Fraternity Rush - Texas school style

[srmom]

Ok, I can write about my son's rush now!

My question - Do ya'll want the "Reader's Digest Condensed Version" or the full story with details?

It has pretty much been going on since last fall

[SWTXBelle]

Details!

[srmom]

Ok, I'm going to be leaving my office and won't be back til Monday but I'll start.

I’ll try to write it as I remember it -

My son really hadn't heard much about fraternities even though both my husband and I were Greek at our respective schools. We never stated a preference as to whether we wanted our sons to pledge and really haven't talked much about it, so he was pretty clueless.

Last fall, before his senior year, he starting hearing about fraternity life at the college that he is attending. The guys that were talking to him were old football buddies or family friends who are now actives in their college fraternities, and they wanted to him to come hang out. He thought it would be fun and I bit the bullet and let him go.

His first trip was in the fall. He stayed at one of the fraternity houses with a guy who showed him around the business school and the campus. It was pretty low key, he met a bunch of the brothers and thought they were cool, there wasn't any crazy partying or anything. The guys talked to him a bit about the fraternity, but he didn't feel like he was being rushed.

The next events were Winter Formals. He had been invited to a couple, one explicitly and one more implied. The first was at the house that he had stayed in the fall. This house has MANY kids from his high school so it is like old home week when he goes there. A bunch of kids from his school, both guys and girls, were going to the party, which was semi-formal - jacket and tie, no tux. My son was planning on staying with the rush captain, along with some other guys that he is good friends with.

The other party was black tie. He didn't really think he would go to that one for a number of reasons: he had been asked to come by some guys, but he kind of felt uncomfortable about it; he knew only a handful of members; and no one else from his high school was going. At the time, I think the herd mentality was still in force.

So, off he went to the college town, with his suit, but no tuxedo. Things didn't turn out as he had planned....

[ClassicBeauty]

Hmm...I can think of a couple of schools where this could be at. Can't wait to read the rest! But I'm confused, is this retro or current?

[Srmom1]

Dang, I just typed all this and have to retype it!!

This is a current thread in that my son will be a freshman this fall. But, rush has been going on for a while. I didn't want to post his story until we were past the scary period. I didn't want to jinx anything

Let me give a little background - at this school there are 21 fraternities registered with IFC and one unregistered one. Rush starts during a guy's senior year. I had been told by moms whose kids go there that my son would be rushing during the spring and summer and that he would have a bid before school starts in the fall. My concern when I heard this was that it is kind of like a "Catch 22," how do you get invited to things when they don't know you, how do they know you if you don't get invited?

Somehow it happens. In my son's case, he knew people there, but they were primarily in 2 fraternities. He didn't really know any other guys, but somehow he ended up getting invited to quite a few fraternity events (not from all 22 groups, but enough that he could really see differences). I think guys in the fraternities must ask around to see who will be coming the next year and who they might want to rush. Also, my son met people at parties and then got on their fraternity's rush list.

However it happens, my son has had a ball and has met a ton of people!

[ufpiphi]

I've always wondered how all the "pre-rush" fraternity events are conducted and how many bid decisions are made before IFC rush officially begins.
Thanks for sharing your son's story with us, looking forward to hearing more!