Prohibiting 1st Semester Freshmen From Pledging

[RedRover]

Saturday night I was at anniversary party for an old employer of mine. I was talking to her son and two of her grandsons. The son said that he was taking his younger son back to college -- a small private liberal arts college -- early tomorrow so the young man could attend a series of fraternity open houses on campus.

I said wasn't it awfully late in the semester for rush parties. The young man explained that they weren't really rush events. He said that his college forbade first semester freshmen from pledging Greek letter organizations. He said formal rush will be held once the second semester starts.

He added the open houses were informal. He said that after nearly finishing his first semester at college, he knows which two fraternities he will be concentrating his attempts to receive a bid for membership. He said he already eliminated the rest of the other fraternities (one attracted athletes, another party animals, yet another Young Republican types). He said that he knew a number of members in the two fraternities that he is interested in, meeting the members in his classes.

His older brother chimed in that forbidding first semester freshmen from pledging might not be such a bad idea. He said he pledged as a first semester sophomore at a large public university. The older brother said that the first semester of college can be traumatic. He said he had a year to assess the various fraternities on campus, learn their reputations and was able to figure out which Greek letter organization would be the best fit for him. He added that a number of men who had pledged as freshmen "burned out" as members, going inactive before graduation. He said too often these men made poor choices in choosing their fraternity memberships, accelerated because there were numerous fraternities and too little time for make a proper assessment as a college freshman.

A former co-worker overheard this conversation. She belonged to a sorority at a large southern university known for its fraternity/sorority system. She agreed that many members "burned out" as actives, but she doubted the postponing rush would work on a campus in which almost 1,000 women participate in rush.

Two questions. The first part ... do many colleges forbid first semester freshmen from pledging. I know a few private colleges do, but I am not sure about public schools.

Secondly, I would like the GC participants weigh in the topic -- pledging as a first semester freshman as opposed to waiting for the second semester or later.

Any input would be appreciated. I want to thank you all in advance