<p>We are encouraging our youngest to consider pledging a Fraternity but want him to wait until Spring of his Freshman year. Is there a Spring Rush? </p>
<p>My husband is a Sig Ep from a very small school in Michigan. I know the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity is now back on campus after a hazing incident a few years back caused a pledge to seek medical attention. I noticed that the Sig Ep’s have the highest GPA after Fall Semester 2010. Would any current students care to share their opinion on the new and improved Sig Ep’s.</p>
<p>Some fraternities do have a spring rush. I’d still begin the process now to see what fraternities interest him. I’ll let our poster who is a Sig Ep comment more on his fraternity, but do note that they have a different process to become a member.</p>
<p>Some fraternities do pledge a spring class but not all, and certainly not any old row fraternities. There is no formal spring rush that I know of. </p>
<p>I personally recommend your son wait until fall of his Soph year instead of pledging in the spring of his frosh year. By pledging in the fall you get so much more of the experience. Swaps, football games, a much bigger pledge class (usually the guys you remain closest too) than you do by pledging in the spring.</p>
<p>I wont speak specifically of Sig Ep. But I do know that it’s very hard for fraternities to regain what they once were after getting booted off campus for a few years. My fraternity is a shell of it’s former self after getting kicked off twice in the late 90’s for hazing and other violations. Numbers and quality of pledges is still down even after 10 years of being back on campus. The only fraternity I know of that was able to handle getting booted off without suffering much was SAE. Of course they are one of the oldest and historically strongest fraternities on campus.</p>
<p>I suggest your son go through rush the fall of his freshman year and see what’s out there. Make some contacts and then try and keep in touch with those he has an interest in to get a bid for Fall of his Soph year.</p>
<p>Interesting…I am not sure what to make of D’s boyfriends situation. He was rushed heavily as an incoming freshman…choose not to pledge. He is now being pursued by 4 houses on campus…2 of those old row. Since it’s Spring I am thinking that it’s a Spring rush…is this just an exception to the rule. He is really enjoying the process…much less stressful that the summer/fall rush. Will he be initiated/hazed (hate that word) with the new freshman class in the fall or exempt from this (the “hazing”) part…y’all know what
I mean by “hazing”…(not HAZING…but rather the silly things they make pledges do…). Just wondering…D is in a new row sorority but last year they couldn’t sit together at football games because he was Greek…they are looking forward to the advantages of him being Greek as well.</p>
<p>Most fraternities (especially old row) recruit hard during the spring for their fall pledge class. It sounds like they are all “recruiting” him right now but he isn’t pledging anywhere. They usually invite you to dinner, parties, etc etc in the spring and then offer you a bid to be a part of their fall class.</p>
<p>The university instituted a mandatory 8 week maximum pledge-ship a few years ago. All pledges are required to go through this process before being initiated whether it be fall or spring.</p>
<p>Thank you! He is very excited! Golf with Beta’s tomorrow…I am hoping it goes well for him…nice kid…not sure how he will do on the pledge ship part…fingers crossed :)</p>
<p>My husband was a Lambda Chi Alpha, so my son is a legacy. Are they automatically accepted, or is it just a mark in his favor? He has decided to wait until his sophomore year to pledge since he has no idea right now if it is for him.</p>
<p>Was he a Lambda Chi at UA or somewhere else? A legacy from a UA chapter carries a lot more weight than a legacy from another chapter. </p>
<p>That said, your husband should drop by the house on a visit and introduce your son to their rush chairman. Will get his name on the list and get him invited to a few dinners and parties probably. Then it will be up to them and your son whether they are a good fit or not.</p>