That makes a lot of sense. That's why I was asking. I'm not trying to "game the system" or anything, I'm honestly just curious. I'm not too worried about my GPA. I have a cumulative 2.7 but my GPA for this current semester is a 4.0 and that will raise my cumulative even higher once this semester is over. If I do not receive a bid because of my GPA, then I'll just increase it and re-rush.

I guess I should also point out that the greek system at my school is not highly-competitive. I know that at schools where the competition is really high, your GPA can make or break your chances at getting a bid. I had a friend who went to a school in Texas where the sororities would not take any girls that had under a 3.0. Then again, I have a friend who is a sorority member at a different state school where I live and she scraped through with a bid and only had a 2.6. I'm still going to go through and like I said, if I don't get a bid because of my GPA then I'll work harder and try again. It won't be the end of the world. I feel like I have read so many posts on here, where greek-chat members almost seem like they are discouraging people from going through recruitment because their GPA is not as high as it should be. I do understand that there are a lot of people on here seeking information because they want to try and sneak through the system with crap grades. It's all so unfortunate . . .

Know why? Because those people typically/often get released after the first round, and come back here and blast or blame us/the system/whatever, when it was THEIR own fault!

NPC sororities were founded on scholarship. The whole social aspect came into play a few decades later. Suggest you read Bound By A Mighty Vow for insight on this turn of events in sorority history.

Speaking for myself, I'm honest about it: if a poster has a shaky GPA, pledge the library. Save $ and heartbreak/disappointment.

The people who are so heavily invested in pledging a greek organization and then come here and bash people when they get cut are the people who should NOT even be going through recruitment in the first place. It's such a classless thing to do. It's probably a good thing they got cut.

I think it would be a big mistake to assume that non-competitive means easy to get a bid no matter how marginally you meet requirements. We can't really talk a lot about details here because those are private, but there is a lot more that goes into membership selection even at the puniest and least competitive schools. Also you need to realize you might not be interested in the houses that might be willing to take a chance on your GPA. Just because a school is non-competitive doesn't mean there aren't super picky chapters that everyone wants.

You also need to understand that rerushing with an improved GPA is not necessarily a successful strategy. At a lot of schools, even the non-competitive ones, your first time can be your only real opportunity.

I don't think anyone here is trying to be mean or negative, it's just that so many PNMs think they are different and that important things like GPAs won't matter then are crushed by getting dropped. I think it is best to know beforehand what can happen and be prepared. Good luck!

I've never heard of a school going by the prior semester GPA, only cumulative from high school as a first semester freshman or cumulative college if you're a college student. I agree to count on cumulative. After all a cumulative GPA takes the big picture into account, instead of a lucky or poor semester. Either way, your grades are your grades. Don't worry about something you can't control.

If any sororities go by semester GPA, that's a membership selection matter private to their own organization.

Go through recruitment and see what happens. You really don't have any control over this other than to get super grades! Good luck and keep us posted. The thread in my signature may be helpful.

Thank you! I get the warnings that everyone seems to be giving but it's not like I go to an SEC or anything. On my University's greek life website they post the averaged grades for each semester both for the active members and new members for each organization. The sorority averages are all around 3.0 exactly. The active member averages seem to range from 3.0 - 3.2 and the new member average for all 4 sororities is a 2.6. So I'm not super worried!

I think the other reason people tend to are less likely to encourage PNMs with low GPAs is because of the commitments required by sororities for new members time and GPA. Pledging takes a lot of time and if a PNM is already struggling academically, it is hard to image they will thrive with added commitments. Then they don't make grades and either can't be initiated or are on probation/bad standing with the sorority which definitely is rough.

FWIW, my school was not/is not anywhere near SEC competitive and GPA could make or break a PNM. THey would have to be steller in another area to make up for a low GPA if it was over the minimum. Academics is a huge component to sorority life anywhere because you are required to be student. In fact, it may be more important in some of the smaller campuses than at SEC campuses.

Also, just because the active GPA is at a point or the new member average is at a certain point, doesn't mean that the GPA they are looking for isn't higher. Many (I'm tempted to say most) freshman have a higher GPA than they do their first freshman term. I know my transfer GPA was a ton higher than what it was my first term as a member. Also membership selection requirements may be much higher than what the numbers suggest. Just saying...

Good luck. Read the thread in Adpiucf's signature. Let us know what happens.

I believe it means cumulative AS OF the last semester. So if you're in the middle of a semester when rush happens, the current semester's grades don't count.

But I'll give you the statement is really badly worded.

And regarding competitive, if you're the one going through, it's competitive. Almost every girl gets cut from at least one or two chapters, and even if they weren't a favorite, it still feels like rejection.

I understand all the risks. I understand that just because the semesterly GPA is lower doesn't mean that's what they'll be looking for. I understand that individual sororities may have a higher standard, I know for a fact that 1 of the 4 orgs at my school requires a 3.0. I understand that sororities look at many other factors besides just GPA. I am well aware of all the risks involved when rushing with a GPA under a 3.0. I'm not worried about it because I know girls both at the University I am attending and girls who are attending other Universities in my state that have all received bids with GPA's under a 3.0. 1 or 2 of them having barely a 2.5/2.6. I'm not trying to say that my school has lower requirements or that it's going to be "easy" to get a bid because I go to a non-competitive school. I'm not investing my entire self-worth and college career into getting a bid, so if I get cut from my favorite house or if I get cut all together and don't receive a bid, it isn't going to be the end-all, be-all. I really want to be a member but if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen and there might be a next time. My only question was whether it was cumulative, which I got the answer to already, so thank you for that.

Blahhhh. Sorry, I get tired of hearing the same info regurgitated at me again and again. I get it. I'm not going to come back on here and rant if I don't get a bid. Hahaha.

I will be rushing in the fall, it's the week before school starts in August. So I'll let you all know what happens!

Don't take repeat info posts personally; often, people will post in a topic that's already been answered just to add their input and perspective. Unless it seems like you're not getting what people are trying to tell you (which doesn't seem to be the case here), it's usually not directed at you and more to benefit general discussion. :)

This sounds almost just like my own situation a couple of years ago. Of course, it varies by school and you should verify with your school's Greek Life Office STAFF (not work-study employees), but as a student with an established college GPA, they looked at my cumulative GPA and my previous semester's GPA. Both needed to be 2.5 or higher (to avoid several terrible semesters and one stellar one to bring it way back up). Each organization as well as the school will also have minimum semester GPAs to keep as an active member.

I hope that you figure it all out and enjoy the recruitment and new member processes! Good luck!