Why does GPA matter?
 

I've read threads where people mention GPA as a huge part of their recruitment and chapter. Personally, I could care less if someone has a 4.0 or a 0.4, grades determine very little about a person. The same goes for extracurriculars. Some of the most dedicated, fun to be around, and best brothers in my house aren't going to break 2.0, on the other hand, there are brothers just as dedicated, fun to be around, and all around good guys with 3.9's.

Why worry about it?

We really don't care, but our national headquarters do. Also, some schools include chapter GPA as part of Greek week and such.

I wouldn't give someone a bid JUST because they had a 4.0, if I didn't like them otherwise...chapters that do that are just using those people because GPA is something they have a problem with at that point in time.

Founded in 1904, Alpha Gamma Delta is an international fraternity for women, dedicated to academic excellence, leadership development, high ideals and sisterhood.

Those are the first words on our website.

The first line of the Alpha Gamma Delta Purpose is : To gain understanding that wisdom may be vouchsafed to me.

Our organizations are based on college campuses and require that our collegians are full time students. If we didn't care about the reason that our members are in college, then we'd just be community based social organizations.

Toward the end of our Purpose is the line "To possess high ideals and attain somewhat unto them"

We strive for excellence as students and as women, personally and professionally. It's the reason for our existence. We want our members to be as successful as they can.

Dee

We worry about it because we're in competition with other chapters for guys during rush, and we're not just going to let other chapters take the best guys. If we have a shitty GPA then we're less likely to get those guys.

Also, we have a minimum initiation GPA, as well as a minimum for members to remain active. It's worthless to pledge someone only to have them not become a member of your house because they're too dumb or don't try.

You're right in saying that there are plenty of guys who can be great brothers who are at opposite ends of the GPA spectrum. I guess that I just want to have guys that will continue to be around into the future and won't fail out of school or the like, so GPA matters then. Having had friends flunk out or transfer schools because they lost scholarships pretty much sucks, particularly when they move back home and aren't around any more.

I don't need to get into ritual reasons but they're there.

If you can't meet minimum GPA requirements, drop out of college right now and join the war in Iraq or become a blacksmith or something.

-Rudey

Being in a fraternity or sorority occupies a good percentage of someone's time. And while yea, it's fun and sisterhood is great and all, people don't come to college to join a sorority (or to find their bridesmaids, as some recruitment shirts would have you believe), they come to college to get an education. Your education is your #1 priority. If you have a 0.4 GPA or are on academic probation or failing out of all your classes or whatnot, then you clearly can't handle being a full time student, and joining a sorority or fraternity would be putting even more on an already full plate.

Thats a really shitty statement. EVERYONE in the military is uneducated and inbred and should be used as cannon fodder, right?

Exactly!!!

No - but the military can be a way for someone who is not ready for college life to learn good working skills and get a productive education. Honestly, college isn't for everyone. That's not a criticism.

To answer the original poster - there are definitely members who can be great friends and brothers/sisters without good GPAs. The fact is, though, that GLOs and universities have minimum standards. If someone's grades are extremely low, there are probably other things they should be focusing on besides Greek life.

"I BELIEVE in Delta Tau Delta for the education of youth and the inspiration of maturity so that I may better learn and live the truth."

That's the first line of the Delt Creed.

I think that the three elements, education, maturity and truth go hand in hand.

Our organization thinks of itself as an academic leader in the fraternity world.

When we accept initiation, we also accept the beliefs and principles of our organization.

"Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber, founder of Faber College

No I just think that people with low GPAs have a higher propensity for violence and the arts of being a blacksmith.

-Rudey

I was about to write and ask what moronic college this is but then I got "it" :)

-Rudey

Re: Why does GPA matter?
 

evidently scholarship isn't one of your principles.

Re: Why does GPA matter?
 

In 1884, Isaac M. Jordan - one of the seven founders of Sigma Chi Fraternity - delineated the valued criteria for pledging Sigma Chi. It is known as the Jordan Standard.

The Jordan Standard

The standard with which the fraternity started was declared by Isaac M. Jordan to be that of admitting no man to membership in Sigma Chi who is not believed to be:

A man of good character...
A student of fair ability...
With ambitious purposes...
A congenial disposition...
Possessed of good morals...
Having a high sense of honor, and a deep sense of personal responsibility.


My personal interpretation of this is that "A student of fair ability..." should be viewed in the context of 1884. When being admitted to college or university was an academic achievement in it's own right. As such, an 1884 student (of fair ability) should in reality possess the academic qualities necessary for consideration to membership.

Now-a-days, this noble idea may not have the same connotation as it did in 1884. Especially with grade inflation and the passing students on for the sake of it etc. So now, "fair ability" is an eloquent way of saying "good GPA". And as such, when the fraternity, a chapter, or a campus requires a certain GPA to be a member, then so be it.

So with respect to the original poster's question, "Why worry about it [GPA]?", I do feel that the fraternity should worry - if and when a member (or PNM) can not meet the standards set forth by the fraternity. However, I would add that the same applies to any other standard or criteria set forth by the fraternity. Academics are one part of the whole fraternity experience and not something to get bent out of shape about especially when members are meeting the fraternity's academic criteria.

Having said that, I do understand that in some Greek systems, a "high" GPA may be an advantage or even necessary to be competitive. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with a high GPA. :)

Your parents aren't paying for you to do poorly! And a good GPA has great advantages that will payoff in the future. Sure, studying may seem awful now, but especially with the competitiveness today, it will only benefit you to do as well as you can. A 4.0 isn't necessary, but do your best!

Good scholarship was a principal of our founding. Our international structure rewards members and chapters for good scholarship, and within my campus, #1 GPA among sororities was a title the chapters aspired to.

I also think good academics mean you have good study habits that will later translate into good work habits-- and by extension a productive member of the working world.

Alpha Xi Delta's open motto is "The pen is mightier then the sword" and that's what our founders wanted. Young ladies that would not only have fun but also care about their education. We are in college to get an education, not to fool around and not care about class or your GPA.

Our Vision
Inspiring women to realize their potential.

Our Mission
The mission of Alpha Xi Delta Fraternity is to enrich the life of every Alpha Xi Delta.
We will:

Nurture unity and cooperation
Foster intellectual , professional, and personal growth
Exemplify the highest ethical conduct
Instill community responsibility
Perpetuate fraternal growth

Re: Why does GPA matter?
 

I am not sure for what reason You posted this inane thread.:rolleyes:

If one does not make GPA, they are Kicked out of School.
Remember, Yuo or anyone else seems to be spending much more of thier money, ($$$), to go to college. To Graduate from College, Yuou have to have a certain GPA.

What Greeks strive to do is not for glory, but to keep Membership up and growing or die. If a Member cannot stay in school, they are gone. Is that true?

All Greeks that I know of strive to be better.

I just wonder if You have to ask a question like this if You are in HS and With Low Grades.:rolleyes:

I have a good GPA that I'm happy with, I have few if any concerns relating to its effect on me in the job market. Thats not true for all of my brothers.

Its not a criteria for membership, initiation, or rush. I guess you're right.




I'm not in high school. I got straight A's in high school at one of the top prep schools in the country, and go to one of the top 20 colleges in America. I have to ask this question because at least in my experience, grades and overall involvement and caliber of brother in my fraternity seem to be two things that can exist exclusively. I was pretty taken aback when I saw people treating fraternities and sororities like honor societies, instead of independant social entities with no vested intrest in anything but the relationships between the brothers in the house, and the survival of the organization.

During Rush, what should I set the minimum SAT score at, and how many essays should I require?

Just wondering what prep school you went to?

I don't want to post my school, fraternity, or hs on here because thats just weird, but I went to high school in the southern part of New Jersey.

Nevermind then because I went to prep school in New York, but not for HS.

NYC? Long Island?

NYC

Re: Why does GPA matter?
 

Just pointing out the grammatical and spelling errors in your posts. I understand why grades don't matter to you.

To quote a classic, "We've got a pool and a pond, the pond would be good for you." Try fratty.net.

ETA: Sorry about that - I'm just messing with you.

If you have a good GPA then fine, you have no need to worry about it affecting future job opportunities. But if it were low, it certainly would hinder you to some extent.

"I could care less" is a colloquialism.

Putting an "'s" at the end of 3.9 is a colloquialism.

The rest of your corrections fly, and are good catches.

The final correction is an article at the end of a thought followed by a comma, not by a period, it technically works.

Yeah, this thread isn't about me though. I'm talking about why should it matter in general. I know there have to be some people out there who agree with me.

I really Hope They Are In The Minority from Your Posts!:rolleyes:

Out Out Damn Spot!:)

What, because I implied that a fraternity might mean more than what grades you get?


ok

Not at all. Being in a Greek Organization is a lot of things, and evidently You dont understand that!:rolleyes:

You really get boring with Your Tripe!:eek:

The correct phrase is, "I couldn't care less" - if you think about it, it makes more sense. However, more people say that one incorrectly than correctly, which has made the incorrect version more acceptable than the correct one.

Putting an "s" at the end is fine, putting an apostrophe "s" is not fine.

The final correction is a preposition, not an article. As such, it should not be placed in that position in your sentence. (It is the same premise that sentences should not end with prepositions.)

Once again though, I was just messing with you.

You are 100% correct, being in a fraternity is a lot more than just having letters. Your house says who your friends are, what you do during the course of a week, where you are going to come back to once you leave, what you did when you were a pledge, even to some extent what kind of person you are.

None of that is academic. I see grade requirements and treating rushees like they're applying for a job as something thats detrimental to the fun of the fraternity. If I like to hang out with a kid, and they're well liked by the brothers, it shouldn't matter if they never go to class and just get by as long as they stay in school and are fun to be around.

Ha

I agree with you. Some of the most fun people I knew in both high school and college had the lowest GPAs.

If you don't want to post your fraternity, why do you post in the Pike forum? Are you claiming to be a Pike? I asked you a question in the Pike forum and you chose to ignore it. If you aren't claiming to be a Pike, why are you attempting to mislead people to think you are a Pike?

Shoot me a PM.

Done

Don't most schools have some sort of policy that if any student were to fall below a 2.0 for more than two semesters in a row, they can ask you to leave? It happened to a few people I knew. They were on academic probation for more than 2 semesters in a row and they were asked by the university to try one of the local J.Cs to get their grades up. And in our bylaws, if you don't go to our school, you aren't an active member.

While we do foster academic success and attempt to help those in need, if they are failing their classes, there is only so much you can do and the university takes over. And you'd be an inactive member of our group.

So that's why grades matter to us. If you have crappy grades, you need to realign your focus.