I'm sorry my post caused such an uproar. My thinking was that if her grades were as she said and her spoken grammar similar to her written ("there was only 367" not "there were"), then that could have been the part of the problem. With a 2.5 required and having to make grades due to semester long new member period, I can understand some chapters releasing her. She needs an honest assessment by the Greek Adviser as to her chances. We can't tell her much beyond the obvious.

Bid Day was today at UT-Chattanooga. I'm not sure what quota was, but Chi Omega has 54 new members.

I'm more than positive that my age was the reason I did not recieve invites back. I have moved on and I'm not upset anymore. Why? Because I know I had no control over their decision. Thank you for your advice. From what I hear, Bid Day was a success and I couldn't be any happier for the girls. My turn will come. Until then I will support my friends and my boyfriend's fraternity and do my part in the greek life. There are plenty of things I can do to be a part of greek life with out actually being in a greek organization. Thanks again!!!

That's some pretty good stuff up there.

Best of luck to you.

No problem! It is certainly rare. I am not a fan of it!

On this policy, yes. UTC requires that a woman earn a 2.5 in order to become an initiated member, so they have to do a full semester program. I wish they would just go to a deferred recruitment if they are going to hold to that requirement. Then the university could prohibit women with low GPAs from participating and chapters could initiate within their inter/national guidelines.

Quota was 51.

That is a really great attitude, your maturity shines through in your post! Like we talked about the other day, you will find lots of other activities on campus and they will be lucky to have you!! Enjoy college!

I’m actually thinking about starting another organization on campus. There were a lot of highly qualified girls turned down due to numbers and to me that means that it may be time for another organization. UTC’s numbers have been up for the past few years and we are out numbering the options we have. I’m not doing it just because I didn’t get it and I’m upset, I’ve already discussed it with someone else and they agree that it might be a good idea. If quotas were only around 50, that means that only 200 girls got bids, that left 200 girls without. I’m not saying that all 200 were qualified to be in a Greek organization, however there are at least another 50 that were. That’s another organization. I just think it is time for another organization. It would help out a lot. I’m sure there were a lot of girls very disappointed and crushed they didn’t receive bids. And some probably didn’t care, but I want to make a difference and maybe this is where I can help. I’m open to any criticism but please not about how I wrote or talk or think. Just about the subject at hand. Thanks.

Yeah, ok. Good luck with that.

Worth reading:

Before you found a new sorority

If quota was only 50, that means that only 200 women made it to the end of rush without being cut or dropping out. Quota is set depending on the number of women finishing rush - it isn't an arbitrary number the Greek life office or Panhel sets. "Hey, I think we should give out 200 bids this semester!" That's NOT how it happens.

If all 400 women would have finished rush, then quota would have been 100 and each group would have taken 100.

Even if your campus was open for expansion, starting a colony of an NPC group is a long process and it's entirely possible you would graduate before it came to fruition. Try looking at some of the other groups on campus instead of starting a new sorority.

YES.

OP - If you are speaking of trying to start a new NPC organization, that decision is left up to Panhellenic and the existing four sororities - in consultation with their inter/national organizations and the campus administration. There has been some discussion, but it has all be VERY informal. The campus will not open up for extension in the very near future.

And even if they do open up say this fall and pick a new NPC group in spring, they probably wouldn't colonize until Fall 09. (That is if they were to bring it up in Panhellenic this week and move quickly.) And at that point it is up to the colonizing sorority to interview and pick its new members. They don't have a "sign up" sheet. So there would still be no guarantee of membership - even if there is a group of interested women.

Now, if you are thinking of just starting up a new general student organization that isn't tied to any inter/national group, have at it. It will still be a tough road to gather interest and do everything you need to do to qualify as a registered student group. Check with the Student Activities Office to get a list of groups that have already been formed and are looking for new members. There might already be a group of people out there who share a lot of the same values and interests that you have.

Good luck!

So, looking at your numbers, it's not really 200 who didn't receive bids, eh?

If you want to take on a HUGE amount of work...
 

you can go through the process of trying to get a 5th sorority on campus. A new chapter wouldn't be nearly as concerned about age (although the continuing grades thread would still apply) because they need a full house of all years so they don't graduate all their new members at once.

If there are 4 chapters there and you got cut from three immediately and 1 after that, it may be time for expansion on campus. You'll know this pretty quick if none are doing continuous open bidding (informal rush). If some are, and they still aren't interested, then there's a problem you're not telling us about.

The age thing could scare some of the women off, but getting to know you and your situation should help that. They don't want to pledge a junior or senior, but if in reality you're a sophomore, that's a different thing.

And if there's a "best" and "worst" house on campus, you'll want to focus your efforts on the "worst." That is not to say that chapter wouldn't be a great and very fulfilling experience. It mostly will just mean they don't have the numbers and will be looking to add some quality enthusiastic women.

Best of luck to you. I've been an Alpha Xi Delta for 24 years now and am the president of my local alumnae association. I helped "colonize" a new chapter several years ago and although it's a really different kind of sorority experience, it may be just that much more fulfilling.

Just....wow.

Leslie, that was a tad bit inappropriate.
Ok, not a tad bit. It was.

Well alrighty then...

Wow, where to start?

Um, really? On her own? Not really. There is a specific process that is completely out of her hands at this point.

Actually, I think she has told us plenty that could raise concerns, not the least of which is that GPA.

I don't even know what to say here.

I am sure that they are proud.

Just because the OP was cut from every chapter on campus doesn't mean another chapter is needed. There's a good chance that her barely over 2.5 GPA and her 21 years of age may have had something to do with it.

And also, while because the "worst" house might be smaller, it doesn't mean they don't have standards. That "worst" house cut the OP. If they were desperate for members like you imply, they wouldn't have cut the OP.

Ditto.

My GPA is a 2.9. I barely miss having a 3.0. It’s not the greatest but I don’t think my GPA is the problem. I KNOW my age was a problem, I knew going into it that it might be held against me. However, my letters of recommendation were excellent and my application was great. So I thought I may still have a chance. I don’t understand how you can tell me that you don’t know why I was turned down, yet you keep assuming that it was my GPA and my poor grammar on a chat. And every time someone supports me or gives me good advice you attack them.
I also know that to start the process of adding another organization on campus, someone (i.e. ME) has to show interest and a willingness to move forward with it. I can’t do it on my own and I know that and I also know that it will be a long process. However, it is a process that I’m willing to do. And that’s all that matters. Not what you say on here.

seriously utcutie315? are you going to hijack yet another thread ?

don't make me page teh triad!

WE CANNOT TELL YOU WHY YOU WERE CUT.

You can dwell on it and speculate all you want, but no one here knows and neither do you. The only people who know are the girls who were in MS, and even if you asked them, they can't tell you.

Wow - busy night!

I just don't understand that the speculations that are being made are putting me down or making me look bad. All I ever said was that my GPA was higher than what was asked. No one knew that my actual GPA was a 2.9. I just felt like I was being attacked, and I didn't really appriciate it. Is it not possible that I could have met every qualification and still been dropped? Why does it have to be because of something I did or could have done wrong?

^^ Your thread (actually it was someone else's thread that you hijacked) was closed.

Let's close the book on why you were cut. We don't know. You don't know.

Maybe the sororities have some super secret qualification that they are looking for that you didn't meet. You don't know what they are looking for in sisters. Maybe you "met the qualifications"... maybe you didn't.

Once again, NO ONE KNOWS BUT THEM.

I understand that you do not know. I wasn't asking why? I was asking what kind of options do I still have.

I'm confused on what you mean when you say, hijacked a thread. Sorry if I did something wrong.

How about you read the responses that were given to the OP? There are FOUR pages prior to this one.

I actually never assumed it was your grades (though below a 3.0 is always a risk) and I doubt your age was as much of a factor as you believe it was.

Miranda Hobbes has been quoted here often (I forget the dude's name who wrote the book, so yes, I'm quoting a fictional character), and I believe that theory is what most likely applies: the NPC chapters at your school just aren't that into you. Life sucks at times. There are obstacles in the road. Get a helmet, plow through. You are likely not going to be greek during your college years, and I'm sorry about that because you've made it clear you would like to have been. It's not the end of the world. So either just recommit to trying again next year or move on, re-engaging the same discussion over and over again on this board is going to get you nowhere. As the last couple days have sufficiently proven.

Am I missing something or is utcutie the OP.

lol you're not... i thought the OP was someone else and ut was hijacking another thread LOL

my bad.

Seriously though, in the first few replies people have told her:

There is no secret magic formula to getting a bid the second time around. People have given her suggestions. I'm not sure what more she wants.

I'm not looking for more. I have taken the suggestions and advice and I appriciate it all. I was just taking up for myself.

Too late. Teh Triad is here.

How do you KNOW that? Did someone tell you?

You've been told
And told again...
And then told AGAIN...
You almost seemed to understand here, but then went back to square one.
I'll be plain. You have no options.

Actually, if you are trying to start a new NPC sorority on campus, your interest is irrelevant. It is a decision made by Panhellenic. Sometimes expansion occurs when a local group petitions for a national affiliation, but that doesn't seem to be what you are talking about. As for ground up colonization, the local Panhellenic assesses the situation and decides whether or not to open the campus for extension. Then any NPCs that are interested submit packets for consideration. Then the local PH reviews the application packets and chooses which NPCs to invite to make presentations. Then, PH votes and that NPC can accept or decline their invitation.

Most of us aren't trying to be mean, it's just that we understand that the extension process can be long and is not in your hands. That would be pretty frustrating to put your heart and soul into something and then realize you have no control over the outcome.

UTcutie, please understand that we are not trying to be mean, but that we have all gone through recruitment, and some of us( including myself) have been involved in NPC expansion.

I totally agree with irishpipes! It is not easy at all to get an NPC group to come to campus. At my alma mater it took over 2 years, and over 450 girls rushing 4 sororities to get a new group to come! It is a very lengthy process! You could inquire in the Greek Life office about if there is the possibility of one coming on campus, but if that is not the case than I would drop it.

My best advice, concentrate on your grades, get involved in extra curricular activities outside Greek Life! As great as being Greek is, there are many people who are not and still have wonderful college experience!

This and a subsequent post where you mention your boyfriend is in a fraternity is what made me feel clearer in my mind about the bottom line here.

I do not know you or your situation, but the whole point of posting in a place like GC is to get an honest take from total strangers about the facts you present. This can be a good thing, and I hope what I have to say is helpful.

Taking into account all the information you presented and the reactions you received- plus the nature of your responses- my advice to you would be to seriously consider why you personally want to join a sorority, when that desire arose and why it arose. Also consider whether you maybe were always interested, but might have become more interested in recent times.

These are hard questions- and I apologize for what they imply without my knowing if I am headed down the right path (the downside of asking strangers.) But I do hope answering them will help you- regardless of the final outcome.

Best of luck to you.