Is it even worth rushing?
 

I'm going to be transferring from a community college in Northern California into USC as a junior.I really want to join a sorority there, however, I know no USC alumni so I therefore know no women who are alumni of the sororities there :|

Anyways, I'm wondering if it's even worth it for me to rush since, 1) I'm a junior and I know they aren't preferred and 2) I have no letter of recommendation.

Any advice is greatly appreciated :) Thanks.

Do you think only the alumni from USC chapters can write recs for you? Not so. Any alumni in good standing can write a rec for any chapter of her sorority. Do a search here to get ideas on where you can find recs. Odds are you know sorority alumni (or active members, if they're permitted to write them), and just don't realize it.

Also, keep your grades up well above the minimum rush requirement.

There are many alumnae associations in Northern California (thinking of the Bay Area, specifically, including Sonoma/Napa Counties) and now is a good time to start networking to get those recs in place. When I went through recruitment, I only knew one sorority alumna (a Delta Gamma), but she wrote a rec for me and she put me in touch with other women from other sororities who also wrote recs for me after they met me. There may be teas or get-togethers in the spring, so start looking online now. Google "Alumnae Panhellenic + (name of your area)" and see what comes up.

Any alumna can write a letter of recommendation for any PNM going through recruitment at a school with a chapter of her sorority. The alum doesn't have to be an alum of that specific chapter. For some NPC sororities, an active member can write a letter of recommendation for a PNM if that PNM is rushing at a different campus.

These days, a lot of people get associate degrees and then transfer in as juniors to save a bit of money, so you most likely won't be alone.

(Yanking IrishLake's chain a bit ;) Alumna = singular female alum, alumnae = plural female alums. Alumnus = singular male alum, alumni = plural male or mixed-sex alums. I blame 7 years of Latin for doing this to me *sigh*)

At SC recommendations are advised. Juniors are pledged, but keep an open mind.

Do discuss costs with your family. Make sure Greek life is affordable before registering with Panhellenic.

February 1st is the deadline for transfer applications. Make sure all your forms and other materials are in the USC admissions office before the deadline.

I think in some places Jrs may be preferred over sophomores. You bring a whole different element to the table. We would hope you would understand good grades, be more mature, not go wild because you are out from under your parents rules and house. I have found that sometimes junior new member make very good new members. Go in with an open mind, but get those recs they can only help you and have fun.

Start asking every one you know if they are greek. Also, some Chapters allow current members to write recommendations so ask people you know. Good luck.

This is going to be non-PC, but I will say it anyway: not every chapter at USC is at total. That bodes well for women who may have something working against them, like junior status. This is not to say that those chapters take anyone; they also have membership selection and high standards, and want girls who can contribute to their chapters. However, it does mean that they are making more of a yes/no decision on individuals, rather than pitting one woman against another. If you are willing to consider these chapters, I would say rushing is worth it.

I totally agree with you that most Chapters want to pledge freshman first. I also think it is pretty common for a lot of Jrs to be transferring to Cali schools because they are so hard to get into as a Freshman and expensive to boot. I would be interested to see the break down of recruitment classes going through at USC and UCLA. Am I imagining or did one of these schools just put a upperclassmen quota in place?