AI or Collegiate Member?

Originally Posted by Greek_or_Geek?

There are many more issues than that and you are oversimplifying the process.

First and foremost, AI is an honor bestowed on a few chosen women and every sorority has its own requirements. Even if a sorority does AI, don't expect them to convey that honor on someone who has been active in an interest group and is recently graduated. Just like recent collegiate member graduates, a newly minted AI is not an appropriate adviser for a group she was already close to. She's still too much of a peer and lacks both the experience and perspective required to deal with collegians. Additionally, an AI doesn't hang out and enjoy collegiate life and experiences. It's a very different thing and usually it's the local alumnae who are tasked with the process of vetting AI candidates.

You are not for all intents and purposes a fifth year undergraduate. You have received a Bachelor's degree and are an unclassified graduate student. This is an important distinction as sororities have very specific language detailing who is eligible for collegiate membership. I have seen several that prohibit graduate student that specifically prohibit anyone who has a bachelor's degree, no matter what their current student status might be.

One last thing. From your other posts, you said that you went through recruitment while an undergraduate and did not receive a bid. That caused you to start the push for an interest group. This is very different from not clicking with sororities on your campus.

Yes, I did not receive bids. Yes, I did begin the original conversation of expansion. Now, I am involved in an interest group formally created by two other students also wanting to expand Greek Life opportunities at our college including a woman with similar experience as myself. Others just want an experience different from those existing already with the increased amount of women going through formal recruitment leading to more being rejected and upset over the result due to quota and the limited amount of organizations. Because I graduated in May, my college has told me for aid purposes I'd be considered Fifth Year Undergraduate however if we determine something different, I know there are sororities that do not allow graduate students' membership. I appreciate the information you had on the AI part of my question. Both our Greek Life adviser and Student Affairs are in favor of expansion so I'm just one of many who felt the need to open up our Greek Life for more women not happy with the existing situation. Interest is at around 20 members going into Fall semester. I take every bit of advice to consideration but I feel as though being presently non-Greek looking for constructive advice not negativity about my past rejection and motivations.