Do high ranked frats allow Asians?

[jimmy13]

Do high ranked frats at University of texas Austin such as Delta tau delta, kappa sig, pike, and ATO allow non whites such as asians or indians?

[knight_shadow]

Nope. It's against UT's policies and procedures. Might even be against the law.

Sorry :(

[EE-BO]

Do high ranked frats at University of texas Austin such as Delta tau delta, kappa sig, pike, and ATO allow non whites such as asians or indians?

They do not "allow" "non-whites". As chapters of great regard and in high demand they extend invitations to those they want to be members. And that invitation is not guided by race. It is guided by your background and you as a person and your reputation as established in high school. Race in and of itself is not ever a point of decision.

And if we must have the tier conversation- two of the chapters you name do not even come close to being "top tier" at UT.

Texas is an extremely competitive school for fraternities and sororities. But for a southern school it is also at the forefront for not caring about issues like race and religion. In that respect it mirrors Texas society.

The fact you ask this question on this site does not bode well for your chances, but not for the reason you seem to think.

[EE-BO]

Nope. It's against UT's policies and procedures. Might even be against the law.

Sorry :(

? Are you agreeing with the OP? I only ask because the question is inane. If we must go there- the racial makeup of "top tier" guys is more diverse than you think.

It is a silly question to consider- we who were there understand the question. There are many barriers- but they are not racially driven.

[knight_shadow]

Are you agreeing with the OP?

Seriously?

[DrPhil]

In that respect it mirrors Texas society.


Which Texas "society" is that?

[Miriverite]

^ the hippie Austin society. They are a fairly liberal city, if you hang around the right neighbourhoods.

[DrPhil]

Oh ok, thanks. The right neighborhoods of the hippie part of the fairly liberal city of Austin is not "Texas society."

[moe.ron]

Nope. It's against UT's policies and procedures. Might even be against the law.

Sorry :(

Yeah, sorry op. The law is as strict as the brothel law.

[jimmy13]

Wait so Im getting mixed responses here...

Im guessing most are sarcasm =P

So just to make sure, its cool for an indian or asian to rush a high tier frat or mid-high tier frat correct?

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Wait so Im getting mixed responses here...

Im guessing most are sarcasm =P

So just to make sure, its cool for an indian or asian to rush a high tier frat or mid-high tier frat correct?

Yes. However, it is really bad form to talk about tiers around here, and it will be very bad form to talk like that on campus. Also bad form to use the word "frat". Get to know men in fraternities, and if you like them, and they like you, hopefully they will offer you an invitation to membership.

[MysticCat]

Wait so Im getting mixed responses here...

Im guessing most are sarcasm =PBazinga!

[LadyLonghorn]

Wait so Im getting mixed responses here...

Im guessing most are sarcasm =P

So just to make sure, its cool for an indian or asian to rush a high tier frat or mid-high tier frat correct?


Sarcasm? On Greekchat? Alert the media!

Since you're so concerned with tiers, I'm going to give you a free clue. None of the groups you mentioned would remotely be considered "high tier" and only one would be considered "high middle."

Pretty much every guy I know has found the right group for him if he's kept an open mind. There are so many fraternities here, you'll fit in somewhere.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Must we really be so nasty to the OP? He is a clueless high schooler, obviously, but it is entirely valid to be concerned about how fraternities may view a non-white. Keep in mind that many national orgs discriminated very openly at points in their history.

[DrPhil]

Must we really be so nasty to the OP?

The sarcasm the OP grasped is completely missed on you.

...but it is entirely valid to be concerned about how fraternities may view a non-white. Keep in mind that many national orgs discriminated very openly at points in their history.

DUH. We've had tons of threads on that and many GCers aren't in denial.

What we don't know is whether or not the specific chapters he is asking about discriminate. Even members of those chapters who post here would claim they don't. Whether or not they do is something he will need to figure out on his own.

[knight_shadow]

Must we really be so nasty to the OP? He is a clueless high schooler, obviously, but it is entirely valid to be concerned about how fraternities may view a non-white. Keep in mind that many national orgs discriminated very openly at points in their history.

When did he say that he was a high school student?

[33girl]

Allow Asians to what?

[knight_shadow]

^ the hippie Austin society. They are a fairly liberal city, if you hang around the right neighbourhoods.

Oh ok, thanks. The right neighborhoods of the hippie part of the fairly liberal city of Austin is not "Texas society."

Actually, EE-BO wasn't too far off. The cities in the Texas Triangle have a "don't bother me and I won't bother you" attitude for the most part (race relations and religion). That region makes up 75% of Texas' population. It's the other 25% that's a bit iffy.

Austin has a reputation of being a liberal oasis in the conservative desert that is Texas, but in reality, it's not any more liberal than the larger cities in the state.

/sidebar

[jimmy13]

thanks, I got it now guys =D

So now were on the topic of ranking and tiers...

Im pretty much joining to get job and intership hookups later on so I can get a bad ass job + have fun at the same time.

Is that the right idea? And would a Higher Tier frat give better job hookups for higher salaries?

and lastly, Delta Tau Delta, ATO, Kappa Sig at UT. How are these ones? Are there any on this list I should avoid? Are the people all stuck up arrogant D-Bags?

thanks!

[knight_shadow]

thanks, I got it now guys =D

So now were on the topic of ranking and tiers...

Im pretty much joining to get job and intership hookups later on so I can get a bad ass job + have fun at the same time.

Is that the right idea? And would a Higher Tier frat give better job hookups for higher salaries?

and lastly, Delta Tau Delta, ATO, Kappa Sig at UT. How are these ones? Are there any on this list I should avoid? Are the people all stuck up arrogant D-Bags?

thanks!

You're not guaranteed a job based on your Greek affiliation. And unless you work for a chapter brother or something, your affiliation isn't going to get you a higher salary.

Please read some of the threads in this forum so you can get a better understanding of what Greek life entails.

[DrPhil]

The cities in the Texas Triangle have a "don't bother me and I won't bother you" attitude for the most part (race relations and religion).

You do know that "don't bother me and I won't bother you" isn't the same thing as tolerance and non-discrimination, right? It means that everyone can get along as long as they stay out of each other's way. As soon as you get in someone's way (i.e. a minority joining a fraternity chapter that isn't ready for that) that's when there's a problem.

[knight_shadow]

You do know that "don't bother me and I won't bother you" isn't the same thing as tolerance and non-discrimination, right? It means that everyone can get along as long as they stay out of each other's way. As soon as you get in someone's way (i.e. a minority joining a fraternity chapter that isn't ready for that) that's when there's a problem.

I should've been more clear.

What I meant was as long as you're not trying to force your beliefs on others, no one cares what you do. If you want to be Buddhist, go ahead -- that's your prerogative. If you want to be in an interracial relationship -- that's all you. I didn't mean it as "as long as you people stay out of my neighborhood, we won't have problems!" or anything like that.

[pearlbubbles]

thanks, I got it now guys =D

So now were on the topic of ranking and tiers...

I'm pretty much joining to get job and internship hookups later on so I can get a bad ass job + have fun at the same time.

Is that the right idea? And would a Higher Tier frat give better job hookups for higher salaries?

and lastly, Delta Tau Delta, ATO, Kappa Sig at UT. How are these ones? Are there any on this list I should avoid? Are the people all stuck up arrogant D-Bags?

thanks!

I'm pretty sure that the best thing that will get you a good job/internships is your grades, since college is about academics, or at least it is the last time I checked.

I think your best bet for figuring out which guys are great--or, alternatively, which guys are not so great--is to just go out there and meet them.

[rhoyaltempest]

thanks, I got it now guys =D

So now were on the topic of ranking and tiers...

Im pretty much joining to get job and intership hookups later on so I can get a bad ass job + have fun at the same time.

Is that the right idea? And would a Higher Tier frat give better job hookups for higher salaries?

and lastly, Delta Tau Delta, ATO, Kappa Sig at UT. How are these ones? Are there any on this list I should avoid? Are the people all stuck up arrogant D-Bags?

thanks!

No. And you might want to look around at some other threads before continuing to post on this matter. You are heading in the direction of offending some of the very members whose help you're asking for, if you haven't already.

[Psi U MC Vito]

thanks, I got it now guys =D

So now were on the topic of ranking and tiers...

Im pretty much joining to get job and intership hookups later on so I can get a bad ass job + have fun at the same time.

Is that the right idea? And would a Higher Tier frat give better job hookups for higher salaries?

and lastly, Delta Tau Delta, ATO, Kappa Sig at UT. How are these ones? Are there any on this list I should avoid? Are the people all stuck up arrogant D-Bags?

thanks!

First off, the problem with tiers is that they are specific to the school. Nobody is going to look at you when you graduate and think "Oh he joined a top tier chapter. Let's hire him." And honestly while networking is part of the Greek experience, it is secondary or even tertiary to the main purpose. And would you really want to be in a fraternity you do not fit in just because they are "top Tier" something that changes all the time anyway?

[DrPhil]

I should've been more clear.

What I meant was as long as you're not trying to force your beliefs on others, no one cares what you do. If you want to be Buddhist, go ahead -- that's your prerogative. If you want to be in an interracial relationship -- that's all you. I didn't mean it as "as long as you people stay out of my neighborhood, we won't have problems!" or anything like that.

Realistically, it's probably more along the lines of what I said. It's your prerogative until you seek more depth in terms of interaction. That's when people confuse real integration (not surface level integration) with forcing your beliefs on someone.

[knight_shadow]

Realistically, it's probably more along the lines of what I said. It's your prerogative until you seek more depth in terms of interaction. That's when people confuse real integration (not surface level integration) with forcing your beliefs on someone.

I suppose.

I do know that all of the large Texas cities (and most Sunbelt cities) are are filled with transplants from more 'tolerant' areas of the US, and they bring their progressive values with them. I was just making the point that Austin is not the lone ranger when it comes to liberal thinking in Texas.

I see what you're saying, though. It's never just skin deep (pun intended).

[DeltaBetaBaby]

thanks, I got it now guys =D

So now were on the topic of ranking and tiers...

Im pretty much joining to get job and intership hookups later on so I can get a bad ass job + have fun at the same time.

Is that the right idea? And would a Higher Tier frat give better job hookups for higher salaries?

and lastly, Delta Tau Delta, ATO, Kappa Sig at UT. How are these ones? Are there any on this list I should avoid? Are the people all stuck up arrogant D-Bags?

thanks!

Okay, I stand corrected. Please go ahead and mock the OP.

[DrPhil]

I suppose.

I do know that all of the large Texas cities (and most Sunbelt cities) are are filled with transplants from more 'tolerant' areas of the US, and they bring their progressive values with them. I was just making the point that Austin is not the lone ranger when it comes to liberal thinking in Texas.

I see what you're saying, though. It's never just skin deep (pun intended).

Excellent pun. :)

Such progression is always better in theory than in practice. That also goes for the more "tolerant" areas of the U.S. that are still very segregated by race and ethnicity.

[knight_shadow]

Excellent pun. :)

Such progression is always better in theory than in practice. That also goes for the more "tolerant" areas of the U.S. that are still very segregated by race and ethnicity.

True. Except I'd switch out race/ethnicity with socio-economic standing.

Actually, I just said that to irk you :p

I like this conversation better than the original topic at hand.

[MysticCat]

thanks, I got it now guys =D

So now were on the topic of ranking and tiers...

Im pretty much joining to get job and intership hookups later on so I can get a bad ass job + have fun at the same time.

Is that the right idea? And would a Higher Tier frat give better job hookups for higher salaries?

and lastly, Delta Tau Delta, ATO, Kappa Sig at UT. How are these ones? Are there any on this list I should avoid? Are the people all stuck up arrogant D-Bags?

thanks!You do not have the right idea at all.

And we don't do chapter reputations here at GC.

[DrPhil]

True. Except I'd switch out race/ethnicity with socio-economic standing.

Actually, I just said that to irk you :p

I like this conversation better than the original topic at hand.

:eek:

Just for that I am taking all of the good sushi away from you. Take that, beyotch!

This is a better convo. I think we're the only ones having it. LOL.

[itb2a]

Yup Jimmy they sure do pledge Asians!

I had a pledge brother named Phuk Hu Mon...

[knight_shadow]

iChuckled :)

[DrPhil]

Yup Jimmy they sure do pledge Asians!

I had a pledge brother named Phuk Hu Mon...

Whether or not this is funny depends on one thing: Are you Chris Rock?

[DrPhil]

iChuckled :)

I felt guilty. :(

[Elephant Walk]

Do high ranked frats at University of texas Austin such as Delta tau delta, kappa sig, pike, and ATO allow non whites such as asians or indians?

When were these ever "high-ranked"?

[LadyLonghorn]

Jimmy, if you don't already know these guys or have the right connections, you're not going to get a bid. Since you don't even know the real reputations, you're definitely in that clueless unconnected camp. They will smell your desperate social climbing the second you walk out of your room in Dobie.

[Elephant Walk]

Since you don't even know the real reputations,

This.

I was completely baffled when he didn't even mention any of the better three.

[excelblue]

OP: you might want to reevaluate on whether or not you really want to join a fraternity. Personally speaking, just by how you described how you view the Greek system, you've already managed to deeply offend me.

Sure, fraternities can help with connections and fun, but that's not what it's all about. You join a fraternity for a group of brothers who support each other at all times, and as a result of this, you get all the other benefits.

[EE-BO]

Seriously?

Sorry- might have been a bit trigger happy with my reply to you. There are still lots of people who think only rich white kids are "allowed" to go Greek, and was not sure if you were making a joke along those lines. Bad on me for not gracefully taking as good as I give sometimes.

[DrPhil]

Sorry- might have been a bit trigger happy with my reply to you. There are still lots of people who think only rich white kids are "allowed" to go Greek, and was not sure if you were making a joke along those lines.

:confused:

The nonwhite Greeks on GC "went Greek" and we are not rich white kids.

If "go Greek" means "join an historically white sorority or fraternity" then that's an issue and that's what the OP is curious about.

[EE-BO]

Which Texas "society" is that?

Hi DrPhil- I mean society in general among those who have the money to send their children to UT and pay the bills for their children to be in a "top tier" fraternity.

Miriverite is quite correct that Austin is about as close as you get here to full integration- all the way down to high end neighborhoods having a more diverse mix of residents than one might experience elsewhere. Houston and Dallas are nowhere near that phase of enlightenment.

However, compared to the rest of the South, Texas is fairly open. It may make Texas more progressive, but I would be hard pressed to argue we have achieved an ideal state of existence.

I attribute it to a strong respect for entrepreneurship. If you make a success of yourself financially here- then assuming you are not a wholly disagreeable person, you will find your background far less of an obstacle to overcome when tackling those things in life that confer "respectability"- and this includes your children going Greek at UT.

There is a lot of money in Texas. In fact, it was not until I started my career with 2 years of travel around the US in public accounting that I fully realized just how much wealth there is here compared to other states. Even in small towns you will find families possessing staggering amounts of money with staggering frequency.

The real money here in Texas comes from oil- and the oil families here did not migrate with fortunes. They were poor farmers and wildcatters who worked hard and got lucky. Even today with all the natural gas finds in Teague- there are farmers once below the poverty line who are suddenly millionaires.

I think this is why here race takes second place to financial success when it comes to how people are judged- although it still only confers status on a very select few.

To the OP- what I have said above should paint the picture for you.

Here is the deal with Texas. It is an enormous school. There are a LOT of GLOs or groups with the same characteristics of traditional Greek groups. The latter outnumber the former.

If you are an eager and well-presented individual, you will find a group there that you can be proud to be a part of and that will give you an opportunity to contribute and be better prepared for the real world in the process.

However, if you set your sights on "top tier" chapters only- you might be setting your goal a bit wrong. I am especially concerned because- as I and others have noted- you have not exactly posted a roster of "top tier" chapters in your inquiries.

Let me pose a question to you- and to be fair this question could be posed to a lot of people, not just you. I am not singling you out since the questions you are asking are things many potential rushees think about but don't ever vocalize.

What do you want out of your fraternity membership?

Seriously. What do you want it to do for you? From your posts so far, you give the impression- rightly or wrongly- that you want to join a top tier chapter in the hopes it will confer a certain status on you.

This is not how it works. The demand is such that going into 10th grade, most future successful rushees for the most in-demand fraternities already have a very clear idea of the social pecking order at UT. And by the time of graduation, most have already made several visits and either know where they will end up, or at least are assured they will have a bid at one of those houses.

At other schools this is not necessarily the case, but here it is. And demand is such that the "top tier" chapters can be very selective and expect of their membership quite a financial obligation.

Let me give you an idea how that works because Texas is the MOST expensive school in the country to go Greek.

Dues- plan on anywhere from $4,000-6,000 per year just for the basic dues if you live in the house. OU weekend- plan on dropping $1,000 for doing your part to get there, have fun, and pay your date's way too. Plan on buying a very good tuxedo for all the formals, and having it cleaned or replaced frequently. Be prepared as well for all sorts of other miscellaneous expenses incidental to that life.

Good finger in the wind test- if you want to be in a "top tier" chapter at UT, plan on having $10,000 a year to spend on every single thing that you will need that you would not need otherwise. If you want to do all the side trips and such- double that figure. And plan on that coming from your parents. There are rare cases where guys work to put themselves through school and try to go Greek too- but it seldom works out. Fair? Maybe not. But it is reality.

The "lesser" chapters that have large houses and good parties are not that much cheaper. You are still looking at $5K+ to achieve the above.

My suggestion to you is to consider what you want from Greek Life at UT, and then also the cost. This will at least tell you what you could possibly manage and want to do.

Noone is going to discuss specific chapter reputations on this site. That you need to find out on your own- in no small part because your perception of reputation will determine that answer for you.

[EE-BO]

Jimmy, if you don't already know these guys or have the right connections, you're not going to get a bid. Since you don't even know the real reputations, you're definitely in that clueless unconnected camp. They will smell your desperate social climbing the second you walk out of your room in Dobie.

Oh damn- I should have read through all the replies before writing reams. LadyLonghorn said it all in 100 words or less.

Jimmy- going Greek at UT is not a job/internship opportunity. We can smell it a mile away...

[knight_shadow]

There are a LOT of GLOs or groups with the same characteristics of traditional Greek groups. The latter outnumber the former.

I know it's not what you meant, but I don't like this.

Just to make sure the OP is aware -- the "other" GLOs are not "back up" organizations that you join if you don't get into the "real" ones.

[BluPhire]

There are a LOT of GLOs or groups with the same characteristics of traditional Greek groups. The latter outnumber the former.

Well now. I have learned the job of moderator doesn't have the pre-requisite of GLO maturity.


Sorry you just happen to be in my firing line from an incident that happened here last week and I'm trying to understand the method to the madness.

[DrPhil]

EE-BO, do you mind explaining what you meant by that statement?

Was it along the lines of "go Greek" being synonymous with "go NPC/NIC" to you?

Are NPHCs, MCGLOs, LGLOs, AGLOs, and local GLOs not "going Greek" because they are not what you consider "traditional GLOs?"

Is "traditional GLO" based on founding year or average chapter size at the Texas school in question?

I know NPHCers often talk about Greekdom in relation to our experiences but those of us who have experiences beyond BGLOs do not pretend as though "go Greek" (in general) means "go BGLO."

[annabella]

There are a LOT of GLOs or groups with the same characteristics of traditional Greek groups. The latter outnumber the former.

Since he was talking about Texas, he probably meant that as a reference to the student spirit groups with characteristics similar to the NPC/NIC groups.

[knight_shadow]

Since he was talking about Texas, he probably meant that as a reference to the student spirit groups with characteristics similar to the NPC/NIC groups.

Spirit groups =/= GLOs

Also, I don't believe that the spirit groups outnumber the NIC/NPC organizations.

ETA: I just went back and reread the sentence and it looks like you're right. It looks like he meant "There are a lot of 1) GLOs and 2) groups that have similar characteristics," but I read it as "GLOs with similar characteristics."

My apologies, EE-BO

[LadyLonghorn]

EE-BO, do you mind explaining what you meant by that statement?

Was it along the lines of "go Greek" being synonymous with "go NPC/NIC" to you?

Are NPHCs, MCGLOs, LGLOs, AGLOs, and local GLOs not "going Greek" because they are not what you consider "traditional GLOs?"

Is "traditional GLO" based on founding year or average chapter size at the Texas school in question?

I know NPHCers often talk about Greekdom in relation to our experiences but those of us who have experiences beyond BGLOs do not pretend as though "go Greek" (in general) means "go BGLO."

I believe he was referring to NIC GLOs because that's what the OP was asking about. The thing at Texas is that there are a lot of organizations here that are very Greek-like in nature that are not Greek at all (although many Greeks are members of them too.) It's not necessary to go Greek (and by that I mean any council or independent groups, not just NPC/NIC) to get a "Greek like" experience. Texas is a little unique in this respect. It's hard to explain if you haven't been there to experience it.

As far as "traditional GLO" (and I am just speaking about the NIC fraternities here) being based on chapter size or age, at Texas there a very wide range in both age and chapter size. Generally, the older chapters are larger and more highly regarded ("top tier") and are also the most legacy and connections driven. Honestly, there are so many NIC fraternities at UT (maybe around 25?) and some of them are so small/uninvolved that I didn't even know they existed. So there are lots of opportunities for guys other than the omg-must-be-fratty-top-tier-NIC-groups, because that isn't an option that's even a possibility for many.

[WVU alpha phi]

Hi DrPhil- I mean society in general among those who have the money to send their children to UT and pay the bills for their children to be in a "top tier" fraternity.

Miriverite is quite correct that Austin is about as close as you get here to full integration- all the way down to high end neighborhoods having a more diverse mix of residents than one might experience elsewhere. Houston and Dallas are nowhere near that phase of enlightenment.

However, compared to the rest of the South, Texas is fairly open. It may make Texas more progressive, but I would be hard pressed to argue we have achieved an ideal state of existence.

I attribute it to a strong respect for entrepreneurship. If you make a success of yourself financially here- then assuming you are not a wholly disagreeable person, you will find your background far less of an obstacle to overcome when tackling those things in life that confer "respectability"- and this includes your children going Greek at UT.

There is a lot of money in Texas. In fact, it was not until I started my career with 2 years of travel around the US in public accounting that I fully realized just how much wealth there is here compared to other states. Even in small towns you will find families possessing staggering amounts of money with staggering frequency.

The real money here in Texas comes from oil- and the oil families here did not migrate with fortunes. They were poor farmers and wildcatters who worked hard and got lucky. Even today with all the natural gas finds in Teague- there are farmers once below the poverty line who are suddenly millionaires.

I think this is why here race takes second place to financial success when it comes to how people are judged- although it still only confers status on a very select few.

To the OP- what I have said above should paint the picture for you.

Here is the deal with Texas. It is an enormous school. There are a LOT of GLOs or groups with the same characteristics of traditional Greek groups. The latter outnumber the former.

If you are an eager and well-presented individual, you will find a group there that you can be proud to be a part of and that will give you an opportunity to contribute and be better prepared for the real world in the process.

However, if you set your sights on "top tier" chapters only- you might be setting your goal a bit wrong. I am especially concerned because- as I and others have noted- you have not exactly posted a roster of "top tier" chapters in your inquiries.

Let me pose a question to you- and to be fair this question could be posed to a lot of people, not just you. I am not singling you out since the questions you are asking are things many potential rushees think about but don't ever vocalize.

What do you want out of your fraternity membership?

Seriously. What do you want it to do for you? From your posts so far, you give the impression- rightly or wrongly- that you want to join a top tier chapter in the hopes it will confer a certain status on you.

This is not how it works. The demand is such that going into 10th grade, most future successful rushees for the most in-demand fraternities already have a very clear idea of the social pecking order at UT. And by the time of graduation, most have already made several visits and either know where they will end up, or at least are assured they will have a bid at one of those houses.

At other schools this is not necessarily the case, but here it is. And demand is such that the "top tier" chapters can be very selective and expect of their membership quite a financial obligation.

Let me give you an idea how that works because Texas is the MOST expensive school in the country to go Greek.

Dues- plan on anywhere from $4,000-6,000 per year just for the basic dues if you live in the house. OU weekend- plan on dropping $1,000 for doing your part to get there, have fun, and pay your date's way too. Plan on buying a very good tuxedo for all the formals, and having it cleaned or replaced frequently. Be prepared as well for all sorts of other miscellaneous expenses incidental to that life.

Good finger in the wind test- if you want to be in a "top tier" chapter at UT, plan on having $10,000 a year to spend on every single thing that you will need that you would not need otherwise. If you want to do all the side trips and such- double that figure. And plan on that coming from your parents. There are rare cases where guys work to put themselves through school and try to go Greek too- but it seldom works out. Fair? Maybe not. But it is reality.

The "lesser" chapters that have large houses and good parties are not that much cheaper. You are still looking at $5K+ to achieve the above.

My suggestion to you is to consider what you want from Greek Life at UT, and then also the cost. This will at least tell you what you could possibly manage and want to do.

Noone is going to discuss specific chapter reputations on this site. That you need to find out on your own- in no small part because your perception of reputation will determine that answer for you.

This is great. And I had NO idea that dues were that expensive at Texas- does the same go for their sororities?

[DrPhil]

ETA: I just went back and reread the sentence and it looks like you're right. It looks like he meant "The are a lot of 1) GLOs and 2) groups that have similar characteristics," but I read it as "GLOs with similar characteristics."

You obviously aren't the only one who read it that way.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

I attribute it to a strong respect for entrepreneurship. If you make a success of yourself financially here- then assuming you are not a wholly disagreeable person, you will find your background far less of an obstacle to overcome when tackling those things in life that confer "respectability"- and this includes your children going Greek at UT.

There is a lot of money in Texas. In fact, it was not until I started my career with 2 years of travel around the US in public accounting that I fully realized just how much wealth there is here compared to other states. Even in small towns you will find families possessing staggering amounts of money with staggering frequency.

The real money here in Texas comes from oil- and the oil families here did not migrate with fortunes. They were poor farmers and wildcatters who worked hard and got lucky. Even today with all the natural gas finds in Teague- there are farmers once below the poverty line who are suddenly millionaires.

I, for one, scoff at new money. Bless your heart.

[Elephant Walk]

You obviously aren't the only one who read it that way.
Yes, because of an unfamiliarity with University of Texas culture.

[DrPhil]

No, because of an awkwardly worded sentence (that followed a post about people thinking that "going Greek" was for rich white kids).

[EE-BO]

Spirit groups =/= GLOs

Also, I don't believe that the spirit groups outnumber the NIC/NPC organizations.

ETA: I just went back and reread the sentence and it looks like you're right. It looks like he meant "The are a lot of 1) GLOs and 2) groups that have similar characteristics," but I read it as "GLOs with similar characteristics."

My apologies, EE-BO

No worries- I am the one who should apologize. It was a poorly worded sentence (I was writing on the fly- travel day for work), and I was being hasty in my reply.

However beyond that, I should clarify an unintended insult that I did note when reading that sentence and referencing "traditional" GLOs with regard to NIC organizations.

What I intended to convey was the sense of Greek Life at Texas now versus when I was an active member. I did not mean to disparage NPHC or other organizations that have been at Texas for a very long time or that also have a storied and reputable existence. The OP was asking about "top tier" which means a handful of NIC groups- and I was going from that mindset.

I intended to convey that while Texas was already very well stocked with GLOs and other groups that mimic GLOs on a local level back when I was in school, there are even more of them today- and many of the newer (and older) ones have a more prominent presence on campus and even organized housing.

In any event, I am sorry for any inaccuracies in my remarks. When I am suggesting someone "widen the net" and be open-minded about all groups at Texas, I don't do much service to that announcement by making careless generalizations about NIC versus everyone else.

Back to the OP- something I should have mentioned last night in my post is that job networking in "top tier" fraternities is not all it is cracked up to be. Yes, there are many instances where fraternity brothers in such chapters- or any chapters for that matter- go into business together or help each other get a first job or internship with their family's firm.

But this is more about these guys who help each other out having a shared background/network that existed long before college. Their being fraternity brothers is a symptom of being part of that circle- not the root cause.

If I may ask- what are your plans at UT? Which school are you currently attending or planning to attend? If you are going to be majoring in engineering or business for example- you will find a wealth of networking opportunities right there, the right ones. In both business and engineering- there are regular social events for students, and even organizations with Greek Letter names that provide social membership with an emphasis on networking for the benefit of your career. At one point, Beta Kappa- a coed business fraternity- was even renting a very large house on campus that used to be Theta Xi and is now Acacia (next door to ADPi.)

In terms of the real world- I have never hired anyone because they were also a Beta, or also a UT grad for that matter. Their resume may get to my desk a lot faster with that connection, but it guarantees nothing. I care more about what a person has done since college- or academically during college if a recent graduate. Hiring purely on the basis of how a person strikes me during the interview and their resume has served me very well. Any hiring manager who is any good will tell you that having a completely open mind in your hiring approach is the only way to consistently bring in good people. And part of being open-minded is not caring about whether a person went to your school or was part of the "right" fraternity.

You will find this to be the case with 99% of employment opportunities out there.

If you want to join a social organization for the fun and good times- go through rush. I think you have received good advice here about "top tier" chapters at Texas since you do not appear to have current ties with members or even know which organizations are in that top tier (and no- noone will disclose them here, not even me), but they represent a very small fraction of what Greek Life has to offer at Texas- in addition to the many non-GLOs that mimic Greek Life, of which there is an unusual concentration at UT.

[knight_shadow]

Yes, because of an unfamiliarity with University of Texas culture.

:rolleyes:

No, because of an awkwardly worded sentence (that followed a post about people thinking that "going Greek" was for rich white kids).

Thanks, DrPhil

EW -- how the hell do you end up being an expert on every southern campus? Like, all of them?

[Drolefille]

:rolleyes:



Thanks, DrPhil

EW -- how the hell do you end up being an expert on every southern campus? Like, all of them?

Shanes.

[Elephant Walk]

EW -- how the hell do you end up being an expert on every southern campus? Like, all of them?
I'm not sure knowing basic features of campus society constitutes expertise.

And I have at least two or three friends at most flagship schools in the south that I go visit often..even post-grad as I am now.

[knight_shadow]

I'm not sure knowing basic features of campus society constitutes expertise.

And I have at least two or three friends at most flagship schools in the south that I go visit often..even post-grad as I am now.

You seem to jump into every conversation "Southern" related and speak definitively on it. I have friends and associates all over the country as well. I would never claim to be the most informed person about, say, Towson University just because I know people there.

But FYI -- misinterpreting EE-BO's post does not happen because of a lack of familiarity with UT. I've been in TX for 12 years, 4.5 of them in the Austin area. It was a poorly worded sentence.

[Elephant Walk]

You seem to jump into every conversation "Southern" related and speak definitively on it. I have friends and associates all over the country as well. I would never claim to be the most informed person about, say, Towson University just because I know people there.
Can you point out where I claimed to be the most informed anywhere?

[knight_shadow]

Yes. Let me go through all 2,052 of your posts to do that.

[LadyLonghorn]

You seem to jump into every conversation "Southern" related and speak definitively on it. I have friends and associates all over the country as well. I would never claim to be the most informed person about, say, Towson University just because I know people there.

But FYI -- misinterpreting EE-BO's post does not happen because of a lack of familiarity with UT. I've been in TX for 12 years, 4.5 of them in the Austin area. It was a poorly worded sentence.

There's a difference between having friends and associates all over the country and having close relationships where you end up spending a lot of time with those people and even visit those schools regularly. It's a very insular and small world EW talks about. It's not the final word on all things that go on at a particular campus, but if you're part of that scene you've got a pretty good idea of how things are in that little part of the world.

[knight_shadow]

There's a difference between having friends and associates all over the country and having close relationships where you end up spending a lot of time with those people and even visit those schools regularly. It's a very insular and small world EW talks about. It's not the final word on all things that go on at a particular campus, but if you're part of that scene you've got a pretty good idea of how things are in that little part of the world.

I live in DFW and frequently travel to Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. I have been to campuses in all of those cities more time than I can remember. That doesn't mean that I should be the go-to guy when it comes to campus culture. EW seems to pop up anytime anything Southern is brought up, and he speaks definitively about the campuses.

And "how things are" in the Greek bubble =/= campus culture. Y'all should know that.

[LadyLonghorn]

I live in DFW and frequently travel to Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. I have been to campuses in all of those cities more time than I can remember. That doesn't mean that I should be the go-to guy when it comes to campus culture. EW seems to pop up anytime anything Southern is brought up, and he speaks definitively about the campuses.

And "how things are" in the Greek bubble =/= campus culture. Y'all should know that.

What he's talking about is traditional NIC/NPC campus culture at these southern schools, and from my experience he's been right about the schools he talks about. I don't think I've seen him claim to be the all knowing oracle of all things having to do with each of those schools. Just experienced with a particular slice of them.

By the way, I do feel particularly dirty having defended EW, but you're kicking at him for something he hasn't claimed to be.

[Elephant Walk]

Yes. Let me go through all 2,052 of your posts to do that.
No evidence, then.
It's a very insular and small world EW talks about. It's not the final word on all things that go on at a particular campus, but if you're part of that scene you've got a pretty good idea of how things are in that little part of the world.
Exactly.