Hi everyone!
I'm new to GC and have several questions.
My daughter is a high school senior currently applying from out-of-state (VA) to several SEC schools, among them Ole Miss, Alabama, Auburn, and the University of Kentucky. Though I'm a sorority alumna myself, I attended a mid-western university (maaaaany moons ago), where recruitment was far less competitive and very different. We're trying to get a handle on the recruitment process my daughter will be a part of and would appreciate advice...
First, when I was in school (gulp, the late 70's), references were hardly used in my chapter. Yes, if we received one on a PNM, we did invite her back to second set as a courtesy--though I understand that's not the case now at most schools. And yes, we did have to secure a reference before we could offer a bid to a girl, but honestly, references weren't looked at by anyone other than the Recruitment and Reference Chairmen. That said, I understand things are very different at most SEC schools, so she's going to do her best to get a reference for every GLO at the school she ends up attending. From what I've read here on other threads, that seems very important.
Second, GPA and SAT/ACT scores were never mentioned in my chapter. Not sure why, but my guess is that since the university's admissions were pretty tough, it wasn't an issue (or perhaps those academic stats were noted by the reference chair from registration info or references, but never discussed openly with the chapter). Still, we never had "grade cuts" like those I've read about here, and I must admit I'm worried for my daughter. Though her final GPA should remain close to where it is now (a 3.8 in what is arguably one of the most competitive school districts in the country, with a tough grading scale of 94-100=A, etc), her test scores are, frankly, not so hot. Okay, they're downright lousy.
She may bring them up later this fall, but if she isn't able to, is that going to result in her being released for academic reasons? How important are SAT/ACT scores to the sororities at these schools? Does a strong GPA trump bad test scores?
Finally, she will be an out-of-state girl participating in a huge recruitment involving mostly in-state girls. I have no experience with that, since my alma mater is relatively small, private, and we had girls rushing from all over the country with no ties to any of the active members within our chapter. Will being an oos girl make it almost impossible for her to receive a bid? I saw on a thread here that Auburn takes a fair number of oos girls (which makes sense since I believe a good chunk of the students are from oos), but haven't seen anything about Ole Miss, Alabama, or Kentucky. My daughter is very outgoing (her dad is a retired military officer, so she's moved seven times and connects very quickly with people), and she has a strong resume, but I worry about her getting lost in the shuffle. Any thoughts or suggestions? I should also mention that she's a double legacy (her grandmother and I) in a GLO with a chapter at all the schools she's applying to...but from what I've read here, that doesn't matter anymore, does it?
My apologies for such a LONG list of questions! Thanks so much for your help. And if anyone would prefer to PM me as opposed to posting here, that would be great, too!.
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