Any advice on how to stand out?

kandiss · #1 08-14-2008, 05:05 AM

Helloooo! I'm brand new here, but I've been reading through threads and learned a lot about recruitment. So thanks to everyone for being so helpful without even knowing it!

Anwyays, I guess what I'm looking for is some advice and insight from people who have been there before. Here's my background:

Last year I transferred to a 4-year college as a junior (I'm 22). It's mostly a commuter school, and Greek Life here is limited but legit (we have 4 NPC sororites). I have 2 years left of school, and I'd really like to rush this fall. It's not very competitive here, so I'm sure my age won't be a problem, but I'm scared that my 2.4 GPA and lack of other activites might be a disadvantage. Also, I'm pretty shy around people I don't know.

Any advice on how to make sure I get noticed (or at least remembered slightly)? I'm a pretty quiet person, except around my friends, and almost all my friends are guys and way easier to amuse. I know the best advice is to always be yourself, but I joke around a lot and my biting sarcasm isn't an appropriate way to impress strangers. I really want to break out of my shell and succeed at this university. Soo... any insight/suggestions anyone can offer me would be REALLY helpful!

THANKS!!

Zillini · #2 08-14-2008, 08:18 AM

Brutal truth time, earning only a 2.4 as a junior without other time committments ("lack of other activities) I have to wonder if adding the demands of a sorority is a good idea at all. Having a sorority listed on your resume will not compensate for a poor GPA when you graduate and start job hunting.

Kansas City · #3 08-14-2008, 09:22 AM

First off, I agree with Zillini, you really should work on the grades instead of taking on the commitment of a sorority. This being said, if you have your heart set on recruitment, perhaps your junior status can set you apart from the crowd in a positive way. Some chapters, especially in a less competitive environment might welcome juniors with open arms and your class standing will likely be something different than the other PNMs (mostly freshmen I assume). Unfortunately, I'm afraid that your 2.4 GPA will also set you apart.

NewYork53 · #4 08-14-2008, 09:32 AM

may i ask what school you transferred to? only because I know things in the west/south are a little different than up north where i am...

personally, dont let your grades hold you back from doing something you want to do. YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE! and maybe even joining a sorority will help your grades and help you become more outgoing, if those are things your worried about. find a group of ladies who are accepting and arent snots who claim your not smart enough to evenconsider joining.

personally, i have grades most likely around what yours are and i am a proud member of a Greek organization myself, dont let anyone or anything hold you back. BE YOURSELF and have fun, my organization has helped me see that if someone doesnt like you for who you are, then screw 'em (sorry to be so blunt!) and you can find a group who does.
GOOD LUCK! I hope you find a group of people who your comfortable with and can have a lasting bond with also.

Kansas City · #5 08-14-2008, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewYork53

find a group of ladies who are accepting and arent snots who claim your not smart enough to evenconsider joining.

Really? I wouldn't say that anyone was being snotty ... just trying to interject some reality into the grade situation. The OP may be able to receive a bid depending on the chapters on campus but (at least with my NPC) the poster could not get initiated with less than a 2.5 cumulative GPA. Also, we aren't talking high school grades here. The poster has a proven 2.4 track record in college (without activities) and a cumulative GPA can be extremely difficult to pull up ... not impossible but very difficult.

FlaGirl07 · #6 08-14-2008, 10:22 AM

In defense of the grade thing, I stood above a solid 3.0 until just last semester. It dropped low solely because of a poor grade in an upper-level accounting class :-( If something similar to you happened, try to explain yourself.

AnchorAlumna · #7 08-14-2008, 10:26 AM

Chapters often have different GPA minimums they'll accept. Unfortunately, the college GPA is usually higher than the high school GPA. Kandiss, I suggest you talk to the Panhellenic office at your school.
That said, you might want to go through anyway, just to meet people. But you may not be offered a bid - not because they don't like you, but because of the grades.
One way or another, good luck, dear! I hope you enjoy your new school and do well!

pbear19 · #8 08-14-2008, 10:27 AM

Grades are not directly indicative of intelligence, so it is problematic to make the argument that an organization with a GPA standard is discriminating on the basis of intelligence. And an organization that has scholarship as one of its primary purposes is hardly being snotty for emphasizing the importance of good grades, which generally lead to more employment options in the future.

There are organizations that do not consider scholarship to be relative to the organization, in other words they do not have a GPA requirement. That doesn't mean they are more accepting, it just means that they have a different focus.

violetpretty · #9 08-14-2008, 10:49 AM

Grades are 20% intelligence and 80% how hard you want to work (at least in college). I know people who did so-so in high school really excel in college because they were willing to work hard. I also know people who did really well in high school and thought there same study habits (i.e. no study habits) would work in college. Not usually the case.

Anyway, OP, there's no reason to not go through now. I'm willing to bet that a school like you described has a pretty low registration fee (if any) for formal recruitment, so you don't have much to lose if you don't get a bid (unless you really can't handle the possibility of rejection).

The actives will try to make conversation with you by asking about yourself. Ask them questions too! Try coming up with some back up questions for when conversation lulls! You'll feel so much more confident.

ree-Xi · #10 08-14-2008, 12:10 PM

The best way to stand out is to emphasize what makes you, you.

Ask a few people that you know on varying levels, what words they would use to describe you. A fun way to do this is to ask them, "when you think of me, what color comes to mind?". You can also ask them what animal, flower, car, season, etc. you remind them of. That can help you form some pictures in your mind.

From there, you can try to emphasize different aspects of your personality, through your clothing choices (trendy and spontaneous? preppy and reserved?), hairstyle (soft and approachable? pulled up and "put toghether"?), the way you carry yourself (are you graceful like a giraffe? casual and laid back like a cat?).

Think of yourself in bytes. Pretend that someone is making a video montage of you, set to music. What would those pictures and video shots look like?

Also take some time and observe other people, at the mall, the store, etc. How do they walk? What about the way they move suggests what type of person they are? Are they confident? Is their appearance neat? Are they friendly with strangers? That will help you figure out how others might see YOU.

Lastly, genuinely invest in the people you meet. Have a real desire to learn more about them, who they are and what they are all about. People who ask questions are often refered to as brilliant conversationalists. It will also help you identify what you and the other person has in common. Doing the above will help you figure out the cool parts of you that you want to share.

Making a good impression is simply of matter of accentuating the best parts of you. THAT is what makes a person memorable. Good luck with recruitment. Oh, and stand up straight! Takes 10 pounds off you and makes you look confident.

LionTamer · #11 08-14-2008, 01:47 PM

Connect, connect, connect. As someone else said, forget about yourself and focus on the other person. Find something you have in common with the person you're talking to - major, home town area, what they do during the summer, hobbies, pets, sports teams, language, or music. It's best to avoid politics or religion, but if one of the sisters mentions doing voter registration and you worked on that too it's fine to talk about it. Or if someone mentions a certain camp or youth group that you recognize as exclusive to your faith, it's fine to say "Oh wow - are you X? So am I - have you ever attended XY conventions?" and make a connection from there.

As for your sense of humor, you may need to tamp it down a bit for recruitment. If it makes you feel any better, I got put in the kitchen a lot during recruitment because they were afraid my sarcasm and odd sense of humor would scare away potential members. I think they only let me be Rush Chairman one year because they figured the paperwork would keep me from actually talking to any of the rushees.

And I don't want to sound like a wet blanket, but you also might want to look into whether or not the group VALUES scholarship (if they are allowed to take you). Like playing tennis with better players, right now you need to be around women who will encourage you to study and not just to have fun.....

Elephant Walk · #12 08-14-2008, 02:02 PM

Dye your hair blue.

kandiss · #13 08-14-2008, 11:33 PM

Regarding my GPA:

It sucks for a reason. Maybe not a good one, but one nonetheless. I dropped out of school a few years ago (yes I know, I'm an idiot). I started working full-time and eventually re-enrolled, but my priorities were still all messed up. Work came first, and my straight C's reflected that. When I had enough units to transfer, I promised myself school would always be my number one priority from then on. So I quit my job and now work part-time as an intern. I haven't gotten lower than a B- the past 2 quarters (and hopefully this one too), and my GPA has gone up almost 0.3 points. I know I still have some work to do, but I'm getting there sloooowly. The main reason I became interested in sororities is so I could be around people who share similar goals as myself. Pretty much all of my friends/family never went to college, aren't planning to go, dropped out, etc. Don't get me wrong, I love them all, but I really want to surround myself with people who will support me and understand that I want something better for myself. And with that, hopefully I can continue to do well in school, maybe even better.

Anyways, thanks to everyone who responded. I really appreciate it. Even if I don't get a bid because of my grades, I'll be satisfied with knowing I tried. And If you have anything else to add, feel free to because rush isn't until October.

Thanks again!

-kandiss
(who almost dyed her hair purple last month but was overruled by her boss)

Kansas City · #14 08-15-2008, 09:14 AM

You have a great attitude kandiss! I'm glad that you are going to go through recruitment and give it a try. I think that many members will be sympathetic to your academic challenges and appreciate that you are trying really hard to raise the grades. Please keep your options open and if the October's formal recruitment doesn't provide you with the results you would like, try informal recruitment in the spring (assuming your campus does this) after you have gotten another semester or so complete. Every hundredth of a point counts when it comes to GPA.

fantASTic · #15 08-15-2008, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kansas City

Really? I wouldn't say that anyone was being snotty ... just trying to interject some reality into the grade situation. The OP may be able to receive a bid depending on the chapters on campus but (at least with my NPC) the poster could not get initiated with less than a 2.5 cumulative GPA. Also, we aren't talking high school grades here. The poster has a proven 2.4 track record in college (without activities) and a cumulative GPA can be extremely difficult to pull up ... not impossible but very difficult.

Yes. AST's NATIONAL GPA requirement is now a 2.5. Just as an FYI.