I have a question (:

I'm rushing in August at a pretty small school with 5 sororities. Rush week is August 11th- 15th, Bid Day being on the 15th. How many cuts will I have to make each night?

You already posted this. No one has a crystal ball. It could totally vary. Check the greek life page at your school or call the greek life office and ask for the recruitment schedule.

panhellenic and the recruitment counselors will explain it all in a meeting before you attend any parties, and you will be with your recruitment counselor every time you decide who you would like to return to, and she will remind you all what to do and how to do it-they sort of lead you by the hand, so to speak, so no need to worry.

Thanks for posting such good advice! :)

Well, I'm sorry. I'm brand new to this site and I didn't realize I wasn't allowed to post in more than one spot. Besides I really wasn't sure where to post in the first place. My mistake. Also, I was asking because I figured there would be some people who had rushed at a school with 5 sororities. I thought that's what this site was for- to ask questions.

Yes, yet you were asking for very specific advice, which none of us would know. Something like this is far better to ask the people who actually run these things like your office of Greek life.

I was just really wanting some ideas of what it was like for others. I should have mentioned that! Sorry! (:

message me if I was correct in my assumption and I can give you specific details

Hi all! I'm rushing this fall at a large southern state school and had a quick question. My high school activities, while I had some cooler ones like student council, were mostly activities that are perceived as "dorky". I'm not a nerd, but I'm sure it sounds like I am from my recruitment application (and maybe rec letters, too). :) I was curious as to if I'll be judged by the sororities because of this. I know that if a group doesn't accept me for things like that, then I don't want to be a part of that group and that sisters have many different interests and activities, but I'm curious. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

You'd be surprised how many sorority women were mathletes or in marching band in high school...

Haha, you got me! I'm both of those. :o

Wait, scholastic bowl isn't cool anymore? Damn.

There's nothing wrong with being smart, being a nerd, or liking to do smart things. You're in college for a reason!

These activitites, now matter how "dorky" you think they might make you sound, are a great representation of your level of commitment to your education and interests. Embrace them! :) Not only can they be impressive, but they can help you stand out.

Mathletes are nice to have around the house :)

Also, depending on the HS, sometimes even "cool" activities aren't that cool...i.e. if everyone who went to Hamburger HS who tried out for cheerleader got to be one, that kind of cuts down on the coolness factor.

Don't worry about it. As you said, if a group is so homogenous that it only wants pageant queens or majorettes, you probably would not enjoy membership in it anyway.

Thanks so much y'all! I feel much better now knowing that it's a perfectly common thing. Tina, I'd never though of it as helping me stand out before, but you made a great point!

Hey guys i have a question. I'm filling out my application at the moment but i've come across a problem. I don't know how many people graduated from my school and I don't know what place I came in. Is it okay if I left it blank. Also, it asks to upload a picture. Would it be okay to use a picture of me at the beach? I'm in a bikini, but you can barely see any skin because i'm lying down. Would that be inappropriate still?

Agreed. As for class rank you can probably find that on your high school transcript. Contact your high school.

Does your school district have a website? They often have enrollment figures for schools. OR, do you know how many students approximately were in your graduating class? Multiply that by 4 (unless freshman are still in the junior high). Some high schools do not have class rankings, your high school might be one of them.

/swerve

Excuse me; but if she doesn't know how many people graduated in her class, and she doesn't know what place she was in her graduating class, how is what you're suggesting going to help?

It's kind of like when Yogi Berra said, "If you ask me anything I don't know, I'm not going to answer."

Thanks so much for all this information! It answered any possible question I may have. I'm preparing already for next fall recruitment when I become a sophomore.

Arghh-I plead insomnia and fuzzyhead syndrome. I SHOULD have said take the total enrollment figure from the school website, if available, and divide by 4 (if freshman-senior classes enrolled there) to get an approximate class total. But a moot point now.

Here's my situation. I will be rushing next fall at a major sec school. I'm currently a freshman at a small college that does not offer many clubs and organizations. I do have good grades (Currently a 3.1 GPA; trying to get it higher) but I feel like that is not enough. What would you suggest that I do so that I will have a GREAT resume' for sorority recruitment?!

PS: I have posted this question before on other threads but I have never really gotten a straight up answer!

Yeah, I go to a college that mainly has non-traditional students. And we do have clubs and orgs, but they never meet because there is not enough people interested in them! I've tried to get involved on campus but nothing is working out for me.
And I do love animals and volunteering at a shelter would really be something I'd be interested in. I do volunteer at a hospital though, I've been volunteering there since I was like 12! haha
Besides good grades, would volunteering at a shelter AND the hospital be enough to impress a sorority?

I don't know if this is the right place to ask my question, but how does a girl find out if her school's chapters are doing COB, Spring rush or not?

informal spring?
 

what do you do if you missed your chance to rush in the fall both freshman and soph year, but want to do informal in the spring?

how does informal work?

Define "missed your chance."

freshman year i decided to not rush because i didn't think it was for me. i met some girls and know some in greek life and i've had a change of heart. soph year fall i had family personal issues and was not able to be on campus the weekend of rush.

Dumb question alert: GUEST LIST

For my commitment ceremony I was asked to provide a list of names and addresses of sorority sisters I wish to invite from other chapters. I have a list of 6 ladies so far and my question is should I invite people I am only acquainted with? Is it a snub not to invite like every single person I know who is a member? (For example: sorority members who are friends with my mother at church, aunts or grandmother's of friends, friends of friends, HS facebook friends and so on.) Is it deemed showy or flashy to have a long guest list or impolite not to ask everyone you know?

recruitment is stressful.

By committment ceremony, are you referring to a pledge ceremony or membership initation? If that is the case, I would only invite close family (mom, grandma, sister).

Recs?
 

Hi! I'm from Chicago and I'll be attending Ole Miss in the fall. Having read the recruitment forums thoroughly (a million thank you's- I definitely would have shown up in jeans or made some awful faux pas), I know I need to contact the Chicago Alumnae Panhellenic for my recs. However, I was wondering if anyone could give me advice regarding how to word that introductory e-mail. It seems rude and rather forward to simply ask for alumnae to write my recs- especially if they don't know me. Should I ask them to lunch? Any help would be much appreciated!

It's not rude at all - for them, it's an opportunity to introduce a young woman to the sorority they love. You don't have to grease the wheels by feeding them or anything. :) Just be sure that you have all the information needed (which an Ole Miss-savvy poster will help you out with) so they don't have to keep calling you for confirmation on this or that.

To Whom it May Concern,

My name is Patty PNM and I will be attending the University of Mississippi as a freshman this fall. I am planning to participate in sorority recruitment, and understand that I need recommendations.

The sororities at Ol' Miss(or Ole Miss[i can't remember which is correct]) are (list them in Alpha order). I was hoping that you might be able to provide me with contact information for local alumnae members of those sororities who might be willing to help me.

I appreciate any assistance you can provide.

Sincerely,

Patty PNM
123 Hopeful Lane
City, State Zip
Cell Phone Number

Are you in Chicago proper? There are several groups in the area, and you'll want to find the one closest to you.

Retaking classes or attending summer school to bring up your GPA? These are things to look into, take into consideration, or be aware of if you are someone concerned about GPA or class standing and recruitment. Places or people to ask are the registrar or records office, an academic advisor, and also the Greek Life advisor/office.

1) Check and see when grades are officially posted and GPA is calculated as it may not happen until after recruitment or after the deadline to submit materials and when local Panhellenics check for a GPA.

2) Check and see if a class is eligible for a repeat and/or grade replacement, not just for rush but also for academic purposes.

3) If you are an incoming transfer student refer to number 1 and see when your first school and your new school post and calculate grades/transcripts so you know the facts about your class standing and GPA.

4) If you were at school and then went to a JC or CC, and are returning to your first school or a new school, check if and how those credits transfer and/or affect your GPA and class standing.

Every school is different and has their own rules so before you waste time, energy, and money or summer school, a different school, or rush, get all the policies and information so you can make the best decision based on reality.