Is it worth it to pledge senior year?
 

I am graduating next at the end of next year. Is it worth it to start in a fraternity next fall?

very very tough being that old going through with 18 year olds.

but yes, after you graduate, coming back "home" is definitely worth it.

No. You're what, 22? Start looking for a job and for bars where young professionals hang out.

At our Alpha Phi Omega chapter, we had a problem involving people pledging in their final semester of school. Many feared they did it strictly for the resume.

If you're at a school where the ages of pledges are mixed (i.e. not everyone is a freshman) and you think you'll stay near the area after graduation...go for it!!

Scandia - he's talking about pledging Fall 07 and then being involved Fall 07 and Spring 08. I don't know why anyone would pledge anything their LAST semester of school, or why any group would take them, unless it's an honorary.

You're going to have a very difficult time getting a bid at most schools. I wouldn't recommend it unless you are absolutely sure you want to do it, and unless you are prepared for the disappointment of not getting a bid.

No.

I'm going to go with no. Pledgeship should be time consuming and you don't need anything else on your plate if you are trying to graduate. Most people will wonder why you didn't pledge before so it will be hard to get a bid. You would only be active for 1 semester, so you probably wouldn't get as much out of it as you put in. My chapter, no offense, wouldn't take you.

You're going to have a hard time finding folks who'll take you.

Your active experience will be pretty limited. To each his own though. You might be able to make your contribution as an alumnus. We had some seniors in our original colony group. We invited them back to initiate when we got our charter (some of them). Some have made some pretty substantial contributions as alums.

You have nothing to lose by checking out fraternity rush. But pledgeship in a fraternity can be time-consuming, which may be a consideration if you are in your final year and looking toward internships, getting that first job or taking MCATs/GREs/LSATs and getting into a grad program. I'd recommend checking out rush for the experience and to see if there is a chapter you feel is a good mutual match for their needs and your interests. Depending on the campus, some fraternities may be less inclined to take seniors, while others are more open.

I've seen it happen in NPHC orgs.

Look at it this way; those that join Alpha Phi Omega (or any other greek organization for that matter) strictly for the resume clearly indicates that they don't have enough professional "game" to land a job on their own merits, so they have to use their letters as a crutch.

I hope you were able to call their bluff and weed out such candidates; you don't have to bring in prospective members whose desire to serve and/or devotion to the brotherhood is artifical and/or insincere. Let 'em find an organization that better meets their shallow needs, don't ever let 'em pimp your org like that, make 'em step their game up and come to you correctly.

Great point.

The idea for getting younger members is so that they can spend time and help the Chapter grow.

It is not improbable for it to happen, but a lot depends on the school and the Chapters.

You as a newbie would have a very short period of being a working member.

While you may add a lot of stability, it would be very short lived.

If you want to join a GLO so you have it on your resume, then forget it!

Depends on if you are seeking IFC or NPHC. Either way you try for AI.

If you are looking at a NPHC fraternity it is worth it if they accept you. Why? Because college will just be the first step to your lifetime involvment with your frat.

Otherwise you could wait and pledge an alumni chapter.

There's always AI...

;););)

*Slaps wrist*
BAD!

NO!

It is also hard in NIC!

Actually much harder! But, that is not to deny the PHC for IAing!

There have been many fine Ladies who have AIed with PHC.

As far as NHPC, there is a different out look on the AI and their Alumni Chapters. They seem to be more positive towards it!:)


Good for them!!!!

Thank you and so true. AI happens regularly in the NPHC and is no harder than collegiate selection/initiation. In fact in Delta the process is the same. ;)

But to be completely honest, they are both hard--and I am not referring to hazing.

^^^ Ditto.

And I know second-semester senior initiates from every NPHC organization (except Iota because I don't really know any).

Put yourself out there. If its the type of campus you will get a bid on, its worth it. If not, its a moot point.

If you deleted Drolefille's post you are officially no fun anymore and you suck as a moderator.

Exactly! One of the hardest working members of my alumnae chapter was initiated as a graduating senior in college.

Dashing and bashing dreams seems to become a habit for to many people anymore!

If a person asks a serious question at least give serious answer.:rolleyes:

Just have the nerve to look into it and ask questoins. If it works, then it works!:)

If still interested speaking from a NIC stand point, there is a chance for AI and something else to look into!

It takes guts either way.

It's not dashing or bashing dreams. It's being realistic, and the realistic thing is, that for a lot of fraternities at a lot of schools, it would be tough, if not impossible, to get a bid as a senior. That may be different for NPHC, I'll leave opinions on that to the NPHC members who have already posted.

However, I don't see the answers here as non-serious. Is it any more serious to tell someone "Do it, you're guaranteed a bid," only to have them be disappointed?

No one is saying "don't even try." What they are saying is, if you are going to try, be aware that it might not work.

Correction: I'm saying don't even try.

At my chapter we have had instances where a guy pledged in spring of junior year or fall of senior year. It is certainly rare, but it happens.

In every instance, the guy had an existing connection to the chapter. He would be at the house all the time and at social events because he had a friend or friend(s) in the chapter and eventually just became a part of us even though not a full member.

When someone becomes part of a chapter in this way- then it is only natural that they might want to pledge and become a full brother before they graduate. And in such cases, we are happy to welcome them.

In the real world, AI works pretty much the same by the way (ducking the flames now) except that a person's strong connection to a chapter starts or comes to a certain point after graduation.

That said, if you do not have a particular chapter in mind- just go through rush and see what happens.

Odds are against you in a big way for a variety of reasons which do not necessarily have anything to do with you personally- especially at schools with highly competitive Greek systems.

Many chapters have quotas- and they want to fill them with freshman who are going to be dues-paying members for a full four years. This is a practical, but vital, consideration.

Also, guys who are in 3-4 years will have time to grow and develop and give back to the organization by serving in office, living in the house, rushing etc. In an organization that gets all the freshman pledges it wants, you would be trying to take the spot of someone who could be there to do all that long after you graduate.

There is also the automatic assumption- which is generally true though there are individual exceptions- that pledging and being heavily involved in a fraternity is something a freshman wants to do, but not a senior.

Except for those serving as officers, you will find that most seniors in fraternities are winding down quite a bit in terms of their day-to-day involvement with the fraternity. Their attention is more focused on getting into graduate school or finding a job. Plus, by this point (hopefully) they are outgrowing the desire to come to every party and go crazy every weekend.

But take this with a grain of salt. Each of us is different. My pledgeship was a blast, but I was President of my class and at the house a good 40 hours a week. It was a full-time job, and I could not have done it as a senior preparing for grad school and taking some pretty tough final courses for my undergrad major.

Your mileage may vary depending on the school and chapter where you plan to pledge.

In the long run, if you find a fraternity that you like, and that fraternity sees value in your membership- then it doesn't matter if you are 18 or 75 years old. It will happen.

But just know the odds are tough once you get past sophomore year and you will need to be able to articulate very clearly why you want to join at a point in your life when very few people undertake this decision.

I pledged K A Psi during my LAST semester as an undergrad. I graduated a month after I probated. I think it's worth pledging if you are dedicated to it.

There is a reason why I didn't pledge earlier and that was due to financial reasons. However, I didn't let it deter me from doing something I really wanted to do. I really wanted to be a brother in the bond of Kappa Alpha Psi, so I stuck with it.

I was blessed with the opportunity to be picked and go through the process. You have to remember this one thing: a fraternity's ties extend WAY beyond the campus. Therefore, just because you are leaving the chapter you pledged at doesn't mean you can't be a valuable asset to the bond.

Speaking from experience: I pledged the Fall of my senior year and remained active during my Masters courses following graduation. Following the close of my educational ventures, I took on an advisors role and continue to offer my chapter the support they need.

So, I wholeheartedly agree with:

I pledged my sorority as a Senior, but I was also a transfer student and a founding sister of my chapter. However, I have many guy friends who have pledged both as founding and established chapters on my campus. I think it also depends on the enviroment of your campus. But don't let any one discourage you! As someone else said, your college years are only the start of Greek Life!

I don't know what AI is like for Beta, but other groups (such as mine) do not grant AI status lightly. Absent very extraordinary circumstances, becoming an alumni initiate of many fraternities (including mine) is not a realistic expectation.

Taking out of the equation that you are a senior, and traditional policies per chapter/nationals, what is it that you can offer the fraternity during the time you will be on campus?

It has to be something pretty spectacular. I would think that you need to show the Fraternity what you can do for them in that shorter amount of time, as opposed to what you can take from the experience (ie. letters, a sense of brotherhood, etc.).

Then ask yourself, how can you demonstrate you willing to continue your membership in practice, as an alumnus?

Those are the questions you need to ask and answer of yourself, and to make pretty darn clear to the brothers. No one here can do anything but speculate. Try and see what happens.

Well said and congrats!

I would say go for it.

During my time we had several guys pledge that were almost ready to graduate. In a few of those instances, they ended up dual majoring so they could stay in college longer and therefore stay in the frat longer.

Hell, in one instance they guy graduated a semester later but stayed extremely active by visiting all the time, going to football games, and still paying 'dues' even though he was out of school. The guy also constantly invited people to his parents country house over near DC to hang out and then go into the city to have fun.

On the flip side, I have several friends that thought frats were ok, but didn't want to join one. Now that we have all graduated and they see me going back to tailgates, alumni parties/dinners, and going 'home' to the frat house they would give anything to go back and do it again so they could pledge.

I wouldn't do it. Granted everyone has their own situation and their own reasons, but I just don't see the point. Maybe if it's a brand new chapter just coming on campus that needs founding members or something, otherwise no.

Glad I read ahead. ;)

Maybe I'll be the very unofficial MCGLO rep for this thread?

Can't speak for ALL multicultural orgs, but I pledged as a senior and know other sisters who have done the same. Ours is a lifetime committment, so the bond is just as strong.

I actually think it's a good thing to have had some exposure to Greek life before deciding on such a committment. Good luck!

While harder to be accepted as a Senior, the lfe time commentment can be so true! Being a Grad at the same school, living in the same town or going to school near by could be a plus!

Just check into it! Give it a chance!:)

You may offer a lot!:D

Yeah, definitely depends what your plans are for after college. Joining a fraternity can be the best decision of your life for a multitude of reasons, but as a 21-22 year old pledge, expect to be doing a lot of bitch work for your pledge class and membership, namely...buying alcohol.
Give it a shot though, I had two 21ers in my pledge class of 23 guys, and they did fine.