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* To the OP: I'm not a member of a Panhellenic sorority nor did I attend your university, so please disregard anything I'm about to write as advice...it is more a question to other posters on this site.
Please pardon my lane swerve, I'm just trying to understand something here. While I'm well aware of the fact that academics is a focal point for most (if not all) Panhellenic GLOs, and that there may be things in membership selection (for example, adding/subtracting points based on a GPA) that may be unchangeable, I'm just wondering if you have really seen the majority of sisters in the chapters you advise actively focus on grades over personality.
I'm just wondering out loud if the advice often given here (grades, leadership and activities are the most important, 4.0s are viewed exponentially higher than 3.0s, etc) may more closely reflect a stance held by the national organization(s), and that may not always be viewed with the same degree of respect/importance by active collegians who are really focused on a fun pledge class that will attract good mixers, good rushers for next year, etc. When I was in college (which was only 2-3 years ago), the sorority members would always gush over personality and, frankly, looks. "We want Jane Smith sooo bad, she is so funny and the cutest thing," etc. At most, it seemed to be the type of thing like, “Well, she has to meet [x] GPA and have a rec sent in, but after that it’s about who we like the most.”
Of course, I have no idea of the Mizzou campus culture. Especially since she is a sophomore, there very well be huge hoops she has to overcome even without the GPA issue. And please note that this conjecture/tangent is more about girls who are "just OK" in terms of stats but excellent in terms of personality, not about girls that are actual grade risks (ie, below minimum GPAs) or about comparing two equally “awesome personality” girls who have widely different GPAs. I just can't see a group of 20 year old girls voluntarily releasing a gorgeous and fun PNM with a 3.0 over a quieter, reserved PNM with a 4.0, which is why I'm puzzled when the advice seems to be "you're going to have an uphill battle" if they have anything less than a perfect GPA. At my school (which was admittedly in California but still fairly competitive), I knew a girl with a full ride merit based scholarship that was dropped from all but one chapter, and plenty of girls with "meh" GPAs that waltzed right through rush without getting cut once.
Flame away and correct me if I'm totally off base (and I very likely am), like I said this is just what I've gleaned from what I've been told about sorority rush, not off of any experience obviously.
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