<p>We moved our DS into Ridgecrest South on Saturday. So impressed with Bama - definitely a well-oiled machine! After setting up his room our son was ready to say goodbye. I had thought we’d take him to dinner, but he was anxious to meet up with the friends he’d made at Bama Bound. My husband said this was a good thing and we ended up having a terrific date on our own at the Cypress Inn.</p>
<p>Since we’re out of state we flew out Sunday. I texted my son at breakfast to ask how his first night at college was and he informed me that he had received a bid from Phi Kappa Psi.</p>
<p>I guess he met some of the brothers at Bama Bound.</p>
<p>To make a short story long, is this usual? My son is planning on Chemical Engineering as a major. He’s in the Honors College and has a full scholarship.</p>
<p>As parents we are very concerned that pledging a fraternity is very time consuming. We thought we had impressed upon him the need to take it slow - start small as it were and concentrate on his studies.</p>
<p>Does anyone know about this fraternity? I’ve read on other threads that engineering students tend not to join Greek life because it’s too time consuming.</p>
<p>Son also received a bid from two fraternities before we left town. Your son’s options should be–accept, hold, reject. Ask him to get clarification on their timeline. My son jumped right on one of his bids since it was a group that was very interested in him and he liked the other kids already committed in the pledge class. Should he have waited a couple of days, perhaps, but it is the path he chose.<br>
There is an event today for all interested male students to attend and learn about the process. Alabama has an open bid process (recruitment began for some kids in the Spring of 2013 if not sooner) so some of the larger fraternities ie, “more prestigious” might already be full, but from what we have learned, some hold out slots for late-comers (Out of State).<br>
There are costs associated with a fraternity that are not insignificant, it requires a meal plan switch, etc. The Greek Office at Student Affairs is very helpful and I encourage you and your son to get in touch wit them to answer your questions. I think the rush period ends this week. It happens pretty fast. Good luck.</p>
<p>My son is a pledge - and I am sure your son would have a good time meeting alot of new boys… They do require study hall each night -they wear a certain uniform during pledgeship and they usually are cleaning houses, apartments, clothes for the actives during pledgeship… they go early to games to save seats…</p>