Thank you for your response. (This response is illuminating & quite helpful to my understanding.)
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Sorority rush and life at SMU is crazy. We know several local gals in sororities there. One dad (a fairly close friend so I don’t think he’s exaggerating) said he pays $2K per month beyond room and board for all the ‘required’ sorority extras (clothes, hair, beauty treatments, tickets to functions, fundraisers, etc. etc.).
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Wow, that’s super duper crazy town! I cannot even imagine doing that as a parent.
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Good grief. Not surprised.
Big surprise tonight. LMU told everyone that merit comes in Feb but D just got an email telling her that she’s a Presidential Scholar. It’s their largest merit scholarship ($30 k per year), comes with lots of other perks including auto-admit to their honors program, paid summer research and a mentorship program through their career center!
I don’t know what to think. She doesn’t seem into it but she’s busy with homework. If this wasn’t a Covid year, I think we’d both be more excited but it would be so hard to choose a CA school when no one is on campus. Even if we fly out there and walk around, I don’t know if that’s enough info paired with a virtual admitted student day to feel sure enough to commit. She’s kind of moved on since the Richmond decision but I guess that’s the beauty of a May 1 decision date. We can let all of the chips fall and she can do virtual admitted student days and see how she feels in April.
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Totally off topic, but that is insane! My mind is boggled. I knew Greek Life at some colleges was pretty extreme, but holy cow. And parents paying for two weeks at a hotel to “help” their daughters during rush week…why? What help do they need? I don’t get it.
I like your D’s final list homerdog. And I think her reasons for not applying to certain schools are valid. Kids need to draw a line somewhere along the way. Looking forward to the end result!
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My neighbor who went down to SMU for rush said she had to take her D shopping because she needed certain clothes. And I guess it’s just a “thing” for moms to get to know each other and socialize during those weeks while the students rush and then they are there to support their daughters if it doesn’t go their way. She thought it was ridiculous but her D really wanted her there because “everyone else’s moms were coming”. Since our D is interested in Greek life if a school has it, I just could not get behind that and D agreed.
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My favorite college basketball team of all time? The 1989-1990 LMU team with Hank Gathers, Jeff Fryer and Bo Kimble. I saw them live at LMU.
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Just found out that the LMU honors program is just top 5% of each entering class. Just 65 kids per grade. I think she needs to consider this but we’ll see…
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That’s wonderful about LMU! D20 seriously considered LMU and did an admitted student visit day before COVID and really liked it. Also, one of her classmates is a really talented and accomplished dancer is part of their dance team. I don’t think she’s majoring in dance, but she’s participating in the program (that’s my understanding). With $30K and the honors program, it definitely seems worth serious consideration. It’s great that she has such good options!
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Congrats on LMU, all that plus the beach is compelling (at least to me😁).
There are also rush consultants that people hire…to help build one’s wardrobe, know what to wear to each event, and perfect the art of the elevator pitch and small talk. And…they aren’t cheap😫
LMU has long time strength in beach volleyball too. RIP Hank Gathers.
@Mwfan1921 – Rush consultant? You keep blowing my mind!
@homerdog - so excited about the LMU $$$/honors opportunity for your D!
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Mothers involved with their daughters’ sorority rush preparation is not unique to SMU. The practice is not uncommon at some Southern universities–most notably of which may be the University of Alabama.
I am not surprised by the “revelation” that some pay an extra $1,500 to $2,000 per month for sorority activities at SMU. SMU is not alone in this respect. Nor is it limited to Southern schools.
Dallas, Texas differs from many wealthy US cities in the respect that it seems that showing one’s wealth is an accepted social norm. For those into fashion, Dallas was–and still may be–known for runway modeling shows–something not easily found in other US Southern cities.
P.S. A bit more eye-opening to me was OP’s comment in post #1579 above about the concern that kids with lower GPAs were admitted to & attend SMU. Outside of this thread, I do not recall having heard this type of concern before regarding a mid-sized or larger university.
@Publisher – I think I know the answer to this, but just want to ask. My S has Rice high on his list. I presume even though it’s in Texas, since there’s no Greek life, it’s somewhat immune from the ostentatious showing of wealth that you describe? I realize it has a lot of wealthy students, like many other top schools, but I believe the vibe is very down to earth.
(With apologies to @homerdog for the digression…)
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Rice is quite different than SMU with respect to social practices. Rice seems to be focused on the development of the mind.
Wealth is obvious at SMU as it is in several sections of Dallas, Texas.
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Rice is no longer for the super wealthy/full pay only. With the introduction of the Rice Initiative that guarantees to meet full need, the socioeconomic of Rice has diversity. It’s worlds apart in vibe from SMU.
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@homerdog I would not be so quick to cross off LMU just yet. It seems to tick so many of your D’s boxes and just because a visit can’t happen, well, we have no idea what COVID is going to look like in March-April. CA may be doing much better; other areas may be doing worse or the new strains could be wreaking havoc everywhere, making any visits unadvisable.
There is so much that can be gleaned from current students, other parents, etc. and while we are all anxious about the uncertainties of this particular admissions years, by March/April colleges and universities will be shifting from rejection to recruitment mode for students like your daughter. There are likely to be classes one can attend and other events to approximate what the vibe might be like on campus. Also, I foresee that some COVID precautions are likely to be in place for the foreseeable future, so a place with good weather that favors outdoor socializing would be worth considering. JMO. In any event, your D is rocking this process, you must be very proud (and relieved!). Congrats!
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Yes I agree. She did reach out to LMU to get their best guesses as to when she might be able to get on campus. And that’s a really good point about the weather and Covid. I’d be more inclined to really get behind that if CA actually took notice that they have good weather and still let people do things outside. Not sure why outdoor dining was ever restricted there. LA county is possibly the most restricted county in the country.
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Remember too that this is changing as things roll along. There is a lot of pressure on the governor to be less restrictive than last fall with things like outdoor dining.
Also LA County seems to be less restrictive than Northern Cal. Poor Santa Clara is like in the worst place.
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Many of the southern schools have changed sorority rush significantly. Instead of requiring Lilly Pulitzer dresses they now give out t-shirts so that every girl looks the same. Yes, some of their mothers went down for the move in, but I know mothers of boys who have done the same thing to help them settle in, buy books, figure out the schedule. At some of the big schools rush does take place over 2 weeks just to get the freshmen a chance to visit every house (Alabama has 2500 girls go through rush, with 18-20 houses to visit), but at most schools it is over a weekend or at most a week. Some parents do want to be there if the girls receive a bid and want to celebrate.
My sorority, which has a chapter at almost every big university and is one of the biggest in the US, no longer gives a preference to a legacy. Their mothers can try to help all they want, but it doesn’t matter. Things have changed.
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