More Texas Recruitement Info

[Kitemom]

Today I found my daughter rush note book. Looking through it every sorority had a letter. They were all pretty much the same so I will summarize.

Below are the list of items I will need to introduce you to the chapter at the univeristy you will be attending.
Two pictures (one full body 5x7 and one full face 4 X 6 (This is the real differnce in the sororities. some want two some 3)
An unofficial current transcript
A resume of all you school and community activities, accomplishment and honors (try to keep this to 2 pages-- use page maker)
An official transcript mailed directly to me in June by the register at your school after final grades have been posted.
A copy of the Panhellenic sheet you completed
The names and phone number of the lady in XZY sorority who will be writing your recommendation and letters of support.

You are responsible for contacting your own acquantances in XYZ to ask them to write the official recommendation and letters or support for you. These ladies can live anywhere not just in your hometown. Please askas many as you fell comortable with. If you need help in obtaining names please contact me. It is important that you provide each person with a picture, a copy of you unofficial transcript and you resume. Have them mail the resume to me and I will forwrd your packet to the chapters.

Fall Rush - June 15 except UT Austin which is required by May 15 to June 1

Deferred Rush - August 1

I hope this helps. Others asked for 2-3 letters of support. I wished I had this info in Feb last year. Please excuse typo's

[Benzgirl]

A full-body 5x7???? Eeee gads! We typically got the wallet-sized head and shoulders portrait.

I guess things are really bigger in Texas.

[srmom]

Can I please add, as an alum who is often asked to write recs or letters, to please ask ASAP! It really does take a while to write each one (and not to make them form letters), especially when you have a number to do for one school!

I think I wrote 8 UT recs or letters this past spring/summer - try making each one sound unique and inspired!!! It takes imagination and a thesauris.

[southernbelleQT]

thank ya ma'am! and so im guessing that whole have to make a collage thing isnt true?

[srmom]

I haven't ever gotten a collage But, I have gotten some pretty awesome studio portraits.

And - details on the resume are great because then you can add those tidbits in the letters (even when you really don't know all that much about the girl in detail except that she's a nice kid).

[southernbelleQT]

ohhh alrighty. because i was told one has to make a personal collage for each sorority so they can get to know you. i thought that was a little bizzare!

Originally Posted by Benzgirl

A full-body 5x7???? Eeee gads! We typically got the wallet-sized head and shoulders portrait.

I guess things are really bigger in Texas.

Silly sister...they ask for full-body 5x7s to weed out the girls who don't fit their mold!

I mean, why else would they want a freaking FULL BODY shot?

[southernbelleQT]

well thank the lord for photoshop!!!

hahah jk ^

[Benzgirl]

Originally Posted by OTW

Silly sister...they ask for full-body 5x7s to weed out the girls who don't fit their mold!

I mean, why else would they want a freaking FULL BODY shot?

Yep. My thoughts exactly.

[LOVEinZTA]

1) NO, no collages. I don't know where that rumor got started. There are other groups on the UT Austin campus (Texas Spirits, Texas Lassos, etc.) which require you to do little art projects before joining. NONE OF THEM are NPC organizations.

2) The full body shot thing is so we know who the heck you are when you walk in the door. It has nothing to do with "fitting the mold" - because we all know that most "molds" are stereotypes that only a few girls in a given chapter fit in any way. I can't count on all of the appendages on my body how many girls sent in headshots or glamour shots that looked NOTHING like them last year for rush and the members who were matched with them didn't know who was who. If we don't know your face and what you look like, we won't remember "oh, that's ____ who had 1000 volunteer hours, is a triple legacy, and was class president!"

3) Get your recs in to UT early. Period.

4) Out of staters don't get cut any harder than anyone else if they're as involved and have the same credentials. Our fall pledge class had at least 4 out-of-staters that I can think of off the top of my head which, considering the undergrad population, is quite a few.

Originally Posted by LOVEinZTA

2) The full body shot thing is so we know who the heck you are when you walk in the door. It has nothing to do with "fitting the mold" - because we all know that most "molds" are stereotypes that only a few girls in a given chapter fit in any way. I can't count on all of the appendages on my body how many girls sent in headshots or glamour shots that looked NOTHING like them last year for rush and the members who were matched with them didn't know who was who. If we don't know your face and what you look like, we won't remember "oh, that's ____ who had 1000 volunteer hours, is a triple legacy, and was class president!"

Because the girl's face isn't enough?

You really can tell who the heck the girl is by her body type?

It's hard for anyone to believe that you use body shots to distinguish girls from one another.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by Kitemom

Fall Rush - June 15 except UT Austin which is required by May 15 to June 1

Deferred Rush - August 1

Wait i'm confused. Is this statement ^^^ means that this "application" has to be sent in by June 15th or recruitment is June 15th? And at what schools is the June 15th thing since it says "except UT Austin".

[Just interested]

Welcome to Texas "Rush". Most Alumnae Reference Boards in the big cities shut off references if they are received after June 1( I've heard even as early as May 1). It does not mean a reference cannot be sent to the chapter directly but it will not have a seal of approval from the powerful city reference boards who also send along their RTP list (Rush to Pledge)etc. This practice goes back to years ago when UT, Austin had summer rush. (Parties, especially in the big cities for the members to meet rushees) Cuts were made before the girls ever got to school and they were only invited to certain houses from the very beginning. It was also great for lesser know chapters to put themselves out there in a much more informal way. It was done away with 10 or more years ago on an offical level but ...nothing dies quite that easily. If you get my drift.

[LOVEinZTA]

Originally Posted by OTW

Because the girl's face isn't enough?

You really can tell who the heck the girl is by her body type?

It's hard for anyone to believe that you use body shots to distinguish girls from one another.

I'm actually rather offended that you'd insinuate this - my chapter, and most of those I've seen, have a wide variety of shapes and sizes of girls.

No, her face isn't enough. The pictures some girls send in look NOTHING like them. By sending in full length pictures we get a better idea of who's who. It also helps in matching because we don't want to pair someone who's 5'0" on a girl who's 5'11". And yes, that REALLY IS what we do.

Originally Posted by Just interested

Welcome to Texas "Rush". Most Alumnae Reference Boards in the big cities shut off references if they are received after June 1( I've heard even as early as May 1). It does not mean a reference cannot be sent to the chapter directly but it will not have a seal of approval from the powerful city reference boards who also send along their RTP list (Rush to Pledge)etc. This practice goes back to years ago when UT, Austin had summer rush. (Parties, especially in the big cities for the members to meet rushees) Cuts were made before the girls ever got to school and they were only invited to certain houses from the very beginning. It was also great for lesser know chapters to put themselves out there in a much more informal way. It was done away with 10 or more years ago on an offical level but ...nothing dies quite that easily. If you get my drift.

You're very much right, old habits die hard. That's why 8 chapters were pulled in to Panhellenic last summer. Don't fool yourself in to thinking that it doesn't still happen. There's one house on campus that to this day doesn't even talk to girls during open house round, they just jump around and chant because they already know who they're cutting.

Originally Posted by LOVEinZTA

I'm actually rather offended that you'd insinuate this - my chapter, and most of those I've seen, have a wide variety of shapes and sizes of girls.

Well, they do say the truth hurts.

Please don't get offended. It's not worth it.

No, her face isn't enough. The pictures some girls send in look NOTHING like them. By sending in full length pictures we get a better idea of who's who. It also helps in matching because we don't want to pair someone who's 5'0" on a girl who's 5'11". And yes, that REALLY IS what we do.

You're very much right, old habits die hard. That's why 8 chapters were pulled in to Panhellenic last summer. Don't fool yourself in to thinking that it doesn't still happen. There's one house on campus that to this day doesn't even talk to girls during open house round, they just jump around and chant because they already know who they're cutting.

I've often said that I'm so glad I didn't go through rush at schools with ridiculous cutthroat rushes because I probably would have been turned off by it all.

See, while your chapter can be proud of accepting and embracing different shapes and sizes, there are many others who don't. And it's because of them that I question the need for full body shots. IMHO, it just fuels the unnecessary feeling of super exclusivity, you know?