget that you may not be able to get into one your “dream” groups, no matter how small and non-competitive the school is. Consider how would you feel if you transfer and things still don’t work out on the sorority/social front. It could end up a much worse situation than what you’re in now.

If you’re from Texas or surrounding areas, you’re giving up a degree from a hugely respected school just because you’re having social issues. Are you going to quit your future jobs just because you don’t like your coworkers or haven’t built the kinds of relationships you want?

Here’s what I think you should consider. Stay at UT but manage to get involved with things you’re passionate about away from campus. Get out of your own thoughts of isolation and self pity that are dragging you down and help people who really do have horrible problems. Volunteer at the children’s hospital. Volunteer to help underprivileged children learn to read. Help deliver food and supplies to the homeless. Get more involved with your church and their outreach programs. Even when you’re in school, not everything you do has to be centered around school and with people who are Greek. It’s part of being a well-rounded human being.

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by LadyLonghorn

If you’re from Texas or surrounding areas, you’re giving up a degree from a hugely respected school just because you’re having social issues. Are you going to quit your future jobs just because you don’t like your coworkers or haven’t built the kinds of relationships you want?

THIS!!!!!!

Having a degree from UT-Austin will open far more doors for you than just your sorority membership.

It happens for me. I went to TAMU, and when people see my Aggie ring I get a few extra "perks".

Also, as others have said, UT is a huge campus with lots to do. Have you checked into your major's clubs and honor societies? I know an NPC alumna from UT and she said she was more involved in her business greek-letterd org that her NPC chapter.

And, as far as transferring to Rice U., you could do it but realize that undergraads on that campus have formed bonds since their freshman year, which is done through their on campus colleges (dorms). So, you could transfer there and still feel left out because you were not there during your freshman and sophomore years.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by LadyLonghorn

If you’re from Texas or surrounding areas, you’re giving up a degree from a hugely respected school just because you’re having social issues. Are you going to quit your future jobs just because you don’t like your coworkers or haven’t built the kinds of relationships you want?

Co-sign.

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

THIS!!!!!!

Having a degree from UT-Austin will open far more doors for you than just your sorority membership.

It happens for me. I went to TAMU, and when people see my Aggie ring I get a few extra "perks".

Also, as others have said, UT is a huge campus with lots to do. Have you checked into your major's clubs and honor societies? I know an NPC alumna from UT and she said she was more involved in her business greek-letterd org that her NPC chapter.

And, as far as transferring to Rice U., you could do it but realize that undergraads on that campus have formed bonds since their freshman year, which is done through their on campus colleges (dorms). So, you could transfer there and still feel left out because you were not there during your freshman and sophomore years.

Agree with the bold. The residential colleges are almost like GLOs.

To the OP - UT is too big of a school (and Austin is too big of a city, for that matter) for you to not find something to occupy your time during your college years.