Cutting

[dgdramadawg]

I knew a girl who was cut by all but one house after round one. She was an on campus legacy to this house (her sister was a current member in the chapter). I think the assumption of the other chapters must have been that she would pledge her sister's house; she did, but ended up depledging because it wasn't the right choice for her.

That's the closest story I've heard to being cut by everyone after round one. I have known girls who were cut by every house at UGA or Auburn, but this was not until after rounds two and three. It can happen that a girl is cut by everyone after round one, but I can't imagine that it happens much...

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by dgdramadawg

I knew a girl who was cut by all but one house after round one. She was an on campus legacy to this house (her sister was a current member in the chapter). I think the assumption of the other chapters must have been that she would pledge her sister's house; she did, but ended up depledging because it wasn't the right choice for her.

This isn't the first time I've heard of this happening. What's sad is, there was probably a chapter where the sister WOULD have fit in, but because of a possible defeatist attitude, she never got a real chance.

It should serve as a lesson to those chapters who would cut legacies to other houses without giving them a shot. In my chapter, one sister had two in-house sisters in another sorority, but still went ADPi. Two others had sisters who had just graduated from another chapter, and at least two of us decided not to pledge our legacy chapters. That's five woman right there who wouldn't have gotten a second chance on another campus!

[IndieGirl]

I was at a big southern college where Greek organizations dominated the campus. Rush was hell. (It was 1992, when it was still called Rush) I was a stellar student, involved in lots of other extra cirricular activities and had recs to all eleven houses. I even had a rec from the National President (family friend) of one very southern very big house and was cut by ALL houses after the second round of parties. It was devastating to me.

Rush was the week before the semester started so I knew no one on campus and felt very alone during the process. We were basically on lock down in the dorm and the only thing I did was eat, sleep and breathe sorority. We had no telephone privileges and college students didn't have cell phones back then. I wish I would have had family and friends to talk to during the process.

The worst was the sorority dorm was right next to my Freshman dorm and I had to hear all the chanting, running and screaming when all the other girls got bids and got to run to their new sorority.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Be sure that you pick a school for other things other than a sorority.

I will say that I was overweight and definitely wasn't rail thin. Maybe things have changed but 15 years ago it was VERY cut throat. It didn't matter how great my grades and activities were, it only mattered that I wasn't a size 2/4.

[Zillini]

IndieGirl, I'm sorry to hear your experience with Recruitment was so negative. It breaks my heart every time I hear stories like this.

However I have to say this, if we had a pnm with a fabulous resume, outstanding GPA, plus a glowing letter of Rec from our Grand Pres and the actives still want to cut her, then they'd better have a better reason than she's not a size 2/4. That's not going to fly either with me or our GP. Even when there is undeniable just cause that's not an enjoyable conversation when our GP calls -- and she will. Actually, I'd probably call her first. I've had it happen before, though not with a GP but other members of Grand Council.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by IndieGirl

Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Be sure that you pick a school for other things other than a sorority.

Thank you for sharing. There are a few young ladies on this board who have shared similar stories of not receiving bids. I'm so sorry to hear about your experience. I'm quoting this because I think it's important for girls to know.

[IndieGirl]

Originally Posted by Zillini

IndieGirl, I'm sorry to hear your experience with Recruitment was so negative. It breaks my heart every time I hear stories like this.

However I have to say this, if we had a pnm with a fabulous resume, outstanding GPA, plus a glowing letter of Rec from our Grand Pres and the actives still want to cut her, then they'd better have a better reason than she's not a size 2/4. That's not going to fly either with me or our GP. Even when there is undeniable just cause that's not an enjoyable conversation when our GP calls -- and she will. Actually, I'd probably call her first. I've had it happen before, though not with a GP but other members of Grand Council.

I don't think it mattered about the rec. This sorority was HUGE on campus and had the pick of the litter. I begged my mom to not ever mention it to her, and my Mom didn't and when the dreaded questions about what sorority I did pledge came about when home for Christmas break I spun a tale making it sound like *I* made the choice not to join any sorority.

My only point in bringing up this 15 year old wound is hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. No one really ever talked to me about not getting accepted.

I also hope that other current sorority girls think about looking past the superficial. Looks fade (check out some of your alums) and you won't all be model thin, dewey skinned and tanned forever.

For those wondering, I changed school after the first year and went to a school where Greeks were still prominent but never wanted to risk that heart break again.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by IndieGirl

I also hope that other current sorority girls think about looking past the superficial. Looks fade (check out some of your alums) and you won't all be model thin, dewey skinned and tanned forever.

While the majority of sorority women at your school might have been like that, but just so you know, every sorority member is not model thin, dewey skinned, and tan.

I also wanted to add that it's a shame that recruitment counselors, Greek Life staff, etc usually don't tell girls that there are no guarantees that they'll get a bid. As a result, there are girls who are heartbroken when they are cut by everyone, because they never even knew that was a possibility.

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by RedRover

I have enjoyed reading the various recruitment stories, but I have one question. I have read about fraternities and sororities eliminating or "cutting" rushees through the various rounds. I am curious if any forum members know of a case where rushee was cut from all the fraternities or sororities during the first round of rush.

I've been around sororities long enough to know that during recruitment, ANYTHING is possible and NOTHING is guaranteed. Sororities will pledge the most...interesting...new members and drop the most fabulous. You never know.
Remember...at all but a handful of schools, Greeks are still a fairly small percentage of the students. And there are PLENTY of things to do besides sorority/fraternity.

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

I also wanted to add that it's a shame that recruitment counselors, Greek Life staff, etc usually don't tell girls that there are no guarantees that they'll get a bid. As a result, there are girls who are heartbroken when they are cut by everyone, because they never even knew that was a possibility.

We have begun to do this at the tea our alumnae Panhellenic hosts for high school graduates in the spring. But I can tell from the look on their faces that they think nothing like that will happen to them! Sadly...it does, to at least 3 or 4. I just hope they remember what we said...

[AOII Angel]

I had one girl in my Rho Chi group that was cut from all four sororities after the first day. She had an exceptionally low GPA and didn't have any connections in the groups. I wished that there was a cutoff GPA for actually applying for rush at the time, because I thought it would have been much more humane to turn her away before meeting everyone and having them all know her grades were so low.

[NutBrnHair]

Originally Posted by IndieGirl

Looks fade (check out some of your alums) and you won't all be model thin, dewey skinned and tanned forever.

OUCH!

I guess it's that time of year when I need to put away my Chi Omega wind shorts and tank tops until Rush is over.

[luv n tpa]

With only 4 NPC organizations and between 50-100 girls coming out for recruitment, we're not allowed to cut until Pref. Last semester there was this group of 3-4 girls who wouldn't leave each other's sides along with about 8 of their friends who didn't even go to our school. So for 3 days, we couldn't wait to get rid of them.

Evidently when they heard "recruitment party 1, party 2, etc" (we don't have skit night or philanthropy night), they took it literally and kept coming back every night expecting club music and booze.

And come to think of it, I'm not really sure why NPC didn't handle the "outsider" issue. Can something be done about that?

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by luv n tpa

With only 4 NPC organizations and between 50-100 girls coming out for recruitment, we're not allowed to cut until Pref. Last semester there was this group of 3-4 girls who wouldn't leave each other's sides along with about 8 of their friends who didn't even go to our school. So for 3 days, we couldn't wait to get rid of them.

Evidently when they heard "recruitment party 1, party 2, etc" (we don't have skit night or philanthropy night), they took it literally and kept coming back every night expecting club music and booze.

And come to think of it, I'm not really sure why NPC didn't handle the "outsider" issue. Can something be done about that?

YES! The school's Greek advisor should have kicked them out! Non-students have no business in those parties. But if it's a small school, the Greek advisor probably has those duties in addition to a pile of others and doesn't care that much. The sororities and their advisors ought to complain, though, and take it on up the administrative chain.

[AChiOhSnap]

Originally Posted by luv n tpa

With only 4 NPC organizations and between 50-100 girls coming out for recruitment, we're not allowed to cut until Pref. Last semester there was this group of 3-4 girls who wouldn't leave each other's sides along with about 8 of their friends who didn't even go to our school.

.........

And come to think of it, I'm not really sure why NPC didn't handle the "outsider" issue. Can something be done about that?

Ummm, where was CAMPUS SAFETY in this situation???

Panhel really doesn't have anything to do with it, unless they for some reason gave the okay for non-students to attend recruitment parties (which would be the weirdest thing I've ever heard.)

Our formal recruitment parties were considered closed events, and you had to be invited to attend after the first round of cuts. In any case, the parties were ONLY for people who had signed up for recruitment. If a fraternity guy/uninvited PNM/nonstudent tried to attend, we would have given them one warning to leave and then called campus safety. It's trespassing. Besides, if your chapter had done that, it might have pissed off that group of girls enough that they wouldn't have come back to your house night after night.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by luv n tpa

With only 4 NPC organizations and between 50-100 girls coming out for recruitment, we're not allowed to cut until Pref. Last semester there was this group of 3-4 girls who wouldn't leave each other's sides along with about 8 of their friends who didn't even go to our school. So for 3 days, we couldn't wait to get rid of them.

Evidently when they heard "recruitment party 1, party 2, etc" (we don't have skit night or philanthropy night), they took it literally and kept coming back every night expecting club music and booze.

And come to think of it, I'm not really sure why NPC didn't handle the "outsider" issue. Can something be done about that?

I hope what you're saying is you cut before pref, not after pref. And for that matter, the number of girls should have nothing to do with whether or not you cut after the first party - if they don't have grades or are otherwise someone you don't want in your group, you should cut them rather than waste their time and yours. You say you're not "allowed" - according to whom?

And re the 8 nonstudents, forget Panhel - you should have called campus safety or if they didn't do anything, the local police.

[luv n tpa]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I hope what you're saying is you cut before pref, not after pref. And for that matter, the number of girls should have nothing to do with whether or not you cut after the first party - if they don't have grades or are otherwise someone you don't want in your group, you should cut them rather than waste their time and yours. You say you're not "allowed" - according to whom?

Yes, we cut as invitiations to pref.

We don't have registration for recruitment like other schools do. PNMs show up the first night (with the understanding they must have the proper GPA) and we just write down their name on an attendance list. Skipping the first night isn't all that uncommon either. It's completely open to come and go as you please (until pref). We don't have the girls list the organizations until after pref. There just aren't round cuts, and we're not permitted to exclude someone before pref; that's just campus climate I suppose.

In reference to security, the girls weren't rampant, causing damage or being necessarily inappropriate. They were just annoying and clearly there for the wrong reasons. Guests are permitted on campus as long as they have a signed pass. This was probably precedent for non-campus girls attending recruitment, and there was nothing that explicitly stated recruitment was for State University women only.