Looking for Recruitment Advice!

[bowtieornotie]

I have wanted to join a sorority since I was a Senior in high school. When I went to college, my University did a Spring Recruitment rather than a fall recruitment and I had to wait a semester. By the time Spring Semester had rolled around, I had gone through several major life crises, including depression, rape, and pregnancy (which were unrelated.) I left the university I had been attending and started at community college. Now I am happier than I have ever been, have a beautiful one-year-old son, a loving fiance, and a perfect GPA to boot. I have really turned my life again and I am revisiting my old dream of going through sorority recruitment. I feel like I need sisterhood now more than ever, oftentimes I get cooped up in the house and all of my friends are away at college. I have working my hardest to get back into a University. I am 21 and have finally reached this goal. I plan on going through recruitment, and I had a few questions:
1. How much of this information should I disclose to the sisters during recruitment?
2. Do you know of any other Mothers who have gotten bids?
3. Is 21 "too old" to rush?
This has been a dream and a goal for me for years. I am so excited to finally be on the cusp of something I have wanted for so long. I feel that as a mother I can offer a whole new sense of diversity to whatever sorority accepts me. Any advice would be appreciated!!!

[AZTheta]

Originally Posted by bowtieornotie

I have wanted to join a sorority since I was a Senior in high school. When I went to college, my University did a Spring Recruitment rather than a fall recruitment and I had to wait a semester. By the time Spring Semester had rolled around, I had gone through several major life crises, including depression, rape, and pregnancy (which were unrelated.) I left the university I had been attending and started at community college. Now I am happier than I have ever been, have a beautiful one-year-old son, a loving fiance, and a perfect GPA to boot. I have really turned my life again and I am revisiting my old dream of going through sorority recruitment. I feel like I need sisterhood now more than ever, oftentimes I get cooped up in the house and all of my friends are away at college. I have working my hardest to get back into a University. I am 21 and have finally reached this goal. I plan on going through recruitment, and I had a few questions:
1. How much of this information should I disclose to the sisters during recruitment?
2. Do you know of any other Mothers who have gotten bids?
3. Is 21 "too old" to rush?
This has been a dream and a goal for me for years. I am so excited to finally be on the cusp of something I have wanted for so long. I feel that as a mother I can offer a whole new sense of diversity to whatever sorority accepts me. Any advice would be appreciated!!!

point of information: are you talking about NPC recruitment?

1. Honesty re: being a parent- very important. Do you truly think you will be able to balance the demands of parenthood with a relationship, academics, AND sorority membership? There have been other posters on GC who've expressed the same desire; I will try to locate those threads for you.

2. No I do not.

3. No, but it is not the same as getting a bid and becoming a member.

[AOII Angel]

Also, are you just independently wealthy? How can you afford school, a child and a sorority? These are the things that raise eyebrows to people when women in your position go through recruitment. No one wants to take food from a baby's mouth, but when you sign on that line as a member, you will be responsible for whatever the dues for the chapter are. Having a child will not be an exemption.

ETA: another consideration- where are you going to school? Is it a small commuter school? You may have a chance. A large public university? Don't waste your time. Look at the chapters and see what the members look like. If every chapter is filled with 18-21 year olds only, that is your answer. If it is a little more nontraditional, you have a better shot.

[*winter*]

Let's say you go through recruitment and get in- which is not likely in many schools, but that aside- do you really have a lot in common with the 18 year olds who will be in your pledge class as a 21-year old mother? The girls will want to socialize together; can you see yourself leaving your child at home with your fiancé to go to a fraternity mixer? I joined a service sorority (read: noncompetitive) at 21 with no kids and I made friends with other older sisters, but not so much in my pledge class. Even as a service sorority, much of the focus was on social events. Is this really your scene these days?