Texas sorority rush: What it is and how it works

Bettina Devadoss knew next to nothing about sorority life when she came to the University of Texas at Austin. Her parents, who came from India, had no advice for an inner world of American college culture notorious for its knotty ins and outs.

But now a sophomore member of Delta Gamma, Devadoss said being in a sorority has opened the door to a strong network of friendship and career opportunities.

The high energy season of sorority rush week took place at many Texas universities last month, including UT Austin. Sorority recruitment at the campus typically brings in about 1400-1500 potential new members who often spend months preparing for the event.

Although the number might stir up images of screaming sorority girls stacked in doorways chanting recruitment hymns or "running home" to their new chapter house, Devadoss said sorority life has offered a lot more to her college life than what cultural stereotypes may lead people to believe.

"People on campus assume sorority girls are ditsy" Devadoss said. "A lot of people focus on partying, as opposed to the fact that we're all also in school and taking classes."

What is being in a sorority actually like?

Before college, Devadoss went to a small high school, so coming to a school as large as UT Austin made a sorority seem like a helpful way to break into a big, nerve-wracking world.

Beyond an avenue towards friendship, sororities can expose students to academic and professional opportunities. Devadoss's said her sorority showed her programs for her accounting major she didn't even know existed. Her sorority sisters became her study buddies, and now, they're quick to hand over class notes and help her network for internships. Older members and alumni can even write letters of recommendation.

Not all Texas universities see a large demand for Greek life. At smaller schools like the University of Houston, sorority leaders have found negative stereotypes to put a damper on student interest.

As vice president of UH Panhellenic, it's UH senior Liva Rosario's job to get girls on board. She's seen sorority recruitment on all sides: as a potential new member, a sorority sister and now, as an overseer from a Panhellenic organization.Rosario can't wear her letters in public because of her nonpartisan role, but the perks of having been part of Greek life in college defied her wary high school expectations.

But attracting more students to join the world she believes in has been a challenge.

"Push back is kind of all over," Rosario said. "Everyone here is very academic focused, so when they think of Greek life, they don't necessarily see the benefits."

Rosario said academia is a prime sorority value at UH, but she feels negative cultural stereotypes about Greek life make it hard for sororities to brand themselves as professional organizations.

Still, Rosario doesn't judge when students express their concerns and hesitations; she knows where they are coming from.

"In high school, my concern was that it (Greek life) was an organization for the higher class," Rosario said.

Rosario said it wasn't until her second semester at UH that a couple chapters reaching out to her helped her look deeper and see the benefits of Greek life.

"After my first party during the recruitment process, that whole negative stereotype I had flipped," Rosario said. "It was a family and a sisterhood. They were here to make change in the community."

Navigating sorority recruitment as a woman of color

Devadoss posted a video on TikTok in early August offering advice to girls considering rushing at UT Austin. Although she gave practical tips, like bringing a hairbrush, it was Devadoss's advice for how women of color can navigate a world long closed off to them that stuck with many viewers.

At one chapter Devadoss rushed freshman year at UT, she was met by the DEI officer during the philanthropy round. Instead of asking Devadoss about her interests, she said the officer wanted to know where Devadoss "was really from," and her answer of Plano, Texas wasn't cutting it.

When Devadoss returned the next day, she was immediately paired with another Indian sorority member.

"So many brown girls going into recruitment are just matched with other brown members. I'm like, 'Do they even care about anything I do besides being brown?' I think that discourages a lot of people," Devadoss said.

In Devadoss's opinion, as many sorority houses are trying work on their diversity, many are going about in a way that makes people of color feel reduced to their racial identity.

But despite the experience she found disheartening, Devadoss has hope. As her sorority prepared for recruitment this year, Devadoss said she was vocal about the importance of seeing each potential new member for more than the sum of their identities.

Devadoss wants to tell students of color to not let one negative experience define Greek life for them.

And since she posted her advice video, multiple women of color incoming their freshman year at UT reached out to her on TikTok expressing that although they were previously hesitant to join a sorority, they now wanted her advice on how to rush.

Coaching for the sorority recruitment process

The video Devadoss posted on her personal social media is a small slice of a staggering world of sorority-related advice. The anxious, curious and motivated to succeed at sorority recruitment can not only find a slew of tips on the internet; they can also pay for them too.

Stacia Damron, the founder of Hiking in Heels, a sorority rush coaching service based in Austin, offers general online advice and personalized coaching to potential new members and their families for how to succeed at the process.

On Damron's website, clients can buy an action plan for the small price of $200.

Damron, who went to UT Austin and underwent its competitive recruitment, started her business as a way to help girls without access to the insider tips those better networked have to navigate the intricate and demanding process.

"As a sorority officer, I saw year after year people coming through hopeful to join who would end up falling through the cracks. At the time, there were no resources to help these girls prepare," Damron said.

More often than women, it's parents that Damron said seek out her services, which she refers to as "SAT prep for sororities," usually 6 months to a year in advance of recruitment.

There is a long list of requirements to apply to certain chapters, including SAT scores, high school transcripts, headshots and letters of recommendation from chapter alumni. Getting a bid from a high-ranking sorority demands girls to be professional and well networked.

"They are really making these girls really work for it, and that's just paper. During the (recruitment) week they can be interviewed by over 50 chapter members."

How do you choose a sorority house that's right for you?

In Devadoss' view, the rush process doesn't have to require as much hefty preparation or stress as many give it.

"You should go to a house where you can be yourself, or you'll end up in a house you hate," Devadoss said.

Although Devadoss knew little going in, her goal of wanting to find friendship, rather than getting into a sought-after chapter, was enough to land her in the "perfect little house". The process does take effort, she said, but how difficult it is depends on the expectations of the potential new member.

"If you want a specific house and refuse to have an open mind, then the process will be miserable," she said.

Many sorority chapters have moved toward a value-based system of recruitment to help lessen the stress of recruitment. In this system, sorority members assess potential new members based on how well they mesh with a chapter's values, Devadoss said.

The little anxieties a woman might experience during recruitment — wearing the right clothes, fitting in — are not too far off what many worry about as they go throughout life. To Devadoss, the only real trick is keeping one's eye on what matters most.