Your thoughts?
 

Hey girls! I'm a Phi Mu who's transferring from a small liberal arts college to a big SEC state school this fall. I'm very, very excited about going since it'll be a much better fit. But, I have one problem. Phi Mu at my school and the new school are different. I really want to be involved and get to know my new sisters, but I just don't know how. Another sister from my school transferred to the same place and dropped it after one semester. I don't want to do that at all, and I'd really like to be an active part of Phi Mu. If anyone has gone through the same thing, please help me out. Thank you :)

LIOB!

Get to know the Phi Mus on campus before you make the decision to go active or stay alumna. If you go active and decide that you're not a match and want to leave I'm assuming you'd have to blue form/deactivate.

Are you sure that you can affiliate with the chapter at "big SEC state school"? I'm not totally sure of Phi Mu's policy regarding affiliation (have never had to deal with it concerning the SEC) but if recruitment is as competitive as I hear and you or the chapter don't think that it will be a good fit, I'm not sure that you will be able to affiliate (you may have to go alumna). The chapter I advise had a member affiliate with us (small D2 school) from a much larger Big 12 school last fall and I think that I remember reading in the HQ bylaws at the time about a probatationary period whereby you attend your new school and after the first semester, the chapter has the option of offering affiliation to you. Again, I do not have experience with the SEC so I would check with your current chapter adviser or your area representative for more concrete and detailed information.

Also, if you think that the new chapter won't be a good fit, taking alumna status might be a good way to stay involved with Phi Mu but in an alumnae chapter. Please remember that sisterhood doesn't end at the collegiate level.

I agree. Meet with the women at the transfer school first. It seems as if they do accept (just going off the other experience w/ your other chapter sister).

I know that the blue form paper actually says that you should seek to join the chapter at your transfer school so I don't know if there are any chapters allowed to override that via bylaws or not. That's why the transfer chapter should be your primary source as you also have to do some deciding if they can accept you.

Good news! I met a couple of the SEC girls. We had lunch, and we hit it off pretty well. I believe you can reaffiliate; my sister just had our president write a letter of good standing and recommendation, and she was able to. I'll shoot the chapter advisor an email, and see what she says. If it doesn't work out, I'll go alumna. Thank you for your advice and help!