Going through recruitment
 

Hey Guys! So I'm in a sticky situation...Perhaps I should tell you my story first...

I went through recruitment when I was a Sophomore during Fall '09. There are only three sororities at my university. I knew which sorority I had wanted to be in because of the parties...After the first day of parties (the following morning), I had gotten a call saying that sorority A and sorority B had cut me. It was fine with me because those two were the ones I didn't want to be in. The second day of parties, I had gone to sorority C (the one I DID want to be in). I felt that the girls I talked to were really nice. The following morning, I had gotten a call telling me that I was not invited back to the party. What had happened was that the girls I had talked to the night before had said I didn't sound interested because I had told them "I know which sorority I want to be in." I was very upset for the few days after.

Then in the Spring, the sorority C had called me inviting me to this small party that they were having because three girls had dropped from the sorority. I was told that there were 5 girls going for the spot. One girl didn't show up and that left 4. A few days after, my friend who was in sorority C had to break the news to me that I did not get in. That instead of being three girls getting in, only two got in. She and the other girls did not know why, but all had told me that they all voted for me when it came down to it.

I am a Sophomore short by 3 credit hours of being a Junior this semester. My GPA is currently standing at a 2.26. I am in a situation where I do not know if I want to go through recruitment again. I do not want to be rejected for a third time. Not only that, in Spring '11, I am going into a medical program at my school at the end of the semester. So only a year of having fun, and then I'll be studying my butt off.

What should I do?

Signed--
Confusion.

What the heck kind of medical program can you get into with a 2.26 GPA???

I am pretty doubtful that you would have a successful recruitment with that GPA- you are a major grade risk. Even if they loved you oodles and oodles, your grades are close to failing out of school.

Stop worrying about whether or not to be greek and get your grades together so you can get a job or get into grad school when you graduate.

Sounds like you already had 4 semesters of fun.

Yeah, I can almost guarantee that you were cut because of your grades. A 2.26 is really low even for a non-competitive school. Most NPCs have national GPA requirements, and often the chapter requirement is higher, but your GPA probably wouldn't meet either. You will most likely be rejected a third time.

"Failing out" is a little dramatic, but OP those are low grades for a PNM. Whether you should try again is up to you, but realize your grades will remain a problem unless they get better quickly. There are tons of other ways to have fun before medical school, but if I were you I would focus on school. Make that your job, and blow off steam on the weekends.

You took the words right out of my mouth. What medical program do you think you will get into with that GPA? I can tell you EXACTLY why you were cut from the sororities----your grades! I also find it a little funny that you already knew which sororities you wanted, maybe because you thought you were too good for the others so, you had one picked out that was right for you. With your class standing (even at a non-competitive school) and your horrible GPA, you would have been lucky to receive a bid to ANY sorority. Stop worrying about going Greek because at this rate, it ISN'T going to happen.

With a GPA that low, good luck getting into graduate school. Unless you have a severe learning disability, you are pretty much screwed in terms of finding a decent paying job or getting into graduate school, unless you attend a very prestigious university that may make up (a little) for your grades. Just, wow!

I think that's a little harsh. There are a lot of jobs that don't look at your grade point (or even any specifics of your degree) when you're looking for a job even right after college. No, it's not ideal and certainly not good enough to get into any graduate program I can imagine, but insinuating she's only qualified to work at a learning disability job is over the top.

That being said, the sorority life ship has sailed. I'm sorry your friend didn't give you the easiest answer: we have national minimum grade point standards that we can under no circumstances break.

So, basically, she fails at life? Jeez, don't sugarcoat it or anything...you might leave her with some hope of getting a better job than Taco Bell for the rest of her life.

Well said. That post was unnecessarily harsh and judgmental.

Not really. Where I went, under a 2.0 will get you on academic probation and if you don't improve, academic suspension. You must also have a 2.0 to graduate. And that was general for the school, many programs had an even higher requirement. She's dangerously close.

If your grades are that low, putting more demands on the person's time should not be encouraged.

I don't think it was that harsh. KDdani is right that she may soon be on academic probation. If she is sitting on a 2.26, she may potentially fail out. I'm not saying she needs to work at Taco Bell right now but, she needs to bring up her GPA. It's a harsh reality but, that's what happens when you let your GPA get so low. If she had a learning disability, some people might overlook such poor grades. If not, then I don't know what she has been doing while at school. It also depends on her major. I highly doubt she will be accepted into a medical program if her grades are so poor. She is going to be a Junior. That sounds like she has a bunch of credits under her belt. Chances are that her grades may not greatly improve.

The sorority ship has failed. As far as future career endeavors, bring up the grades or you may have a hard time finding a job. It's harsh but, hey-it's true. The joblessness rate is very high, right now. If you don't come from a highly competitive university, have a highly competitive major, or have a learning disability, people may not be as forgiving about it. Even entry-level jobs are hard to get with poor grades.

If anyone thinks what I said was harsh, look at so many of the VERY QUALIFIED and INTELLIGENT people we have on this site that are having a hard time finding jobs. They all have attended great schools, have great grades and are involved on campus yet, it is hard for them to find jobs and they are GREAT CANDIDATES. Now, compare that to people who aren't doing so hot. Is it really harsh to tell someone they need to bring up their grades? No, I don't think it is!

The way you said it was the problem. This post is reasonable. The point is "bring up your grades" not "you suck at life and must be stupid".

Focus on doing really well in school and raising your GPA. When I was in college, that also included taking "fluff" courses and/or summer courses to raise your grades. That was done to be eligible for Greekdom (that's not the topic I care about right now) but more importantly to reach your maximum potential and not waste your college investment.

There are plenty of people who graduated with GPAs that they weren't too proud of but recovered from it by getting graduate degrees or finding another way to recognize their potential. Although you will have to submit undergraduate transcripts for graduate schools and certain types of jobs, your undergraduate GPA does NOT follow you for the rest of your life.

This^. Bring up your grades now, focus on making school your job, and if you enter a graduate program, bust your butt to make up for the undergrad GPA.

Also, make sure to keep your major GPA high. I know my grade problems usually came from gen-ed courses, so I focused on making sure I was making good grades in my major to help offset that. If you haven't already, visit the Graduate Studies office on your campus. They can help you decide how to maximize your options and can point you towards tutors or study skills help if you need it.

I'm sure she was looking for NPC coaches and not a bunch of life coaches. :p

Oh well, if this was an NPHC question I would've given the same answer but added that it is never too late to try to be NPHC as a collegiate or alumnae.