cheerleading- hurting or helping me?
 

big sisters- I'm a cheerleader at my high school and i was just wondering if that would hurt or help my chances of getting into a sorority. I know greeks want well rounded students(students who r involved in after school stuff) but they also want to avoid appearing superficial and cheerleaders are known to be superficial (im not though FYI). I just wanted to know if this is a problem-lil sister

I can't imagine that it would matter. I cheered in highschool, as I'm sure many of us did.

I was a cheerleader for two years during high school but I don't think it was ever brought up until well after I joined the sorority. I don't think that this is something that would be held against you. I think a lot of organizations look highly upon extracurricular activities in high school.

I would think that it is helping you...so long as it is not the only thing you do. At my school all the Cheerleaders are in houses, and I feel safe assuming that similar situations exist around the country.

Like you said GLO's are looking for well-rounded people, and HS is the place where you have to take the steps that you will be judged on.

I know that at my University, the way sorority rush is set up, girls are only allowed to visit 10 of the 14 NPC houses...which means that the houses get to make cuts based solely on the girls rush application without meeting the girls. From what my friends tell me, more than anything they are looking for girls who have done several activities and maintained grades throughout HS. Not just one or the other.

Obviously everyone knows that cheering takes up a lot of time, so if you can show that you didn't let it become your life, you should be fine. Like the GC ladies have said so far, it probably won't even come up, but remember that if it is appropriate in conversation feel free to talk about it.

As one of the girls in my house said "sorority houses are retirement homes for high school cheerleaders." LOL, she just meant that there are a lot of former cheerleaders in sororities, so I guess what I'm saying is that it would probably help you.

Carrie7777, you funny!:)

Serious for a momement!

My best Freinds Step Daughter is going to Baker U in Ks. on acedemic scholarship. 4.0!! WOW!

She was a cheerleader and pitcher for her school softball team! They went to State Champs playoff.

They wat her to play softball and cheerlead very badly!

Baker has a firm enuff beleif that they take a pix of each Frosh class and say these are our Graduates in 4 years. 96 % Graduate in 4 years! That is what they expect.

She showed me a letter from Baker U and is thinking about being in a Soroity!

I said Great! Here is how you find out about the Organizations there! Look and see what each stands for and then look when you go there!

There are only 4-- AXO, DDD, PM, and ZTA!

I told her that they were some of the very best!

I will sit and talk to her so as to give an idea of what to expect but has to decide on her own as as we all know, each one is different by campus.

My one hope is that she goes Greek as she is Mouthy, but cute and has brains so would be an asset to any group, I hope!:)

So being a cheer leader! Schools and Groups look for people who get involved! You will learn more from being in a Greek Organization than just book Learning!

You an learn how to manage, work with people and budget finances!

The Best Of Luck and Go For It!

I was a cheerleader for 4 years in high school. I still refer to it as my 'first sorority' because many of the things we did in HS are similar to what I did as a sorority collegian.

First of all, because we were considered 'student athletes', we were expected to maintain a solid GPA because we couldn't afford to be put on academic probation. You had to maintain a C average, but everyone tried to do their best in the classroom because we all wanted that student-athlete award at the end of the year!

In addition to our duties at the games, we were expected to choose a philanthropy at the beginning of the year and support them financially and physically. I've been a part of fundraisers for Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the RM House, Shriners' Hospital, and Make-A-Wish.

If anything, cheerleading was very time consuming, but it was a necessary tool in helping me with time management. To be honest, it didn't even come up until after I was Initiated. I didn't belong to TONS of clubs in HS, but I'm assuming that cheerleading got buried somewhere behind Student Council, Campus Ministry, and Yearbook. ;)

My sweet Hula Girl, Damn, you said it best! Better than me! Wll as usual!!:)

We could youse dis youngster in the Greek System!:cool:

What think thee?:)

WHAT??? Something is seriously wrong here!

I was just thinking the same thing... is that even ALLOWED? :eek:

Forito-

Like everyone else has said, cheering in high school will only help since it's another activity you participated in. Do you plan on cheering in college? If you do, remember that cheering in college (like any other sport) takes up a ton of time with practices and games, and you will have have to miss out on some sorority activites that are at the same time as games/practices. But don't let that discourage you...at my school about half the cheerleaders are greek, including one of my best friends from my pledge class. She had to miss chapter meetings since they were at the same time as practice, but she was at every event she could when she didn't have a game/practice, and always hung out with us on the weekends.

PS-Sororities are retirement homes for hs cheerleaders..lol, how true! I never cheered in high school (wasn't the thing to do at my hs), but so many of my other sisters did!

i was a cheerleader, too
 

Like everyone else has said, having been a cheerleader won't hurt you during rush, as long as you present yourself well at college and during sorority rush. Plenty of sorority girls, myself included, were once cheerleaders. That said, I don't think you should count on cheering to HELP you in rush any more than soccer or field hockey or anything else would help. I know at some high schools, the cheerleaders are considered "popular" or "the prettiest" or whatever you want to say. College girls really don't care what people thought of you in high school (unless of course you go to a college with tons of people form your h.s.)... they'll make their own judgments about you. So I don't think you should count on the "coolness" factor to help you any in sorority rush. Cheerleading is just seen as another extracurricular.

All I can say is that it must be allowed b/c it happens every year...I know that when my Ex went through rush last year she didn't get "invites" from Kappa Alpha Theta, Chi Omega and Kappa Kappa Gamma (these houses ALWAYS rank among everyone's top 5 of whatever category you pick...and at the time I thought they were ludicrous for not inviting her, but after a year they were right - she wasn't anywhere near their class). Since she had 11 invites that meant that she also had to make a decision about one last house to not visit...most girls pick the one NPC sorority w/o a house as the one they won't go see.

Since it is very possible that a girl will get invites from all 14 houses, the system also means that some girls have to pick 4 houses they don't want to visit.

I do think that there is some rule stating that each PNM must visit 10 houses the first day, but I'm not sure exactly how this happens if say 5 houses were to drop a PNM before the first day:confused:

very true... i think it's the social/confidence that cheerleaders generally have that help them out in recruitment, both as a member and a potential new member. everyone here has given you good advice forito, don't worry about, if anything it's probly an asset, and if it's appropriate to the conversation, don't be concerned about discussing it :)

and carrie, i had to quote you, because you made me laugh out loud... hope you don't mind if i quote ya on that one :D i went to a conference a couple weeks ago for my sorority and i think at least half the people i met had been cheerleaders in hs at least... don't ask me how we got on the subject, haha :D

...and at the time I thought they were ludicrous for not inviting her, but after a year they were right - she wasn't anywhere near their class).

I guess you guys broke up...

no problem being a cheerleader
 

Hi There,
It's not a problem being a cheerleader. Quite a few of the women in my chapter were cheerleaders, tall flags, flags, drill team or banner girls.
For freshman PNM we try to look at the overall package. How is your GPA, activities in school, and of course your interest in us.
I think its great that you are trying to find out as much information as possible about sororities while you're still in high school. If you haven't already done so you should check out www.npcwomen.org. That is the organization that 26 national sororities belong too. They have lots of information and links to all the npc sororities.
Carolyn

Big sisters- I've decided to do both Football and Basketball Cheerleading this year and for the next 4 years of high school. I also have my 9th grade activities later including class vice prez., the school play, F.L.A. ( future leaders of america), and a few other things like yearbook, newspaper...etc etc- so does that sound like good things to be involved with and don't make the cheerleading seem like everything? I want to know what are good things to be involved with so that i can get into a sorority when college rolls around. Lil sister

Ejoy high school for what it is and participate in activities that interest you. For almost every club or sport there was in high school I know there is probably at least one girl in my sorority who was involved in it...there's no magic combination of activities that will make you look better than any other combination. Just be active, get good grades, and don't think about sororities too much. You still have a long way to go. :)

Sounds like you're very busy, but on the right track to being well rounded. Some words of advice from a former hs newspaper editor, softball/track/basketball player, and a bunch of other activities at some point in time...only do those activities that you truly enjoy, (I learned this the hard way) and you'll be better off in the long run. I started out participating in way too many activities, and as the years progressed I became just a "member" in so many, and looking back I feel like I really didn't get an experience from them. So basically figure out what activities you truly love, and become very involved in them. It looks a lot better to be cheerleading captain and newspaper editor than just a participant in 10 activities like cheerleading, play, class vp, etc. etc. Plus you'll probably get more out of your experience if you're really involved in it. The more time you put into something, usually the more you care about it (and that will show through when you're talking about your activities during recruitment...plus it will show that you have the capacity to be a good member, sororities want active members that will care about the org, not just someone who wears the letters). Hopefully you don't burn out, since as you get older all of these activites will take up more time! I was very close...if there was 1 more week of school senior year I probably would have had a breakdown;)!

Just make sure you're participating in these activities because you truly like them, and not just because it will look good on scholarship/admissions/sorority apps. Once it's all over what really matters is your own personal experience and memories you have from the activites, since once you're in college and after no one really cares what you did in high school (with recruitment and if it randomly comes up in conversation as exceptions). It's good that you're looking toward the future, but enjoy high school while you're there...college and sorority life will come soon enough.

do what you love! what you are most interested in... develop a passion for something/activity, etc... this will mean so much more than a shallow attempt to look good by becoming involved in a million activities... (NOT that i am saying that is the case, please) enjoy your high school years and do what makes you happy, just don't forget to take some time to evaluate those goals that you have before graduating, and what they REAlly have Meant to you, listen to the great advice here, and reach for the stars!!!