GPA Requirements
 

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I think you should be fine! 2.8 isn't that bad at all. I just looked at ADPi's website, and they only require that you have at least a 2.2.

Also, this is from the UCF site:

"Students are encouraged to have a minimum GPA of a 2.3 to join a fraternity or Sorority."

Notice it doesn't say required.

I wouldn't call attention to it during rush. It's not that bad of a GPA, and everyone tends to have a bad year at one point or another!

Eep, that's awful. :-/ Well, if they do cut you on the first day solely based on a lacking of .2 points in your GPA... then blah at them! Maybe your friend could put in a good word for you? It seems awful that they wouldn't make exceptions for really good girls.

ucfpm, I sent you a private message.

Every sorority at UCF has their own requirements. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be "public" information so I don't want to say anything. I will say that most UCF sororities require at least a 2.5 college GPA and a 3.0 high school GPA. If you're rushing as a sophomore, your high school GPA will not matter and neither will your SAT scores. This could have changed in the last 3 years since I was a student there.

A lower GPA doesn't mean an automatic cut but you will be a grade risk depending on the chapter requirements. Don't bring up your GPA at the parties. In all honesty, it will look like you're just trying to make excuses. Your grades are what they are and explaining your situation won't change the sorority's policy.

Don't believe anything you've read in Pledged.

Yes, and never, ever, cite a passage from Pledged like it's an accepted authority on sororities. It's only acceptable to cite if you're making fun of it ;)

Amen sister!

Many schools (and chapters) will have different GPA requirements depending on if the PNM is a freshman (just out of high school) or sophomore/junior/senior (already has completed a semester or more of college).

The girls in the chapters will know what your GPA is when you go through recruitment anyway, so you don't need to bring it up yourself.

ADPi as an international sorority has a minimum requirement that its chapter members maintain a 2.2. However, this is just a min. requirement. Most ADPi chapters, UCF included, set a much GPA standard for PNMs to be considered for membership and for members to maintain their membership.

OK - It is no secret that sororities have a minimum gpa that they go for or release for - just because you have a 2.8 doesnt mean you will be released - just because you have a 4.0 doesn't mean you will be offered a bid.

Sophomores are looked at a little differently - for example you might be released from some sororities BECAUSE you are a sophomore (this having nothing to do with grades) however you might be offered an invitation back to the next party because you are a Sophomore with a 2.8 gpa (which isn't bad)

I went to a panhellenic meeting where we discussed release grade minimum for all sororities so that panhellenic would not accept recruitment fees just to have a girl released the first day from everyone due to their gpa. If I remember correctly the minimum that everyone went with was 2.25. (or something like that) Now some sororities minimum acceptance is 2.6 others go down to a 2.2 (at UNA 1 sorority releases a 2.8 - rumor has it)

I can only assume your "legacy" chapter will look at your total "picture" and not release you for grades alone - actually I doubt they are even "allowed" to release you after the first day anyway. (which gives you a chance to be a great recruit)

Listen - good luck - don't assume that you are going to be released by all of the "good" sororities because of 1 characteristic. And, have a pleasant outlook on every sorority that you visit.

There are some UCF sororities that have a 3.0 minimum requirement to get through the first cuts. This is because there are a large number of women that must be released and this is how they cull through the large pool of PNMs.

In some very rare exceptions, a "grade risk" will pass through these cuts and into the next round of recruitment. This is the exception and not the norm. You may have an advantage at the chapter you mentioned because you have friends there who, if your name comes up, can market you to their sisters. I'm sure your friends would love for you to become their sorority sister. But remember it isn't their decision alone, and neither you nor they should harbor hurt feelings if you cut that chapter from your list or if they cut you from theirs.

Grades and campus involvement are important to the UCF sororities. Sophomores can have a very competitive recruitment at UCF. You will be cut from some of the UCF sororities for your grades. You will also be cut from some because they want freshmen only. And you'll be cut by others for purely arbitary reasons. This is the way recruitment works at our school.

This being said, do go in with an open mind. You may have a preconceived idea of what you want coming in, and have a completely different outlook coming out--- and a year from now, you wouldn't have it any other way. UCF makes a good effort to match the women at recruitment with a sorority. Our chapters have many members, and many diverse members. Keeping in mind there are practically 100+ women in each chapter, and that you have less than an hour's worth of time in each house by the end of the week to decide which sorority you'd most like to join, it isn't a stretch to think that you could find your niche in any such large organization. Although each sorority stresses its own symbols and rituals, at the end of the day, we're all collegiate organizations extending offers of friendship, scholarship and service to the community. Keep an open mind and you'll find what you're looking for.

One of the things that sets UCF apart from many schools is the nature of Greek Life on campus. Women in the sororities mix and mingle. There is friendly competition, but Panhellenic Sisterhood is greatly encouraged. So even though you may not have the opportunity to be an "XYZ," you are welcome at the house/all-Panhellenic sisterhood events as a Panhellenic Sister and XYZ Friend.

Good luck at UCF recruitment! ZTAngel and I are "old," but we're still somewhat familiar with what's happening at our campus. BellaBerlee may be able to offer some current insights.

As already stated most Inter/Nationals set minimum membership GPAs, but individual Chapters have the option to increase these. While these Chapter minimums aren't a ritual secret or anything, they aren't really advertised. Unless a PNM knows and active or an alum it might be difficult to find out what their requirements are.

So how can a PNM get a general idea of what each Chapter's minimum GPA is?

*Note: The larger the campus, the more sororities on campus, and the larger the Greek system as a whole, the more accurate a guage the following usually is.*

Take a look at the grade rankings for all sororities on campus. Most Universities will have this information available either on their website or by contacting the Office of Greek Life (or whatever the equivalent name is). It might be included in the Recruitment book/info. It's even more helpful if you can get lists for several of the past quarters/semesters/years. Also, you'll want to know what the Panhellenic average is. A PNM also needs to factor in the type of campus they are on. What's the all student GPA? The all women GPA? How does the Panhellenic average compare to these?

Then look at which sororities fall where on the lists. Which sororities are consistantly ranked at the top of the Panhellenic Grade Rankings? This usually shows a strong and consistant committment to their academic program. They didn't get there by accident. Odds are they recruit PNMs who have shown academic ability and committment already in high school. They probably have high expectations for academic performance from their members.

Look at which sororities have been consistantly climbing in the rankings. These Chapters have probably committed themselves more to academics in the last several quarters/semesters/years and are now seeing it pay off. Often they may be bumping up their minimum a little each year. (They don't want to kill themselves in Recruitment by making a drastic leap in one year.)

Are any sororities dropping on the lists? Perhaps their scholarship program and committment isn't as strong as it used to be. Then of course is anybody consistantly at the bottom of the ranks? Finally, what's the spread between the top and the bottom? Is it a wide gap or small?

With those things factored in, here are some ballpark estimates.

- Top Quarter - Probably looking for GPA's at least at Panhellenic average and more likely above.
- 2nd Quarter - Probably around or at Panhellenic average. They may consider "grade exceptions" for PNMs if there is a good reason.
- 3rd Quarter - Probably around or somewhat below Panhellenic average. "Grade exceptions" are possibly more common.
- Bottom Quarter - Probably lower still, depending on the spread between the top and bottom may want to check their Inter/Nationals for an idea.

Hopefully that helps some folks.

While I think that your post was excellent, I don't necessarily agree with these assertions. 3rd Quarter and Bottom Quarter houses may very likely be under pressure to get their grades up. Hence, they may be aiming for girls with better GPAs to help fill this need. A PNM with a low GPA may only drag them down further.

Very true. Even at my small rush, not-very-competitive school, GPA exceptions were rare. We had maybe a few (we won grades frequently so we weren't SUPER concerned usually) during my 3 years active. And I believe that some groups have to request special permission in order to invite GPA risks to pref.

A high GPA can make you stand out and can only be a benefit. A low GPA can and will hurt you. Some groups may just make a straight cut, right off the bat, of women below their grade averages. Especially at a competitive school with tons of great women rushing, initial cuts have to be made somehow. GPA isn't something that's going to change once other sisters meet a girl.

I think it's also fair to say that chapters could be worried that if a girl can't keep her grades up without the commitment of a sorority, how in the world are they going to keep them up AND be in a sorority.

I don't remember if you said originally ufpmn, but if there is some outstanding reason why your grades are low, such as a family problem or something like that, you may mention it casually in conversation if grades come up.

"well i had a rough semester because my grandma died and we were close and I had to go home for a while..."

We would even occasionally ask PNMs that we were interested in about their low grades. Most of these girls are smart, especially at our school, but everyone has a rough patch or two.

I agree. The decision to cut may not even be left up to them.

As I said I was only trying to put together some ballpark estimates based on my personal experience as well as annecdotal experience I've heard from other advisors across the country. Rather than using the word "probably" I should have said possibly.

While I agree whole-heartedly with your point, something else I pointed out was that if a Chapter has been consistantly in the lower GPA rankings it would be very hard for them competition-wise with new PNMs to make a drastic change in their minimum for one year. That's why looking at long term rankings and the movements up or down of any one Chapter is important. But it also doesn't reflect a renewed committment to academic excellence.

Folks are 100% correct in that sometimes these minimum cut off decisions can be taken out of the Chapter's hands. Of course the "public" will never know if/when that occurs.

All I was trying to do was to give folks something to at least look at, meaning the Panhellenic GPA ranks on the campus. It's a starting point, but is by no means accurate nor can it include in all the various internal factors involved.

One more thing that hasn't been pointed out, many of the PNMs are looking very closely at a Chapter's GPA ranking as well. A top notch GPA high school PNM with all sorts of honors and awards is often looking for a sorority that has similar academic priorities. I have heard of many PNMs that cut Chapters due to their GPA rankings in comparison to the other sororities.

Each UCF sorority has to make cuts after Round 1. Those who have had historically higher return rates have to cut an even larger percentage.

Typically, these cuts are made based on pre-recruitment data like your GPA. Similiarly, if you have a criminal record or a questionable character and this has been brought to the attention of a sorority, it will likely end in your being cut from that sorority. These are pretty straight-forward cuts. Being a legacy, having a rec, etc., will help get your through these first cuts, but don't guarantee that you will receive a bid. Some women who have neither recs nor legacy status AND who don't have the grades may get through this round, but she will have to be really outstanding in terms of her extracurriculars, have friends in the chapters, etc.

There are rare cases where a grade risk is invited back and some who are offered bids. This is the exception and not the norm.

The sororities whose minimums are a 3.0 are just that-- a minimum. It does not guarantee a free pass. They may actually cut up to a 3.5 if they have to release a high number of women.

That being said, there are other sororities whose minimum is lower than a 3.0. But I wouldn't worry about any of this-- whose minimum is what. Just be yourself at each sorority event.

No, it wouldn't actually. If they graduated a bunch of seniors who had low GPA's and brought on a bunch of freshmen with high GPA's, the chapter GPA would rise substantially. It's the one aspect of a chapter that CAN change dramatically.

Definitely. My chapter went from like next to last in grades (out of 11 groups) in the spring to first in the fall.

This deserves repeating........

If your grades are below the minimum, you will be the exception and not the norm. If there are TONS of girls with grades above the minimum why would a chapter take a grade risk? Most won't do it. Grade minimums are not simply important during recruitment, most organizations keep an eye on the chapter's GPA all year.

Agreed. And from personal experience, our grade risks rarely worked out in the long run... This isn't necessarily true of every UCF sorority, and I honestly think that if a woman keeps her options open, our Panhellenic will make every effort to match her with a sorority. She just needs to be open to the idea that it may likely not be her top choice.

The term Grade Exception should be fairly self explanatory IMHO. Any exception is just that, an exception to the rule. It's not the norm. It's a rarity, but not an impossibility depending on the GLO, the Chapter and the campus.

A little FYI - over the last several years my Chapter has been slowing moving up it's minimum GPA requirement. Months prior to Recruitment starting, our Exec Board determines whether we want to consider Grade Exceptions or not for the next Formal Recruitment. This way it's based on our current scholarship policy and program and not influenced by any individual PNMs the members have fallen in love with.

Probably half the years we've decided to allow exceptions and half not. In the allowed years though, we only considered GPAs a few tenths below the minimum. Ironically none of those candidates have made it into our pledge classes. Most of the time the PNMs ended up dropping us. Go figure.

Thanks for posting that link!!! Keep in mind, however, that this doesn't necessarily indicate their actual chapter/recruitment GPA requirements or minimums. The Office of Greek Life should have these numbers.

UCFPNM, I'm truly sorry if any of my comments have discouraged you. I hope you still plan on going through Recruitment. However I must remind you that you asked the question and I and others have tried to be straight forward with you.

I shall leave you with what all PNMs and actives need to remember and something I remind my women of all the time. Sororities and extra-cirricular activities a great and should be enjoyed. But one must never lose sight of the real reason they are going to school and that is to get a good education.

That's the best attitude to have for everything in life!

Seriously. People lose sight of this in this forum and elsewhere on GC. If you're in too much and your grades are low, you need to cut down on the activities.

Your GPA is going to result in some big cuts in the first rounds, but if you've been active in SGA, that's going to help you out quite a bit. I can't give you a 100% guarantee, but with your GPA at just below a 3.0 and your campus involvement and provided that you don't have a reputation as the girl who passes out the Pub (does anyone still go to the Pub???) every Tuesday night, your name will be one of interest and so long a you keep an open mind, UCF will make every effort to place you on Bid Day.

One place where upperclassmen have a competitive advantage over freshmen at UCF is by holding significant CAB and SGA offices, being Miss UCF or another pageant title, and being a member of O-Team, Gold Team, Diamond Girls or Dance Marathon Exec. Quit worrying and just focus on being yourself and having fun. There are a few sororities with a very high minimum, but that's just a small number out of 11.

I'd also like to point out that your grades aren't horrible. They aren't superb, but they're okay. I know at my chapter our grade cut was a 2.5; anyone below that got cut immediately no questions asked. The ONLY exception was a legacy who always got a courtesy invite to second round. So, just because you're a 2.8 doesn't mean you WILL get cut immediately, it's just a maybe.

So my advice to you is to just take a deep breath and relax. If you are tense and nervous when you go into the parties it will show and you might come off as weird/freaky/annoying/aloof/stuck-up, etc. - all of which will get you cut way before your grades! :)

DISCLAIMER: I did NOT attend UCF so I am NOT representing the Chi O chapter there with my post!

Alright, I'm going to go ahead and say it. This is ridiculous! If you're taking easy classes because you need a GPA boost then that's a little bit better, but your extracurriculars are exactly that - EXTRA. I understand college is about freedom and having fun, but your first priority there is still to get an education. I have a feeling that mommy and daddy are financing the experience, right?

AlphaFrog,
I agree with your other point that school is the first priority and should not be planned around extra activities. However, I think the last line is a bit much. I was fortunate enough to have my parents pay for my education (and my dues for that matter), and I never treated my studies with a flippant attitude.

My parents paid for a lot (but not all) of my education. My point was that I doubt someone who's putting themselves through college is going to worry more about their extras then their classes. You're reading the statement backwards. I'm not saying that all people who's parents pay for college =
"flippant" attitude towards class. I'm saying that people who pay their own way (generally) = more serious about education and less concerned with extras.

I agree with this. If you pay for college yourself, you generally are more likely to be more serious about it, because you know what you have to do to maintain GPA for scholarships and loans and stuff like that.

With all due respect, the way someone chooses her classes is none of our business. And while I would agree that taking more challenging coursework and making school the number one priority should be the number one priority, whether or not your college is paid for by scholarships or family members has little to do with how a student selects her courseload. Just as there are self-supporting students taking a serious approach and daddy's girls playing their way through classes like Beginner's Tennis, I can think of plenty of self-supporting students who took a flip attitude toward school and plenty of daddy's girls working their tails off to make the Dean's List.


Note to all college students: you have to graduate sometime. And then you'll have to work. Make those college years count--get internships and hold meaningful leadership roles in extracurrculars-- but manage your time wisely and maturely. And if there is even the slightest idea that you may someday not be in the same career that you're intending to today (HINT: the average person changes careers 7 times over his lifetime), then supplement your coursework with challenging electives. You don't have to take Calc II, but opt for a class in Statistics over Country Line Dancing. Graduate programs will take you more seriously if you have diverse liberal arts courses showing off your analytical skills. The soft stuff comes through in your choice of 1-3 extracurriculars and volunteer work.

Your first priority should be school, not rearranging your schedule so you can have more fun....

The above statement you made does not help your case at all.