Recruitment

Q: What is Rush?

A: Rush is a 1-2 week period of events set up for our brothers to meet prospective members. Typically, it consists of a couple information sessions, multiple open events, an invite-only professional interview, and an invite-only dinner. It is generally held within the first few weeks of each semester. You can find the schedule of events for this semester’s rush here. To be considered for a bid, prospective members are required to attend at least two of our four open rush events. We strongly encourage prospective members to also attend one of our information sessions at the beginning of each semester.

Q: Who can Rush?

A: Any graduate or undergraduate student in the School of Engineering and Applied Science who meet the following criteria:

• • • Prospective members must be eligible to pledge according to the university's rules.

    • Prospective members must be enrolled in an engineering related curriculum .

    • Prospective members must possess the qualities of brotherhood and demonstrate a professional attitude.

    • Prospective members must have an overall grade point average good enough to graduate and must not be within six months of graduation.

    • Prospective members must not be a member of a competing fraternity, such as ΑΩΕ.

Q: Why should I join Theta Tau?

A: Theta Tau is a great way to get involved on campus and meet fellow engineers who you will likely be taking classes with. Whether you’re a Freshman or a Junior, Theta Tau offers many benefits socially, professionally, and academically. We are a close-knit group of students and many of our members say they have met many of their closest friends through membership of Theta Tau. Along with this, Theta Tau opens the door to a network of thousands of engineers across the country, including many in the D.C. area (there are chapters at Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland College Park, and George Mason University). Finally, we have a lot of fun with everything we do.

Q: I missed the Rush period, can I still join Theta Tau?

A: Although we only give out bids once a semester, we are interested in meeting potential members throughout the year! We hold many events during the semester open to all SEAS students. We invite you to come meet us at any of these events, and then come out during our Rush events the following semester.

Q: What can I do during Rush to give me the best chance of receiving a bid?

A: The best thing you can do during the rush process is to come to as many events as you can, meet as many of our brothers as you can, and be yourself! We are looking for members who are excited to join our fraternity and who we believe can help us become better as an organization.

Q: If I don’t receive a bid, can I rush again the next semester?

A: Yes! It is common that not everyone receives a bid the first time they rush. We highly encourage those who do not receive bids to come back and rush again the following semester.

Q: How much of a time commitment is the pledging process, and how much is expected of me as a brother?

A: If you receive a bid to pledge our fraternity, you will then be involved in a pledging process in which you learn about our fraternity and participate in a variety of professional, service, and brotherhood events. The pledging process lasts the duration of each semester. Each week typically requires a few hours to attend a weekly meeting, attending study hours, and to learn knowledge about the history of our chapter. As a brother, you are expected to come to weekly meetings and participate in the wide variety of events that we plan and hold each week.

As all of us are engineers, we understand how rigorous engineering can be. If you are concerned about the time commitment, please talk to one of our brothers or email rush@thetataugw.org for a better idea of the time we have put into the fraternity during our own pledging processes and as a brother.

Q: Is Theta Tau a social fraternity?

A: No, although we hold a variety of social and brotherhood events. A social fraternity is a member of the Interfraternity Council at the George Washington University. This is what most people think of when they hear the word “fraternity” or “sorority”. We are a professional fraternity, which means that we have a focus on the academic and professional aspects of the undergraduate college career. We still have fun, although we have different priorities than a traditional social fraternity or sorority.

Q: Can I be a member of another organization and still join?

A: Yes! In fact, we encourage our members to be as active on campus as possible. Most of our members are part of professional societies for their major or various honor societies on campus. It is even possible to be a member of a social fraternity as well as an academic/professional fraternity. However, there are a few organizations that Theta Tau considers competing organizations that you are not allowed to be a member of if you are a brother of Theta Tau (such as ΑΩΕ – an engineering sorority). If you have any concerns about other organizations you might be in, please don’t hesitate to send us an e-mail.

Q: Do you haze new members/pledges or discriminate?

A: No. In accordance with University Regulations, we have a strict no-hazing policy. We believe that pledging a fraternity should be fun, and we will never ask anything of you that you don’t feel comfortable with. If at any point during the pledging process or your membership you do not feel comfortable participating in any activities we may hold, you can choose to not participate. 

Also, the Theta Tau Professional Engineering Fraternity does not restrict membership or discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, personal appearance, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, or on the basis of rights secured by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Q: Who can I contact with questions or comments?

A: For specific questions about rush, you can send an email to rush@thetataugw.org or contact@thetataugw.org for general questions. You can also email our regent (president) at regent@thetataugw.org, and all of our brothers are always eager to answer any questions you may have!