Third time's the charm: Colony?
 

I posted earlier about rushing twice, so you can guess by the title I wasn't able to join a sorority.

Now, it isn't necessarily to say I went through the whole thing. I found out the second day of events that both my parents and my cousin were having two separate weddings (weddings which I would be highly involved in and would be required to travel the entirety of the summer.) So in the grand scheme of things, my parents' needs trumped my wanting to be in a sorority. Plus, I also was surprised with a puppy so that took up all of my time.

Afterwards, I tried to tell myself that maybe sorority life wasn't for me--life certainly didn't stop getting in the way--but I'm sure you ladies could understand how it felt for me. However, recently, I found out that a sorority is colonizing at my school next fall, and all the feelings I was repressing came back.

Now I'm back where I started: pining to be part of sisterhood and also fearing missing out on my youth.

I know I should probably actually try out formal, but with the increasing popularity of rush at my school, they're taking less and less upperclassmen (Some sororities on campus allegedly don't take juniors and up during formal, and I'm already "technically" at senior standing, though with two years to go.) I don't know if I should just cut my losses and go for the colony since I've read here they tend to want upperclassmen girls just as much as underclassmen. I've also technically been through recruitment twice (albeit both were crapshoots) so I imagine I have that against me as well. (Heaven knows the fact I'm an art student is already one factor against me.)

In addition, I read up on the colonizing sorority and absolutely agreed with everything they believed in and loved everything about it. I also like the idea of having more leadership opportunities from the get-go (I'm already a VP of a fairly successful club on campus but I like being involved.)

I know it's a mutual-selection, and they have to like me as much as I like them, but I adore what they stand for and that resonated with me enough that I'm this willing to look like a "dingus" in front of my peers for trying Greek life a third time. (Peer pressure is real, y'all.) All I can hope for is that the sorority would like me as much as I like them.

So as a person trying to be a part of Greek Life for the third time, should I check out the colony and give one last go?

(Clarification: I'm not checking it out because I think rushing a colony is easier, I'm checking it out because I have always wanted to be a part of a sisterhood and this seems like it could be what I've been waiting for.)

What do you think kept you from receiving a bid the first two times?

Of course no one around here can tell you with any degree of certainty if you would get a bid to the colony coming on or not. As many other posts have indicated with regard to colony recruitment they tend to select a wide cross-section of women across classes. I would take some time and just put together some thoughts as to what you have to offer this group, you mentioned you have a leadership role in another school club, please also think about the amount of time that role occupies and be honest with yourself as to if you can do both. If you decide to pursue the colony you might have to make some adjustments in your activities and schedule. Whatever you decide best of luck and keep us posted on how things turn out.

ETA: I haven't heard dingus in such a long time, that made my morning.

Word of advice: don't mention the puppy if they ask why you're just now rushing. lol

The first time, I simply did not get a bid. Both times I rushed were informal, and the second time I didn't finish events because I was tied up wedding planning. I only made it to one day.

I also couldn't go to formal both years. My parents were strictly against it and when I convinced them how much I wanted to try, we ended up moving during the weekend of fall rush.

I worried that I might have some conflicts in my schedule and that's certainly a concern. I was just wondering if it might be wishing a little unrealistically about my odds.

Haha probably not lol

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coveredinpaint- I don’t mean to sound harsh here- and I am not discouraging you from trying colony recruitment, but to be honest it sounds like you want the “benefits” of being in a sorority without actually having to put in the time and effort… You also come across to me as a big time excuse maker- Being in a sorority ESPECIALLY A COLONY!!! takes not only a lot of time and effort but a lot of self-sacrifice… your sisters will be counting on you to be there… for everything… especially formal rush next year…. and I’m sorry- “I had to move”, “I had to help plan a family members wedding”, “I got a puppy”- will not cut it!!! (and seriously?? you did not just say you dropped out because you unexpectedly got a puppy did you???- Carnation’s right just DO. NOT. MENTION that if you decide to go through)…

I agree with andthen- you need to seriously and realistically think about what you can bring to the table in terms of time, commitment and dedication before you decide.

I guess you're right. I should probably just focus on the rest of my college career. I'm being a bit naive about this, naturally. You can't do everything you want. Maybe this isn't for me.

Thanks for the advice.

You have a reasonably good chance with colony recruitment, but I would warn you that none of your excuses are very good. Life gets in the way for all of us. Sorority women are PROS at multitasking so saying you couldn't attend informal rush because you had a wedding to plan, not attend, that wasn't even your own wedding doesn't sound much like you have it in you to juggle classes, chapter, fraternity mixers, study hours, philanthropy hours and all the other myriad obligations that confront sorority women and ESPECIALLY colony members who have to do way more to make the colony succeed.

If you intend to try this I would be prepared to drop any and I mean ANY other obligations to make it happen. The one and only excuse is class. If you have an invitation to have cocktails with the president or the pope during a rush event, the answer is no.

Please do not base your decision on what you read about any sorority on its website. You are not joining the website, you are joining a group of women.

Being an art student is not a negative.

A colony will take some upperclassmen, BUT the majority of members will be freshmen and sophomores, simply because they need the continuity of members for more than one or two years for the colony to succeed and grow.

My advice: register for formal, and see where that goes. And definitely participate in the colony recruitment. What have you got to lose?

Run, sprint, fly to the colony and join. Colonies are practically meant for people that didn't fit somewhere else.

And of course it's easier to get into a colony than a regular chapter. The organizers have an imperative to find the numbers.

A word of caution though. Shut up more often. Don't go to the new group and volunteer about your failed attempts to join other groups.

And certainly don't use those excuses, my parents, a wedding, a dog, the alignment of the planets, advice of an oracle.

One excuse is fine, more than one makes you seem like a flibbertigibbet.

Um hellz no, not at huge systems where picking three wrong people wlill land your rep in the toilet.

But even if that is the truth I don't think this poster is a good candidate for membership.

^^^ I kinda sorta think James was tongue in cheek.

^^^ I'm hoping so since it is wildly inaccurate.

At SOME schools they take virtually everyone who applies but at others they have 2 or 3 times as many girls as spots. Class standing in this case is a benefit because they will need but not get much interest from very many upper classmen. But it is not a shoo in.

And "not fitting in anywhere else" can mean a myriad of different things. If she picks her boogers and eats them, she will not fit in with the other sororities. Do you think the colony wants her? Of course this is not my assumption. It sounds to me like she didn't formal rush as a freshman, informal rushed but couldn't finish because of a luke-warm obligation, didn't formal rush as a sophomore for no reason that was given, and then didn't informal rush as a sophomore because of a friggin puppy. Now her college days are waning and she's realizing she put her priorities, I don't want to say in the WRONG place, but in places that are not conducive to sorority membership.