The comment about grammar truly was not harsh, texasgal25. Consider that you never get a second chance to make a first impression; you are seeking advice and help from active and alumnae members of GLOs. Take a deep breath.

Your high school GPA is what it is, regardless of the circumstances, and I won't make any snarky remarks about it or ask you any questions. No need for that. I will say that you have a wonderful opportunity to prove yourself as a freshman, and show your true academic promise. You aren't the first person who did much better in college than in high school (I'm looking in the mirror). And you can keep your reputation squeaky clean, make a great impression on others during your freshman year, and maximize your chances to have a successful recruitment as a sophomore at Ole Miss.

I wish you good luck, I think you can do this if you put your mind to it and keep your eye on the goal.

Thanks for the advice. My best friend, who is also rushing at Ole Miss, has a sister who was in ABC and says even though I do have a low gpa, I should go ahead and participate in recruitment regardless of my chances.. She said most houses will cut me very quickly but that others may give consideration. After speaking with her, she says with my personality and my additional involvement on campus, I could get lucky. I don't want to regret not going through my freshmen year. Would it look bad if I rush this year, don't receive a bid, and rush again next year? I know my grades are a pretty big deal, and I'm not going to go into detail on the illness on here but that did play a large factor as to why it's as low as it is. The classes that I did attend and was 100% healthy, I excelled in. It's just really hard to accept that there's nothing I can do about it, I was really looking forward to this. Also, I've already paid the fee to participate

When A LOT of PNMs go through recruitment, and the chapters have to narrow down very quickly who they invite back to the next round, after meeting each PNM for only maybe 20 or 30 minutes, low grades are the first and easiest way they cut. It's not really personal, per se, but why should any chapter take on an average PNM who is viewed as a grade risk, when they have SO many other options who aren't grade risks?

Chapters have a national minimum (usually ~2.5 to participate in recruitment) but many chapters have requirements that are even higher than that. It is possible to get a bid when you're a grade risk, but you REALLY have to impress and be ready to handle major cuts. On this, I speak from experience, because I got really sick my freshman year of college right before finals and tanked two of them. And when I went through recruitment I got cut hard. Luckily the chapter that had been my top chapter way before recruitment even started kept me, but I still had to work really hard to be extra charming. Still though, I was disappointed that other chapters I could've seen myself in cut me. It's just not an easy position to be in.

Just because Amanda Active in ABC says something doesn't make it true. She can't speak for the whole chapter or the intricate policies of every group.

You could get lucky, but I wouldn't count on it. We can't say for sure.

Did your rec writers explain the illness in their recs? Because if there was no mention of it, chapters will just think you didn't study enough or whatever such have you.

So, do you rush as a freshman (when it's more advantageous) but with a low GPA, which will probably result in heavy cuts, or do you work really hard this next year and get really good college GPA and rush as a sophmore that hasn't gone through recruitment before?

As people have stated, it's advisable to wait. There are others more familiar with Ole Miss than I am, but you have to consider that at some competitive campuses, once cut = always cut. You can try, but be prepared to be cut.

Yes, it will effect you tremendously if you rush this year and do not pledge.

With some house at Ole Miss, you only get 1 shot, so you better make it your best. Some people will tell you "Once cut, always cut." Some are not so harsh, but rerushing as a sophomore is very different from rushing as a sophomore for the first time.

We have all told you the same thing. You have been shown the Panhellenic advice on grades showing you that you will likely be dropped from rush. It does not matter why your high school GPA was so low. I am sorry if that seems unfair. Life is not fair.

You are a freshman. You have no "additional involvement on campus" at Ole Miss.

You seem to have your mind made up & are just asking us to cheer and clap and tell you it is a good idea. We aren't going to do that. The replies may become more harsh if you persist on asking the same question. We have answered you honestly. At this point, take our advice or not. It is your life and decision to make.

If it wasn't for this part, and if you could handle the cuts, I think we all would say go ahead and go for it and realize you'll get cut a lot for grades and just look at it as "practice" (albeit expensive practice). Also, this is just a wild guess, but I'm thinking that the chapters that do have this policy don't keep track of WHY they cut someone.

If you were at a rush that has like 200 girls in it, things would be a lot different. But this isn't that.

All right, I get it - here's what I want to tell you now and you need to LISTEN and HEAR what other people are telling you.

Your GPA wasn't stellar to begin with (I'm talking 3.5-4.0 range) if it was pulled down to that level by a few classes. That's math. Not me being mean.

You paid the fee. You came here after the fact and now I fail to understand what you want from us.

Good luck. Even the "bottom tier" chapter(s) have high standards (arguably their standards may be higher because they want to select the best members just as much, if not more so, than the "top tier" chapters), and that pool of PNMs at Ole Miss is mind blowing. You want to jump into that pool, knowing that there are piranhas and sharks and the like, hey - be my guest.

Ok, I appreciate the advice. I haven't decided yet, but thank you! It's all been very helpful.

My sorority doesn't have a chapter at Ole Miss, but I can tell you that your HS GPA is below our sorority-wide minimum. We don't discuss membership selection here, but I would look at the "green light, yellow light, red light" objectively -- Panhel likely has a very good idea about the various groups' minimums -- many are likely in the yellow light range, and some are likely in the red light range. Therefore, if you're in the red range, you won't qualify for certain groups -- that's just the rule, and a great personality, activities, and extenuating circumstances won't change the cut-off rule. Some colleges publish chapter GPA minimums in their recruitment materials; some don't. In this case, you have to read between the lines to interpret what Panhel is telling you, to try to help you avoid disappointment and make an informed decision beforehand.

I've waited to wade in on this discussion and wanted to allow others to give you their wisdom first. At Ole Miss a few, and it's a very few, select grade risk PNMs will get bids. Partly this is because not very many grade risks attend Ole Miss in the first place and then it's because even fewer participate in Recruitment. The ones that place are given bids for being extremely special in some way. There was a notable grade risk last year who got a bid that no one in their right mind would turn down just because of her special legacy status. That sort of thing gives a lot of false hope.

Everyone here, and I do mean everyone, will be pulling for you to find a home if you do this, but we are all cringing a little because we have mopped up oceans of tears in the past with PNMs just like you. Many of us are battle tested Officers or Chapter Advisors. If you do this you must go into this with a mind completely open to any Ole Miss Chapter. And you should know that you could be dropped completely before any round until you receive Pref invites. The grade competition between the Ole Miss Chapters is fierce and to bring on a grade risk is taking the chance that if the PNM cannot carry the minimum grades in university classes that that PNM will dilute the GPA of one of their straight A star members that keep the Chapter at the top of the competition. If they are afraid you will bring them down you will be cut whether your member friend is pulling for you or not. Every PNM is carefully selected with great hopes and expectations of maintaining standards or even improving upon past expectations. Your transcript speaks volumes, but doesn't paint a complete picture of you. You may need to wait, we think you do, but the choice is yours. We send you our best wishes what ever you choose, texasgal25.

This!! Mary Poppins is involved with an Ole Miss chapter. She knows of what she speaks.

If you decide to go through recruitment this fall, one thing that I would absolutely NOT do is use phrases like "I got screwed over" or draw yourself as a victim. If you didn't do well because you weren't sick, accept it and don't paint a pity story. I don't know your situation (sorry, I haven't read the whole thread yet), but I missed the last few months of my junior year because of illness and it was really up to me to take responsibility and do the best I could, on my own at home.

Additionally, local chapter requirements may not be lower than those set by the national organization. This summer our minimum required GPA to receive a bid was increased to 3.2 at the national convention. This reflects the increasing realization that a strong high school GPA is still the best predictor of academic success in college, which is the necessary foundation for a successful Greek experience. So, not only are you below the existing minimum "red light" range, you would be fighting against the trend of increasing academic membership requirements.

Unfortunately, rushing as a sophomore has its own set of risks and downsides. Sororities prefer issuing bids to freshmen who will spend 4 years in the chapter vs a sophomore who may only spend 3. Unless you can really get plugged in with a friend group in a particular chapter who can strongly advocate for you as a sophomore, I am not optimistic about that option for you either. Although, statistically it is probably better because the probability of getting a bid as a freshman with a 2.6 GPA absent super-legacy status is near zero.

If I was to wait, get a good GPA this first semester, would spring rush be a good idea?

You could try spring rush, but you limit your choices when you try informal recruitment instead of formal because you never know who will be participating (or if anyone will) and you don't get the opportunity to meet all the houses.