[scarleteriberry]

WOW, I'm shocked how many responses this has gotten already. Thanks for your imput and the positive PMs I wanted to reply to a lot of your comments, but I just picked a couple. Again, this is going to be a long post.

Also, I emailed the alumna that the president of ABC mentioned, but I haven't heard back from her, yet. Hopefully I will here back soon, but I am definately aware of the waiting period. I will update if or when I hear back...

Originally Posted by Heather17

I think someone may have responded to you re: this in another thread but I'll reiterate. There are three possibilities:

1) The school could have a rule, either the administration or the panhellenic, that grad students are not eligible for recruitment.

2) The sorority iteself, either nationally or locally, may not accept grad students.

3) Not likely, but its possible the sorority was using your status as a reason to let you down easy.

I wrote a joint email to the two employees at the OSFA that gave me conflicting answers and the Panhellenic VP of Recruitment hoping to get a decision that they all agree on....just less blunt.

Originally Posted by AChiOhSnap

...but what if she did find out that it's not a school rule? Isn't recruitment already over? How would that change her situation?

Well, it wouldn't for this semester. Recruitment at my school only happens in the spring (only a couple have events in the fall). What I'm hoping happens is that the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs and/or the Panhellenic Council come to an official decision...which is hopefully that graduate students can participate in formal rush, even if there is only a possibility of joining a couple.

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

I think we can safely assume that she's not Doogie Howser.

Hahahaha!! No, but close. I still get carded at rated R movies sometimes! I just graduated from college...I'm 23. I know I'm old, but I'm not old, yet.

Originally Posted by AChiOhSnap

The only thing I think is "bad" about a graduate student going through recruitment is I would ask myself "How much time is this woman going to really be able to devote to my organization?" If you're doing 50+ hours a week of teaching assistantships, research, classes...well, I'm going to seriously question whether or not you'll be able to devote extra hours to the sorority during your new member period.

That's a really good and very valid point. Joining a sorority is a huge commitment that takes up a lot of time...and the rest of your life For me, personally, I have two comments for that. The first is that I know what I'd be getting into- I'm very much aware of the time and energy commitment. I am awesome at time management and, while I know it would be very difficult, REALLY, REALLY want to do this.

Originally Posted by Heather17

the face of the college student today, at many schools, is changing. On some campuses, non-traditional aged students are arriving in droves. If we are going to survive, I think we need to at least be open to considering older students.

It really is something that needs to be considered on a case by case basis.

Amen to that!

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

I'm going to be a little blunt here. Why do grad students want to join chapters full of undergrad women 18-22 years old? I guess if a woman was a young grad student (22 or 23) I could understand some of the appeal, but older than that I just don't get it.

I'm glad I make your age cut off! I understand where you are comming from, though. An interesting story...there was a local co-ed social frat at my college. One year a professor was given a bid to pledge...and his son was the pledgemaster. I can't imagine the hell he went through!

Originally Posted by _Lisa_

Thats not what it sounded like to me. It would be easier to push the OP off on another organization that may take grad students, but instead she liked her enough to want her in her own organization, even if only through AI.

This is the impression that I got from everyone. I think that if they were allowed to extend me an invitation to joing they would have. I could be wrong, but that is my gut feeling. Why would they even bother contacting me at all if they didn't like me?