<p>Thank you @eusriso and @beth’s mom. As I do the budget for educational expenses (a humdinger at my house due to 2 kids in private school) I will add in that extra amount for Sept. for when she is accepted and Oct. for housing. </p>
<p>The residential sororities have required meal plans. A freshman who pledges is automatically dropped to a “Greek 50” meal plan for UA, but then pays her house whatever they charge. My DDs house meal fee this fall semester is $1800. Her dues & other fees are about $1300. I think this sorority is on the higher side. Other threads discuss cost in more detail, but the bottom line is sororities are not inexpensive. Someone on a tight budget really needs to consider the cost.</p>
<p>So my daughter checked into one of the Ridgecrest dorms on the 7th. It was a unique experience. You pick the slot you want online - slots are limited and on a first come basis. My daughter was on top of it and got the first slot. We show up at 7:30 am and they had a crew ready to unload us - even though we were 30 minutes early. They have huge oversized boxes that they load and take up to your room. Very well organized. Kudos to the help - very polite. </p>
<p>Traffic was not bad on Campus on the end where Ridgecrest was located. But at some of the other dorms it looked a little crazy - Tutwiler was very busy with cars backed up. Makes sense since a big portion of early check-ins were for Sorority rush and Tutwiler is a female dorm. </p>
<p>Tuscaloosa was crazy - I highly recommend you avoid Tuscaloosa and go to Northport. Less traffic, some decent restaurants, a Walmart for shopping that was well stocked. In Tuscaloosa the Walmart was already starting to run out of items or low on things common for college students. Tuscaloosa and I59 are a magnet for wrecks - twice I59 was totally blocked.</p>
<p>The rooms in Ridgecrest are not the same size in the same suites - the ones in the back of the suite are larger. One of the rooms in the suite was open and we could see the difference. </p>
<p>They block certain roads on campus to regulate the flow on traffic. </p>
<p>My daughter got her bedroom setup - took a day and 1/2. I cannot imagine the chaos that would have occurred if her other roommates had been there. Loved the early check in!</p>
<p>UA does not supply Toilet Paper (my college did) so your child will have to buy there supply. Ridgecrest allows you to put 4 screw holes in the wall - so hanging things is very limited. We had to get my daughter a mirror that hung from the back of a door and a shoe organizer we put on a rod and hung from a towel/robe hook on the wall in her room. We put removable plastic hooks on the inside of her closet door to hang undergarments. A lot of money spent on plastic boxes, plastic drawers and organizers. </p>
<p>Another thing to note - Walmart prices in Northport are 10 to 25% cheaper than my home Walmarts in Virginia - also bigger and better stocked. Northport does not seem to be as nice as Tuscaloosa but I would rather go to Northport and avoid the traffic.</p>
<p>I cannot imagine what it would be like on regular move in - even with the great organization by UA I imagine it is chaos. Be prepared!</p>
<p>One other thing - after you unload your vehicle you have to move your vehicle to another area and take a shuttle back to your dorm. We avoided this by parking in other areas outside of the dorm loading areas but close to the dorm. I don’t think this will work on regular check-in. </p>
<p>A couple of things we took care while we were with my daughter. We took my daughter to the UA Health Center which is also where the pharmacy is located to transfer her prescriptions. This was a mixed experience. People there are extremely nice and professional. The pharmacy only carries a limited number of drugs. Beyond the drugs they normally stock they will special order drugs but only if your prescription is for a quantity that matches the lot size. </p>
<p>In other words if you have a prescription for a pill that you have take 1 1/2 pills a day for 30 days and there lot order size is 30 pills then they will not order it because they would have to order 60 pills and would have 15 pills left over in a given month.</p>
<p>For my daughter she had 5 prescriptions - 4 of which the monthly prescription was a normal lot size, one of which wasn’t - none the pharmacy normally carried. We were told nicely we would have to go somewhere else for the one “odd” lot prescription. There is a Rite Aid up the street from the Student Health Center but I was not crazy about splitting the source of medications or in using Rite Aid.</p>
<p>I was planning on shipping the one drug from home but the pharmacist called back a couple of hours later and said they were adding the one drug as a regular stock drug as they had multiple requests for it - nice touch and service!</p>
<p>The other drugs my daughter will have to call and order in advance as they are not a normal stock item. Usually the pharmacy can get the drugs in one business day. </p>
<p>They bill the student account for the drugs - they take a long list of prescription plans (including mine).</p>
<p>We stopped by the Alabama Credit Union off campus and picked up her Debit Card - they print the card in the CU. There online registration process is awful - about 15 years behind the time… Once she is setup with online access it won’t matter. </p>
<p>Thank you again for posting your experiences. In one year from now I am hoping to be in your shoes!</p>
<p>Just FYI on #62 above. UA supplies toilet tissue for the traditional style dorms (community style restrooms which are professionally cleaned every weekday); UA does not supply toilet tissue for the suite-style dorms, as those bathrooms are cleaned and supplied by the students.</p>
<p>My daughter is also an engineering student. Her books were no where near what you posted. She bought used where possible and also rented a few online. The Calculus book was used for Calc 1 and 2. She took Calc 3 at home, so I don’t know if it would have been used for Calc 3 on campus or not. </p>
<p>Her second semester books were much cheaper. She reused the Calculus book and then bought from some sorority sisters. </p>
<p>My daughter managed to keep her grades up and pledge at the same time. You just need to be able to say no to the week night parties and manage your time. She still had a great time. We were actually worried because it looked like she was having way too much fun to be putting much time into her grades but she was Dean’s list both semesters. </p>
<p>The sorority dues are expensive! No two ways about it, they are outrageously expensive. Depending on your daughter and her eating habits, you can opt out of the Greek 55 plan. My daughter NEVER ate at the dining halls so the 55 meals first semester were never used. We opted out and did no meal plan second semester. I think they charge you $300 because you are in the dorms but it was still cheaper than paying for things you weren’t using. The bad thing about the sororities is that they don’t cook Friday night through Sunday night, so the kids are eating out. </p>
<p>Look up the fees on the panhellenic website. They vary greatly between the different sororities. She is living in the house this year and I think that her sorority is roughly costing us the same as living in Riverside did. That’s with everything included, dues memberships, etc etc. </p>
<p>Itsallgreektome - Thanks for the info.</p>
<p>So disappointed - my daughter got cut from the rush. Really unsure why. Anyone know why you would be cut from Rush? </p>
<p>The only thing I can go on is the pictures from the Greek sites - most of the girls look picture perfect. So I assume looks matter. My daughter is not overweight (there are almost no heavy girls in the pics) and attractive by todays standards but she is not a TV model. </p>
<p>She dressed appropriately, got the recommendations for most sororities (not all) and did all of the required work. She was challenged on the recommendations as only one sorority was at the college I went to (she got that recommendation) but she had to reach out to strangers for other recommendations but she got most of them. She did not have any contacts within a sorority prior to going to UA. </p>
<p>My daughter is not a social butterfly and does not know how to sell herself (she would disagree on this) so I am unsure how the one on one chats went with the sororities members, I can only assume that this is why she did not get a bid. The feedback from her is that some of the chats went well and some were awkward.</p>
<p>From a pragmatic parent viewpoint it is likely best she was cut - no sorority fees and no funky sorority meal plan. Less worries about potential, pledging, alcohol or drug abuse and being distracted from her academic work.</p>
<p>From a caring parent point of view I wanted it for her because she wanted it and I did see the value of sisterhood, learning social skills and the activities in the Greek system can be fun. My fraternity experience was somewhat “rough” but that was 27 years ago and times were very different.</p>
<p>I’m sorry your daughter’s rush experience was not a positive one. My daughter is at Honors Action right now and says it is filled with great people who are not Greek. She has met several upperclassmen who have assured her the nongreek social life is great at UA. She has already compiled a list of great clubs she wants to look into. So don’t worry! She will find her place. </p>
<p>Euriso, a big hug to your daughter (and to you). My heart breaks for her as no one wants to be rejected. I don’t know if you are on the UA parent thread, but someone was discussing this and several people mentioned that their daughters were released in the past. One mom shared that although it was tough, her daughter got through it and is now thriving. Be there so she can cry, but encourage her to move on as there are 70% of the students who are not greek. Hugs again.</p>
<p>Euriso, hugs, also, to you and your daughter. There will be many disappointments along the way. Every experience prepares her for the next. She’ll be fine. She sounds like an amazing girl, and I’m sure she will touch many lives while at Bama, whether she realizes it or not. Wishing her a wonderful next step in her life.</p>
<p>There are so many opportunities at UA - greek life is just one. Have her get involved immediately with Week of Welcome and Tied with the Tide activities. And watch for Get on Board Day. Good luck to her!</p>
<p>Well this is going to be perceived as sour grapes (and likely is) about sororities at UA. First off listening to my daughter during rush week the process is awkward and not very enjoyable. I checked with friends with daughters in the Greek system and trusty Google, this is not an uncommon experience, so not a UA only experience.</p>
<p>But what throws me off is the video’s and pics that the sororities and Greek council put out. All of the girls are very attractive, many bordering on model type looks. It leaves the impressions that only very attractive girls and bubbly personality girls are in sororities at UA. So it makes me wonder how many sororities choose by looks and the bubbly personality and nothing beyond that. This is the image portrayed by the videos (real or fiction). Which leads to the next question why - I can only assume its a popularity contest and to move up the social pecking order with fraternities. </p>
<p>It is also obvious from the pics/videos that the sororities membership are not diverse, furthering the image. This is documented and I will not cover that here… But what I didn’t know until I started searching Google was the history of the “machine” at UA and fraternities/sororities. Google it, its interesting reading.</p>
<p>I did find an interesting video about a girl who went through rush at another school, but with similar sorority rush practices as UA. During the video the girl talks about how unpleasant rush and how she keeps picking her favorite preference but here last pick keeps picking her. The girl is totally frustrated by the process and on bid day gets a bid from her last choice. She decides to give it a try with the sorority and it turned out it was a perfect fit - she was not a stereotypical sorority girl and they knew that and knew she would fit in to there sorority which is why they kept picking her. Long story short - the system worked for her. </p>
<p>So the moral of that story applied to my daughter is maybe the system worked for her - there may not be a sorority right for her or diverse/open minded enough for my daughter at UA. </p>
<p>I did find a thread on another board - <a href=“Alabama Rush and First Cuts: Predetermined? - Page 22 - GreekChat.com Forums”>Alabama Rush and First Cuts: Predetermined? - Page 22 - GreekChat.com Forums. It had a lot of stats but it was somewhat depressing only about 5% don’t get selected. The board list reasons, didn’t get recommendations, didn’t dress appropriately, didn’t attend events, ect as reasons and this was not the case with my daughter. </p>
<p>One last thing there is a chance my daughter may get a snap bid. I don’t fully understand the logic but it sounds like if the sororities don’t fill enough “slots” they send you an offer to rush even if you weren’t selected. You don’t get to participate in the big bid ceremony in the stadium at the end of rush. To be blunt this sounds really crappy and degrading - can’t they find a better way of doing this instead of making someone feel second class?</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone for the positive comments - and for those going into the Greek System best of wishes - life moves on :). </p>
<p>@eusriso, cyber hugs to you and your daughter! </p>
<p>Much like the college admissions process, one will never get the full story as to why a young woman has been released from rush. The sororities are under no obligation to explain why they didn’t select someone, so a young woman is left to wonder. Personally, I think it would be much preferable if the sororities provided some honest feedback, so the young woman could reassess her situation and decide if she wants to walk away completely or try again another time, but as with job interviews, etc., you have to try to read between the lines and not let your imagination go too wild. If your daughter feels she was treated unfairly, there are certainly channels for having her concerns redressed. </p>
<p>FWIW, this year’s rush class was HUGE (2200+), so there are bound to be a lot of disappointed young women walking around this weekend. Remind your daugther that what doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger 
and that there are plenty of great organizations at UA that might be a better fit for her, including some Greek Life organizations that are not part of the fall Panhellenic Association rush. Maybe one of them like UGC will appeal to your DD (<a href=“Fraternity and Sorority Life”>Fraternity and Sorority Life)?</p>
<p>Best of luck to her!</p>
<p>@eusriso, I’m very sorry to hear about your daughter’s experience. This whole Greek scene is what makes me leery about Bama for my daughter. I think one of the biggest flaws in a system like Alabama’s is having rush at the beginning of the school year. Obviously, most of the kids rushing are freshman, and if they don’t get a bid or don’t get one from the house they want, their first experience of college life feels an awful lot like rejection. So many colleges (including my alma mater) have moved rush to the second semester, and I think that is a FAR better way to go.</p>
<p>I hope your D can successfully put this behind her and find “her people” at UA and have a great college experience. </p>
<p>@eusriso</p>
<p>I have not posted for a very long time, but have been following your thread and felt compelled to weigh in.</p>
<p>Firstly, I’m so sorry your daughter did not have a good outcome in rush. Please console her that it is not a reflection of her personally and that there are a gazillion other activities to get involved with.</p>
<p>I wanted to address some of your concerns. All chapters have a variety of girls in them, especially at Bama, where chapters have c.300 members. This includes girls with all kinds of looks. I can assure you that there are many girls who do not look like the stereotypical sorority girl image in every house - but they won’t be in many of the pics and videos because these are marketing materials and, rightly or wrongly, chapters will want to use their more outgoing and good looking members. We can all judge this, but these are 18-22 year old girls marketing to their peers unfortunately…</p>
<p>As I said all houses have a variety of girls in them, and diversity in terms of major, geography, likes and interests is quite widespread. Ethnic diversity is increasing, but work does remain. However, there is little socioeconomic diversity as these Bama sororities are just so incredibly expensive; it takes a fairly well off family to fork out the kind of sums that have been posted on here. That acts as a natural exclusion to girls from different backgrounds and is something that continues to make me uncomfortable. Actives are looking to make sure that any girl offered a bid is going to be able to afford several thousand dollars per semester - because if they offer a bid to a girl and she drops out after a few weeks due to cost, they have used up her space which could have gone to someone else. </p>
<p>As to why your daughter was cut…rush at an SEC school is not going to be kind to shy, quiet introverts. And I speak from experience, and that of my sister. The sheer number of girls going through means that each PNM must make themselves memorable in the 20-30 minutes they have available. And, when you are meeting someone for the first time, you need to be outgoing, have something interesting or memorable to say, or have something unusual about you. Unless you magically click with your rusher over a shared interest or just mutual chemistry, you have to do the work so that in membership selection, the girls you met will vote for you over someone else. Also, remember that the actives are just as nervous and tired, and having an outgoing PNM makes it easier for them - and therefore more likely to remember you.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, a large rush does not suit all personality types. The large volume of girls and long days will be exhausting for all, but are hell for a natural introvert, and the short parties mean that it is hard to establish a connection. I am naturally quiet with a dry sense of humor, but am not shy - I had to work very hard to be more outgoing and bubbly, even though it nearly killed me to do it. Once in the later rounds, when you have more time, I could relax a little. In fact, at the chapter I ended up at, halfway through rush, I just broke and in answer to ’ so how are you enjoying rush?’ I flipped and said I hated it, and why couldn’t we just talk normally, and it was so fake - and I got lucky as my rusher confessed she hated rush as a sister for the same reasons! But this could so easily have backfired. My sister is also naturally quiet but was fortunate in that she knew current members in the chapters at Bama, and had been coming up for home games for a while. Without these connections, and being naturally quiet, it could just be that your daughter got lost in the crowd.</p>
<p>I would say that sorority membership is not for all. I only lasted as I spent junior year abroad ( and not with half my sorority like a lot of girls do) and had a break from it. It was often quite overwhelming, especially a lot of the mandatory stuff. So maybe it was not right for your daughter, who knows? Remember also that quite a lot of girls drop out over time, so what seems like a big deal as a freshman will diminish considerably over her time at school.</p>
<p>If she is interested in a different kind if sorority experience, she should check out Sigma Delta Tau, in my mind the unsung heroes of Bama sorority life. They had an AA president last year and have been integrated for a while. They are also much smaller, and recruit using informal rush which starts next week. If your daughter has a strong Christian faith, she could check out Alpha Delta Chi also. <a href=“Redirecting...”>https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sigma-Delta-Tau-at-Alabama/477926885614759</a></p>
<p>Above all, she is at a great school with a myriad of opportunities available to her. How envious am I!! </p>
<p>eusriso: If your daughter is still interested in Greek Life, please encourage her to check out Sigma Delta Tau. It does not participate in rush, but still has plenty of social events and a strong sisterhood. Although SDT is historically a Jewish sorority, it is open to girls of all faiths and races. In fact, its president is a lovely African-American young lady. My son, a former fraternity president, has several friends who participated in SDT while at Bama.</p>
<p>@SoccerGirlNYC, you completely rock.</p>