Recruitment as a sophomore//gossiping
 

Deleting all info, since I'm going through recruitment again.

Did all of the chapters know that you were a legacy to that chapter during the last recruitment? You were already released from all of the other chapters as a freshman. Although you may have met new people over the past year, be prepared that the same MAY happen as a sophomore. You probably need to think critically of your experience during recruitment last year and figure out what the sororities may have picked up on that they all dropped you. Were you cocky that you'd get into your legacy chapter? Did you not carry conversations well? Have bad grades? Basically, figure out why it was a disaster and fix the things that you can. If anyone asks about your legacy, play it cool. Bad mouthing any chapter can get you in more hot water than you want, and playing up your legacy can make others think you aren't interested.

There are some schools where being a major legacy can really hurt you. I don't remember if it was Honeychile or Carnation who mentioned that most of the women she knows do not get to pledge their mothers GLO, but are also cut from many of the others almost immediately because they assume the PNM will end up in "mom's sorority".

That being said, that only applies at some schools and mostly they are in the SEC. So I would approach the situation like AOII Angel suggested...think about any other reason that they might have released you and work on those. I think, being a sophomore, that grades, an outgoing personality, campus leadership and achievements will be your biggest asset IF they are accepting of sophomores. Get your name out there on campus in a good way as soon as possible! Some sororities, if they are planning on taking sophomores, may already be taking serious note of sophomore PNMs they are interested in.

If they are not accepting of sophomores, then you may be in a predicament. Do some research on your campus culture and, when preparing, assume that the legacy thing will not come into play. It very well might, but if you act like that is the only thing keeping you from a bid then it might mean you are crucially unprepared in whatever area...ironically, maybe the factor that got you released the first time.

It depends on the program. I am 99.9% sure that if you registered with ICS, only your legacy chapter will know that you are a legacy unless...

you get recs for other chapters and your recommenders note your legacy status on the form OR

your sister went to the same school recently and was well known OR

you tell them.

(At least it was that way at my school)

One very good question - did you have recs for where you are a legacy? I know that I've had alums assume that we "just knew" the PNM was a legacy and that's all we needed! I called an alum here in town once about her daughter as we had not received a form her. The alum said she knew we knew or thought one of us woud just do one so didn't really think about getting it! And the girl's resume would just appear out of thin are, I guess. UGH!

Panhellenic tells us which chapters on our campus PNMs are legacies to.

At the school I advise at every sorority gets a copy of the rush application with some information taken off. If your mother is high profile in the sorority I'm almost certain her group knew that you were going through and that you were a legacy. I know that being a legacy is not a bonus with the girls I advise for. For some reason they feel these girls (legacies) have a sense of entitlement. I fight hard for legacies because I personally feel like they make better members especially women who have an involved relative. They know what is expected in terms of behavior and service. Good luck to you. I hope recruitment turns out better for you this next time.

I did have recommendations for all of the sororitites. My mom also sent in a form for a heads up to the sorority. And it was on the application.

However, apparently the sorority is fully aware now. I've been told this through multiple sources. Might that hurt going through recruitment?

Sorry to get off track... but are you allowed to deny a legacy, I thought NPC's had to accept legacy, maybe just my NPC?

I wasn't aware that DPhiE policy says to extend a bid to every legacy. I don't think I've ever heard other DPhiEs here say that a legacies are guaranteed a bid.

Being a legacy DOES NOT guarantee the PNM a bid. While they are extended certain courtesies, it's not an automatic "in".

On some campuses, the number of legacies going through rush might even exceed the number of spots available in a chapter. There's no way for the chapter to take all the legacies that come through the door.

maybe our chapter is just under that impression..... I just thought that there was a lot of red tape to not allow in a legacy.

Not at all. I can't remember which NPC sorority it was, but I recall a GCer telling us once about a direct descendant of a FOUNDER going through rush -- a great-great-great-granddaughter I think. This girl was so rotten that the chapter couldn't wait to cut her. It didn't matter who she was, she just wasn't a good fit for the chapter.

A lot of the recruitment stories here feature a number of legacies who end up getting cut from their legacy chapter(s).

well, I guess that's good, because who's ever been a carbon copy of their mother?

Same here. Going into recruitment we knew if PNMs were legacies to us and to other chapters on campus.