Just a few questions...
 

I'm a sophomore this year, and informal recruitment starts tonight.

Last fall, I went to a few open houses for one sorority, got a bid from a said sorority, and accepted it, before I really knew anyone. Long story short, I don't really fit with that chapter, and didn't get initiated.
My bid ran out in December.

So, I was planning on checking out the other 5 sororities on campus and I just had a few questions.

If a chapter decides to bid me, can they see that I had a bid from another sorority, and didn't finish with the new member program?

If at an interest party, it happens to come up, should I just be honest and tell them the reason I quit? (That I accepted my bid too soon, and then didn't feel that I really fit in with the chapter?)

Should I bring up the fact that even though I'm a sophomore, I'm probably going to be here for another 3+ years?

I'm in a professional fraternity, related to my major/minor, so would it be okay to talk about that a little bit? It's not part of PHC.

I'm sorry if these questions have been asked 293743298 times before, I'm just a little nervous.

When you say "last fall" do you mean Fall 2007 or Fall 2008?

Fall 2007.

*If your school has a small enough sorority community, it is possible that they know who joined what chapter and who happened to depledge. They may not know why though.

*NOTE: Make sure it has been ONE calandar year since you depledged, as you are not permitted to join another group for one year after depledging a sorority.

A sorority can't offer you a bid if it hasn't been one year yet. So just make sure you have followed the rule.

*If it comes up, I wouldn't lie about quitting, but I don't know that I would go into detail about why. It's not neccessary.

*About the sophomore part, if you can bring that up in a way that is tactful, then do so.

*You can talk about your professional fraternity, but don't go on and on about it. The sorority members want to get to know you.

Clarification please: Is it one calendar year from the date you depledged or one calendar year from when the bid card was signed?

From when the bid card was signed. And even then it's the "spirit" of a calendar year - i.e. if she signed the bid on Sept 9 & rush ends Sept 1, she can still go through and sign a new bid. :)

Right, if the bid was signed in Fall 2007, she would be eligible at the beginning of recruitment in Fall 2008, even if it wasn't 365 days.

I always wondered that.....so a girl who de -pledged ABC in Fall 07 could have gone through recruitment in Fall of 08? I think I got it!

Yes. Just think of the bid having an "expiration date" on it like a milk carton - whether you use it partially or not at all, by the time the expiration date comes around, time to toss it! :p