2.4 GPA and looking to rush at University of Alabama?
 

Hi guys:)

I will be attending Alabama in the fall of 2016, and was wondering if I could get in a sorority with a 2.4. I have one semester left in high school, so I'm hoping I will be able to raise it to a 2.7, but that is as high as I can possibly get it. I got in because they saw my high ACT score and my explanation for why GPA was so low my first two years of highschool, ( mother and grandmother had cancer, I was never at school I was always was with them. When they beat it I focused on my studies, raising my gpa from 1.6 to a 2.4 in two semesters) I am worried that they will cut me, even before they hear my reasons.

Any advice would be super helpful!

That's going to be very tough, not impossible but difficult. I would do everything possible to get the GPA as high as you possibly can. Get good recommendations and put forth your best effort. If I were you though I would wait and work on your studies to raise your GPA your freshman year. Not sure if Alabama offers spring rush or COB but that may be an option too. Keep an open mind if you decide to rush in fall and its possible you may not get your top choices just go into it with positive attitude. Best of luck.

To be very honest, your chances are slim to none. However, several groups there do COB spring semester so waiting to see what your fall grades are would be good. And Alabama also has an upperclass quota so waiting till sophomore year where you could really improve your grades is also an option. A large number of the groups there also utilize the upperclass quota. You will need all your recs for Alabama.

No matter the reason, your GPA is low. Don't waste your money and your time rushing this fall. Pledge the library and devote yourself to getting stellar grades, but leave a little time to get involved with a campus organization. Keep your nose clean. Plan on rushing in the spring providing you have the GPA, or wait until fall formal 2017. As Titchou said, get recs. to all sororities.

If you're insistent on going through recruitment, I would make sure your rec writers know the reason for your low GPA, and that they explain it in the letter, at the least.

Some traditionally strong sororities at Alabama had COB spots this spring due to early graduations, etc.

I would not put myself through formal recruitment in the fall with your GPA. Better to study hard and get good fall grades while trying to get to know as many freshman girls in your dorm and classes with sorority connections...could lead you to COB opportunities in the spring or a strong upperclass rush in Fall 2017.

Can't speak for every NPC sorority, however I venture to say this: very little wiggle room on GPA requirements for consideration as a potential new member. It's the easiest and fasted "cut" made in winnowing out the PNMs (and at Alabama there are a lot of PNMs so the field needs to be narrowed in some fashion, quickly, right out of the gate).

You're getting great advice here from women who truly know Alabama and I would take their advice.

I would have to concur. Potential is very important in rush (perceived grade risks will get cut even if the hard number is there), but there is a hard and fast bottom line that can't be crossed except in the most rare of circumstances. Being a sophomore is not a deal-breaker at this school. Get the grades where they should be, make friends, be involved on campus. It will work itself out later.

I'm glad your family members came out the other end ok. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made and you made a choice to be with family at the expense of your grades. This was undoubtedly the right thing to do and thankfully won't necessarily hurt your long term options. But it will have hurt in the short term.

Have you talked to your school advisor about any way to redeem what must have been a few failing grades? If you could bring back a few of those from the dead and get yourself to a 3.0 along with great recs I would say it MIGHT be worth just giving it a shot. As long as you went in with low expectations about results.

Thank you so much! I also have over 160 community service hours, will that benefit me in any way? Also do you know if they look just at the cumulative gpa, or all of my 4 years? I have some scary growth going from a 1.6 to two semesters of 4.0+.

It will be your cumulative GPA (confirmed by the UofA's records -- you will have a final official transcript sent to admissions after you graduate).

It is possible that sororities would see your transcript if alums include an unofficial copy you provide when they write and submit a recommendation. But I think you would likely still experience heavy cuts after the first round since many sororities would not look much beyond the 2.7. Your community service is a good thing, and you need that regardless, but it won't do much to offset your GPA.

In your case, since you know you are capable of a high GPA, I think your experience through recruitment would be far more positive as a stellar sophomore than it would as a struggling (with GPA cred) freshman.

During your freshman year (aside from killing your courses), you will have the opportunity to become involved on campus and meet/make connections with actives of different chapters.

Kudos to you for helping with your mother and grandmother -- wishing you all the best whatever you decide!

HartofSec and I are both Alabama alums and have worked with our chapters there in recruitment. We are trying to give you the most realistic answer we can. Hope you take our advice.

Again...I do have to echo the sentiments here. See what you can do to raise your GPA as high as possible. My daughter went thru COB this past spring, and she accepted a bid from kappa alpha theta, at an extremely competitive SEC school- as she wanted to really wanted to start strong and missed the cutoff for formal recruitment. I can tell you first hand that they do look very heavily on your grades. In fact, they have to even submit mid-term grades where my daughter attends. Its a big part trust me. I would not put the stress on myself at this point, but rather take everyone's suggestions and study hard freshman year raise your GPA as high as possible and rush in your sophomore year. I truly wish you the best!!

We have a minimum incoming GPA requirement, which is set at the international level. I think this is pretty typical, but the minimum can vary from group to group. The Alabama recruitment guide lists "suggested" GPAs (these may be the international minimum, or they may be a locally set higher minimum). While chapters may have some leeway with locally set higher GPA minimums, chapters cannot extend a bid to you if you do not meet the group's (inter)national minimum. Last year's guide indicates that every group has at least a 3.0 listed, and some are higher. Take these seriously...they are listed to give PNMs guidance in situations like yours.

http://www.uapanhellenic.com/greek-chic.html

You don't want to shoot yourself in the foot by getting released during freshman recruitment due to sub-minimum HS grades...then earning a great GPA and getting involved freshman year, only to have a potentially successful sophomore recruitment derailed because chapters remember you had a low GPA when you went through the previous year. Better to have a fresh start and go in strong sophomore year, in my opinion.

(Thinking about community service and your struggles when your mom and grandmom were ill)

If you were my daughter, I would advise you to direct your energy toward researching campus involvement opportunities (and making a list even), so that you might hit the ground running as a new freshman on campus. If you delay recruitment until 2017 (spring or fall), you will have time to really pursue and invest yourself into some campus orgs and activities.

For example -- apply for Freshman Forum -- you should be able to do this during the summer. On your application (and hopefully during the interview round) you might think of ways to highlight how your experience with service, struggling academically, overcoming adversity, and then recovering academically left you with a unique perspective and experience as you approach college. And how this translates into contributing as a member of Freshman Forum, of course.

You would meet and serve with a lot of freshmen -- including a lot of freshmen in sororities (ETA: not to mention that this would be a real plus -- leadership position -- on your recruitment resume)!

Is 2.4 your weighted or unweighted GPA? Because UA looks at weighted, Panhellenic also looks at weighted. So that might be good news for you.
But if it's 2.4 unweighted, I would not spend the money to sign up for recruitment.
As everyone else has said, spend your first semester or year studying like heck, meeting people, getting involved.
Good luck and
Roll Tide!

If I am able to get it up to a 2.7, do you think I will have better luck?

OK, enough already. Now I'm thinking you are a troll. On the off chance that you aren't, here's the bottom line, no rainbows, no hand holding, no sugar coating, no "weighted vs. unweighted", no spinning of the facts. Look - you have been given stellar advice by alumnae of groups at Alabama, who are experienced. Each and every single one of us is saying NO don't do it.

Proceed at your own risk.

Despite all of the advice to not rush fall 2016, you keep coming back with different questions. No, I do not think that a 2.7 would change your outcome unless you had some very strong personal connections in some houses who could explain your situation and point out your stellar community service.
It really sounds like you have a lot to offer but I think you will have more options if you get involved next fall and make great grades.
But, the ultimate choice is up to you. Those of us who know this campus have tried to give you honest opinions.

Let me explain it this way. Over 2300 women will register and go thru the first day at Alabama. For the second round, all the groups will have to release some women. After only 20 minutes of floating thru their houses the first round, how do you think they are going to pick the 200 or more they have to release? Pull up that Excel spreadsheet, sort according to GPA and count them off. You won't make the cut. Don't put yourself in that position when you have a viable alternative. Learn to defer gratification.

A 2.7 will be an improvement, but it will still be hard to overcome a GPA below a 3.00.

Several thousand girls will rush, most who have numerous volunteer hours, recommendations, are well put together, and good conversationalists-just like you. What will set them apart from you is they will have gpas of 3.0 or higher. Low GPAs are the easiest cut to make and all the chapters will have to cut some PNMs at some point.

You will have a much better chance receiving a bid if you study hard, get a 3.0 or higher your first semester, join an organization such as Freshman Forum as HartofSEC suggested, make friends with fellow freshmen, and rush in 2017. I don't know any other way to tell you, as you have been told this over and over and over.

No.
If you had a 2.9, plus fabulous activities, you might have a chance of a chance.
But not with a 2.7.
Go through with a 3.0 (but preferably higher) GPA as a second-semester freshman or a sophomore, you have a much better chance.

My organization has to release about half of the total PNMs first round, so use your information with 1000+ releases first round...

Look at the link provided by Sciencewoman. Go to page 34. Read it. Printed in bold letters it says, and I paraphrase, " it is highly recommended that PNMs have a 3.0 or over".

On the same page it gives three zones of GPAs, green, yellow, and red. The green zone is 3.0 and higher, the yellow zone is 2.8 to 2.99, and red zone is 2.79 and below, which is where your GPA falls. You have the least chance of having a successful recruitment if your GPA falls in the red zone. You will still be in the red zone should you raise your GPA as you hope. Yellow zone girls will also have a tough time, but the red zone girls will suffer the worst cuts.

Did you see that the average freshman GPA is 3.65 and the average college GPA is 3.18?That is the average. Even if you raise your GPA you will still be well below that.

Each group has a different number to release. But if 99% of the PNMs have a 3.0 or better, whether they have to release 200 or 1000, she's going to be in the ones released.

Keep in mind that some groups have a "once cut, always cut" philosophy. If you go through this fall just to see what happens and end up bidless, your options may be greatly reduced for future recruitments.

Also, without knowing your full story, chapters may look negatively on your community service. They may wonder if you will make good time-management decisions. Sorority life presents an overwhelming number of options for philanthropy and social activities. If you have a history of choosing those activities over grades, they might perceive you as a severe grade risk.

Based off of what you all have said (thank you all for the support with my mother and grandmother) do any of you know which sororities have spring recruitment?

Kenzie, even the chapters won't know if they qualify to participate in spring recruitment until after everyone returns from Christmas break. The earliest they might know would be the first few weeks of class Spring semester 2017. You should call the Greek life office after classes begin spring semester 2017 and ask to enroll in informal recruitment.

Don't worry about which sororities may have recruitment in the spring -- you have a lot to do meanwhile to prepare for the possibility of a successful recruitment in 2017, and even more importantly, a positive and productive freshman year.

You might consider making some contacts now (like teachers before you graduate), and asking these alums to write recs in the future, especially if you are interested in spring recruitment (you will not know months in advance which chapters are participating).

It takes a lot of time to secure two for each chapter, and it would probably be easier to provide some mature reasons for delaying recruitment than to ask these same alums twice (assuming an unsuccessful fall 2016 recruitment due to grades). And a lot of the alums you ask to write recs will not have an optimistic view of your fall 2016 chances -- just like us.

If you involve yourself on campus, those sorority women you meet may be the ones responsible for an invite to a spring COB event, or the ones who are familiar faces and advocates in the chaos of an enormous fall recruitment when you are a sophomore.

Since my previous post suggesting you research campus involvement, I tripped across a resource I didn't realize we had -- The Office of Student Involvement.

AND there is even a link to the "Top 5 Ways to Get Involved at UA Before Arriving on Campus!" Check it out -- this will make researching campus orgs and involvement easy. (and hey, see #5 -- they point you to Freshman Forum! :)):

Top 5 Ways to Get Involved at UA Before Arriving on Campus:
http://studentinvolvement.ua.edu/beforearrivingoncampus.cfm

Or alternatively, do whatever you want. These women don't really know what they're talking about. Yes, they've literally seen tens of thousands (yes, literally tens of thousands) of young women walk through the doors of their chapter houses at the University of Alabama and have overseen the dismissal of, again, tens of thousands of young women. But you are a super special snowflake and know better than them. So I'd go for it.

No one can tell you that until after Fall recruitment. The sororities have to get through Fall recruitment, total has to be set, and then they will decide whether to do COB or spring recruitment.

You also have the option of waiting for Fall and going through formal recruitment as a sophomore. I would do that, if it were me. If you go through formal, you get to see all of the groups and they get to see you. If you work hard on your grades, you can come through with a good GPA. If they ask you why you waited a year, you can say that you wanted to concentrate on your grades. I would find another activity to do, study my butt off, and go through formal recruitment as a sophomore.

I think that recruitment should be the least of your concerns. Frankly, you are probably very lucky to have gotten into Alabama with a 2.4, and college may come as quite a shock to you. I think you should be thinking about how you're going to handle your school work first and foremost. If you have time for other activities, then great, but it won't do you any good to have a 2.4 in college. Think about what you want to do with your major. Why are you going to college? If your sole reason is to join a sorority, maybe go to another school. I wish you good luck. I know what it's like to have your mom be sick in high school and it stinks, but you need to make sure you take care of yourself now and put yourself in a position to succeed in college.

"Although the Alabama Panhellenic Association does not require a specific GPA to participate in recruitment, each sorority chapter does have a minimum grade requirement for pledging and initiation. Therefore, it is highly recommended that all prospective members participating in recruitment have at or above a 3.0 cumulative high school or college GPA at the time of recruitment."