Chapman University recruitment --give a transfer PNM some advice!

[westcoastsunset]

Hi ladies!

I am doing recruitment this fall at Chapman, and I'm in a bit of an interesting position. I'm a junior transfer, but I'll probably end up needing an extra year to complete my major and minor that I just declared this summer--hopefully I can use that to my advantage, I'm guessing that a student with 3 years left is more of a "long term investment" for a chapter than one with 2 years left.

Also I'm unique in the fact that I started college pretty early...at 14! My old college, Mary Baldwin, has a program where girls as young as 13 can become regular on-campus students. My birthday is in October so I will be starting the school year at 16, and turning 17 about a month after recruitment. I'm not sure whether this works for me or against me--it does make me stand out as a hard worker, but I'm also worried that it makes me too "complicated" for most chapters.

I don't know much about sorority recruitment besides what I've read from lurking on here--my old school didn't have a Greek system, sadly! I've always wanted to be in a sorority though, so please, ladies, give me your best advice! Anything Chapman-specific would be great, but I would appreciate any advice pertaining to going through recruitment as a transfer or as a younger student. Thanks!

[AlwaysSAI]

A girl from my initiating chapter of AGD pledged when she was 16. I don't know the whole story, just that she finished high school early and proceeded onto college.

She's currently the Province Director for Area 34.

If age is your main concern, it's probably a non-issue. The only requirement (on paper) for most NPCs is that you are enrolled as an undergraduate student.

[Tulip86]

Well, as you may have found out allready, Chapman has 7 sororities;
Alpha Phi, Alpha Gamma Delta, Phi Sigma Sigma, Kappa Alpha Theta, Delta Gamma and Gamma Phi Beta ,and finally, Delta Delta Delta has been added this year, their founding members were installed this year.

From what I've heard of recruitment there (a lot of my friends went there but I didn't, so no first-hand info, sorry) it's not extremely competitive, and upperclassmen getting bids does occur, but it's still quite intense and Chapman has a very active Greek community.

I can't tell you if your age is going to be a factor, but going through recruitment is a great start for a transfer, you'll meet so many people! Good luck during recruitment, and I hope you find your home.

[westcoastsunset]

AlwaysSAI - Oh wow, thanks, that certainly helps calm my nerves! (:

Tulip86 - Thanks for the info! Do you know if most girls get recs at Chapman? I got the idea that since recruitment is not super competitive, recs aren't really necessary but I might be wrong.

[Football Fan]

The Greek system at Chapman has grown rapidly. Having a reference for every chapter can only help in a competitive situation. As a transfer you want to "stand out" in a positive way. Try to obtain those references, if possible.

[crescent&pearls]

You picked a great campus! I don't really think your age or your class standing will be that big of a deal. Pledge classes at Chapman are big. The school is attracting a lot of students from out of state. I think you'll find the students there are smart, accomplished and diverse.

Recruitment may be more competitive than you are anticipating- all the chapters want to identify and recruit the best of the best. If you can get recs, do it!

You'll love living in Orange. It's got a great funky vibe. And close to the Happiest Place on Earth. What more could you want? Good luck!

[westcoastsunset]

Football Fan - Thank you, that's very helpful! I'm not sure where I'd get these references--I know this is probably a stupid question but how would I go about getting recs if my old school had no Greek system, and therefore I don't really know many Greek women? Is there some way I can get in contact with sisters from each chapter who I can talk to for a little bit so they know me enough to write a recommendation? This is kind of intimidating considering it's August already

crescent&pearls - That's great to hear! I have two roommates this year--one is from Seattle and the other from Vancouver, so I can tell there is a good pull of out-of-state students! (I am one too--Chicago pride!!) I visited the campus in March and fell in love, both with the university and the area. And you're right, being 15 minutes driving distance from Disneyland certainly helps!! Thanks

[Football Fan]

Finding references....
Think about women you know in your home town or in the greater Chicago area. There are colleges/universities in Illinois with Greek systems. Could any of your teachers, friends of your parents, Girl Scout leaders, camp counselors, employers, persons who know you through jobs or babysitting, counselors, church or synagogue members, relatives, friends of relatives or school administrators be Greeks? If you can find one sorority woman it is possible she may be able to connect you with her sorority friends. I do not know the rules for all NPC groups, but usually a sorority alumna would write the reference.

You can give it a try.