Another Junior...
 

So, this is my first post here, although I've read these forums for about a year now in attempts to pick up advice. I'm a junior who's going to be going through formal rush (we do our rush in the spring at my school)... and I guess I'm just looking for advice. I'd post which school I go to, but you never know who could be reading this... and since I'll probably be one of few (if any) juniors doing rush, I'd prefer not to give myself away. I will say that it's not a southern school though.

Why rush as a junior? Well, to be completely honest, I didn't have a clue what sororities were or what they stood for freshman year, so I missed the boat there. And sophomore year I was very sick during the rush period, so I couldn't. I participated in COB twice sophomore year, but wasn't offered a bid either time. So here I am junior year.

My GPA's strong, and, since the COB events, I've joined two new clubs on campus. I'm a more confident individual than I was and I really want to give this a go. Any advice?

Not TRYING to be snarky, but if you have been around for a year and really read at least one day's worth of postings, you would know that there isn't any "real" advice anyone can give you, other than to have all your ducks in a row, follow recruitment guidelines and suggestions, and be yourself.

What else could anyone else tell you??? I don't get these general "Any advice?" questions. What answers are you looking for? People here genuinely try to help others, but when there are no answers, what do you expect?

Well, I've followed advice from threads like this before, like making sure that my gpa's strong, and joining other activities to make myself more well rounded... I was just wondering if there was anything that I was potentially missing. I sincerely apologize if I've offended you, or anyone here; it certainly wasn't my intention. I know it's very difficult to get a bid as a junior, so I just want to give myself the best chance I can possibly get, so if I don't get a bid, I can look back on the experience without regrets and know I gave it my absolute best shot.

I just wanted to have all my bases covered, and to make sure I wasn't missing anything. Again, I apologize if I've caused any offense.

Well...you participated in COB in the past not Formal recruitment, correct? Formal is very different since every group will be participating. When you go through formal, realize that being a Junior may be a very big disadvantage for you depending on your school. Keep you options as open as possible. If you choose to decline an invitation from a group, only blame yourself if you go bidless. The rest is up to you.

It's not a matter of offense. It's that no one here knows you, the campus, etc. No one has a crystal ball. Because every campus and chapter is different than the others, there are no hard and fast rules about class standing (and everything else). It's all relative. Yes, it may be less likely to get a bid as a junior, but we don't know.

The only thing I can suggest is to be in the present. Enjoy yourself. There are no guarantees anywhere.

:) The best bet is to take the tons of advice that you've been reading as a lurker and apply it however you see fit. :)

I know you're being sincere, but this literally made me LOL! The thought popped into my head "Oh no! She figured it out! :eek: We're purposely holding out on the uber-secret key advice that any upperclassman needs to get a bid on any campus!" :p

Hopeful, All of this great advice has been previously mentioned by others in this thread. Be yourself, visit each and every house, and keep ALL of your options open. I pledged through formal recruitment when I was a junior so it is possible.
No guarantees. No regrets.
Good luck, PMP

I think as a junior, it can be easy to come off as a bit wishy-washy. You've survived on campus just fine without a sorority, so why now? Be prepared to give a thoughtful answer to this line of questioning. Share what you are hoping to achieve (and to give) by joining a sorority.

Keep your head up and stay positive. Take a close look at all of the houses. If anything puzzles you (and it might,) reach out to people on this board. After a few days of recruitment, there will be many (I hope) clear "yesses" and perhaps one or two "definitely nots." If you find a chapter that falls somewhere in the middle -- you're not sure about it, or you can't get a handle on it -- keep giving it a chance. It might be the perfect fit for you.

Yeah, some cuts will come your way because you're a junior. But you've made it in school, this far...you've got the right stuff! :)

Good luck, and enjoy your recruitment.

At my moderately competitive school, I've seen junior rush go very well. There haven't been a large number of juniors, but the ones I've seen go well were either junior transfers, or, in a small number of cases, women who have really felt a positive impact from sororities on campus and can add to that positivity.

Sometimes it has not gone so well. One year, I asked a junior PNM why she decided to rush as a junior. She replied, "All my friends went abroad."

Should this board be the first resort?

Isn't it enough that she's been lurking for about a year?

I don't think my situation is remarkably unique, and nor was i looking for the "right answer" or the "key" to being able to get a bid as an upperclassman... I know there isn't one. And I have asked as many greeks as I know for advice and tips.

I wasn't posting to be like "omg I'm so special", so I'm sorry if it's coming across like that. Like I said previously, I've read a lot, and asked for advice, but that doesn't mean that I haven't missed anything that could play a roll and give me an advantage. I just wanted to have all my bases covered, and give myself the best chance I can have.

Make sure to reach out to any greek women you know, and let them know you're excited about going through recruitment, explaining why you waited until Junior year to join. Try to meet any greek women in your classes this semester and get to know them at least on a friendly acquaintance level. As a junior, you will need contacts in the houses to pull for you.

Be ready with an answer as to why you're rushing as a junior. I wouldn't bring up the COB events. Something like "I really wanted to go through last year, but I got really sick and it didn't work out."

During the rounds, your role isn't to be the perfect PNM, it is to be a natural fit with the sisters in the house. So be your most confident self, maybe get a mani or a new outfit to make yourself feel extra-polished, and just HAVE FUN! You've read the threads, so be ready with some good questions in case the conversation stalls. As others have said, your options will be limited, so be open to any house if this is what you really want.

Good luck!

And you don't need to apologize this much - on a thread or in real life. :) You've been around here long enough to know people just like to comment on stuff.

Something else…You may find that you know more greek women than you actually know PNMs in your recruitment group.

In my case, I went to a larger university and I knew absolutely no one in my PX group because they were all freshmen and sophomores. And get this, because of my involvement in another organization, a few sorority members knew me and I didn’t necessarily know them. A little strange in the beginning, during a middle round of parties, but hey we worked through it.

Everyone has their own personal reasons for participating in formal recruitment whether they are a first semester freshman or a seasoned second semester junior like you. The difference is that you KNOW that something may actually be missing from your collegiate experience.

IMO, it’s not only the year or two that you can experience now, but what awaits you decades later if you choose to stay involved. (Just my opinion….)

Fleur is right, no apologies. Keep your chin up. You’ll never know unless you try. Good for you for being bold!

No, it may not be enough. And sure, her Rho Chi/Rho Gamma or the sorority sisters themselves should be among the first on her list if questions arise.

But sometimes PNM's have questions or concerns that they don't feel comfortable discussing with their PX's. That's where we can help.

That may be the case, and there are times when, by coincidence, there is one person from that campus who might be able to provide insight, a generic "I'm a junior rushing...any advice?" post doesn't solicit specific information.

And many times, there are no "good" answers for specific questions like "what are my chances?" - questions that have been asked and addressed repeatedly in the past.

I honestly think that people in these situations are over thinking and need to just relax and let things unfold. Follow guidelines, be genuine in your interactions within and outside of recruitment, and enjoy the experience.

I actually went through formal recruitment as a junior and it worked out for me! Just try to be yourself. I think that's the best advice that anyone can give you. If you try to be something you're not, you will not end up happy in the end. Good luck!

Well... I got a bid as a Junior, but I had a high GPA, a lot of involvement (3 clubs, +2 extracurricular activies -sports), and I knew a few sorority women. My advice, get recs from sorority alumni, keep improving your grades, get to know as many sorority women as possible, don't expect to get into the so-called "top" sororities, be yourself and be ready to answer the question (if anyone asks) "why did you decide to rush now?" I don't know if anyone will ask you that, but always be prepared for it. I wouldn't bring up your past rush experiences unless someone asks you about it.

Congratulations! Perhaps you might want to write "Suggestions on going through Recruitment as a Junior" post (although your suggestions already were wonderful).

You followed the rules, presented yourself well, and had the qualifications. That's ALL you could have done, and you did it.

Thank you so much :) I have to thank everyone on Greek Chat for my success. All I did was read the stickies made by KSUViolet and adpiucf. I am still a new member to my sorority so I feel as if I have a lot to learn before I can make a thread for suggestions for juniors going through recruitment.

Thanks for all your help everyone :).