Too old to rush?

Vaticanbabs · #1 06-04-2010, 06:01 PM

Hey everyone,

I am currently attending Gainesville State, but plan on transferring to the University of Georgia sometime next year. I was hoping to join a fraternity, but I am not sure if I will be too old. I am currently 20 years old but I will be 21 at the end of this month, so by the time I transfer I should be late 21, early 22. Chances are I will transfer as a Junior, or late Sophomore. I realize that the Greek organizations differ from school to school, but do you guys have any knowledge through your own personal experiences on your campuses? Thanks everyone for your help!

pshsx1 · #2 06-04-2010, 11:09 PM

Pretty much, we're going to say this: http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...highlight=Rush

And this: http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...highlight=Rush

Or maybe something like this: http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...highlight=Rush

Just go for it. Doesn't hurt to try, right? Go into Rush with an open mind and you'll find your place if it's meant to be at that school. Otherwise, tough luck.

Vaticanbabs · #3 06-04-2010, 11:24 PM

Yeah, I planned on going through it regardless. I just wanted to get a vibe for what people thought. Thanks for your help man.

Psi U MC Vito · #4 06-04-2010, 11:27 PM

Honestly nobody can tell you anything. Every chapter looks for different things. Being older then average might be a disadvantage, it might be an advantage. We just don't know.

SDer · #5 06-05-2010, 12:45 AM

yeah everyone is correct i was older then 80% of the fraternity while pledging and they didn't mind but it depends on each chapter.

Magirt1234 · #6 06-08-2010, 11:42 PM

To the OP,

I don't think you really need to worry about being too old. we recently just initiated a 24 year old and it wasn't a problem at all. However, I imagine it just depends on the different chapters within the Greek community. You shouldn't skip out on Rush just because of age though.

Best of luck,

Magirt

cblair85 · #7 06-10-2010, 05:21 AM

You definitely dont need to worry about being too old. I've actually been in the same situation. I was 22 and a transfer, going into Rush as a Late Sophomore/Early Junior and didnt know what to expect. I visited different chapters and eventually was offered a bid from Pike, Sig Ep and Sigma Nu. I took the Sigma Nu bid mainly because I felt I could connect to the brothers more. Now i'm ending my college career this upcoming year as the Commander of my chapter. The point is, never be scared about rushing or your chances otherwise you're likely to jinx yourself. You'll come off as being unnatural and trying to play towards the brothers personalities other than your own and active brothers will pick up on that. My chapter hit a hard recruitment plateau last spring and had a chance to field 5 guys which I need badly for numbers but we only accepted 1 because we felt he was the best fit and we didnt want to sacrifice quality over quantity.

If you find yourself asking more questions, think about what you have going for you.

1. You're older. This translates into maturity, better time management, better responsibility skills and you're legal to drink and can barhop with the older brothers (a key into getting in good with any fraternity)
2. You've got possibly 3 years left but definitely 2 years. This isnt as bad as it sounds. Thats 2 years of dues the chapter will be able to collect and thats 2 years they can count you toward their roster for national.
3. You've got nothing to lose. If you dont get a bid, no big deal. You're older and will be able to mesh with older and younger kids alike. Fraternities make it easier but definitely dont limit you to just a core group of brothers as your friends.

If you need any help or have any more questions about fraternities, dont hesitate to message me and I'll be more than happy to help you out and prepare you for Rush.

moe.ron · #8 06-10-2010, 07:14 AM

It really depend on the school. Some, you have no chance of getting a bid from the top houses. Some, they wouldn't care less.

Atalanta265 · #9 06-13-2010, 11:45 AM

Go for it! My line brother is 23, my line sister is 24 and my twin is 22

It's worth the shot because you don't know what they're going to say

lucgreek · #10 06-16-2010, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atalanta265

Go for it! My line brother is 23, my line sister is 24 and my twin is 22

It's worth the shot because you don't know what they're going to say

Your rush is much, much different from NIC rush.

For the OP: Do research on the greek life climate at your school. Like other have said, it really varies. At some schools, if you're involved with a good GPA, age really doesn't matter for groups. While at others even if you have a 4.0 and are incredibly involved, you still might not get a bid.

Atalanta265 · #11 06-17-2010, 12:58 AM

[QUOTE=lucgreek;1943921]Your rush is much, much different from NIC rush.

I know this, but I feel that no matter how a fraternity or sorority rushes, it's always worth a shot. Perhaps mine is more accepting of older members than others, but why give up before trying?[QUOTE]

MysticCat · #12 06-17-2010, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atalanta265

I know this, but I feel that no matter how a fraternity or sorority rushes, it's always worth a shot. Perhaps mine is more accepting of older members than others, but why give up before trying?

But it's not helpful at all if you're using your very different situation as an example of how it might work for him. If you want to encourage him to give it a try, then leave it at encouraging him to give it a try. He needs to go in with realistic expectations if he does give it a try.