Transferring Junior - Can I still join a sorority?
 

So I'm a senior in high school right now but I'm making decisions on college related stuff. My mom doesn't have enough money to pay for most of my college and my dad isn't in my life so he can't pay any. My dream college experience would be to go to Old Dominion University for all 4 years and live in a dorm, but that cost is too much for my mom, even with me working too. So, my mom told me I should go to Mary Washington University (I live in VA) and work during college. She said I should do this for two years, then transfer to ODU for my last two and go there for their physical therapy program.

My question is, will I still be able to join a sorority at ODU? I really wanna experience rushing, sorority sisters, the big/little relationship, etc. but I'm afraid transferring won't allow me to. At most, I'll be at ODU in a couple years, but my hope is I'll be there after my freshmen year. I can't go to ODU as a freshmen because I've been homeschooled my whole life & my mom said its best to get used to college and being in a classroom before going to my dream school.

Sorry for rambling lol. So basically, will I still get the same sorority experience if I transfer to ODU as a junior? Thanks a ton!! :)

You are looking WAY WAY too far down the road right now. Finish high school. Work on getting accepted by Mary Washington and get your education. Who knows what will happen in those 2 to 3 years. Guessing
what will happen if and when you transfer to another university is kind of a waste of time and energy.

@thetalady

Yeah, you've got a point. I didn't really look at it that way. Thanks for your help! I really appreciate it. :D

If you're a senior now you should be applying for colleges and worry about the other stuff later. But don't minimize your opportunities for scholarships. If you don't know how to do all that, get with your advisor at school to help you with the long, horrible, but possibly very beneficial process. If you have the academics to get into ODU, or anywhere else for that matter, you might be surprised at how many institutions are willing to help you. But now is really the time. I know AGDee said her son's application deadlines were November 1 for early admission.

In short, you MIGHT be able to go to the 4 year institution of your dreams. Don't give up on that before you try. Unfortunately, sorority membership can be very expensive. Regardless of all other things, paying for sorority dues might not be in the cards. It's not the end of the world, and I hope you can find a way, but do be realistic about the costs as you make your plans.

@dubaisis

Man you're right, I totally didn't think bout sorority costs! I've been saving money for awhile (having a job really helps so I'm lucky), and my hope is that I can set aside some to pay for it. My mom is helping me out with college stuff and I'm gonna have her look into some scholarship and financial aid with me. She didn't think I'd be able to get much aid but I think it can't hurt to at least try. Any little bit helps in this day and age =\

anyway, I'm definitely still keeping the dream alive! I'll do everything I can to try and make it happen as much as possible. But I'm also gonna really be realistic and do what I can afford. :) thank you for replying!

You should apply to your dream school and see if you get in and what sort of financial aid is offered. Then go from there!

@adpiucf That's what I thought to do. I checked on ODU's website and they offer aid. Around 70%-80% get aid, and at the most it could be up to 9k. I'm gonna show that to my mom as a way to convince her it's worth at least applying for aid.

My hope is that I only have to go to the university of Mary Washington a year. Then, hopefully, it's ODU from there <3 thank you so much for the reply! I truly appreciate all of you for helping me out!

Every college student has to get used to college and being in a college classroom. I'm sure you've had activities in your life where you have had to sit still while someone is talking to you. Not that much different! Remember, this is your decision, not mom's!

And even if that were an issue, can't you take a community college class or two in the spring and see what it's like?

@adipiucf honestly, that's what I told her. How hard can it be to listen to someone teach something? But she said the last thing she would want me to do is get overwhelmed and flunk out of my dream school.

I would love to go to ODU as a freshmen that way I can start living in a dorm and get to know other freshmens there too. Plus one of my friends said she would go to ODU as a freshmen so I could start the whole joining a sorority process. She said if I join a sorority as a sophmore or junior I won't get to be a little and will have no big. Not sure if this is true for all sororities or just her sorority (she goes to VCU).

@deltabetababy wouldn't that be the same as joining UMW for a year? I haven't looked into any community colleges in my area lol. All I know is before I could join ODU I would need to take one spanish class at another college (my homeschool program taught me two years of spanish & ODU recommends 3. Thus I assume they wouldn't accept me with only 2)

There is definitely room for compromise here. You could take spring classes this year (and summer for that matter), which would help with future cost and cover some requirements. You could also do community college for 1 year then go to a 4 year university for your sophomore year and beyond. A transferring sophomore is more attractive during rush than a sophomore who didn't rush the year before. You could go to CC this spring, summer and next fall and move into the dorms at the second semester of your freshman year. Your mom might want to keep you at home as long as possible, but this might be a bit more palatable for her.

But back to scholarships and costs. Take the CLEP test! From my experience with homeschooled kids, they are a lot more advanced than people assume. The cost of that test is WAY less than the cost of a college class. And if you can have a few hours of college credit under your belt, you can take the minimum number of hours your first semester (or 2) to help you adapt without getting too overwhelmed or getting too far behind in your progress.

That's a suggestion I have for any incoming freshman, take the minimum number of classes and be easy on yourself. This is not the time to prove to anyone how smart you are. I took 5 of the hardest classes I would ever take in college all in the same semester, first semester of freshman year! Lunacy. Make sure one of your classes is a goofy elective that is more or less just for fun. For me it was voice lessons, but I got around to that my last semester (summer school) in college. My GPA would have been much different if I'd taken that instead of Poli Sci 4 years earlier (which it turned out I didn't even need to take because it's the 1 requirement I got covered through CLEP).

ADVICE FROM ONE WHO WAS MANIPULATED BY MOM:

Please follow your heart and apply to your dream school(s). My mother was one who manipulated every move I made. She managed to keep me from applying to those schools which would have moved me out of her control. The school I chose was still too far for her, but close enough that I would be home often enough for her to continue her manipulations for years to come.

You said you are home schooled. MANY home schooled students have transitioned to a traditional classroom setting with a lot of success. Mom needs to learn to cut the apron strings and allow you to test your own individuality. I gave my children lots of free space (even my special needs son). They both went away to school. My daughter is now the Chief Coordinating Officer for a firm that has been having troubles finding suitable employees because of all the helicopter moms who will not let go of their little snowflakes.

Good luck!

DaffyKD

@dubaisis i REALLY like your idea!! Would it still work if I need to be applying to colleges this fall/winter in preparation for next year (2014, when I would be starting my freshmen year of college)? Sorry, just confused about the timing of it all lol. I like the idea of not throwing myself into a million classes and getting overwhelmed (because that does happen to me too often). Also, I would rather be a sophomore and rush instead of being a junior when I do it. I know sororities tend to prefer freshmen and sophomores over juniors anyway. So I'll start looking into CCs or even online classes to start taking. Hopefully they are cheaper than UMW which will help save money for ODU :) Thank you so much again! You guys are all helping a stressful situation seem much easier to deal with!

@daffykd Oh I will definitely apply to my dream school! My mom knows that no matter what I will find a way to get into ODU. And she wants me to do I too. I think it's just because she has always worried that she has put me and my bro at a disadvantage because we are homeschooled. So she tends to try and do whatever she can to prepare us for college and "real teachers". She told me she will help out trying to pay for ODU & dorms as much as she can, but it will mainly be my money.

Thank you for the advice! And congrats on your daughter's success! Too bad she has deal with all the clingy parents though lol. XD