Theta - have they picked their pledges yet?

No, yes, and no. Theta can't pre-choose anybody. They can't start their rush until after formal recruitment after all pnm's have accepted bids, and most pnm's will want to go ahead and join a chapter and be with their friends, so Theta will have to pick from what's left over. Theta is starting a brand new chapter from scratch so their national reps will do the recruiting and will be focused on getting quality over anything else. Pnm's who hold out rush for Theta and think they're a lock could be in for a rude awakening. Legacy or locale won't matter as much as they think. Any ties to the chapter's younger alumnae with their problematic history, especially to ones who got un-Theta'd at the end, will almost be an automatic cut, and with more than half of SMU being out of state now, all the sorority memberships are reflecting that mix. The last thing Theta can afford is another prominent embarrassment here so this chapter has GOT TO work out from the start. Members will be under a microscope and have to fall in line more than other sororities; no hint of hazing, absolutely no drinking. They will not have full classes for some years while they build and will be open to accepting members from all over with no connections as long as they are quality girls. This is not going to be like the old days.

Theta can have the mean girls that get cut by Kappa and Pi Phi and think they're better than the other houses. And so it begins....

It's too late, so don't bother. Theta-insider here. We pick them right out of the womb, and if you don't have the unique Theta birthmark, tough luck. Theta nationals have to find you too. It's like finding the Dalai Lama.