The Austin Recruitment Reference Board is responsible for organizing referrals for young women who are considering joining Kappa Alpha Theta at the University of Texas at Austin. In addition the Reference Board forwards referrals for young women who have graduated high school in Austin, Texas but plan to participate in the sorority recruitment process, and possibly join Kappa Alpha Theta, at a university other than UT Austin. This page describes the referral process, answers some FAQ's, and has downloadable forms for Theta Referrals. Generic referral forms that can be used to refer a young woman to any sorority are available by contacting Julie Boxberger.
If you are a Theta Alum who plans to write a referral for a young woman who will be going through sorority recruitment please read the following information about the referral process:
University of Texas Sorority Recruitment
Mail your completed reference form and any attachments (see below for details) to Julie Boxberger, Recruitment Reference Board Chairwoman (RRBC), no later than June 10th of the year in which the girl you are referring will be matriculating at UT. If your form will be turned in later than June 10th please contact Julie at let her know ASAP.
Please advise the young woman whom you are referring that she must also register with the Austin Panhellenic website. www.austinpanhellenic.org Austin Panhellenic will need 13 copies of her complete reference packet which they will deliver to all 13 sororities at UT.
Sorority Recruitment at Schools other than UT (in state or out-of-state)
The process is the same as it is for UT students but the deadline is July 1 of the year in which the girl you are referring will be matriculating college. For schools which have deferred recruitment such as Southern Methodist University (SMU) and many out of state schools, forms should be turned in to Julie by the end of the summer.
Referring A Young Woman Who Did Not Attend High School in Austin or Surrounding Areas
Please refer to the Theta National Website and refer to the Recruitment section to find out where the reference packet should be sent. There is a complete list of Recruitment Reference Board Chairwomen for every district in the U.S. on the site. There are RRBC's assigned to every major city in the U.S. The reference packet should be sent to the RRBC in the city in which the girl you are referring attended high school so that she and her board can record it and send it on to the college the girl is planning to attend.
Referral FAQ's
What is the difference between a reference and a letter of support? Are both needed? If so, how many of each is needed?
A reference is the official form that Theta requires for potential new members. The form is available on this website (see bottom of this page) or on the Theta National Website. Austin's RRBC keeps a few paper copies on hand as well.
Letters of support are additional and are not required but are considered "nice to have" and will be kept with the referral form. Letters of support can be written on your own stationary and generally give personal information about how long you have known the girl you are referring and her family, a description of her personality, and any other information you would care to share.
Transcripts, photos, and resume are not required nor should they be included with letters of support. That information should, instead, be included with the reference. It is a myth that letters of support are necessary for a girl to be accepted to Theta. They are very nice and will give the chapter another glimpse of the girl's personality but they are certainly not essential for acceptance. If you are sending a letter of support please note that only one letter is necessary.
What information must be included with the reference form to make the packet complete?
The official letter of reference calls for a copy of a high school transcript, a resume, and 2 or 3 current photographs.
Should anything be sent directly to the chapter house at the school the girl will be attending?
No. It is preferable to send all reference materials to the local RRBC so that she can record all of the information, gather any additional information (such as letters of support), and send it all in one organized packet to the chapter. Chapters generally prefer to receive information from RRBC's because it is organized in a standard fashion that is easy for them to manage. In addition, chapters like to receive complete packets from each town so that they can get an overview of all the young women from each location.
Austin RRBC Contact Information:
Julie Boxberger
3009 Gilbert Street
Austin, TX 78703
512-236-8789
julbox7@gmail.com
FORMS:
New Member Recommendation Form
Legacy Introduction Form
