Rush at UVA

[Anonymous]

Greek Rank is trash. It's a website populated by anonymous posters who can say anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Greek Rank is trash. It's a website populated by anonymous posters who can say anything.

Just like DCUM!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorority and fraternity rush can be very stressful and even devastating for some kids. We know several students who actually transferred after being shut out of the Greek system (and yes, one was at UVA so it’s not accurate to say everyone gets something). If all of your freshmen friends join sororities/fraternities and suddenly a whole new social world opens up to them, it can be very isolating to be left behind.

That said, there’s not much a parent can do besides being a listening ear/shoulder to cry on, and reminding DC that a process where people are judging you based on 5-10 minute conversations is going to have some arbitrary results that are not reflective of DC’s self-worth.

This is good advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Computer generated GPA cuts? This is crazy talk. You, as a parent, cannot get grades without permission from your student.

The computer system they use for rush has the ability to do this. This is not a UVA thing, either.

Privacy violation.

No. When you register for rush you enter this into their system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who in this day and age rushes a sorority? Grow up.

You know they’re 18, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For many schools it’s the way social life is structured. Eg huge groups of girls and boys sit in a section at football and on the weekends have huge events with other Greek organizations. Then they go on spring break and stay in big houses together. They have sports competitions with other houses and do charity events. If you don’t get involved it can be hard to socialize on some campuses. Now if no one did it that’s one thing. But if all the social people do it at your school you feel like you have to join or won’t have a social life.

And this is why I deliberately chose a college with no Greek system at all. Everyone sat with one another at games, socialized with everyone, and went to any and all parties. So much more fun.

Maybe your memories are a little rosy? I went to schools without Greek life and certain clubs operated like just like frats.

There will always be cliques and a social hierarchy. In the absence of Greek letters, clubs take that place. I was in the most prestigious club at my school and while I love the immediate connection I have when I meet someone who was in that club regardless of their age, I realize that we operated like a fraternity, though we were co-ed.

Uh, no. My memories are crystal clear. My school did not have the (social) clubs you appear to be referring to, which do indeed operate like frats/sororities (sounds like the Eating Clubs at Princeton, etc.). Again, there was no social hierarchy at all at my SLAC. It was a smallish school and by and large, everyone got to know everyone else eventually.

I'm PP. At my school, those clubs were the newspaper, student council, tour guides and the arts programming board. No eating clubs. ~3500 students.

There are always cliques. There's always a hierarchy.

NP: My experience is similar to the PP-- I would say at my SLAC of about 1500 students with no Greek life there were groups of friends but no noticeable hierarchy. Sure a sociologist would probably find a way to discern some hierarchy but it was far less than any other environment I've been in. No clubs signaled anything beyond what you were interested in and none were particularly cool (or not). Most people knew each other and there weren't popular cliques or anything like that. Most people heard about most parties and would go if they were inclined. It was like if you were one of the few that went there you were part of that group and had a sense of connection to each other just by virtue of that and no smaller divisions were needed. It was very different from my brother's school (big 10) that was more dominated by Greek life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents against sororities just have their own baggage because they wouldn't have gotten an invite and don't think their kids will.

Plenty of people pledge sororities and end up dropping out because they realize how stupid they are once they’re on the other side. Plenty of people spend 4 years in a sorority and only later realize how stupid they are once they step out of their sheltered bubble.

+1
My best friend from high school was in a sorority in college and has said how embarrassed she is in retrospect. All the “secret traditions” and stupid things they had to memorize - she said it was so fake and ridiculous.

Not to mention all the cutesy crafts and Pinterest crud. Ugh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For many schools it’s the way social life is structured. Eg huge groups of girls and boys sit in a section at football and on the weekends have huge events with other Greek organizations. Then they go on spring break and stay in big houses together. They have sports competitions with other houses and do charity events. If you don’t get involved it can be hard to socialize on some campuses. Now if no one did it that’s one thing. But if all the social people do it at your school you feel like you have to join or won’t have a social life.

And this is why I deliberately chose a college with no Greek system at all. Everyone sat with one another at games, socialized with everyone, and went to any and all parties. So much more fun.

Maybe your memories are a little rosy? I went to schools without Greek life and certain clubs operated like just like frats.

There will always be cliques and a social hierarchy. In the absence of Greek letters, clubs take that place. I was in the most prestigious club at my school and while I love the immediate connection I have when I meet someone who was in that club regardless of their age, I realize that we operated like a fraternity, though we were co-ed.

Uh, no. My memories are crystal clear. My school did not have the (social) clubs you appear to be referring to, which do indeed operate like frats/sororities (sounds like the Eating Clubs at Princeton, etc.). Again, there was no social hierarchy at all at my SLAC. It was a smallish school and by and large, everyone got to know everyone else eventually.

I'm PP. At my school, those clubs were the newspaper, student council, tour guides and the arts programming board. No eating clubs. ~3500 students.

There are always cliques. There's always a hierarchy.

Sorry, but your experience isn’t universal. Sure there are different groups of friends - but at my college, none were seen as superior to others. Too bad that wasn’t *your* experience. Moving on...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who in this day and age rushes a sorority? Grow up.

You know they’re 18, right?

Plenty of 18 yo. olds go away to school and don’t have to buy friends.
-DP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For many schools it’s the way social life is structured. Eg huge groups of girls and boys sit in a section at football and on the weekends have huge events with other Greek organizations. Then they go on spring break and stay in big houses together. They have sports competitions with other houses and do charity events. If you don’t get involved it can be hard to socialize on some campuses. Now if no one did it that’s one thing. But if all the social people do it at your school you feel like you have to join or won’t have a social life.

And this is why I deliberately chose a college with no Greek system at all. Everyone sat with one another at games, socialized with everyone, and went to any and all parties. So much more fun.

Maybe your memories are a little rosy? I went to schools without Greek life and certain clubs operated like just like frats.

There will always be cliques and a social hierarchy. In the absence of Greek letters, clubs take that place. I was in the most prestigious club at my school and while I love the immediate connection I have when I meet someone who was in that club regardless of their age, I realize that we operated like a fraternity, though we were co-ed.

Uh, no. My memories are crystal clear. My school did not have the (social) clubs you appear to be referring to, which do indeed operate like frats/sororities (sounds like the Eating Clubs at Princeton, etc.). Again, there was no social hierarchy at all at my SLAC. It was a smallish school and by and large, everyone got to know everyone else eventually.

I'm PP. At my school, those clubs were the newspaper, student council, tour guides and the arts programming board. No eating clubs. ~3500 students.

There are always cliques. There's always a hierarchy.

NP: My experience is similar to the PP-- I would say at my SLAC of about 1500 students with no Greek life there were groups of friends but no noticeable hierarchy. Sure a sociologist would probably find a way to discern some hierarchy but it was far less than any other environment I've been in. No clubs signaled anything beyond what you were interested in and none were particularly cool (or not). Most people knew each other and there weren't popular cliques or anything like that. Most people heard about most parties and would go if they were inclined. It was like if you were one of the few that went there you were part of that group and had a sense of connection to each other just by virtue of that and no smaller divisions were needed. It was very different from my brother's school (big 10) that was more dominated by Greek life.

Precisely this. Our school had the clubs and sports teams that you find at most colleges, but joining this or that (or not joining at all) didn’t define you or make people perceive you as more or less popular than anyone else. Parties, etc. were open to all. No Greek system dividing people up arbitrarily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For many schools it’s the way social life is structured. Eg huge groups of girls and boys sit in a section at football and on the weekends have huge events with other Greek organizations. Then they go on spring break and stay in big houses together. They have sports competitions with other houses and do charity events. If you don’t get involved it can be hard to socialize on some campuses. Now if no one did it that’s one thing. But if all the social people do it at your school you feel like you have to join or won’t have a social life.

And this is why I deliberately chose a college with no Greek system at all. Everyone sat with one another at games, socialized with everyone, and went to any and all parties. So much more fun.

Maybe your memories are a little rosy? I went to schools without Greek life and certain clubs operated like just like frats.

There will always be cliques and a social hierarchy. In the absence of Greek letters, clubs take that place. I was in the most prestigious club at my school and while I love the immediate connection I have when I meet someone who was in that club regardless of their age, I realize that we operated like a fraternity, though we were co-ed.

Uh, no. My memories are crystal clear. My school did not have the (social) clubs you appear to be referring to, which do indeed operate like frats/sororities (sounds like the Eating Clubs at Princeton, etc.). Again, there was no social hierarchy at all at my SLAC. It was a smallish school and by and large, everyone got to know everyone else eventually.

I'm PP. At my school, those clubs were the newspaper, student council, tour guides and the arts programming board. No eating clubs. ~3500 students.

There are always cliques. There's always a hierarchy.

NP: My experience is similar to the PP-- I would say at my SLAC of about 1500 students with no Greek life there were groups of friends but no noticeable hierarchy. Sure a sociologist would probably find a way to discern some hierarchy but it was far less than any other environment I've been in. No clubs signaled anything beyond what you were interested in and none were particularly cool (or not). Most people knew each other and there weren't popular cliques or anything like that. Most people heard about most parties and would go if they were inclined. It was like if you were one of the few that went there you were part of that group and had a sense of connection to each other just by virtue of that and no smaller divisions were needed. It was very different from my brother's school (big 10) that was more dominated by Greek life.

Precisely this. Our school had the clubs and sports teams that you find at most colleges, but joining this or that (or not joining at all) didn’t define you or make people perceive you as more or less popular than anyone else. Parties, etc. were open to all. No Greek system dividing people up arbitrarily.

Same thing at my SLAC. It would be funny if we were all talking about the same school, which is Carleton in my case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who in this day and age rushes a sorority? Grow up.

You know they’re 18, right?

Plenty of 18 yo. olds go away to school and don’t have to buy friends.
-DP

Another ugly duckling sitting in judgment.

[Anonymous]

And you calling that poster an ugly duckling is not sitting in judgement?

I'm just saying...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And you calling that poster an ugly duckling is not sitting in judgement?

I'm just saying...

Don't engage, it's a troll...though it would be amusing to have a middle-aged ex sorority girl thinking everyone is jealous of her and her sisters responding with this degree of delusion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For many schools it’s the way social life is structured. Eg huge groups of girls and boys sit in a section at football and on the weekends have huge events with other Greek organizations. Then they go on spring break and stay in big houses together. They have sports competitions with other houses and do charity events. If you don’t get involved it can be hard to socialize on some campuses. Now if no one did it that’s one thing. But if all the social people do it at your school you feel like you have to join or won’t have a social life.

And this is why I deliberately chose a college with no Greek system at all. Everyone sat with one another at games, socialized with everyone, and went to any and all parties. So much more fun.

Maybe your memories are a little rosy? I went to schools without Greek life and certain clubs operated like just like frats.

There will always be cliques and a social hierarchy. In the absence of Greek letters, clubs take that place. I was in the most prestigious club at my school and while I love the immediate connection I have when I meet someone who was in that club regardless of their age, I realize that we operated like a fraternity, though we were co-ed.

Uh, no. My memories are crystal clear. My school did not have the (social) clubs you appear to be referring to, which do indeed operate like frats/sororities (sounds like the Eating Clubs at Princeton, etc.). Again, there was no social hierarchy at all at my SLAC. It was a smallish school and by and large, everyone got to know everyone else eventually.

I'm PP. At my school, those clubs were the newspaper, student council, tour guides and the arts programming board. No eating clubs. ~3500 students.

There are always cliques. There's always a hierarchy.

NP: My experience is similar to the PP-- I would say at my SLAC of about 1500 students with no Greek life there were groups of friends but no noticeable hierarchy. Sure a sociologist would probably find a way to discern some hierarchy but it was far less than any other environment I've been in. No clubs signaled anything beyond what you were interested in and none were particularly cool (or not). Most people knew each other and there weren't popular cliques or anything like that. Most people heard about most parties and would go if they were inclined. It was like if you were one of the few that went there you were part of that group and had a sense of connection to each other just by virtue of that and no smaller divisions were needed. It was very different from my brother's school (big 10) that was more dominated by Greek life.

So your college was the size of a public high school. Yikes. That comes with its own set of problems. Way too small of a pond.