University of Illinois - Rushing as a Junior?
 

Ok, so I was just officially accepted to the University of Illinois (champaign) and I will be transferring there in the fall. I have been planning to go through recruitment, but I was wondering what my chances of getting into a house as a junior would be. I will be at U of I for 3 years. Are there many sororities on campus that take juniors? Any information you could give me would be great. Thanks!!

Paging DeltaBetaBaby :)

A friend of mine just recolonized a pi sigma sigma chapter there. I know that they are looking for older women who can bring something unique to this new chapter.

Congrats on your acceptance and good luck with the transfer. Call the office of Greek Life and ask them to send you the statistics for last fall's recruitment-- how many freshman placed out of freshman rushing, sophomores placed, juniors, seniors, etc.

On taking upperclassmen... It really just depends on each sorority and their needs for that fall's recruitment. For example... A chapter that has just graduated a lot of seniors may be looking for more freshmen (to provide another 4 years of continuity and leadership) and less upperclassman, whereas a newer chapter on campus may be looking for more upperclassmen to set the tone for leadership and experience, or a chapter with a good mix of classes may not be concerned with what year in school you are. It's pretty subjective from where you are standing.

Take this summer to practice your interviewing skills and do some community service, pump up your grades, get recs, etc. Have a contingency plan to get involved on campus in some student activity regardless of whether you pledge. Sororities are looking for well-rounded women who are pleasant to be around and can look their personal best at recruitment interviews. Consider all fo the sororities as places where you might become a member, be yourself and go into the experience to find ladies you'd enjoy being friends with, rather than the group with the most popular letters. If you like a chapter, tell the girl rushing you that you'd love to be invited back.

Also keep in mind that if being a social Greek doesn't work out in formal recruitment, give informal recruitment events a try, and/or look into joining a Greek lettered service or pre-professional organization. You'll enjoy the same level of socialization, committment to service and academics, and pre-professional networking in these organizations.

Didn't we do this in another thread?

Every chapter has sisterhood, and U of I is a GREAT campus on which to be Greek. I highly encourage rushing with an open mind.

Ask yourself what you are looking for in a chapter. First round is 19 chapters, second round is 10. As a junior, you would most likely be invited back to about 5 or 6, and most of them would be the smaller chapters. The ones you mentioned in your PM, though, are some of the most desireable groups on campus, and even knowing girls in those chapters is unlikely to help you.Are you okay with that?

Also, when I say 'smaller chapters' I am talking about the ones that have 100 instead of 150...even the small chapters at U of I are very strong in a lot of ways.

Finally, I would not wait for spring rush. The chapters recruiting in the spring are the same ones who would be interested in you in the fall.

I went to school with a girl who transferred from NIU to UIUC during her junior year, and she was able to join a sorority there. I don't know how difficult it would be, though. I thought that a lot of people transferred to UIUC their junior year, so you might run into a few people who are in the same situation as you. However, that doesn't make it any easier for you.

It might be possible. I think DeltaBetaBaby has given you some great advice, because she knows the campus best out of all of us. I would encourage you to go through Recruitment as soon as possible to maximize your options and emphasize that you will be there for 3 years. That should help you at least a little bit.

Usually there are 20 rush groups, and one group is all juniors.

Thanks for all of the replies! Deltababy - are you saying that there is really no chance for me to get into those sororities? Do they just not accept juniors or are chances just very slim? I really don't have any strong preferences, and I'll be happy with any bids...but I guess I would just like to think that I'm not already counted out before I even start.

I am not in any position to comment on the membership selection policies of individual chapters.

While DeltaBetaBaby and every other member on greek chat can't tell you for sure, I think what she's trying to prepare you for what to expect. While it may not be "fair" or whatnot, in some cases (i.e. some houses), yes, you will be pretty much counted out before you even start. It's the reality of the situation. NOTE: this is NOT in every case, and it's not saying that it couldn't ever be different, but it's better to know the reality and know your chances before you go into it.
It's better to find out the reality now and prepare for it then have it hit you in the face later on.

If I am going to be on campus for 3 years, would they still look at me as a Junior? or would I be considered a Sophomore?

Again, like some people have already said, it depends on the sorority. At some schools, it gets progressively harder to join as you get older. At some (like mine) most groups will take maybe 1-2 sophomores because they count in regular quota, but they will take 5-6 juniors because that is a different quota. Those sophomores were usually ones who for some reason didn't end up in XYZ sorority (the one they wanted and ended up in as a sophomore...maybe got cross cut) so the next year XYZ made sure to pick them up. That happened a lot where I went. The suggestion was made to ask for last year's rush statistics, and I think that is a good idea. Maybe you could see on average what level (freshmen, soph, jun, etc) pledges were and their grades and all of that. That will probably give you a better idea than we can. GOOD LUCK!! I hope it goes awesome for you.

You'll never know until you try. We bidded women who were seniors, not a common practice but things happen.

You've gotten great advice, the best thing you can do now is just go into recruitment in the fall and see how it all pans out. Just because you have your best friend in xyz, it does not mean she can just 'get' you a bid. Try out all the houses and see how they feel. If you don't try and keep an open mind, you'll always regret what coulda been.

I really do appreciate all the advice. I honestly don't have a favorite house or anything like that...I'm looking forward to going through the rush process and meeting all the girls. I'm just hoping that all goes well - this is something I've wanted to do ever since I was little and I put it off because I really wanted to go through rush at U of I...I'm just hoping that wasn't a mistake.

You would still be considered a junior (most colleges have the school status based on how many credit hours you have earned and not how much longer it will take you to graduate). So *technically* you would still be considered a junior and would fall in the "upperclassmen" quota (if your school has one) instead of "regular" quota.

I would make sure to mention to the sororities during rush that you are a junior, but you will also be on campus for another 3 years to complete your degree program. I think it would definitely be helpful to somehow work in that tidbit of information.

Good luck to you :)

There is no junior quota at U of I. All classes are lumped into one quota.

Don't worry that you have screwed up your chances of pledging at U of I, as you certainly have not. Again, almost nobody gets dropped entirely, and those who do usually get snapped up on bid day. You will still have options, just fewer than those that a freshman may have.

I think the "most desirable house" would be the one where you fit in the best. And part of that would be who wants you in their chapter.

I only said "more desireable houses" because that was what deltababy referred to them as. I really don't know the status of the houses at U of I...and I certainly don't have any preferences at this point in time.

Right, those were my words, not yours. And I probably shouldn't have confirmed which ones they were, so let me just reiterate that in no way do i think these are the 'best' houses, they are just the ones that tend to have high return rates and really wow the rushees. bottom line is that u of i has 18 chapters with over 100 girls each...you can't go wrong with any of them

not to mention all the non-NPC orgs on our campus as well!

Ditto, ditto on making sure you let them know that you will still be in school for another 3 years-being a juinor with 1 year to go and being a juinor with 2 years to go are A LOT different, and that may make you more competitive for shapters who are concerned about getting too "top heavy"

Honestly, every junior transfer coming through rush says she has three more years. It is not so much about your time left, but on how you fit in with the chapter. Even if you are going to be around, do you really see yourself in your fifth year of college, at the age of 23 wanting to hang out with 18-year-olds? Chapters expect that upper classmen will not be involved as long.

Now, some chapters feel that two good years out of a woman are worth it, because of all the other things that woman brings to the table. Other chapters have different priorities.

I say go for it. If it's something you really want then you should just go through recruitment. You may find a home. You may not. No one here can give you a definitive answer. Not even the ladies that go to school there. Yes, they will know the system much better, but even they can't be 100% sure what will happen.

You'll never know unless you try.

Well, I honestly will be there for 3 years. My dual degree kinda leaves me with 90 hours left to complete once I get there :-( but, yes, I do see myself as a part of a sorority in my 5th year. I'm only 19 right now, my birthday is at the end of the summer...so I'm young. And it's something I've always wanted, I really don't think my interest is going to wane just because I'm 22 years old. It's not like I won't have the girls in my pledge class there with me...the girls I will have bonded with. I know things will work out the way they are supposed to...but thanks for all of the input!

You have no idea what your life is going to be like when you're 22. A lot of things are going to change for you and in you in those 3 years. I changed SO much during that time. I pledged when I was 19, graduated when I was 21. Even by that time I found that I didn't have as much in common with the younger sisters. Forget about after I was 22!

You may not have the girls from your pledge class there. People leave for all different reasons. By the time I graduated, out of my pledge class of 15, about half had left the sorority- graduated early, quit for various reasons, etc.

And you may not "bond" with your pledge class like you think. There would still be an age/experience/maturity difference.

I'm in a gambling mood tonight (just won poker over a bunch of people who play all the time and this was my first night playing). I'd say IF you got a bid (which there is no guarantee of), you wouldn't last until you graduated. You'd resign, go alumna early, or just go MIA.

I know it's hard to realize and think about now. But people replying to this thread have all been there and done that, seen that, seen people who've gone through it. Believe it or not, we do know what we're talking about. :) You may think you're special, but there's nothing all that different than those who have done it before.

Membership is for a lifetime.

I say go for it. You may change a lot in 3 years or you may not change, but if this is what you want to do then do it. It is hard wanting something and not getting it. I personally always wanted to be a summer orientation leader and never got too (long story). I kinda of still regret not having done that. Even though i still have changed I still wish that is the one thing in college that i wish i would have done. So, if you want to do it, then do it. I say that you will always regret not doing it.

You might change and you might not want to be super invovled in a sorority in 2 years, but you want to do it now. DO it, Just do it. Don't look back, if you change and go beyond sorority life then that might happen, but right now you want to do this so, again, JUST DO IT and don't look back.

Good luck and i really hope that you find a nice sorority to be a member in for a lifetime, college years and beyond.
debbie

I'm not saying that I won't change my mind in a couple of years...but I know myself and I don't think that is going to happen. I understand that membership is for a lifetime...but that's exactly why I want to get involved. Who knows, maybe that will change with time, but I really want this now, and I want to give it my all. Thank you to those of you who have wished me luck.

Definitely go for it; I never meant to imply that you shouldn't. My point is simply that there are chapters that usually take juniors and chapters that usually don't.

Statistically, your chances of a bid are good as long as you are really willing to consider every group.

Wow, you make 22 sound over the hill.

I completely disagree with this. I pledged when I was 21. I bonded with my pledge class and my other sisters. A few were older than I was, but most of them were younger. We found common ground and bonded over that. Yes, I did only have 1 year as a collegiate, but I am now back as a chapter advisor. It's still possible to be active. She says she still a few years left, she can be a fully active member if this is something that she really wants.

I'm not suggesting that we sugar coat everthing and tell her that she'll find a place. She may not. We all know that. But don't discourage her from even trying. She may or may not find a place, but she definitly WILL NOT find one if she doesn't even give it a try. What's the worst that can happen? They say no, and she moves on.

No one ever told her not to try, so not sure where you're getting that from. Please point out where that was said.

I'd rather her know that her chances aren't the best and then be pleasantly surprised then pump sunshine up her ass and have her be extremely disappointed. Especially with U of I being a competitive school

A lot of GCers like to do that. :rolleyes:

think we can sell a sunshine butt pump on ebay? ;)

Nobody ever told her not to try. However, anyone who has been on GC for any amount of time knows that it is not so simple as 'move on'.

U of I has a very high match % for women who maximize their options. Most of the women who do not recieve bids drop out halfway through because they did not get invited back to the houses they wanted.

I had a similar experience -- I transferred as a 22-year-old junior, older even than the seniors. But I had been waiting for the real college experience for so long, and valued it so deeply, that I became the most loyal & involved member of every group I joined, outlasting some who joined with me as freshmen.

I was involved with a number of highly social undergrad groups later on as a grad student at the same school, and I was surprised to find how easily and comfortably I meshed with many of the undergrad members, including in some cases freshmen seven or eight years younger than I was. Yes, there was a big-sister element to the relationship, but that didn't keep us from getting along very well and having lots to talk about/bond over.

A good argument could be made that most of the 18-year-olds at my college are atypical 18-year-olds, but still...age just isn't always a good predictor of who will get along with whom. Sometimes if you share priorities and values, it doesn't matter. If sucker4ya finds the right group, she might well have the kind of experience I did.

I realize this is an old thread, but I think you still have a few months before rush...

I pledged my GLO at U of I. I don't know all of the behind-the-scenes info because I was never a rho chi or anything, and I pledged several years ago, but I will say that my house took 2 juniors in my pledge class. The next year we took 2 more juniors because they were really great girls.

While U of I's recruitment was competitive, I think it isn't cut throat. (Or maybe it is and I was too naive to realize it;)

While many houses have good reputations, I think at U of I it was more important to be Greek than to be in a certain house.

Good luck!!

Thanks for bumping this Irishpipes, now I can share my experience.

I'm an ADPi from the UofI. My pledge class was somewhere around 40-45 members. This was in '85, sorry I can't remember specifically. As I recall 3 of those were Juniors.

But in all fairness I should point out that those 3 were fabulous women. Top notch grades, super active in various clubs, honoraries and other campus organizations. These women proved to be outstanding members and we were lucky to have them. So at least back then it was possible and nobody thought it was any big deal.

From what DeltaBetaBaby says, it sounds like UofI is still fairly open to older PNMs. I think that is great! Just keep in mind though that each house will expect more from you than a freshman because you're older, more mature and should have already proven yourself (even if it was on another campus). Your grades, activities and such should show what kind of a member you will be.

Best of luck!

I rushed my fraternity at 21 and was a transfer student. I think guys it is different, but a lot of girls at long beach rush their second or even third year. My friend rush Tri Delta as a 21 year old and got a long with all her sister that were 17 or 18, they looked up to her

I pledged when I was a Junior.

Yeah. :p I was active until I graduated at 22, but to be honest, I didn't feel ready to be alum! If I could have stayed active for a couple more years I definitely would have. Sure, a lot of the other members were younger than me at that point, but that's just what happens...and you deal with it, because even though it's different, it's not a bad thing.

I'm new to greekchat but i saw this thread and i had to reply! I rushed as a sophomore at U of I so when i went through rush there were sophomores, juniors, and seniors in my rush group. One girl that i ended up becoming friends with was ajunior transfer that still had 3 years left of school so when she went through, she made sure they knew that she was a transfer and that still had 3 years left so it was kind of like she was a sophomore and she got her first choice which was a very good house. There were other juniors in my rush group also that recieved bids from "top" houses so i think it's all in how you present yourself whether or not you get asked back. Obviously not everyone is gonna get the house they want but there's no harm in going through and trying it out. Plus this is probably the only chance you'll get to see the inside of all the houses. That's one of the reasons i rushed, haha :) .

IF you find that the recruitment this fall doesn't work out for you, Delta Xi Phi Multicultural Sorority, Inc. welcomes women of all backgrounds, ages, creeds. Our Alpha chapter is at UIUC. More info can be found at http://www.deltaxiphi.com

Best of luck with everything!