Culture for Girls at Southern Schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, this is a thing in the south. The conformist, appearance heavy culture can be so horrible that kids feel they need to transfer. Speaking from personal experience. Cough cough UVA.

Yikes. I would have lasted a day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, this is a thing in the south. The conformist, appearance heavy culture can be so horrible that kids feel they need to transfer. Speaking from personal experience. Cough cough UVA.

I’m not denying that this is the experience of people with certain groups at UVA. But it is not the case throughout the university, which is large and full of all types of students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, this is a thing in the south. The conformist, appearance heavy culture can be so horrible that kids feel they need to transfer. Speaking from personal experience. Cough cough UVA.

Yikes. I would have lasted a day.

Been that way for forever and yes there are other groups, but this is the predominant vibe and made 4 years of my life miserable (and transferring/dropping out really weren't options for me.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, this is a thing in the south. The conformist, appearance heavy culture can be so horrible that kids feel they need to transfer. Speaking from personal experience. Cough cough UVA.

I’m not denying that this is the experience of people with certain groups at UVA. But it is not the case throughout the university, which is large and full of all types of students.

The people repeatedly slamming and stereotyping entire universities over the appearance of some sorority girls sound like they never left high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, this is a thing in the south. The conformist, appearance heavy culture can be so horrible that kids feel they need to transfer. Speaking from personal experience. Cough cough UVA.

I’m not denying that this is the experience of people with certain groups at UVA. But it is not the case throughout the university, which is large and full of all types of students.

The people repeatedly slamming and stereotyping entire universities over the appearance of some sorority girls sound like they never left high school.

+1

Seriously. Use some basic math. Five “stereotypical” sororities with 50 pledges per year is a total of 1,000 kids.

How large are the schools you all are stereotyping? 8,000 kids? 20,000 kids? More? 🤦‍♀️

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, this is a thing in the south. The conformist, appearance heavy culture can be so horrible that kids feel they need to transfer. Speaking from personal experience. Cough cough UVA.

I’m not denying that this is the experience of people with certain groups at UVA. But it is not the case throughout the university, which is large and full of all types of students.

The people repeatedly slamming and stereotyping entire universities over the appearance of some sorority girls sound like they never left high school.

+1

Seriously. Use some basic math. Five “stereotypical” sororities with 50 pledges per year is a total of 1,000 kids.

How large are the schools you all are stereotyping? 8,000 kids? 20,000 kids? More? 🤦‍♀️

That is 25% to 10% of the women at these schools.

[Anonymous]

Kids self select beginning in middle school. Cliques formed among looks, sports, theater/arts, nerds etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps consider colleges that don’t have sororities, such as most LACs?

That's what I did, as a southerner. Didn't want to be involved in that whole scene at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, this is a thing in the south. The conformist, appearance heavy culture can be so horrible that kids feel they need to transfer. Speaking from personal experience. Cough cough UVA.

Our experiences from 20+ years ago are really irrelevant at this point. UVA is a very different place today that it was in the 90s or even early 2000s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a hs senior dd and had similar questions and concerns. From my anecdotal research (speaking with current college students and parents), the social scene at many (but not all) of the top private and public schools is pretty cliquey and dominated by wealthy, attractive, popular kids - often from private/prep schools. You don't have to be blond, but it does help if you are wealthy and attractive. Even girls who are not 'dresssed up' often wear designer jewelry and accessories. Its kind of crazy. These kids have already identified each other on social media before arriving on campus. Duke and Vanderbilt for sure are like this. Rice no, bc no greek and student body is very different. Emory- not as bad. It's not a southern thing. It's a wealthy/private school thing. You don't have to he part of it, but it is good for kids to think about how they can see themselves having fun outside those groups if they prevail on campus. There are plenty of non greek and non girly girls at duke amd vandy, you just have to find your group. I think it's sad, but it's the reality these kids face.

The Southern thing is not about wealth although I’m sure there are small groups of them. It’s about fitting into a box that has been clearly marked.

And your last name. It’s okay if your family lost their money over the generations if you come from the “right” families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, this is a thing in the south. The conformist, appearance heavy culture can be so horrible that kids feel they need to transfer. Speaking from personal experience. Cough cough UVA.

Our experiences from 20+ years ago are really irrelevant at this point. UVA is a very different place today that it was in the 90s or even early 2000s.

I was talking about my daughter who transferred to a different school last year. I didn't go to UVA.

[Anonymous]

The last name and right family has been a New England sport since the 1600’s and still is.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:She needs to go to college in a major city. LA, Boston, NY.

All the girls at the SEC schools we toured seemed really, really happy, even the ones that dod not look like a stereotypical 'Bama sorority rush poster.

If she liked the southern university, let her apply and see what happens. She might meet some really kind, happy, interesting friends at those places.

That's because in the south girls are taught to smile constantly, no matter how happy or unhappy. As I was.

No.

They were all just nice kids.

What a naive response. At the SEC school where my daughter attends, she said there are sororities which will recruit only blondes. Of course they have to take in the occasional brunette here and there so not to make it too obvious, but the unsaid requirement is that you have to be blonde. So nice, right? So nice.

That may be that sorority, or Greek life in the SEC, but there are all types of people at these schools. Even at Alabama, Greek life is only 36% and with so many kids from out of state, girls don’t have to deal with certain aspects of southern culture if they don’t want to.

Wrong

At Alabama you deal with the dumbest of dumb.

Sending a DD to the state that gave us Tommy Tubby is truly ridiculous.

Laws in Alabama if your daughter gets raped in campus oh so lovely.

This goes for Ok, MO, MS, and AK absolutely dumb decisions to send a daughter to one of theses states in our current political climate which Project 2025 is coming in fast DD will not he safe.

Not to mention how utterly dumb financial decision to send any kid zoOS to a red state at this point in time. Jobs will not be there.

Your last paragraph is factually incorrect.

For better or worse, and for reasons having little to do with politics, red state economies have been outperforming blue states in job growth and income growth.

Probably going to continue due to climate, COL, tax and regulatory burdens, etc.

Actually...it's no comparison if you look at nominal GDP by region vs. just looking at %age growth. Blue states dominate. Hence, why the only states that actually receive less funding from the government than they provide in revenue are blue states.

Also, many of the actual areas that outperform within a Red State are Blue areas. Atlanta almost singlehandedly powers GA economic growth.

67% of the highest growth regions of the US are in blue areas...again, some may be located within Red States.

Finally, the top destinations for recent college graduates, even in places like the Southeast are cities like NYC, DC, San Fran, etc. NYC is by far the most popular destination for college grads from the southeast.

No it is not.

If what you are saying is true, then nyc colleges would be packed with kids from Florida and Alabama.

I am actually stating the results from a survey done by a company that focuses on college grads.

NYC was the #1 destination for college graduates in the Southeast by a large margin (I think Atlanta was #2, DC was #3, Chicago was #4).

Could be that kids attending college in the Southeast are from other places, like the Northeast, and don't stay in the Southeast.

Where you work a job is different than where you attend college.

Oh not this again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps consider colleges that don’t have sororities, such as most LACs?

That's what I did, as a southerner. Didn't want to be involved in that whole scene at all.

You don’t need to seek out a college that doesn’t have sororities if you aren’t “into that whole scene.” Just don’t rush. Also some schools without the Greek system can be just as exclusive (for example Princeton eating clubs).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, this is a thing in the south. The conformist, appearance heavy culture can be so horrible that kids feel they need to transfer. Speaking from personal experience. Cough cough UVA.

Our experiences from 20+ years ago are really irrelevant at this point. UVA is a very different place today that it was in the 90s or even early 2000s.

I was talking about my daughter who transferred to a different school last year. I didn't go to UVA.

Another PP. I’m sorry she had a bad experience at UVA. To be honest, I was a bit worried about my daughter based on my own observations years ago and am very grateful that she’s found wonderful friends in different groups. Not a given, for sure. I truly hope your daughter is happy where she is now!