small school expectations?
 

This fall I will be going through Formal Recruitment. Both of my Greek parents have remained heavily involved with their respective organizations, and shown me the benefits of Greek life my entire 18 years. :D Needless to say, I'm really excited, but also nervous because I know what I'd miss out on if I *don't* get a bid! :(
I will be attending my parents alma mater, a small (1200 students), Midwestern school with 4 NPC sororities; the Greek system is strong, but I don't know how competitive the Recruitment will be. Mom's told me about the process as much as she can, but it was 37 years ago when she rushed. Recruitment starts Sept. 1, and Bid Day is Sept. 6, but I have no idea how many invitational rounds there will be, and won't receive any other info. until I move in.
I'm expecting my Recruitment to be less intense than that at a Large, Southern school...but I don't know what else to expect? I'd really appreciate any advice/stories about small school Greeks.

How exciting!! I think it is great that you are coming into college life with plenty of good impressions about Greek Life. Your parents deserve pats on their backs for showing that sisterhood/brotherhood is for life.

I rushed at a small school, but I didn't pledge there (long story). Anyway, there were only four NPC sororities at my school, but Rush was still a very dynamic time. All of sororities put balloons on every sister's dorm window, so the whole campus was filled with Greek colors! Letters were everywhere! It was hard not to get into the excitement of the week. The recruitment process was pretty competitive, but nothing like what I've read about big Southern schools!! However, with so few sororities, it was absolutely possible to cut yourself out of Rush altogether. I don't say that to scare you; I just want to advise you to keep a VERY open mind. If you are in the position to cut houses, do what is right in your heart, not what is right in your circle of friends. If you stay true to yourself, you will find your new home :)

Good luck!!

Erica

Ally-
It's terrific that you have had such wonderful Greek influences in your life!My own experience is that small school recruitment is competitive in that sororities all want the same couple girls. Usually, there is a home for all the PNMs that go through according to the numbers. My best advice would be to keep an open mind. On a small campus, stereotypes are very prevalent, so go through recruitment and judge for yourself. Also, it doesn't hurt that you are a legacy! Up North & especially at small schools, we don't see a lot of you! Good luck and keep posting to let us know how everything goes! :)

Thanks Erica! I always carry an open mind and a good attitude. Since I'm attending an out-of-state school, I don't have to worry about conflicts between following my hearts or my friends--- Recruitment's the first week of school so everyone will still be brand new! I'm very excited, but don't want to be over/under prepared!

~*~Ally~*~

I don't like to take anything for granted. So I will ask...
Did your mother write a rec? And do you have recs for the other three sororities?
Being that your mother has stayed active, I am sure this was taken care of.
Also can you tell us what school you are rushing at? WE LOVE RUSH STORIES!!!
I am sure you will be fine, and will find your home. Greek life is great. I understand you are nervous, but that is a good thing. It means you understand what you are going through. Trust me there are going to be some girls completely unprepared for rush, they will think it is just like joining any other club in high school. And you will benefit from knowing what to expect. It sounds like you are ready, and won't have any problems.
Please remember to write and let us know what happens!
Good Luck! :)

I feel kind of funny posting what school I'll be rushing at, because there's NO other students from my home state attending the school, and I'd just feel kinda weird if someone knew who I was from my GC posts. But, I will post that after Recruitment! I will be meeting the lovely ladies of Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Delta Pi, Delta Zeta, and Zeta Tau Alpha.
Mom's an Alpha Gam, and yes, she is taking care of the LIF and the Rec. I also know several other Alpha Gam's that would be more than happy to write a rec, but I don't want Rec overkill.
No Rec's for the other sororities...I know alum's for 2 of the other chapters, but haven't seen them since my Junior high days. Do you think they will be crucial?

Advice from a small school.
 

Your school sounds a lot like mine-- same size, small midwestern college-- except that we have deferred recruitment, 3 NPC sororities, and a weak Greek system.

I can only repeat, keep an open mind. Stereotypes reign on small campuses, and the PNMs job is to look through all that.

Especially since it's fall recruitment, don't be bent on staying with your buddies, 'cuz there's still plenty of time to make new friends. I have really close friends in all three chapters at my school, which is facilitated by the fact that the school is so small.

Recs are nice if you can get them, especially if the groups aren't used to getting them, because they make you really stand out.

As for the location, just off the top of my head, you could be going to Carroll College in Wisconsin, which has Alpha Gam, AXiD, DZ, and ChiO, or you could be going to Franklin College in Indiana, which has DG, Tri-Delta, Zeta, and PiPhi.

ETA: Ok, I'm a dorkus, I must have posted at the same time as you. I totally understand your wanting to keep quiet about where you're going, so it's a good thing I was wrong!

that is wild. a college only having 1200 students? that is like high school. does everyone know everyone else? it seems so impersonal. also with 4 sororities? wow!

keep your heart open, dress to impress and be ready to have some fun.

Just a question, but and I don't mean to give anyone a false sense of assurance or anything. But isn't it usually tradional for Legacies to automatically be given a bid? I know at my school, for the few cases of it that we hear of, a bid is always given out, even if the student isn't really interested in pledging.

Is this just an oddity, or does anyone know of it working that way on other campuses?

Regardless, best of luck to you, Ally.

No- Legacies are not automatically given a bid-
And this is for all NPC groups. For AGD They are given at least a second opportunity before we can release them, and then we must contact the person they are a legacy from and let them know we are releasing them. I was VPR at one time for my chapter of AGD and it was no fun when we decided to release a young woman from our chapter that was a legacy- but there are very valid reasons for it.

THat being said, I am sure that someone with as much knowledge and background of greek life as yourself, AllyPNM, will have no problem finding a home for yourself. If you have any questions about recruitment, or AGD- just PM me- I can't wait to hear your story!!!
Good Luck!
Sarah

Yes, Zeta requires that a rec be on file before pref; however, that can come from the advisory board if there is not a voluntary rec. Good luck! Follow your heart and you will end up where you belong.

Good Luck!
This is obvious but we deal w/it every year. Don't make snap judgements about the sororities, and if you do, don't talk about them. I know it is hard but keep those thoughts to yourself because small schools the gossip is rampant. We deal every year with a girl saying she is gonna join us or Theta Pi Gamma, and then the house is like..um...no and she then chooses to try the other house, but the second already heard her talking shit, and that is hard to make up and explain. (we do only COB though...with defered).

Good Luck! You'll have tons of fun and you're very lucky that you're going to a small school w/ a strong system that is sooooo hard to find! Beloit struggles like no other :(

I graduated from a school with fewer than 1100 students. I loved it!! Whenever I talk to kids looking into colleges, I highly recommend the small school setting. It was fantastic! But it is impossible to hide:)

Erica

I also go to a pretty small school (just a few hundred more people than my high school) and I LOVE it! I don't quite understand what you mean by saying that it is impersonal. In fact, it seems just the opposite-- professors and administrators really get to know their students and take a personal interest in them both in and out of the classroom...

Anyway, good luck with recruitment! I would try to get a rec for each house, if possible. It helps you to stand out a little and it also makes it easier for the girls in the house (speaking as a recruitment chair!!). Aside from that, try to have fun (after all, the recruitment chairs have been planning all summer to make sure that you have a good time!!)

actually i just remember the high school i graduated from had a tiny bible college on campus. i am talking between 100 and 200 students. it was insane. it didnt help that they had the most ridiculous rules in college history. i dont even want to go there. the small population meant that there was nothing you can do to get away from the authority. you had to be really sneaky.

i was talking in terms of privacy or invasion of personal space. it is just something that would freak me out having nearly the whole campus knowing who i am.

I love my small school because I actually know my professors: I babysit for them, they invite me over for dinner-- I even got a birthday card from my advisor! There's no such thing as a TA because Lawrence is a teaching college. It does feel small and confining sometimes, but the academic experience is well worth it. Besides, I feel more comfortable in a place where I know everybody, at least by sight.

I go to Beloit, (very similiar to Lawrence and the rest of the ACMs) and I know everyone. There is no better way to get stuff done than to know the people who delegate jobs. We had this horrible bushes in front of our house when they had removed them from all over campus for security reasons they left ours for some reason. We called the head of grounds and they are gone already! :)

The only TA I had was in Geo Lab and his job was to drive the van and answer a few questions, it was a big class (25) and the prof wanted more help cause not too many of the students were actually geo people.

There is something comfortable about walking across campus saying hi to the Pres, Vp of whatever and most of your profs. You see people, they are accessible and they actually know your name and care. I woudln't trade it for anything, (despite the gossip and crap that does come along w/knowing everyone.) Granted it isn't for everyone, but it can be a wonderful experience!

DUHHH, what's an ACM?

I don't go to a small school...more middle-sized, really...but we only have 5 NPC sororities on campus, and Greek life isn't really that big, even though we ARE a southern school.

The biggest and most important thing has already been said, but it can't be said enough: Keep an open mind! There were lots of rumors and stereotypes about the 5 groups here, and since I waited a year to go through recruitment, I was pretty familiar with all of them. I was determined I wanted one or two groups, and didn't even wanna think about another two. I knew their "reputation" and didn't want any part of it. However, those two taboo groups happened to be the two at which I felt most comfortable (needless to say, the "reputations" couldn't have been more wrong about these wonderful chapters!). I preffed both and ended up going Phi Mu, when I just KNEW going into the week that I'd never, ever do anything so pink and girly!!!

So yeah, rumors suck. But you get to know the Greek community really really really well (since you know everyone at a small school really well to begin with). I can recognize pretty much everyone in the other four groups, or at least have a good idea of who they are. It makes for an even more special, intimate Greek experience.

Anyway, good luck with recruitment! You've got great groups to choose from and you're prepared. Have fun, cuz that's what it's all about!!

my school has about 950 undergrad and maybe 50 grad students (we only have an MBA and EDU program). It is smaller than my high school and very tightly knit. We have three NPC sororites ( Tri Sigma, Chi Omega, and AST) and four Fraternities (Chi Phi, KA, SAE, and Delta Sigma Phi). We're in the south, but our rush isn't competetive in the southern way. You don't need recs or worry as much about clothes, or really expect to get cut before pref at all. Heavy cuts aren't really made because awesome girls always go through and because with only three choices if a onm gets cut by the one house she loves, she usually drops out:( it is our panhellenic's hope that we get more girls to stick through the whole week this year. There is always a little competietion over the same girls. Last year quota was ten, maybe this year it will be 15! (cross your fingers).

sorry,
ACM is the Associated Colleges of the Mid-west. it is all small lib arts schools, ie lawrence, carroll, beloit, Knox, Grinell, Monmouth, Ripon, St. Norbert etc. think of like the Big 10 or some other 'conference' and that is what it is, except all the schools are tiny

(if you're not from the mid-west, you've probably never heard of these schools )

Thanks!
 

I really appreciate everyone's input and advice. My nerves are alleviated and I can't wait! I PROMISE to keep my ear's closed from the rumors and my mind open to all the groups during recruitment! I'll start my Rush Thread in a few weeks when it gets closer.
And for choosing a small school... they aren't for everyone, but I was sold on the class sizes and friendliness (sp?).
~*~AllyPNM~*~

It actually is a great thing...a lot of personal attention by professors and admin. A history prof I had first semester freshman year for an into class (of only 30students maybe) still remembered my name, first and last, senior year. NO TA's ever at my classes...and I think 30 was the max ever in any of my classes. Moravian has about 1100 students.


Ally...my campus has 4 NPC sororities as well and rush is still in the process of getting bigger and better. Ours is held in the Winter, which is always fun in Pa. I think an advantage that a small school has is smaller chapters. I met ALL the sisters during my rush weekend and the next year as a member met close to every PNM going through the process as well. It looks like you have a great mindset going into rush, SUCH a great thing. Feel free to PM me if you have any small school rush questions!!

I can see the benefits of a small college... BUT going to a larger school doesn't really mean that you would know everybody.. I mean my high school had around 18-- people at it and I certainly didn't know EVERYONE.... I knew my class... but certainly not EVERYONE... but that may be different at a college where you're living there... also it's possible to get to know your profs at larger school.. it just takes some effort on your part... My school has 20, 000 people, and maybe it's just my department or something..but I can safely say that *almost* every professor I've had in my major knows me and I would feel comfortable asking for recs for grad school or whatever and they would know stuff about me to write a fairly personal one. They may not invite us over to their homes or send cards... but they know who I am. :) Both larger and smaller schools have their benefits. Ally GOOD LUCK sounds like even though greek life is small... it's pretty popular at your school so have a good time and it seems to me (of course I can't guarentee anything not knowing you or your school) you don't have much to worry about in not getting a bid at all coming from a small greek system... I think as long as you keep your options open and attend all the parties you can you will find a home :)

Small schools...
 

I go to an extremely small school and I am incredibly happy here. I go to school in Maine. It is a state school right on the coast, we are the easternmost university in the US. There are about 350 of us who live on campus and another 1000 who commute. I know just about everyone and all the Professors in all departments. It is great! I now go to a school with less people then my High School.
Ally good luck!
We have a total of 8 Fraternities and Sororities on campus.

Nat

Good luck, AllyPNM! I went to a small school my first two years and it was a nice atmosphere. At the time, we didn't have sororities, but they do now and they all seem very close!

Ally~

I too want to wish you good luck! I just graduated in May from a small private liberal arts school (pop. 1130). I loved my four years there. My alma matter sounds similar to yours in that there were four NPC groups represented. Recruitment for small schools can be competitive, but if you keep and open mind, follow our heart and as everyone else has said "ignore the rumors" you can't go wrong.

Have fun during recruitment and just be yourself. I know you will find a home!

Fraternally,

SororgrlADPi

Until you said the rush dates and the GLO's on your campus I thought that you were going to my school.... heart of the bluegrass and 4 NPC groups... oh well... maybe one day I will be able to read a rush thread from my school.

Anyway... good luck... I would never want to discourage a legacy but I want to reassure you that your mom will live if you follow your heart and go else where. That said I can't wait to follow your thread and read all about your great Adventure.

Good Luck!
Arin

Thanks for the continued advice and encouragement everybody! I can't believe Recruitment is only about a week away. My first week of school already looks like it will be insanely busy, so if I don't post an up to date thread...I *PROMISE* to share a detailed but possibly delayed rush story!

Ally,
Best of luck with recruitment...we all understand that going through recruitment at the same time as starting classes is difficult, so we'd LOVE any update you can send when you have the time. Anyone of the four organizations would be a wonderful home for you....I hope you enjoy the experience! :)

Best of luck! :)

Good luck and have lots of fun! :D

*bump*


Rush starts today! :)

Good Luck Ally !!! :D

I can't wait to hear all about your rush!

Wishing you all the best,
~Kristin

Good luck in recruitment, Ally! I wish you every happiness! :)

Hope all is going well with recruitment, Ally...we're all excited to hear about what happened when you're ready to post your stories! :)

Good luck----
I am pretty sure I know what school you are attending--- but my lips are sealed.
Best of luck --- looking forward to hearing you experiences
(and finding out which school)