Melissa,
I'm going to (dangerously
)
assume that you are going to school in the great Commonwealth of Kentucky. So, my comments are based on this assumption, and honestly, "It Depends."
It depends on where you're going to school.
It depends on what your GPA is now.
It depends on who you know and who knows you.
It depends on if you've gotten recs or not.
It depends on you having an open mind and considering all chapters available.
It depends on you
Now, to explain all of the "It Depends":
1. There's a big difference between recruitment, depending on the campus. Kentucky is much more of a SEC-style recruitment, and it could be much more difficult there vs. another school. As in most places, freshmen or freshmen and sophomores (with 3-4 years to be active) are more desirable New Members than juniors and seniors, regardless of the school.
2. More honesty--sorority chapters list the minimum gpa required to pledge, but reality is that many of these chapters are looking for higher gpa's than the minimum listed on a website or in a recruitment manual. If your gpa is just at the published minimum, it may be harder for you to get a bid. If you had one bad semester and have pulled a 3.0 or higher the rest of them, mention that when appropriate. Sometimes, this kind of info (especially if verifiable by your recs or current actives, etc) can help.
Now, if the minimum gpas listed are 2.2-2.6 except for 2 groups and your gpa is a 2.65, you are going to have a harder time surviving gpa cuts. The harsh reality is that most of the 2.2-2.6 chapters are looking for maybe a 2.9-3.5+ in their new members.
3. Yes, this is the hard reality of the situation. It can be a good thing, but it can be a negative. Sororities do look for people who are active on campus, so if this applies to you it could help you.
4. Recs never hurt and at some schools/chapters, they make the difference in your cuts and your pledging chances. Do you have them in already? There are plenty of alumnae chapters for the majority of the sororities at Kentucky schools all over the state. If you need help obtaining recs, please PM me and I will point you in the right direction. (NOTE: Recruitment starts this week at multiple schools in KY, so time is of the essence.)
5. There is a great debate on GC concerning whether to say "Keep an open mind" or "if you know where you will or won't fit in, listen and trust yourself". Reality is, if you have your heart set on the chapter that consistently fills quota with freshmen every year, you will probably be disappointed. Please, be willing to accept all invitations extended to you and make the choices right for you.
6. My normal recruitment advice goes here: be yourself but the best yourself possible! Clean and neat appearance, tasteful accessories, smile and have fun. GOOD LUCK!