rush

I would definitely start reaching out to Rush Chairs for each fraternity-in an informal way- pretty soon (right before or after Christmas break), so you can get on their radar and hopefully be invited to Spring and Summer parties (attending these is pretty essential for a guy from the North without any connections to Bama). That might seem early, but it will help you get noticed, and if you get invited to Spring/Summer parties, make EVERY effort to attend. This will likely be pretty costly (traveling to Bama for these parties), so you might want to discuss this with your parents soon, so they understand the importance of you being there. Good luck and Roll Tide!