wanna rush as sophomore
 

Hi, I'm a "freshman" at the university of Arizona. I actually did my freshman year last year in San Diego but almost none of my credits transferred so I am still classified as a freshman and will probably end up doing 5 years (only 4 at u of a). Because of this i will be a sophomore next year and I have been considering rushing a sorority. Does anyone know if sororities would even be willing to accept me?

U of A has a very competitive recruitment. It is harder for a sophomore to go through down there, but not impossible if you are the "total package". First of all you will need to secure a recommendation for as many Sororities as you can. You might want to start thinking about who you know that is Greek and ask if they would be willing to write one for you. Second, make sure your grades are well above a 3.0. 3.0 is the minimum cut off for most of the groups down there. Lastly, get involved on campus and hold offices. Do community service. When you fill out your application fill it out completely and wisely. If you have any friends who are currently in sororities network and try to meet as many of their sisters as possible and attend events if you can AND behave yourself when your with them- don't get drunk, do drugs or boys. Good luck to you. There are actually several UofA post on here that you can read.

Also, limiting your requests to one thread will get you more useful responses.

I answered in the (grammatically correct) other thread and suggested she delete this one, but judging from the timing of her posts, she's probably sleeping in ;)

Is informal/spring recruitment an option for her at U of A?

No. Highly unlikely that any chapter will participate, even with mid-year seniors graduating.

All chapters are at or above total.

Past couple of years has been strictly COB for one or two chapters, very private invitations, nothing formal/organized.

Wow, I'm surprised to hear that U of A is so competitive. We're talking about Tucson, right?

^^^yes. It's gotten increasingly competitive over the past several years. I am amazed at the quality of the PNMs (GPAs, activities, interests, experiences.) It's a very healthy system, and could certainly support more chapters BUT... there's the very real issue of REAL ESTATE and the prohibitive cost for paying for a lot, and then leasing it annually, plus building, plus no guarantee that the U of A won't come back on the chapter in a few years and say "we need the land." And no chapter can be competitive without housing in the current system/climate.

AzTheta- What happened to the Alpha Chi chapter house? I know we closed due to numbers almost two years ago, and it's obviously too soon for us to recolonize, but I'm curious as to what happened to the real estate.

Thanks guys for all of the information. I have an okay gpa (3.5) and I am involved with one of the choirs and I am the coach of a high school cheer squad here in town. I don't Really know what extracurricular activities to get involved with to help me with rushing a sorority do you all have any suggestions? Also I know very few greeks so I doubt I could get many recommendations (only 2 or 3 tops) am I basically screwed?

Alpha Chi still owns the house, fortunately, and I believe it's being leased. Fingers crossed that Alpha Chi will return in a few years...

Do a search on recommendations here on GreekChat to learn all you need to know about securing recommendations ;)

You don't really have a college GPA yet, if I interpret your first post correctly; you said that you are considered a freshman as very few of your credits from CA transferred. Right? It is your college GPA that will be considered, not high school, since you'll be going through recruitment as a "sophomore" in Fall 2011.

Thank you AzTheta I'd forgotten thats not my gpa anymore. Lol it was my transfer gpa not my high school though :-) I figured they wouldn't look at my high school gpa but I forgot u of a doesn't count my gpa from the school I transferred from.

You would be surprised who is Greek when you actually start to ask. A lot of people are not overly public about it. I would start by asking your cheer squad Mom's, then think about teachers you have had in the past and your Mom and Dad's friends. I think it would benefit you greatly to have the recommendations and would put some work into securing them. As far as getting involved I would look to campus activities and things you have interest in. There are loads of clubs on campus you can get involved with. Your major probably has some type of club.

Thanks so much AXOrushadvisor! Your input has been extremely helpful. I will ask around and do my best to try for recommendations and i will definitely look at the recommendation threads. Unfortunately my major actually has no clubs that are affiliated with it in anyway, but I will try for some of my other interests.

It's not what will look impressive to someone else; what's important is to do things/join organizations that mean something to you, where you can make a difference, develop leadership skills, etc. It's not about doing great things, but doing small things in a great way. Let's say you were the president of the State U Crochet Club. Sound boring?Lets say that president, you organized a blanket-making campaign to benefit chemo or dialysis, newborns, and the homeless. You researched different populations' needs, set up quality/safety standards for each, scheduled quilting sessions and deadlines, and hand-delivered them to the hospital and shelter. I would be damn impressed.

As for recs, you have been given great information, and can find a lot more if you use the search button here. Ask friends in sororities if they can put you in contact with alumnae. Ask everyone you know, and when you find someone, ask if they know anyone. It's not an impossible feat, and many, many people who were first in their families to go Greek have had successful rushes.