<p>I was wondering if anyone has had any personal experience with Greek life at the University of Alabama. What I’ve heard has not been too pleasant.<br>
I’m actually an URM so if anyone else can give a minority perspective that would be nice, but if not, anything will do.<br>
I’ve heard that sororities are important to make connections and such so I would like to try to get in one. </p>
<p>Background: I’ve lived in Alabama my whole life so the typical racial prejudices wouldn’t bother me as badly as it would bother others.</p>
<p>But that’s the thing. I believe that limiting myself to a one culture sorority limits my networking options. Does anyone know of the tolerance that the normal sororities have?</p>
<p>there have been discussion in the past here regarding how inclusive the sororities are. if you are AA then you are welcome to rush, but don’t be surprised if you do not end up getting a bid. yes, it would be good to have the increased networking opportunities, but i am not sure any of the sororities are “there” yet.</p>
<p>i am no expert, of course. just passing on what i have read here.</p>
<p>I’m assuming you mean networking for career purposes. It’s good you’re thinking about that but without good grades networking won’t get you anywhere. Networking complements not supplements.</p>
<p>Anyway, Mike is correct. You can search through some of the previous discussions but the chance that you getting into one of the old school white sororities is low. You should pledge/rush whatever group you feel most comfortable and could spend a lot of time with.</p>
<p>Well that was the answer I was looking for. Thanks so much for your honesty Mike!!! I guess I’ll have to look into my other college choices a little more closely before choosing the crimson tide.</p>
<p>^^^Is rushing a sorority and being Greek so important that you would pass up a great university just to be Greek?
There are so many opportunities that UA has to offer and so many students who CHOOSE not to go Greek. You do not have to be Greek to be afforded networking opportunities. I would hate to see you base your college choice on this one reason. However, if you still want to go Greek and it is very important to you, then you could chose a traditionally AA Sorority or just rush the sorority of your choice… “Go For It”’…maybe the time is ripe for change.</p>
<p>1) If you are AA, the NPHC houses offer amazing networking during college and beyond. Such is their strength, that this is one of the reasons that AAs continue to pledge these chapters and not try for the historically white NPC sororities or IFC fraternities. </p>
<p>2) If you are a minority other that AA, then there are girls in the NPC chapters who are also minorities. Not very many, I grant you. But they are there, including in the Old Row chapters. They have one major thing in common: as well as meeting all the usual requirements: grades, recs, great ECs etc the one standout thing about them is that they already knew a lot of girls in the house when they went through rush. This means that the girls they know from HS/ECs/Church etc etc are pulling for them during rush because they already know them and have got beyond any aspects of ‘appearance’. You said you are from AL - how many girls do you know in sororities at Bama?</p>
<p>3) Most importantly - Greek Life is great fun and I loved every minute, as does my sister in her house at Bama. But recently we discussed how we both would not have just survived but thrived without it. Bama is a great school whether you are Greek or not, so please don’t let this be too large a part of your college decision</p>
<p>“but without good grades networking won’t get you anywhere” (uaprophet)</p>
<p>Perhaps in academia, but not in the business world. I will submit that in the business world, networking can be everything. I have held many high level management positions and no one has ever asked my GPA. I know a lot of C/D students that are CEO’s making high 6 figures.</p>
<p>I would agree that networking is very important! My oldest D went to an Ivy. We joked she was one of the best and the brightest but so was everyone else there…it was her networking at the school that helped her land her “dream” job right out of college. She one of the most successful and youngest women in her industry. Grades played no part in this what so ever…it was all “who you know” that landed her the first job and subsequent ones after.
D number 2 went to a state school, graduated on the Dean’s List with honor and it was her exec officer positions she held in her sorority and networking with sorority sisters that landed her her first job exactly 1 month after graduation. Amazingly, when she went to look for a different job (she’s in marketing in DC) it was again the sorority connection that helped seal the deal.
Finally D number 3 who is at Bama never would have had the massive amounts of recs she had for each house if it hadn’t been for big sis’s sorority connections…
Yup…networking is important.</p>
<p><strong><em>but without good grades networking won’t get you anywhere</em></strong></p>
<p>I agree with the posters above me. Having worked many years for large law firms, I can’t tell you how many incompetent lawyers with social connections (many of them fraternity connections) succeeded over extremely talented lawyers without those connections, because business development is where it’s at these days. Networking is crucial; grades aren’t always. The firm could always find talented young associates to do the work the connected partner brought in but wasn’t capable of doing properly.</p>
<p>Connections are extremely important, which is why segregated fraternities represent another glass ceiling/invisible door no different than the “old boys network”, which has shut out women for eternity. Separate but equal is not equal, whether it be schools or fraternities. Progress is being made, but more needs to happen.</p>
<p>Yeah I was specifically referring to entry level positions/securing your first job upon graduation. To be more specific - gaining entry level positions with large companies that require a min GPA even to interview. For those situations it really doesn’t matter who you know because they receive so many applicants they have to eliminate candidates some way. I know that even after a few years of professional work that GPA isn’t really important when progressing.</p>
<p>Greek groups have a strong presence at Alabama, but still only about a third of campus is Greek. That means two-thirds is NOT Greek. They seem to do just fine without those letters.</p>
<p>Yes…Greeks make up about 1/3 of the student population and yes that means that there are A LOT of students that are not Greek. Contrary to some peoples beliefs, Greek life is MORE than just networking and social fun (swaps, drinking, parting ect…). My DD’s sorority requires her to be actively involved in a minimum of 2 extracurricular groups that ARE NOT Greek affiliated. She is also required to keep a minimum of a 3.0 and if she falls below that GPA then there are ramifications such as study hall hours, loss of privileges and even probation or suspension. For her it is her life. She loves it and has an exec position for next year and will continue to be very involved in both her particular sorority and Greek life at Alabama until she graduated.<br>
If you are looking to join a sorority (or fraternity) just for the networking then I would tell you to perhaps reevaluate your choice. With the amazing opportunities the Honors College has as well as the clubs and opportunities to become involved with other Alabama students that are offered by the University, you do not necessarily need to belong to a Greek organization to find networking opportunities. If this were the case then the 2/3 of students who make up the non-Greek population would be unsuccessful statistics and oh my goodness we KNOW that is just not true, Go back on this board and read all the threads that talk about what these AMAZING non-Greek affiliated students have done.
Two of our four children are Greek as well as my husband and myself. We all love/loved it in college and continue to be a part of our particular organization as adults. It is a way of life for us…our sorority sisters and fraternity brothers are family…we have a special bond. Two of my other children chose NOT to go Greek and guess what??? Although neither went to Alabama both have networked their way to fantastic jobs, have had tons of terrific opportunities and amazing friends who they continue to keep in touch with even after they graduate.<br>
What I guess I am trying to say is that Greek life is great…for the right reasons, BUT life at Alabama is MORE that just Greek letters. It is up to you to make those 4 years count both academically and socially. It is up to you to venture out, meet new people and give back to the University and the community of Tuscaloosa and to “network” your way through this process. Just wearing letters will not do this for you. There are tons of successful individuals who have graduated and will graduate from Alabama who never stepped foot in the door of a Greek affiliated house. I know I have posted that Greek networking helped my Greek DD #2 get a job…true but I also posted my non-Greek DD also networked and got a fabulous…the burden falls on YOU to make yourself a success…not others. (sorry…stepping off soap box now).</p>