OSU Orientation

OSU Maman · #1 07-08-2007, 03:08 PM

My daughter recently attended her two days of orientation at Ohio State. There wasn't any kind of information table, representative, or anything about Greek life except for a booklet that had ads from different kinds of groups you could become involved in at the university. Does anyone from OSU know if they will find out more at the Welcome Week activites? Thanks.

DSTRen13 · #2 07-08-2007, 03:24 PM

Your best source of information about this would be calling or emailing their Greek Affairs office. Good luck.

#3 07-08-2007, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OSU Maman

My daughter recently attended her two days of orientation at Ohio State. There wasn't any kind of information table, representative, or anything about Greek life except for a booklet that had ads from different kinds of groups you could become involved in at the university. Does anyone from OSU know if they will find out more at the Welcome Week activites? Thanks.

http://osugreeks.com/pha/recruitment_events.php

If it's Panhellenic sororities she's interested in, Ohio State's Formal Recruitment occurs in January.

If there are groups participating in Informal Recruitment this Fall, I'm sure more information will be available once the term starts.

It's a good idea to keep checking back with the PHC website. It looks like it does get updated.

BuckeyeTriDelta · #4 07-08-2007, 10:39 PM

Right to recruitment in January (90% takes place in January. If you can't make the November meet and greet, there is an option to do so in January as well). Make sure your daughter keeps up to date on fliers and posters hanging in The Ohio Union (where the Greek Life office is located) which will announce recruitment dates, etc. Welcome Week will have some information about Greek Life. During Welcome Week there is a session called the Student Involvement Fair which might include Greek Life. This year that session is Monday, September 17, 2007 at noon on The Oval.

OSU Maman · #5 07-09-2007, 08:45 AM

Thanks for the help. I checked the website and it looks like it has been updated.

My daughter is unsure about the whole sorority thing, so I was hoping to get her "hooked" early (at orientation). Last year when we went on a college visit to Bowling Green early in September they were in the midst of the whole process. I guess OSU is on a different schedule.

I was not in a sorority so I feel like I can't be a lot of help to her. This whole thing about having to have letters of recommendation has me a little freaked out. I think it would be something she would enjoy, so I am trying to encourage her to at least investigate it. I realize she is 18 and I'm not trying to be a helicopter mom, but sorority life is not something she has been exposed to. I think it might be a great way to make a big university small, have fun, do something worthwhile for others, and make some lifelong friends.

BuckeyeTriDelta · #6 07-09-2007, 11:07 AM

Make sure she keeps her eyes and ears open around November (When formal recruitment actually starts at OSU). Normally during the month of November OSU has the PNMs go and visit each sorority house on their own time during a span of about 4 days (Open House/Introduction Round). The PNMs are encouraged to stay about 20 minutes at each house. During those 4 days each PNM visits all 13 homes. Your daughter also has to RSVP to the houses on which day she is planning on attending. What's neat is that she can visit a house as many times as she likes. Make sure, if she is interested, she also keeps checking in with the OSU Panhellenic webbie.

About recs, I don't think they are as big of a deal as they are say at Ole Miss, Auburn, etc. If your daughter can get them great, if not I don't think it is a big deal. To be sure I would call the Greek Life office at OSU.

33girl · #7 07-09-2007, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuckeyeTriDelta

Make sure she keeps her eyes and ears open around November (When formal recruitment actually starts at OSU). Normally during the month of November OSU has the PNMs go and visit each sorority house on their own time during a span of about 4 days (Open House/Introduction Round). The PNMs are encouraged to stay about 20 minutes at each house. During those 4 days each PNM visits all 13 homes. Your daughter also has to RSVP to the houses on which day she is planning on attending. What's neat is that she can visit a house as many times as she likes.

This is SUCH a great idea - this is what the more relaxed style of recruitment and deferred rush is supposed to be about!!

SWTXBelle · #8 07-09-2007, 11:41 AM

Also, see if there is an Alumnae Panhellenic in your hometown. By registering with them, your daughter's information will be given to sorority alumnae who may do some legwork to get a rec for you. Don't rely on them, however; do your own rec-getting! Good luck!

OSU Maman · #9 07-09-2007, 01:58 PM

Since I have no experience with Greek life, nor does anyone in my family, could someone share with me the point of having letters of recommendation? I thought the PNMs met with the members and were "interviewed" so to speak.

From what I have been reading, it sounds like the sororitity process is a lot more structured than the fraternity process, and maybe it also depends on the school (comment by 33girl)?

AlphaFrog · #10 07-09-2007, 02:03 PM

Recs are a way for an alum (or current member if that sorority allows it) to in a sense "vouch" for the fact that a woman would make a good sister. It's ususally extremely helpful if the person writing it knows the PNM, and can give some insight to what that person is like outside of the formality of Rush. It's also a way that sorority members can "get to know" a PNM before she ever walks through the door. If they see on a Rec that Patty PNM is an avid golfer, they can match her with a Rusher who is also a golfer. It's also a way to introduce a legacy to a chapter.

SnowLady · #11 07-11-2007, 03:01 PM

In September there is a informational of all student organizations. Since they are tearing down the Union I'm not sure where it will be, but the groups will be there.

I used to be a Chapter Adviser but now I work with the Alumnae Chapter here in Columbus. If I can give you any help, please let me know!

Good Luck!

Katmandu · #12 07-11-2007, 03:24 PM

Good luck to your daughter--Rush/Recruitment is a great way to meet a lot of nice people, even if she ultimately decides sorority life is not for her. If nothing else, it will get her to parts of campus that she might not otherwise visit. (For anyone who hasn't seen OSU--it's huge, space wise and people wise....)

You may actually know far more greek women than you think! Let people at work, church, beauty shop, friends of friends, other parents in your HS, teachers in your school system, know that your daughter might go through recruitment at OSU. There are a lot of active sorority women in Ohio--with so many colleges in the state having greek chapters. Once you get the word out, you may be surprised how many contacts you find. If your friends and associates are not greek, their friends and colleagues might be.

I'm in Cincinnati, if you are in the area, you can pm me.

Benzgirl · #13 07-19-2007, 07:06 PM

I attended OSU in the early 1980s and rushed as a Junior. At that time there were many more sororities than there are now, and the houses were much bigger. Quota took most sororities to 105 -- it was much more competitive, but not like it is in the south, Miami U or DePauw.

Bottom line...Recs are NOT required. Do they help? Not really. Not knowing how other houses score their rushees, I can't say for a fact how all bid lists are determined. In our house, many (if not most) of our rushees during the Pref Round did not have recs.

My niece is currently a sophomore at OSU. She has some friends in sororities but is not interested herself. I have neither encouraged it or discouraged it, answering her questions with facts and not opinions. Some of her best friends are in the recently re-colonized AGD house. She does not feel she needs to "be Greek" to visit that house.

Don't push your daughter in either direction. It's not for everyone. She is fortunate that she will be able to experience college life for at least one quarter before formal rush. It's much different that when I was in school.

OSU Maman · #14 07-23-2007, 11:35 AM

I'm not really pushing her to join or not join a sorority. I am pushing her, however, to look into finding a group to become a part of. Ohio State is a huge school and she's on the shy side. I feel like I'm sending her to a factory. She needs to find a way to make it smaller. Although they should come first, academics are not the only part of college life. A sorority may not be for her, but she needs to check it out.