Recs + Low GPA??
 

I'm going to be rushing as a sophomore this year at a Big 12 school. My college GPA is 2.7 (low, I know). Out of the twelve houses on my campus, I meet the requirements for three, five if you include the houses with 2.75 minimum requirements. I have recs for 8 of the houses, and am working on getting more.
How much will the recs help me? Let's say house ABC has a GPA requirement of 3.0, and I have a rec for that house. How likely is it that I will be invited back to at least the second round at that house? I've already called the Greek Life office and they (vaguely) said it won't matter at all if I have a rec or not. I really need some help/reassurance that my chances of getting invited back to more houses are improving with each rec I get, and I'm not wasting my or the rec writer's time.

We can't tell you your chances, unfortunately. Membership selection is private information and varies by organization. I can tell you that sororities have minimum GPA requirements nationally, and oftentimes the chapters themselves have standards well above this minimum. They will likely not be able to pledge someone who does not meet the basic national requirements; regardless of any recommendations, a PNM must meet the basic minimum standards. Unless you know for sure what the sorority requirements are, and I find this unlikely because the chapters don't tend to publish these things, I think you should get recs to all the chapters. If you are at a school where upperclassmen frequently pledge sororities, you could sit out this year to get your grades up. Another option is to rush in the fall, and if it doesn't work out, see if any sororities are recruiting in the spring, as well. Work on those grades!

So if I meet the national requirements, but not the chapter requirements, there's still a chance I could be invited back or (if extremely lucky) offered a bid? My plan is to tell them, if they ask, that my last semester was a hard one but one of my goals this semester is to work hard to raise my GPA.

Grade risks (someone who doesn't meet the chapter's GPA requirements) are the exception and not the norm. I'd say to anticipate heavy cuts based on your GPA and likely because of your year in school. This doesn't mean it is impossible to get a bid; just don't go in expecting a full schedule each day. Again, I can't tell you your chances, but I definitely encourage you to go through the process and keep an open mind. No one will want a sob story about your grades at the parties; just be yourself.

You COULD.. but it's not in a chapter's best interest to take on a grade risk. This is usually done for a girl that excels in all other areas and/or knows many of the sisters personally and they just HAVE to have her as a member of their organization.

I've seen this many places on the site. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high, but it's hard to "go into rush with an open mind" when my mind is telling me I have limited options available.

Another thing: My mother, who was in a sorority at my school back in the mid 80's, keeps telling me that the chapters "know freshman year is hard for some" and "will be sympathetic because of it". I want to listen to her, but my mind raises a red flag at sympathy from the houses because this is a competitive school where Greek Life is HUGE. I doubt they show much sympathy to someone who's GPA dropped 1.0 point from high school to college, but I don't want to argue against my mom.

You don't have to argue with your mom. Just smile and nod. It's not something you need to fight about; just understand that you might not have the easiest time receiving a bid. Your mom went to school in the 80s.. the 80s! 30 years ago. Times change.

The point of having an open mind is having an open mind as a PNM. The sororities don't have to be as open. You know that you'll probably receive heavy cuts, which means you shouldn't automatically turn your back on a chapter that is willing to give you a chance.

If you want to go through recruitment, then go through recruitment. There's nothing you can do about your grades for the upcoming semester. Worry about the things you CAN change, rather than the things you can't. I know you're probably freaking out, but that won't help you right now. Just do what you can with what you have.

I'd also like to add, that while you can assume some chapters won't invite you back because of grades, you can't be sure which ones. Recruitment is a wild card and unexpected things happen. So while you will most like face cuts due to grades, don't count out a chapter and make your best impressions. Greeks talk to each other so make a good impression everywhere you can.

I would also like to add that recruitment is incredibly different from when us Mom's went through in the 80's and a lot more competitive.

I think you need to go into recruitment with the mindset that 3 Chapters have a 2.7 GPA requirement from college. Think of a recommendation as a letter of introduction. It MIGHT get you an invite into set 2 but I think your GPA will hold more weight then the recommendation. Just my opinion.

Good luck to you. Maybe one of those 3 house or all will be your favorites and you will find your home.

This is exactly what we mean when we say to have an open mind. It just means to be open to membership in EVERY chapter that invites you back EVERY day of recruitment. Once you are cut from a chapter, put them out of your head and be open and willing to explore membership with the options that are in front of you. Those chapters still on your invite list have seen something special in you and want to get to know you better. So keeping an open mind means that while you may not get tons of choices like some other PNMs may, you still have options.

A lot of girls drop out in the middle or at the end if they don't like their invite list. Keep things in perspective: this is ONE week of your life, you've only had a few minutes to talk to members in the chapters, and being cut means-- what? Your resume wasn't as flashy and you didn't get to meet every single sister in the chapter because of the limited time allowed by the parties-- you have nothing to lose by sticking it out until the end and getting to know more girls in the chapters who invite you back. Don't get hung up on certain sororities that everyone seems to think are the cool or top chapters. Focus on what is in front of you.

Honestly, if you're a reasonably decent person, as I am sure you are, you could fit in with any chapter at your school. Membership is what you make of it, and while other chapters may seems cooler or more elite than others, I assure you that they all diverse and have their equal share of drama, regrets, fun sisterhood, socials, philanthropy, and friendship. There's no "perfect" chapter where everyone is beautiful and gets along 24/7 and wins all the awards and accolades on campus. It's a big crazy mix no matter where you join. So know that no matter where you end up, you're getting an equivalent experience to the girl across the street.

Well a minimum is a minimum. It's the very very very lowest a sorority can take. You are going to be competing with a whole lot of freshmen with very good GPAs. Ask yourself why a sorority who doesn't even know you would go through a bunch of extra stuff to keep you around long enough to get to really know you through the rounds and give you a bid by the end of recruitment when they already have plenty of other more attractive PNMs to consider. It might be different if you were someone who lots of the sisters got to know and love through your freshman year but a random sophomore in a very competitive recruitment is a very different story. Like a lot of people have said here in the past, grade cuts are the easiest ones to make because you either have it or you don't.

The other problem is that even though you meet the minimum for only three houses since 2.7 =/= 2.75, you have no idea how you will even click with those houses. You might not fit in for one reason or another whether they be the most selective houses who can have their pick of the PNMs and won't even bother to look at someone with a bare minimum GPA to a house that's struggling so hard you wouldn't want to consider them for your own personal reasons. Only 1/4 of the houses there is horribly limiting.

I am going to be honest here and go against the trend and tell you that I personally would wait to rush until next year after you can increase your GPA and become very active on campus and get to know a lot of sorority members as real true friends. If you go through recruitment now, it may be your only chance you ever get and when you get dropped it will be the end. Going through as a junior will be harder in a lot of ways but at least you will not have that stigma of having a very low GPA there because that's a big negative.

And I second what Old_Row said.

I third it!

Get to know sorority members, bring those grades up and get involved on campus with a club or two.

In general, recs do not "make up" for a low GPA. Sorry, but that is the reality. All sororities may have a minimum GPA that they are willing to consider. Grades are very, very important to all sororities. Focus on your grades this year. Sorority can wait.

THIS needs to be printed on every single sheet of paper handed to a PNM, every day!!!

Coming from a Big 12 school perspective, GPA is important and releasing girls for not making minimum GPA is a black and white cut.

So in short, focus my energy on the three houses that I'm qualified for, but don't exclude any other house that might want me back. I have joined a few clubs my freshman year, plus many activities I did in high school, and I know/have made friendly conversation with girls in various sororities. As much as waiting a semester or two might help me, I really want to rush now. I have four more years ahead of me in school (because of my major&minor) and I want to make the most of them in a sorority.

Focus your energy on EVERYONE of them, but each day is a new day and focus your energy on where you've been invited BACK. Good luck! Please stick around and feel free to ask any more questions! The link in my signature is an ongoing compilation of past recruitment threads and advice that may be helpful!

A ver thoughtful and helpful young for PNMs

Don't focus on any particular chapter. Treat them all the same. As someone else pointed out, word travels fast around the Greek community. If you act rude, uninterested, indifferent, etc. at one chapter, another chapter may find out about it. Girls gossip and talk. This is nothing new.

Also, consider the fact that you might not receive a bid this semester. So maybe you turn things around, improve your GPA, and end up being eligible to join any chapter (grade-wise) during the next recruitment period. What happens that next time around? Will the chapters remember you in a positive light or a negative one?

Or what happens if you do receive a bid, but now you're on the outs with the majority of other sororities because of your attitude during recruitment?

Again, stop worrying. Just be yourself and put your best foot forward... at every chapter.

What you did in high school isn't relevant. It's all about your college stuff now. Friendly conversation is not the same as having relationships with members who will stand up and fight for you. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm trying to give you very realistic expectations.

You may very well be completely dropped after the first or second round and that will be it for you for the rest of college. Be prepared for that and truly make sure you will be ok with it because saying you will be and actually experiencing that kind of rejection are two different things.

Also I think you need to ask yourself how you plan on getting a decent GPA with all the time and fun distractions of a sorority when you couldn't do it without one.

Let me clarify. By "focus my energy" I mean finding more recs, really looking into their philanthropies/philanthropic work the chapter itself has done, seeing where each house excels, etc. I will try to dazzle every house I visit during round one, even though I know I will be cut from most of them. I want to have a good reputation with every house, even if they only know me as "the sophomore we cut first round because of low GPA".

adpiucf I'll definitely read your linked post about recruitment!

Good luck AA. Please let us know how it goes.

You're getting great advice and suggestions, and everyone is being positive as well as realistic with you. No one enjoys rejection and hurt.

Sororities highly value scholarship. Please accept and understand this fact: the first, immediate release of PNMs after Open House Rounds is IN PART almost always typically based on grades (and there may be other factors which most definitely ARE super secret Membership Selection information and I am not going there). This fact is black and white. The chapters have to develop their invitation lists and must somehow reduce the number of women they will invite back.

You know that your GPA is not competitive. This is a fact. I am with the other posters who have suggested that you defer another year and improve your GPA significantly as well as developing friendships with current sorority women.

Whatever you decide, I wish you the very best.

I wouldn't sweat the details to this extent. There is no test during recruitment and how well you can answer questions about ABC or XYZ will improve your odds. It's nice to look at the sorority and chapter websites so you are familiar with them in a general sense, but you don't need to "focus" on anyone's background. And knowing too much or vomiting out facts about a sorority to a member can be creepy and seem stalkery.

I know you already know (or think you know) the grade requirements for all of the chapters. I would do your best to forget all that. There's a lot more to member selection than you think, and you can't control any of it. Go in with a positive attitude and a sparkling personality, wow them with how awesome you are as a person, and then see where the chips fall. If it doesn't work out for you, do your absolute best to improve your grades in the next semester and maybe you can informal rush next spring. But you don't need to worry about that now either.

Yes and you risk looking like a total creeper if you start chattering away about all the sorority facts especially during early rounds. So not impressive. I would also be seriously offended if I knew the only reason you did so much research on my sorority is because you decided beforehand based on assumptions that we were one of the only ones who might let you sneak in with a poor GPA.

Hahaha I just noticed your siggy!

All the above advice is excellent, just a quick thought. Not sure what you are majoring/minoring in, but have you ever thought of trying to grab a summer class or two, if you do well you may increase your GPA. Just a thought, I know many schools have 2-3 summer sessions and you may be able to pick something up either in your major/minor or even a GenEd type course. Online courses are also an option. =) Best of luck!

I did look into taking an online summer class at the beginning of the summer. My school only offered GenEd classes I had already taken/don't need or upper level classes way out of my major. I looked at my local university and they had a class that would fill a minor requirement AND that could transfer back to my school. But my 40 hour/week job can be really draining some days and I quickly found when I got home I wanted some me time, not study time. Plus, I wasn't sure, if I did take the class through the local school, if it would transfer/change my GPA in time for recruitment. But thanks for the advice!

Or if you can RE-take a GenEd class where you can improve your grade. Yes, that would be paying twice to take the same class, but if you can improve a "C" to an "A", it could be worth a shot.

As a professor on a university committee that deals with this issue, I have to say these policies vary so much from campus to campus that I wouldn't even attempt to make a general statement. The OP should thoroughly read through her campus's current catalog policy on retaking classes, and then follow up with the Registrar's office to make sure she's interpreting it correctly before spending time and money retaking a class.

At my campus, we even have different policies for undergraduate and graduate level courses. Our philosophy has been that it you're willing to pay again and do the work, and you achieve a higher grade, your highest learning level should be acknowledged. We've started discussing limits on how many times students can retake some important science classes; we have an issue with students trying to replace Bs with As for medical, PT, and nursing school admission. These upperclassmen fill up seats, and then first timers can't get into the classes they need. Limited lab space and faculty limits how many sections can be offered. This is a complicated issue! We talked about averaging the grades if you take a class twice, but that does not acknowledge the highest level of achievement...continuing to work to achieve higher mastery should not be penalized.

I will say that transfer classes rarely, if ever, are factored into your "home school" GPA. Usually, you have to get a minimum grade to be able to transfer in the class, but the actual grade doesn't count.

Uh oh. I was bored and got nosy so I looked at which Big 12 schools have 12 sororities. Those schools are on the Greek chat must have recommendations list. They are competitive. Way way competitive. I think you should wait until next year even more now.

Another "pearl": use a Grade Point Average calculator when you are attempting to improve your GPA.

On one campus where I teach, you can petition to replace a grade with a new grade, and generally, students can do it ONCE in their undergrad career.