Question For Med School, Law School People (and others!)
 

Hello all,

I must say, I am very impressed with how accomplished you people are! I am no slouch myself, in that I just finished my doctoral degree in education last summer (at age 46). However, as a teacher and a mom I am completely impressed with the young people on this board who are pursuing their dreams. It is also great to see posts from people who are already doctors, attorneys, as well as others who are tops in their field.

My question is this- I never had the opportunity to join a sorority and I really wish things would have been different. My daughter pledged and initiated this year (I guess that's the terminology). So, I am wondering. Those of you who maintained sky-high gpa's for med school and law school entrance, etc. Was this difficult, in addition to being a member of a sorority? I know the sorority (and fraternities) takes time- did it sometimes get in the way of studies?

Thanks so much for providing your viewpoint to someone who has no experience in this area.

I wouldn't have made it into med school if I hadn't been in my fraternity. It honestly was that important. Yes it took time, but the support, encouragement, mentoring, and academic help I received was absolutely vital. If I had been in the dorms, I might have had a higher GPA (though that's an extremely questionable assertion) but I wouldn't have been so involved on campus and developed the skills I did that I think were very helpful in me getting accepted. I certainly wouldn't have had as much fun or made the friends that I did.

I did a ton of University recruitment and admissions work, a lot directed towards getting students to look at Greek life and when I got this question, I always told students and parents that great chapters develop and support you (or your child) as a person and that includes professionally. The great chapters make it easier for you to tap your potential. This was absolutely the case with my chapter - I had several older members in the house (two in particular - one who is a resident in anesthesiology, the other is a corporate lawyer who graduated from a top 10 law school) who, practically from day 1 of my pledge semester, were handing me applications and telling me about campus organizations they thought I should get involved with. Other guys in the house were great for telling me which profs to avoid, and my pledge brothers were great for built in study groups...everything built on top of each other to make my goals reality.

Congrats on completion of your Ph.D. It is wonderful to see others make that achievement and you are "young" compared to others getting that sort of degree in education!

For me, I had a higher GPA as an undergraduate during and after pledging. The work I was asked to do as a pledge allowed me to understand the work I was asked to do in furthering my education. When I worked on my Ph.D. in molecular genetics, it felt painfully like many years of outright pledging, I guess that never giving up mentality I have kept me going until I earned it. I don't think I could have done it later in life. Because I am 40, myself, and I am at that stage where I think, I have learned as much as I want, now I want money... So, ironically, there are no jobs in my current residence that are available; and now I have "jumped ship"--no more organized research... I am kewl with that.

Anyhow, I my GPA's for my Masters and Ph.D. course work was superior. So, IDK if it had to do with my organization or not. But, they were my "rock" when I needed them the most.

Thank you for the kind words, and your thoughts. Molecular genetics...wow, that sounds difficult. Congrats on your achievements.