If you're rushing as a sophomore, do high school grades matter?
 

Hi everyone,

I registered for recruitment today, and I became a little anxious. I'm rushing as an almost-sophomore (I'll be a sophomore in the spring, I took a semester off for personal reasons regarding family I don't mind explaining during recruitment) and while I was registering I realized there were a lot of questions regarding high school. GPA of course, SAT scores, class rank (I didn't know so I left it blank, it wasn't a required field). I didn't do well in high school which is why I didn't rush last year, but my college GPA is very good. I'm just very concerned that when they look at my application, they'll only see that I didn't do well in high school and I'll get cut because of that, even though I have an established college GPA. Is that going to happen, or since my college GPA is what's being taken into consideration does it not have that great of an effect? Also, if grade cuts do happen, will they happen after the first day? When will I know if I'm in the clear? I go to a southern school, but it isn't an SEC school so it isn't as competitive.

Thank you very much!

At my school, once you have accumulated college units and a college GPA, high school does not factor in at all. This is good in your case (congratulations!), but I want you to know that you are in the minority. Most PNMs have the reverse to report - a great HS GPA and a weak college GPA.

I am not comfortable discussing when we release members and on what basis. To me that is membership selection information. Others may not be as concerned.

That's definitely a relief to hear! I have 21 credit hours (30 for a sophomore, of course) and when I was registering I started becoming really concerned. I've grown a lot as a person since coming to college and I was bummed thinking I'd be cut for being stupid back in high school when it came to grades.

And that's understandable and I don't blame you!

I forgot to say GOOD LUCK! And that I hope you find a home. I expect other GCers will stop by and have something to say to you.

Every NPC sorority has a minimum GPA to pledge, and some chapters set higher minimum GPAs. If your GPA doesn't meet any chapter's minimum requirements, you probably wouldn't be allowed to register for NPC recruitment in the first place. Typically, if you have attended college for at least one semester, Panhel and the chapters will look at your college GPA. If you're a first-semester freshman, they will look at your high school GPA.

Beyond that ... that gets a little too close to membership selection, and we don't discuss the details of MS here.

I understand, that's totally fine! My main question was really if they would cut me just by seeing my high school information, even though I have an established college GPA.

Unless your school really veers from the norm, your college GPA is what will be reported to sororities and considered. :) All the best and I hope you have a great recruitment!

Thank you for the good luck's! I'll need it! I'm just really hoping they won't see my high school information and cut me because of that.

I seriously wouldn't waste another second worrying about this! You're rushing as a second semester freshman with a very good and established college GPA, which overrides high school academics -- unless as I commented earlier, your school really veers from the norm. As someone who has sent a lot of recs to a lot of different schools for a long time, I can say that I've never, ever, EVER known of high school academics mattering when there was a college GPA to look at. And really, why would they? Obviously, with incoming freshmen, there is nothing else to consider, but once you have a college GPA, that's what it's about. Thanks to your hard work and being serious about it, you have something sororities look at with those who are past their first semester -- you've already shown that you can manage college academics. (Incoming freshmen, even those with 4.0's, haven't proven that yet.) As AZTheta said, most PNMs with college hours we hear from are in the opposite boat. Their high school GPA was a shining star, their college GPA not-so-much. As long as your GPA isn't below the minimum for each specific chapter at your school (and since you said it's "very good," I doubt it's below any), sounds to me like you're in good shape as far this goes, so relax, don't mention it during recruitment, enjoy the process and all the best at finding your home!

Thank you very much! You've given me such peace of mind. :)