Parent/child pledges...
 

I am currently a non-traditional student at a HBCU in North Carolina. I've recently returned to college to complete my degree. My question is in regards to pledge "etiquette" for lack of a better term. My daughter and I attend the same institution & are interested in pledging, however due to my age (late 30's) would it be best for me to consider grad chapter vs undergrad? We, of course, are interested in the same sorority & I wonder if it's better to let her have this moment to herself vs us taking this journey together.

Are there any age restrictions for pledging undergrad as well as in the history of the Divine 9, are there any cases where mother/daughter or father/son have been on the same line?

Visit the forum of the sorority you and your daughter are interested in and read the stickied posts at the top of the forum and go from there. Additionally, you should visit the official website of that sorority.

Based on my experience in reading these threads, membership questions are not answered online so don't be surprised if you don't get any responses other than the above.

I would definitely encourage you in your late 30's to seek membership at the grad level. Since membership in an NPHC org is for life, you can never be seen as "too old" for grad membership and you will be among some women who are your age. I've never heard of a parent/child going thru Membership Intake together unless both of them were doing so via grad and I've never heard of anyone in their late 30's going thru intake on the undergrad level. I'm 30+ and while I advise and mentor our undergrad members, I would not want to be in their chapters. My advice, let your daughter be among her peers and you can be among yours once you graduate and pursue membership on the grad level, which is more business oriented (although we do have fun!) and I think more in line with the experience you'd prefer. Good Luck to you!

Excellent advice.

Although I have never personally heard of this in Alpha Phi Alpha, I just asked my regional list serve because I'm curious!

If a dad interested in Alpha asked me the same question, I'd give them both the same advice -- there's no harm in trying. Nor is there any guarantee one or both of you will be selected. Hell, the daughter might be the one who needs to find a grad chapter!

I know of one situation where this was the case, mother and daughter went through MIP together. Mother was a senior and daughter was a sophmore so they weren't in the chapter together for a long time, just a couple of months as the process was in February. I don't live in that community anymore but when I moved mother was active in a grad chapter while the daughter was inactive due to being in grad school.