I attended one of these when I was a senior in High School. Basically, it was a"dos and don'ts" session for creating our recommendation information forms to send our recommenders. The women were alumnae of different sororities, and they all wore their NPC "Go Greek!" buttons. They were there to answer any questions we had and it was very informative.

Maybe it's the "South thing." I grew up in Northern Florida--more "gentility" southern than a lot of the traditional South. :P

I think this would be ridiculous -- the Greek system would be missing out on a lot of great girls if they went by this idea.

As pointed out, a lot of girls in small towns know nothing about the Greek system. Girls from all kinds of backgrounds may never be exposed to anything other than the sorority girl stereotypes until they get to college. I was lucky enough to have had a camp counselor who was the epitome of everything I wanted to be, incredibly sweet, motivated and talented, nothing like the stereotypical sorority girl -- and the member of a sorority at the University of Minnesota. This experience definitely reshaped the opinions I held up until then of sororities, and she was a major factor in my decision to research the Greek system and eventually rush. But without this kind of exposure, I never would have realized that being in a sorority was the kind of thing I wanted to do.

I think it's important to maximize high school girls' interaction with sorority members (especially outside of the South, where Greek life is less of an expected course of action) in order to minimize the stereotypes -- this will definitely encourage more girls to rush. Leaving rush only to the girls who KNOW they want to be Greek and are motivated enough to do their own research is a bad idea, because there are so many girls who would make great sorority members but just don't know enough about it to know it yet.

>>>"I just didn't know" isn't a good excuse for anything. Rush meant ALOT to me and so I went out there and researched it... that's how I ended up here at GC!

I think rush is, for the most part, an accurate process that eliminates the girls who really "want it" from the girls who are indifferent. The former will research the process of their own intiative whereas the latter won't!<<<

While my daughter is more like you, Shark, and researched things and asked around so she would have all the information and recs she needed before recruitment, not everyone knows to do that. She had my influence and we knew what to do to make things work for her. However, not everyone's mom was greek and they may not know how to even start the process. That doesn't mean they don't "really want it" or that they wouldn't make good GLO members.
My town has a loosely organized city Panhellenic Assn. made up of any interested NPC alum groups (or just individuals if their GLO has no local alum group). We hold an ice water tea after high school graduation each year (mostly publicized by word of mouth) and give the PNM's information about sororities, recruitment, etc. We also have them bring a picture and information packet for each NPC group at the school they will be attending. We then divide the packets up by GLO and get recs written for the girls. It works well for our local girls and gives them a good start.

>>>(especially in the South, where Greek life is less of an expected course of action)<<<

I would have thought the opposite. Greek life is very much alive and well in the South. Almost everyone in my daughter's peer group (and mine for that matter) expected to join a GLO in college.

Maybe it's a west-coast thing... but I don't see how one could NOT know that sororities and the Greek system is out there are nearly all Califiornia's schools. With either a UC or a state school about two or three hours from nearly every city in California, if not much less, how hard is it to expect a potential rushee to call ahead, ask for brochures, check out websites, etc.?

Also regarding your comment about going to school out of state, if you are going to a college not in your home-state, would that school really send representatives to your highschool to get information out about rush? That sounds difficult to accomplish.

My mother was not Greek and in fact did not go to college in the United States. Surely if a girl got into college, she could research the rush process for herself!

Perhaps girls who are for the most part uninformed about rush would make great GLO members, but I would much rather take the girl who, of her own intiative, went through rush well informed rather than the one who didn't know what a sorority truly is up until a few days before rush.

Maybe this attitude goes along with the fact that the Greek system at my school seems to attract plenty of girls each year without downright aggressive recruitment.

XOXO,
Annie.

Editted for typos

>>>Maybe this attitude goes along with the fact that the Greek system at my school seems to attract plenty of girls each year without downright aggressive recruitment.<<<

And it sounds as if you do not realize much about how other colleges may operate, outside of what your experience has been. There are many, many colleges in the United States that are in rural areas and their students are from small high schools. A lot of the time, these students are first generation college students. Just because they don't go into the process with all the information that they need to get into the sorority that they have chosen for themselves, does not mean that they should be immediately discounted for lack of preparation. It is fortunate for your campus that you don't have to deal with uninformed PNM's. I doubt that is the norm.

Oops -- that was a typo -- I meant to say "especially OUTSIDE of the South, where Greek life is less of an expected course" of action. :)

Annie--

Some of us posting are writing from a perspective of having experienced college/GLOs/alumni/etc from way outside where they were born. It sounds like you know the California system pretty well. However, how about New England, the Mid-Atlantic East Coast, Mid-West/rural, Mid-West/urban, Texas, and SouthEast? Those are the types of colleges and school systems I've communicated with personally over the past 12 years as a college alum. Let me tell you, they are as different from each other as red is from green. I can guarantee that the Greek system at Boston U (the one I've had the most experience with personally) is extremely different from yours in California.

As far as schools or groups going into high schools to talk about rush: scroll up for my post on the subject. Yes, they do--as part of "Campus Life" in introducing their programs to potential applicants. I know, because I'm one of those people who does it on a regular basis.

No one is really arguing here--it's just that those of us pointing out the differences may have had a few more trips around the sun to see them.

;)

Adrienne (PNAM-2003)
:)

Annie, I think a lot of it does have to do with where you are. Here in PA we have state schools too, but the Greek system isn't always well publicized. Not to mention we still have a lot of very rural areas and first generation college students - I wouldn't be surprised if there are some people just in the past year who are the first in their school to go Greek at all.

Thank you!! This is what I was trying to say. My parents and the majority of my friends' parents (both in high school and college) didn't even graduate high school, much less go to college. I find it rather offensive that I am not worth having simply because I wasn't born and bred knowing how the Greek system worked.

Very hard, if the Rushee doesn't know such a thing as greek life EXISTS. My friends and I should have called the school and said "hey, tell me about that thing I've never heard of"? Please. That would be the whole reason for the Sorority and Rush information sessions that we are discussing...

I think we all tend to form opinions based on personal experiences. Even being Greek didn't prepare me OR my daughter for what she would experience during rush, GC did. Yet, every OTHER Mom (in my circle) seemed to know. I really do think young women without information are at a disadvantage, IN SOME INSTANCES, definitely not ALL instances.

I can't buy the argument that some girls don't know what a sorority is or does...I will say that their image may be tainted
by movies, TV or Miss America Pageants. (That is where some REAL work needs to be done-breaking the stereotypes.)

aopinthesky-My town has a loosely organized city Panhellenic Assn. made up of any interested NPC alum groups (or just individuals if their GLO has no local alum group). We hold an ice water tea after high school graduation each year (mostly publicized by word of mouth) and give the PNM's information about sororities, recruitment, etc. We also have them bring a picture and information packet for each NPC group at the school they will be attending. We then divide the packets up by GLO and get recs written for the girls. It works well for our local girls and gives them a good start. I wish our town did this...

You still don't reach the smallest of communities and if these young women attend a campus with a very competitive system,
they won't have the knowledge about recs or the ramifications should they decide to rush their Sophomore year and a host of other unwritten "rules". Maybe the answer lies in a stronger
campus Panhellenic that gets the info out there with the college
brochure. My son received a TON of literature from numerous colleges. ALL plainly listed the fraternities and sororities on campus. It also listed every other organization. So, you see both sides have a point in this discussion. Ultimately though, it really is up to the individual to go to the web site, do a little research and find out what they can. Right or wrong, I don't see any other real solution. (Perhaps deferred rush???)

I just have to say this..............

I didn't know anything about greek life when I went away to college (live here in WA, went to school in St. Louis). No one in my family's greek, I led a very sheltered life and I went to a school where I knew no one. I just signed up for Rush, tried it out and found a home. No knowledge ahead of time.

Considering I have helped found an alumnae chapter, am now an International Officer, the Chair of a Task Force, and I support our locl collegiate chapter I think I have turned into a pretty good GLO member.

Sorry, but that just rubbed the wrong way.

help!
 

Hi! My name is Amanda!I am high school senior, and I am going to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the fall. No one in my family has ever been in a sorority let alone knows anything about it. I am really intrested in joining though. I have looked at tons of web sites talking about rush etc, but I still feel confused. My main concern is there are only three sororities on the campus I am going to. I want to distinguish myself so I get in the one thats "right for me", but im not sure how. Since I dont know anyone who has been in a sorority a recomendation is a little out of the question. Also, I don't know anything that I should do before I get to college. This is something that means a lot to me. Being apart of a group of friends you can relate to and share with voulenteer with laugh and cry together that sounds awesome! Going into college is already pretty stressful as all of you know im sure..not knowing anyone..worried about your classes..and money..and all that. I really want to know more about going Greek and rush etc but I just dont know who to ask. I have posted on a few boards like this. I have emailed a director at my campus, but their Greek websites arent really updated. I hope that someone will read this who can help. Thanks so much for your time!

Manda-There is a wealth of information strewn about on GC.
There is a big difference between a "Southern Rush" or a huge Greek systemn like Indiana, Oklahoma etc... compared to A&M in Corpus. Not to say it isn't competative. Just kind of sift through things that may not apply. These links will take you to some threads about tips. You can also refine your search and try to find more. Don't disregard a thread because it is dated 2000 or 2001. Good advice is good advice no matter how "aged" it is.
Good luck and KEEP POSTING!


http://130.94.21.174/gcforums/showth...ight=rush+tips

http://130.94.21.174/gcforums/showth...ight=rush+tips

http://130.94.21.174/gcforums/showth...ight=rush+tips

My point exactly! (Though I probably didn't state it well.)

If you're going to a school out of state, or one that isn't the usual pick, you *won't* get a bunch of people telling you what its campus greek life is like, or even that they have one. Sure, many campuses send out info *listing* that they have greek orgs, often buried among other campus orgs and activity groups, but that doesn't mean that a person knows what a sorority truly is. Or especially what greek life at that campus is like-- strong or dwindling, party-heavy or service-oriented, cooperative or competitive, etc.

Not all campuses send out info on recruitment. Many do, if the recruitment is in fall, but many don't if it occurs in spring. How many times do we hear people saying that they didn't know they *had* to rush as a freshman to get a chance, that they *had* to solicit their own recs, that they could find a local alum panhel org to make contacts to get those recs, etc.


Possibly, but I'd rather have someone who was the *right fit* for my org and didn't know much about the sorority system before she signed up, than someone who researched the whole thing, thought she'd be a perfect fit for our group, and *wasn't* a good fit at all. Rec or no rec.

As for knowing what a sorority truly is? I'd wager that many of us didn't *really* know what a sorority truly is until we'd finished our pledge periods, been initiated, and been a dedicated and loyal sister for a few years. I was in a local sorority, and while it was nice, I don't keep in touch with most of those women. OTOH, having been alum-initiated into ADPi a few years ago when that chapter went national, and having been involved with the chapter during the past year, I see the whole system with different and new eyes, and find myself excited to be a sister to those collegians.

Yeah, maybe your greek system at your school attracts a lot of women to recruitment, but that doesn't mean that it works at other kinds of schools in other parts of the country with other greek systems. And I think we'd get a lot of great women if it was better advertised to those who don't just want to be the traditional sorority-girl stereotype, or those whose families went greek in school, or those who are great campus leaders but who were turned off by the stereotypical frat-mat image. I really think we're missing out on some quality people. Sure, at some schools, these are the women that you get through COB, but how nice it would be to have them rush in the first place!