question for all you southern belles ;)

trojangirl1 · #1 12-11-2010, 07:20 PM

say a girl rushes at a really non-competitive school, gets into ABC sorority, and is initiated. Then she decides to transfer to say UT Austin, where she never would have gotten a bid. She has a great personality, but she doesn't have any friends there/doesn't "look" like an ABC.

I know sororities can choose not to affiliate you, or they have to vote on it or whatever, but at my school I think it's a sure thing as long as you go through the process. At Texas, would ABC vote her in, but ostracize her/choose to not affiliate her/totally welcome her etc?

This is out of pure curiosity, by the way, and I'm sure there's no solid answer, but just your opinion. Procrastination at its finest hehehe

AZTheta · #2 12-11-2010, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trojangirl1

say a girl rushes at a really non-competitive school, gets into ABC sorority, and is initiated. Then she decides to transfer to say UT Austin, where she never would have gotten a bid. She has a great personality, but she doesn't have any friends there/doesn't "look" like an ABC.

I know sororities can choose not to affiliate you, or they have to vote on it or whatever, but at my school I think it's a sure thing as long as you go through the process. At Texas, would ABC vote her in, but ostracize her/choose to not affiliate her/totally welcome her etc?

This is out of pure curiosity, by the way, and I'm sure there's no solid answer, but just your opinion. Procrastination at its finest hehehe

QFP

*crash* not a Southern Belle, born there but raised in the mighty West. However, I know that each NPC chapter has its own policy regarding affiliation. No universals here.

Regarding the rest of your post, I'm settling in with hot chai tea, looking forward to the responses from my most esteemed SBGCGFs.

KSUViolet06 · #3 12-11-2010, 07:49 PM

Unless you know a particular chapter's affiliation policies, you really can't say whether affiliation is a "sure thing" or not.

Something else to consider: many of the larger sorority chapters at more competitive schools certainly aren't "a sure thing" when it comes to affiliation because the chapters are SO big and they get so many transfers trying to affiliate.

Some of them don't take on affiliates at all, or take on limited numbers.

There may be some chapters at Texas who are like that.

You really can't say whether you'll get to affiliate, especially when dealing with going from Smaller School to Big Competitive School like UT.

33girl · #4 12-11-2010, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trojangirl1

say a girl rushes at a really non-competitive school, gets into ABC sorority, and is initiated. Then she decides to transfer to say UT Austin, where she never would have gotten a bid. She has a great personality, but she doesn't have any friends there/doesn't "look" like an ABC.

I know sororities can choose not to affiliate you, or they have to vote on it or whatever, but at my school I think it's a sure thing as long as you go through the process. At Texas, would ABC vote her in, but ostracize her/choose to not affiliate her/totally welcome her etc?

This is out of pure curiosity, by the way, and I'm sure there's no solid answer, but just your opinion. Procrastination at its finest hehehe

Even if you think it's a "sure thing" I'm sure there are people who have transferred to your school and either 1) chose on their own not to affiliate because they didn't feel uncomfortable with the chapter 2) were voted down for affiliation 3) were given the chance to affiliate technically, but never truly fit in and so they quit.

NO school is no noncompetitive that everyone who wants in gets in regardless of what the chapters think...if that's the case, then either the water supply at that school needs to be reproduced and shipped around the world as every single rushee at it is desired by every single group, OR the NPC chapters are not living up to their standards of membership selection.

Quite frankly, even if the girl in question was perfection in every way, if she joined a sorority at a small, noncompetitive school and enjoyed that experience, the culture shock might be so great going to someplace like UT that even if she WAS accepted she wouldn't want to be part of the Greek system period, let alone a certain sorority. Ditto the other way (going from Ole Miss to Dinky U). You'd feel more comfortable going from, say ZTA to DZ at SEC U, than you would going from ZTA at SEC to ZTA at Tiny FootballHating College.

This is why I always crack up when people trying to colonize say "I met all the ABCs at State U and they are EXACTLY what we need here at Podunk U!" They don't realize it is the PEOPLE they liked and not the letters, and that if there's a scarcity of suitable women at Podunk U, just bringing in ABC is not going to magically transform them.

trojangirl1 · #5 12-11-2010, 08:36 PM

aztheta, everyones invited the title was just a little joke

i definitely thought the affiliation protocol was universal, interesting.

ksu, i meant "sure thing" figuratively speaking i guess. I've just met a lottt of girls who transferred into their sorority, so i'll rephrase and say there odds are in your favor of getting affiliated.

And yeah, now that you mention it, there's probably a ridiculous amount of girls who pull the go where ABC is not popular then transfer to where it is trick. I just think it would be soooo awkward to be at a school that has my sorority and not be a part of it!

Titchou · #6 12-11-2010, 08:46 PM

Back in the day, the smaller Podunk U campuses had "feeder" chapters. In other words, a girl who wanted to be an XYZ at State U but knew she probably wouldn't make the cut, would opt for a feeder school like Podunk U where she'd have better odds of getting in and then transfer out to State U. Back then, most chapters at State U took all transfers because it was just not the norm to start at one school and transfer.

Today, where people transfer around all the time, that's not the case. So affiliation has gotten to be more problematic. And the groups at State U caught on to what was happening and decided to just not take transfers any more. Of course, this was mostly in the South....

trojangirl1 · #7 12-11-2010, 08:47 PM

33girl, i actually do have a transfer friend who chose not to affiliate with her sorority! I'm sure there are others/girls who didn't get voted in that I haven't met so I'm biased.

And yeah, there's always the possibility the girl won't like that chapter/greek life at the school, I was thinking more of the ones who definitely want to. I completely know what you mean about the last part though, we were talking about how we need another sorority because our greek life is growing so much. And of course, one of the guy says "I have a lot of hot XYZ friends we need XYZ." I didn't even know where to start lol

trojangirl1 · #8 12-11-2010, 08:51 PM

Titchou, I've heard about that, I actually suspect some girls have done that at my school too. Too bad for the girls that have no agendas and just want to be a part of their sorority!

Alumiyum · #9 12-11-2010, 09:39 PM

I've had several sisters transfer to the University of Alabama over the years (from our small liberal arts university with chapters maxing out at 60), and none tried to affiliate. I don't blame them because I wouldn't either...culture shock is real and it would be hard to go from a small, laid back chapter to a large powerhouse chapter.

I only know of two girls who asked to join our chapter as transfers. One was when I was a sophomore, and before a decision was made she told us she was transferring back to her first school. The second was this year, and of course I'm an alum so I don't know her but she came from a similarly sized chapter with a similar member make up. I know a couple of transfers from another state school in another chapter on campus that have said they had culture shock coming to the chapter here even though they're about the same size because the member make up was so different. It just goes to show how different our chapters can be from campus to campus.

xomanadaxo · #10 12-12-2010, 05:27 PM

As someone who attends one of those podunk colleges, I'm not sure I'd affiliate if I transferred schools. Having met many amazing southern sisters at National Convention, I am so proud to have them as sisters in KD...they're just fabulous! But, I joined KD for the women on my campus...just like they joined for the sisters in their own chapter. I think I'd be more likely to opt for alumni status and be friendly with my southern sisters, rather than trying to force myself to fit into a chapter culture not well suited to me.

Lots of love and AOT to all my southern sisters...you're welcome to visit me and my podunk college anytime!!

DTD Alum · #11 12-12-2010, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trojangirl1

]I know sororities can choose not to affiliate you, or they have to vote on it or whatever, but at my school I think it's a sure thing as long as you go through the process.

I knew girls in a chapter that was not even a "top tier" one at USC who voted to deny a transfer, and one that got denied from a "top tier". So it's definitely not a sure thing. Some chapters (DG and Alpha Phi come to mind, mostly because they are omnipresent in California) get so many transfers every year that it probably seems like it is though.

baci · #12 12-13-2010, 07:55 AM

This happens year after year in Florida. It was quite common for girls to apply to a lesser choice school and go through recruitment. They chose to pledge the lower tier org knowing they would leave and then attend their true school of choice. Of course, the org was a top tier org at the "other" school. Many years ago I saw most girls being able to affiliate or I would say a greater number of them, but not any longer.

Things definitely have changed over time. The orgs are well aware of what is/has been going on over time. You may be considered a sister, but it does not guarantee a spot. So many factors come into play and I would not chance it if you really want the full greek experience during your collegiate years.

One additional note, schools in Florida have made it a bit harder to transfer after a semester or two. It use to be so easy, but more factors come into the admissions decision, so I am sure this makes it a bit harder now as well. IMO, it is not worth it.

Titchou · #13 12-13-2010, 08:24 AM

Baci: That's what I meant by "feeder school." Old school terminology from back in my day....

KSUViolet06 · #14 12-13-2010, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baci

IMO, it is not worth it.

This is my opinion. If you want to have a collegiate Greek experience, you should stay at your first school. Sure, you COULD be asked to affiliate (and sometimes it works out) but in many of these "join small chapter and transfer to big school hoping to affiliate" girls end up being 20/21 year old alumnae.

Don't get me wrong, alumnae life is great when you're a college grad, but as a college student, you want to be attending collegiate events and doing collegiate things.

DDDlady · #15 12-13-2010, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trojangirl1

say a girl rushes at a really non-competitive school, gets into ABC sorority, and is initiated. Then she decides to transfer to say UT Austin, where she never would have gotten a bid. She has a great personality, but she doesn't have any friends there/doesn't "look" like an ABC.

I know sororities can choose not to affiliate you, or they have to vote on it or whatever, but at my school I think it's a sure thing as long as you go through the process. At Texas, would ABC vote her in, but ostracize her/choose to not affiliate her/totally welcome her etc?

This is out of pure curiosity, by the way, and I'm sure there's no solid answer, but just your opinion. Procrastination at its finest hehehe

I am not a Texas belle, but I am from pretty deep in the heart of Dixie. I have seen this go both ways. I have known a woman who transferred because she changed her major, got to know the girls in the new chapter, and affiliated and is not quite happy. I have also seen women who went to a "feeder chapter", transfer, and get shot down.

My advice (just in general and is subject to the rules of the specific org.) is not to transfer just for a chapter. If you change for your major/need to move home/etc, great. Get to know the girls in the chapter. If they like/fit with you and you fit/like them then I doubt affiliation would be a problem. If you are just trying to transfer into a "top chapter", the women will most likely be able to sense that and then I wouldn't hold your breath or waste their time.