Rushing as a sophomore at an SEC school
 

First off, have you considered going through open Recruitment this spring? Chapter Total was increased this fall and some Chapters will be participating. If you are interested and/or would like more information contact Greek Affairs or Panhellenic.

ETA: My mistake. Since you accepted a Bid in fall, you will not be eligible for spring COR.




Second, some general advice for any Upperclassmen going through Bama recruitment:

• GPA should be at least Panhellenic average and the higher the better. Fall's will be announced in January, but to give you an idea last spring's was 3.24. While your HS GPA may be taken into consideration, how well you have done at the University will far outweigh that. Each Chapter wants to know that a PNM would help their overall GPA ranking.
• Resumes need to be as strong as they were in HS with campus activities and community service. If it's not, then Chapters may assume a PNM just sat around her dorm room Freshmen year or worse, was out partying all the time. Chapters are looking for Upperclassmen members who are involved and will help get their name out on campus.
• Upperclassmen need Recs just like Freshmen. One per Chapter at a minimum and two is better.
• Get to know as many actives in as many Chapters as possible. There are sorority girls in your classes, at the Rec center, in clubs/orgs, etc. Don't be a stalker or obnoxious about it, just be yourself and be sincere. Keep in mind though that the girls aren't stupid and if a PNM is only interested in getting to know them to do well in Recruitment, they'll figure it out.
• Be smart about social activities during the year. Don't be the girl who's always drunk at band parties or picks up random guys every weekend. Sorority girls attend those parties too, live in the dorms, have friends in the fraternities, etc. Chapters don't want a member who has a tarnished reputation.
• Along with the above, keep your Facebook, etc. comments and pix tasteful. Ask yourself, are these comments/pix something you'd want your Mom, Grandma, professor, future boss, future Mother-in-Law, etc. seeing?
• Attend Panhellenic Preview Weekend March 27th. Contact Greek Affairs or Panhellenic to sign up.

Specific info for the OP: What may hurt your chances is not so much being an Upperclassman, but rather that you went through Recruitment as a Freshman, accepted a Bid, and then quit. Chapters may think twice knowing that if you aren't thrilled with the Chapter you got a Bid from then you'll just quit rather than sticking it out to make it work.

Also, the reasons why you were released from Chapters this year may affect your chances next year. If it was simply a matter of not having Recs and now you do, then it shouldn't be held against you. If you didn't have the needed HS GPA and your college GPA is now high enough, then that shouldn't matter. If however there were other more personal reasons, those may still affect you. In my experience sorority girls have long memories.

BTW, your information about Pi Phi is incorrect.

That is about the BEST advice I've seen on this topic- and I've quoted it b/c IMO it applies to every university/college.

well done, Zillini, well done.

SFITY? http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...d.php?t=109569

My thoughts too.

It doesn't look like spring recruitment would be an option for this poster as she did accept a bid in the fall.

Agreed.

Oops, you're right. I'll blame my mistake on not enough coffee. :)

Yeah, it's early. And cold. The rest of your post, as usual, was golden though.

I agree! As another PNM going through Fall recruitment at an SEC school as a sophomore, your advice is the most concise and to-the-point I have been able to find, imo. Thank you :)

That information was very helpful. But Pi Beta Phi has a national rule that they dont accept 2nd year rushers unless the person is LOVED by the house and in that case that chapter would have to contact nationals about that PNM. At least thats what Ive heard from my Pi Phi friends at Alabama and Florida State.

Or maybe that's them trying to be nice to you and give you a generic reason versus telling you the truth that you don't stand a chance in hell of getting a Pi Phi bid because of YOU.

Face it. You're damaged goods now. You had your one chance at Bama, and pledging the sorority that wasn't good enough for you had nothing to do with whether or not you had recs the first time. Recs won't change a thing now. You're the same person who rushed first time around and now you're a quitter on top of that.

Cue GC Pi Phis...

I have no idea what Pi Phi's national policies are. All I know is that Pi Phi took Upperclassmen pledges in Formal Recruitment in 2009, 2008, and 2007. For some reason I can't locate my 2006 stats. Greek Affairs sends out Recruitment reports to all Chapter Advisors, of which I am one.

I'm a Pi Phi and I can tell you that is absolutely not a national rule. I am from a campus that is much less competitive than Bama so I don't know what their chapter bylaws are, but there's definitely not a national rule against 2nd years.

I will go so far as to say NO sorority has any such rule regarding re-rushing on a national basis. They would be screwing themselves at less competitive schools and at schools where their chapters aren't the most popular. Barbie hit the nail on the head.

Seconding what qbt1990 said, we have no rule against non-freshmen and I doubt that any national group does. Why would we want to cut ourselves out of getting some great girls?

little harsh? but thanks I guess....?

Bammagirl 339, In keeping with the spirit of sisterhood and Christmas, I do not think you are "damaged goods". It's hard to expect 17-18 year old students away from home to make the best decisions and judgement calls. Sounds like you had a good recruitment experience, but just not the finish you had hoped for, by receiving your #2 choice. The reason you depledged house #2 is yours alone, and maybe it was the right thing to, maybe not. No one here on GC knows. Someone said you thought they weren't good enough for you...well maybe it was a "top tier" and you felt out of place for some reason. Maybe it was a house with many girls who party and you don't. Maybe you just weren't feeling included for whatever reason. We don't know why you left. However, if you still think you would like to be a member of a GLO, go for it.
My now deceased mother in law always told my daughter to hold her head up high, and be proud of who she is regardless of the outcome. I suggest you do the same, enjoy Bama, and have a very Merry Christmas.

PS I pledged almost 30 years ago at an SEC school as a sophomore. I knew several houses would release me early, and some would welcome me, because I already had developed relationships with members. In the end, I ended up where I should be, in a fairly new house on campus, that is now the shining star on sorority row IMO. I'm so proud of the chapter! Good luck to you.

I have heard of women re-rushing successfully at Bama, but you're probably not doing yourself any favors by discussing your situation here.

It occurred to me that perhaps the OP's friends were referring to a "once cut, always cut" mindset. Yes there are some Chapters on some campuses that think that way, but no GLO has an I/Natl policy to that effect. I stand by my earlier statement, it (usually) depends on the reason for being cut last year. If a PNM was released the previous year simply due to a lack of Recs or a GPA that missed the cut off and now that isn't the case, then it would be silly to still hold it against a PNM this year. But no one can say what goes on behind closed doors in a Chapter's membership selection meeting.

Seriously, you really need to stick to heli-ing your own daughter's upcoming Bama rush. You have no idea how someone in this sorority hopper's position is perceived by members there. I've been around GC long enough to know what the special code "can't stand" means when referring to a Bama sorority, and it definitely doesn't mean any of the things you suppose. I'm sure that it's just that she didn't uh "make a meaningful connection." Jeez, I bet I can tell you with 99.9% certainty which chapter she depledged too. But apparently I'm psychic that way.

D has decided against attending UA, but thanks for your concern.