General Recruitment Question
 

Hi all, I have been following GC for quite some time now but finally decided to register for an account. I am going to be going through sorority recruitment this fall at a Big 10 school as a transfer student, but I am a little unsure of what year in school I should put down on my recruitment application. I graduated high school in June 2010, and started college in August 2010, so I will be entering what is technically my junior year. However, at my new school, the University considers me a "senior" because I have over 90 credits (due to IB Credits from high school and 2 full summers of classes in college). In transferring to my new school, however, I still have quite a few requirements in order to satisfy the Gen Ed program of my new college (classes that all incoming freshmen take), and I am pursuing a double major that requires quite a few more classes. After meeting with an advisor, we mapped out a plan in which I realized I will need 3 more years to complete the degrees I want. So in 2015, after 5 years of undergraduate, I will hopefully graduate with 2 bachelor's degrees.

My question is, what year should I say I am on my application? Should I put down that I am a junior, which is technically the year I am in college? Should I say senior because the university classifies me as a senior? Or should I say sophomore because I have 3 years left?

I know age plays a large factor in recruitment so I was wondering how I should clarify this on an application, and during recruitment. I want to be nothing but truthful and forthright in this process.

Thank you so much for your input! I apologize for the length of this post!

You need to put down what the school classifies you as since that's the information the sororities will receive from them. Use the application to discuss your circumstances.

There isn't exactly a place on the application where I can discuss that. I'm worried if I say that I am a senior (which I don't consider myself to be), I will be completely overlooked during recruitment.

I disagree; if I were you, I'd put down "junior". You have at least two years at the school, and AP/IB stuff is so common that everyone understands class standing by credit hours is not the same as how many years you have been in school.

You must circle the year in school that you are based on your credits. The registrar's office will confirm your year in school. Once your application is submitted, the campus Panhellenic will further verify your credit hours and year in school.

To alert the sororities that you will have a few more years due to your double majors, secure recommendations and letters of support from alumnae that will be sent to the chapters on your behalf. The recommenders can discuss that you still have quite a bit of time left. Additionally, when you go through recruitment, you can mention this to the sorority women you meet so that they are aware.

You will still likely experience cuts due to your class status, but you can mitigate as best you can with the recommendations and by telling your story at recruitment. Don't just blurt it out-- you'll likely be asked your major, and then you can tell the members that you transferred but because of your studies you have X more years and you're excited at the prospect of being an active sorority member during that time.

We are not talking about a school that where recs are required, or even suggested.

Be that as it may, she wants to spread the word that she has more time in school left and a recommendation letter would be an obvious marketing strategy.

I don't want to be a downer, but even stating you're a junior and not a senior is still going to make for a rough road for you. Be very open minded as to your options and be prepared for tough cuts. Hopefully you can still find a home, but there will be quite a few chapters who won't want to give up a spot for a junior, regardless of how awesome you are. When you get that smallest chapter on campus, consider it an opportunity to rebuild or be part of an up and comer. I wish you the best of luck! Even though it's probably going to be rough doesn't mean you don't have a chance.

I would list myself as a junior if you expect to take two years to graduate. It is your third year of school, hence, junior. imo.

But if the chapters are generally clueless about how recs work or what they're for, what's the point? The OP's time would be better used by getting to personally know active members of her school's chapters and filling them in on her situation, rather than running around willy-nilly trying to locate alumnae and get recs.

However, unless "fall" equals "November", she's honestly kind of screwed no matter which one she would try to do at this point.

If your university considers you a senior - THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE. If you had tested out of tons of classes and were entering the school for the first time at age 18 with 2 years worth of credits under your belt, you would be a junior. On the application, there should be a space to write "I am a senior credit-wise, but I have 3 years of school left due to changing my major." If it is an online application with no room to write that down, VISIT (do not call, do not email, do not text) the Greek life office, fill out the app there, have them print it out and write that information on it.

I thought I just read in another thread that the suggestion to PNMs in this situation was to put the year they would be had they been a typical student in their year. Thus if she graduated hs in 2010, she'd put junior on here. Especially with transfer credits and the amount of time she'll be remaining at the school. That'd be an easy one to explain off if questioned as well. "I'm a third year college student, so I put down junior" no one will be going through with a fine tooth comb counting credits. (I assume)

I agree; freshmen coming in with AP credit put down "freshman" where I come from, but it seems there is some disagreement here.