UCLA upperclassmen recruitment
 

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Paging ChioLu! And trying to remember who else is familiar with UCLA.

I'm a UCLA alumna and was a recruitment advisor at UCLA for several years, but haven't been directly involved since 2011. I still keep tabs on recruitment and have friends who are still advisors for our chapter there.

An upperclassman quota was used last year, but I don't know for sure if one will be used again this year. I hadn't heard anything about that changing, but ChioLu would likely know more definitively if that changed.

If the upperclassman quota is handled the same way it was when I advised, then anyone 2nd year or older will fall into that category. It actually works out in sophomores' favor in many ways, because junior transfers make up the majority of the upperclassman quota, yet most chapters will always favor a younger PNM, all things being equal. I saw many sophomores (and many junior transfers, of course) receive bids to every house at UCLA, even sophomores who pledged another chapter the year before.

Make sure that you're polished, confident and can hold a great conversation. I don't see any reason why you wouldn't have a successful recruitment.

Good Luck!

Also come back and post your story!! :D We're recolonizing there fall 2016.

At UCLA, upper-class quota is about one THIRD of the total pledge class. I'd have to go back and look up actual numbers, but I think it was something like 68 New Member class total with about 20 upperclass new members in that total. Not sure there's a higher % at any other school. UCLA has a large number of transfer students, so most chapters take the full amount of sophomores, juniors & even seniors.

Grades are very important. If you have less than a 3.0GPA as an upperclass PNM, your choices will be limited.

Most women you talk to probably won't even ask why you didn't join last year. If they do just tell the truth, then say that you're ready to join Greek life.

Tell your friends who are already in sororities that you're going through recruitment and that you're really excited about it. Keep an open mind, practice your conversation skills and maximize your options.

Here's a guide of what to wear: http://npcbruins.com/what-to-wear

^^^ Every time one of the "suggested outfits" pages is shared for a particular campus, there always seems to be one outfit that's questionable. This time, I've got to go with the mid-riff baring black top and maxi skirt combo for Day 2.

ChiLu, that is a great link! I love the comments describing each round and the advice like eating before parties start, etc.

That's hardly any midriff bared. I think her outfit is much cuter and more appropriate than the cocktail dress with five inch platforms.

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Go back and read ChioLu's post. It has info on this.

I did read her post and it was very informative. Still wondering how she thinks the experience compares for freshman vs. upper classmen. I've read other posts on the topic which say it is frustrating for the chapters because they feel they have to take upperclassmen that wouldn't get a bid as freshman but the sheer number of upperclassmen that register for recruitment (about 1/3 of total) makes me think that it is similar in terms of competitiveness.

Hon, now you're just worrying too much. You've gotten great advice, you know to plan your outfits in advance, you have the link with examples of what to wear, you know to work on your conversation skills........everything else is out of your hands. It doesn't matter if upperclassman is competitive or not. Follow the advice, do your best, and have fun with it!!!!

All recruitments are competitive to some extent. There is nothing you can do about that. Just like you can't do anything about whether a given chapter feels pressured to take upperclassmen, blondes, tall girls, etc. Let it go.

It's cute on her, but it looks more like a pool party outfit, and that skirt is going to be a pain if she had to sit on the floor.

Meanwhile, what's up with the girl next to her, who's sticking out her tongue at the camera?!

Meanwhile, what's up with the girl next to her, who's sticking out her tongue at the camera?![/QUOTE]

I thought the same thing about the young lady sticking her tongue out. LOL

I said to myself be nice.

What's up with those clunky chunky shoes that went out of style in the mid-late 90s? They don't make your legs look longer even though the heels are sky high, they just make your feet look blocky like you have Fred Flintstone feet. And they can't be comfortable during a walking and standing event like recruitment. Don't make them a thing again, yuck.

Too late....

Here's how a 2nd year woman can RUIN her 2nd recruitment at UCLA:
Being stupid on social media - posting photos with drinks (you're 19 & not legal drinking age) or photos with guys with inappropriate comments or poses, immature Twitter names (I remember 1 starting with "whore"), or posting unflattering comments about individual chapters (like one PNM who pledged a house the year prior and dropped, then posting something like "I'm going to do better this time". FYI - she didn't) or campaigning for specific chapters DURING Recruitment.
Low GPA
Lack of activities
Not getting to know ANY sorority women in their 1st year (you don't have to be best friends, just get to know other people ... And not in a stalkerish way)
Being shy
Dressing in an unbecoming way (just avoid anything you'd wear to a club)
Strange conversations with current members during Recruitment (like I posted in "Weird Rush Stories" about the PNM who said James Franco wanted her in his creative writing class so he could stare at her boobs). Steer clear of the 3 B's: Boys, Booze, Bible conversations.
Being cranky or rude (Recruitment is long days for both sides and chapters usually do 1 more party than the PNMs, due to numbers or class schedule, so be considerate)
Having a bad reputation
Going through fall, winter, & spring recruitments and not receiving a bid, but not working on anything (GPA, activities, conversation skills, etc), then going through a 2nd fall rush and thinking the outcome will be different.

Thank you so much to the UCLA NPC panhellenic sisters for responding. AND I love everything ChioLu wrote in the post above mine (#18 in this thread). Seems like we should sticky that and post it every time someone comes here to ask about going through another recruitment anywhere.

To better answer your question, just to get accepted into UCLA, you have to be a high achiever. So your resume to get in is a great resume for Panhellenic recruitment. To transfer in as an upperclassman, same thing. Having said that, sophomores, juniors, and even seniors, do well because you are competing against a smaller number. For example, in Fall 2015 recruitment, there were 900 PNMs - 600 freshmen, 300 upperclass (roughly). And using last year's approximate numbers, if 12 chapters take the full 20 UC quota (which nearly all do), then 240 total Soph/Jr/Sr pledged. And this doesn't count quota additions. That's about 80% UC who get bids. But you should maximize your options (ie, if you don't get invited back by your favorites, take a second look at the houses you've been invited back to and find new favorites among those. And do that every day.)

I would say the upperclassmen who don't join a sorority are in these three categories: didn't get invited back to their top choices, or had bad grades or bad behavior in their 1st year at UCLA.

I kinda love the crop top with the long skirt. It part of the popular boho socal look that is perfect at UCLA

I kind of suspected that might be a socal kind of look. :)

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A quota addition happens when a chapter has already reached quota, but PNMs who were lower on their lists would not have received a bid, even though she went to Pref. So, these PNMs are added to 1 of the sororities they preffed. (Someone with better knowledge can explain those intricate details.). Or if a PNM was only invited to 1 Pref party and was low on that group's list, they would be added as a quota addition, even after that group had met total quota. It's a way to get more women in Greek life and not let PNMs go all through recruitment and not find a home.

With chapters totaling around 170 at UCLA, you'll find plenty of new sisters of all years to become close. Start with the 20+ upperclass women in your New Member class.

I hope you post your recruitment story here after UCLA recruitment is over.

I hope UCLAucm and uclagirl123 come back and post their recruitment stories.
Pref was last night and bid night is tonight.

It was predicted that freshman quota would be approx 30 and approx. UC about 22. (corrected -- quota turned out to be 63)
Numbers are deceiving though. From the amount of women going to Pref, I know there should be a TON of quota additions. Would not be at all surprised if pledge classes are in the high 60s or more!

And to the fantastically qualified freshman PNM's that didn't get their choice at their current University, guess where they love upperclassman? This year, upper-class women will be close to HALF of the New Member class at UCLA!
It's a great university (US News & World Report Top 25) with lots of transfer students! (Blantant promotion for UCLA)