Should I?
 

I have a slightly unique situation. I'll be transferring to a mid sized State school in the Spring...I have not attended college since my freshman fall semester in 2010. Due to my mother's illness I left the small private school I was attending to help at home. I've had my heart set on going Greek for almost 3 years and would LOVE to go through Spring informal recruitment. Here are my questions:

1. Since only certain chapters participate in informal recruitment should I still do it?

2. Being a 21 year old college freshman will I be turned away or cut early? Note I have a 2.9 high school GPA and a 3.4 college GPA and this is a moderately competitive school

3. Should I wait and participate in Fall recruitment after completed Spring and Summer semesters course work, or should I not rush at all?

This really depends on the school.

If you have the opportunity to participate in informal recruitment in the spring, you should do it. Nobody can tell you what your chances are, or if you will be turned away, but we generally advise women to rush at the first opportunity. A 3.4 is pretty good, so doing more coursework isn't going to help you on that front.

When I was in school, there would usually be about five chapters participating in informal recruitment. There were always a handful of women who showed up to check it out and then decided they wanted to wait for fall to see all 19 chapters. Well, guess what? Many of them would find those same five chapters dominating their invites.

If there is only one chapter participating, and it doesn't seem like a good fit for you, you don't have to accept a bid, but if there are two or more chapters offering you membership, you should give serious, serious thought to joining one of them.

It's a smaller state university in the Midwest.

I know that only certain chapters participate in Spring rush/recruitment and you don't get to go to every chapter. You basically decide which chapter you'd like to meet and attend 2 events and are invited back to a 3rd (I know this from a friend who went through the process). I guess I'm just looking for advice/opinions. I think my big worry is being (almost) 21 and whether or not that's considered "weird."

Is your school really traditional? Will you be considered "weird" outside of recruitment simply for being an older freshman? If yes, then it will be weird during recruitment too.

What you also want to try to deteremine is if many sophomores or juniors get bids at your school. Odds are good that even if your paperwork says freshman the women will mentally classify you as a junior. If juniors go bidless a lot, you have that against you too.

Your GPA is good, your HS GPA shouldn't be a factor.

Go through informal in the spring and if offered a bid to a chapter you like, accept it and have fun.

If you feel like it's not right, wait and go through formal.

With any recruitment, the number one thing to remember is you can't get a bid if you don't get out there and meet the women.

Another vote for finding out more info about the pledge classes resulting from formal recruitment.

Can you determine if your school has a pretty competitive rush? If so, go through informal.

Work to get an accurate picture of who, what, why makes up your Greek system and then see if your situation fits.

As an chapter advisor for a small school in the Midwest, we welcome all ages, school years to go through informal recruitment (or even Formal Recruitment). We've recruited Juniors and Seniors and they've always shown a great deal of leadership! Just because they are new to Greek Life, doesn't mean they are new to leadership! If there is a chapter you are really wanting to go for, I'd recommend reaching out to their Recruitment Director and asking questions. If you do want to go through Formal Recruitment, reach out to Panhellenic. They will help you out. I'd say go for it! Good luck!

I don't think that it's considered weird to be a slightly older student at this school, when I've visited in the past (I have several friends who attend) I've seen non traditional students and know a few guys and girls my age and a year or two older who are behind their original class. I guess I'll hope for the best and keep asking questions and trying to learn more. Sorry if I'm annoying y'all by the way!

Here's another question: I have a friend who was an active member of a chapter on campus, but disaffiliated because she transferred to a school without that chapter. Can/should she still write me a rec?

Normally members who transfer to a school without a chapter attain alumna status, they don't disaffiliate. If she left without taking care of outstanding obligations it might be a whole 'nother story. If she has any questions about her membership, she can contact her HQ.

If she is a member in good standing, it wouldn't hurt to have her write you a rec.

In addition, your friend might be able to share some insight into your "chances". She attended school there, she was a member of a chapter there.

She doesn't have any outstanding obligations that I know of, and I know she still gets along with all of the girls from that chapter. Her new school is literally down the street from this one and she hangs out with girls from her pledge class still. I've asked her about the process when she went through (she also did informal/Spring). Her GPA is WAY better than mine though and she went through as a freshman. She's said that it won't be weird and that a few girls who got bids when she did were older, I was just looking for some outside advice.

I would trust her advice. She would know better than we would.