<p>Assuming my daughter goes through the rush process during the summer and gets a bid before school starts, can she live in a sorority house during her freshman year?</p>
<p>I think the rushees find out whether or not they will get a bid just a couple of days before classes start. I can’t see, logistically, how this would work.</p>
<p>I think your D will regret it and miss meeting other new people, etc. I lived in a sorority house and wouldn’t recommend it for a freshman at all.</p>
<p>Her plan now is to move into an off-campus apartment with a high school friend. Which I think might be worse. (My daughter is a transfer and her friend is a current UT student.) I’m trying to find out what other options she might have.</p>
<p>At worst, couldn’t she stay in a hotel during that rush week? I guess she’d need a fall-back plan in case she didn’t get a bid anywhere. But I’m just trying to find out if it’s even possible.</p>
<p>That plan is a good plan.
Why would you think that is worse?</p>
<p>I think the apartments would be much much better for freshmen to be honest as long as it’s not in Riverside or really far away. And it should end up costing less than dorms.</p>
<p>When I went to college somewhere else (in the Paleolithic Era), the kids who moved off-campus to apartments usually found themselves socially isolated to some extent. Many moved back onto campus or pledged Greek houses after a year because they weren’t meeting any new people living off-campus.</p>
<p>As bad as the dorms are, they’re usually recognized as one of the best ways for a freshman to meet people and build a network for friends. Are you saying this is only partially correct at UT? So would a typical West Campus apartment be as good as a dorm for meeting new people?</p>
<p>A lot of freshmen who are in sororities live in Scottish Rite Dorm.</p>
<p>An apartment would not be as good as a dorm for a freshman who wants to meet new people and build a network. Living on campus or in one of the close by private dorms is a great way to find friends and have classes, EC’s, study groups, office hours, athletics, etc. close by. Plus you have the support of your RA and the housing staff.</p>
<p>The dorms are mostly a freshman thing at UT, though; once people move off campus, they don’t move back into the dorms. (There aren’t enough dorms.) Disclaimer - my soph D is enjoying her second year in the honors dorms.</p>
<p>You might try pm-ing ag54. She’s the CC parent who knows the most about the Greek system at UT.</p>
<p>I’m not sure about sororities, it probably depends on which one it is. But two of my pledge brothers did live in house during pledging, but they already knew some of the guys in the active chapter before pledging, and they were both transfers. So IF it works the same way with the girls (I kinda doubt it though), she should be able to. But if nothing SRD or Hardin House is a good fit because a lot of girls living there do go through rush in the summer so she’ll have a group of girls that rush with her, and probably meet her other pledge sisters too.</p>
<p>It is HIGHLY UNLIKELY that your daughter could live in the house as a freshman. Rush is RIGHT before school starts and the houses are full with upperclassmen. In smaller houses there might be spots available, but by the time she pledged (if she pledges) it would be like one day before classes start. It’s a huge risk that A) she pledges at all (maybe she won’t find a fit and drop out - it happens) and B) she pledges a house that has any room openings. </p>
<p>I would advise another housing alternative - if she’s planning on pledging and living in an apartment, look in West Campus. If not, SRD and Hardin House as named above are good options, but you better get on that quick, because those spots will be gone.</p>
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<p>That was true when I lived in SRD, many moons ago! I was not in a sorority and felt outnumbered. In a way, it was good, because the non-sorority girls quickly found each other and got to be good friends.</p>
<p>SRD used to be VERY hard to get into. You had to have a father or grandfather who was or had been a Mason in good standing (my grandfather remained active just so that my mom could live there in the late 50s!). You had to get on a wait list a couple of years ahead of time, too. Last I heard, you still have to find a Mason to sponsor you, but it’s pretty automatic.</p>
<p>Thanks. Game, set, match, and thread.</p>
<p>Just a quick heads up regarding Mason sponsor and SRD - if you don’t have a mason in the family or in your circle, SRD will hook you up with a sponsor - it’s really just a formality now. :)</p>
<p>I meant to say “Thanks. Game, set, match, and thread” to Ag54’s second-last post, but MaineLonghorn posted ahead of me.</p>
<p>So NOW I shall say…this thread is unofficially closed for reasons of the question being answered! Thanks to all!</p>