Recruitment as a sophomore//gossiping
 

Deleting all info, since I'm going through recruitment again.

Did all of the chapters know that you were a legacy to that chapter during the last recruitment? You were already released from all of the other chapters as a freshman. Although you may have met new people over the past year, be prepared that the same MAY happen as a sophomore. You probably need to think critically of your experience during recruitment last year and figure out what the sororities may have picked up on that they all dropped you. Were you cocky that you'd get into your legacy chapter? Did you not carry conversations well? Have bad grades? Basically, figure out why it was a disaster and fix the things that you can. If anyone asks about your legacy, play it cool. Bad mouthing any chapter can get you in more hot water than you want, and playing up your legacy can make others think you aren't interested.

There are some schools where being a major legacy can really hurt you. I don't remember if it was Honeychile or Carnation who mentioned that most of the women she knows do not get to pledge their mothers GLO, but are also cut from many of the others almost immediately because they assume the PNM will end up in "mom's sorority".

That being said, that only applies at some schools and mostly they are in the SEC. So I would approach the situation like AOII Angel suggested...think about any other reason that they might have released you and work on those. I think, being a sophomore, that grades, an outgoing personality, campus leadership and achievements will be your biggest asset IF they are accepting of sophomores. Get your name out there on campus in a good way as soon as possible! Some sororities, if they are planning on taking sophomores, may already be taking serious note of sophomore PNMs they are interested in.

If they are not accepting of sophomores, then you may be in a predicament. Do some research on your campus culture and, when preparing, assume that the legacy thing will not come into play. It very well might, but if you act like that is the only thing keeping you from a bid then it might mean you are crucially unprepared in whatever area...ironically, maybe the factor that got you released the first time.

It depends on the program. I am 99.9% sure that if you registered with ICS, only your legacy chapter will know that you are a legacy unless...

you get recs for other chapters and your recommenders note your legacy status on the form OR

your sister went to the same school recently and was well known OR

you tell them.

(At least it was that way at my school)

One very good question - did you have recs for where you are a legacy? I know that I've had alums assume that we "just knew" the PNM was a legacy and that's all we needed! I called an alum here in town once about her daughter as we had not received a form her. The alum said she knew we knew or thought one of us woud just do one so didn't really think about getting it! And the girl's resume would just appear out of thin are, I guess. UGH!

Panhellenic tells us which chapters on our campus PNMs are legacies to.

At the school I advise at every sorority gets a copy of the rush application with some information taken off. If your mother is high profile in the sorority I'm almost certain her group knew that you were going through and that you were a legacy. I know that being a legacy is not a bonus with the girls I advise for. For some reason they feel these girls (legacies) have a sense of entitlement. I fight hard for legacies because I personally feel like they make better members especially women who have an involved relative. They know what is expected in terms of behavior and service. Good luck to you. I hope recruitment turns out better for you this next time.

I did have recommendations for all of the sororitites. My mom also sent in a form for a heads up to the sorority. And it was on the application.

However, apparently the sorority is fully aware now. I've been told this through multiple sources. Might that hurt going through recruitment?

Sorry to get off track... but are you allowed to deny a legacy, I thought NPC's had to accept legacy, maybe just my NPC?

I wasn't aware that DPhiE policy says to extend a bid to every legacy. I don't think I've ever heard other DPhiEs here say that a legacies are guaranteed a bid.

Being a legacy DOES NOT guarantee the PNM a bid. While they are extended certain courtesies, it's not an automatic "in".

On some campuses, the number of legacies going through rush might even exceed the number of spots available in a chapter. There's no way for the chapter to take all the legacies that come through the door.

maybe our chapter is just under that impression..... I just thought that there was a lot of red tape to not allow in a legacy.

Not at all. I can't remember which NPC sorority it was, but I recall a GCer telling us once about a direct descendant of a FOUNDER going through rush -- a great-great-great-granddaughter I think. This girl was so rotten that the chapter couldn't wait to cut her. It didn't matter who she was, she just wasn't a good fit for the chapter.

A lot of the recruitment stories here feature a number of legacies who end up getting cut from their legacy chapter(s).

well, I guess that's good, because who's ever been a carbon copy of their mother?

Same here. Going into recruitment we knew if PNMs were legacies to us and to other chapters on campus.

I think it depends on your chapter. I know that my organization has rules about inviting legacies back to a certain number of recruitment parties, but we can cut them...although my particular chapter has never cut a legacy. We have tried on more than one occasion, but the advisers basically say that unless we have "a damn good reason to ruin a family's perception of our organization" we're not allowed.

I personally think this rule sucks, because sometimes the legacies just don't fit in. Its not our fault or theirs.

*sorry for the hijack btw

Thank you. My roommate is currently going through COB and does not know anything about sororities. She is angry with the many rules and what is expected of her. I felt that it was slightly unfair that she's getting an "in" since she befriended a couple girls from a sorority, even though she doesn't know what she is getting into.

However there isn't anything that I can do until next fall.

Delta Phi Epsilon does not have to accept a legacy. There are rules about releasing legacies, but as stated in their Legacy Policy, which came in the Spring 2009 packet which every chapter should have got, it is ultimately up to the individual chapter.

ADPi allows a legacy to be cut. The biggest reason this policy was changed years ago was due to some campuses having a flood of legacies going through recruitment. Typically at Bama we have almost as many legacy PNMs go through as quota. How fair would it be to have an entire pledge class of only legacies?

It also used to be policy that if a legacy was cut mom, grandma, sis, etc. had to be called. That's changed too and personally I'm happy about it. I understand moms' frustration over this change, which has been in place for many years and is published in our Inat'l magazine every year. We simply don't have the time to make that many phone calls. Plus those calls were very unpleasant to say the least.

I'm confused. You're mad because your roommate, who knows very little about sororities, is getting a bid because she made friends in a chapter?

Besides this being how my Greek experience started, I don't understand why this is so bad... unless I'm missing something...

If I'm reading into it correctly, I think she's frustrated because, as a legacy, she knows there are rules you have to follow as a member of a sorority: mandatory meetings, philanthropy, study hours etc... and her roommate is annoyed about those rules. Plus, she [brokengymnast] put in the effort to go through formal recruitment and did not get a bid while her roommate "has an in" through being friends with a few women. Granted, that's how informal recruitment generally works, but I can see how it can seem "unfair" to someone who went through formal.

I agree with another poster who notes that if your campus uses ICS computer system for recruitment, the sororities are not given the legacy info that does not pertain to their house.

XYZ will be given a file that shows which PNM's list any relationship with XYZ but no others.

Ok, that would make a little more sense. Thanks.

My campus uses ICS, and I remember knowing who our legacies were, but not anyone else's. I only knew if a girl was a legacy if she told me, or if the fact that she was a legacy was thrown around campus.

I would suggest that the OP try to find out from Panhellenic which computer system is used; or at least if other chapters that she isn't a legacy to will know her legacy status. If it is the case that everyone will know her legacy status, I suggest that she not list it and have her mom send in a legacy introduction form to the chapter. I know that my GLO has those; and I believe that most others do, correct me if I'm wrong.

This varies from campus to campus. There is a setting that allows every chapter to see if a PNM lists a legacy chapter. There is also a setting that allows only the PNM's legacy chapter to see that information. If in doubt, I would suggest not listing legacy status on your application. You can always have legacy information sent directly to the specific chapter. However, you should also know that alumnae who write recommendations often will list your legacy status if they are aware of it.

YES.

I have worked with more than one campus that shows all legacy information to all chapters. And more than one campus that does not. The computer system does not make the determination, the campus does.

Good to know...I was not aware that the campus made the distinction.

Yes, that is exactly how I feel. Thank you for clarifying that.

This is probably the way all of the other sororities found out if the chapters can not see my legacy status. I had recommendations to all of the sororities, and all of them were contacted through my mom. They all know my mom through sorority work, so therefore they would know of my legacy status.

Thank you for that information!

On our campus we use ICS and we can see all legacy info. for all chapters. This includes NPC groups that are listed by the PNM that do not have chapters on our campus. This year alone I think we had 5 KD, and 4 KKG legacies! It makes me wish they had a chance to join their legacy group.

We do not require chapters to take legacies. They are required to invite women to first invitational at least, if there is a legacy. The legacy should be able to meet all the sisters. Up until this past year, chapters had to contact their recruitment specialist in order to release a legacy and gain approval first. We have since modified this rule.

First, let's call all females WOMEN, not girls. That may help a bit. If she is your mom'a age, she is definitely not just a girl. Reading this objectively - it would appear you may have been jammed down the chapters throat. Maybe they just didn't click with you. My chapter has cut legacies before, once while I was an undergrad, we cut an actives little sister. She was arrogant. She later re-rushed and got a bid. I took her as my little sister. She grew up a lot that year. Maybe your mom's group doesn't like to be forcefed legacies. I hope that isn't the case.

LOL, I was wondering when you'd show up. :)

By "a girl in my mom's sorority," I took her to mean a fellow student who is currently an active member of the sorority of which her mother is an alumna, especially since she had just mentioned "getting to know girls in the houses."

/back in my lane.

I did mean a woman who is my age (18). It is slightly weird to call a person who is my age and just out of high school a woman, but I will try to start using that term instead.

another option would be to say "collegian" or "alumna"(alumnae if more than one member no longer in college). :-)

It's nice that a young lady in your mom's sorority says you're the perfect fit, but it's important to note (for the sake of making sure other PNMs reading this don't get the wrong idea) a couple of things:

*Just because a woman in your legacy chapter likes you, does not mean you will get a bid there. Not saying that this is what you think, but i'm just putting it out there.

*Your mother being an involved alumna also does not guarantee you anything. As has been previously noted, chapters can and do cut legacies because sometimes, no matter how they're connected to the sorority, they just don't fit well with that chapter.

Thank you for the pointing those items out.
I am actually going to be meeting a few ladies from the sorority tonight because they are possible roommates for me spring term. I can get to more know ladies, as well as get a slightly better feel of the sorority (of course I should not base this on the couple of women I meet though)
I would not have wanted to be in my legacy sorority if I did not feel comfortable or if it fits. I really felt that it did fit, however, I could be wrong, since of course I am not apart of the chapter and it was only first impressions. There are a few other sororities that I am looking at as well, which I would be comfortable joining.

Sorry, that is what I was trying to say "I really felt that it did fit, however, I could be wrong, since of course I am not apart of the chapter," it just did not come out right. If they did not think that I fit, that is fine.