Graduate Student and AI

[mkriske]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

I'm going to be a little blunt here. Why do grad students want to join chapters full of undergrad women 18-22 years old? I guess if a woman was a young grad student (22 or 23) I could understand some of the appeal, but older than that I just don't get it. A woman that's in her mid-late 20s and has already done the whole college thing wouldn't have very much in common with a pledge class of 18-year-olds. Chapters select women they think would fit in well with the group, and admittedly, grad students probably don't fit in.

Okay I was in the same boat though I was 40. I did not necessarily want to join the Collegiate Chapter, though I did want to be part of the Alumnae Chapter. I talked with two of the Sororities whose purpose, goals and philathropic projects interested me. After a year, they stopped speaking to me. It's very sad that there is nothing out there for those of us who would enjoy the networking aspect of a Sorority. Honor Socities are a nice thing to belong to, but they don't have the same feel as the sisterhood of a sorority has. We are left with the choice of joining Beta Sigma Phi if we want to get involved or help mentor those who are just starting the adventure of Higher Education.
Thanks for listening
Michele Kriske
.....who is still looking for an Alumnae Chapter to join

[PeppyGPhiB]

AI is completely different than collegiate membership. The OP was asking about joining a collegiate chapter.

[mkriske]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

AI is completely different than collegiate membership. The OP was asking about joining a collegiate chapter.

I understand that, and left a part of what I wrote out, the part that to be part of the Alumnae Chapter, often you have to pledge the Collegiate Chapter first, at least for UCLA and LMU. This is what I was told, and I should have included it above
Michele Kriske

[_Lisa_]

Originally Posted by mkriske

I understand that, and left a part of what I wrote out, the part that to be part of the Alumnae Chapter, often you have to pledge the Collegiate Chapter first, at least for UCLA and LMU. This is what I was told, and I should have included it above
Michele Kriske

Actually, that depends on the organization. That is what Alumnae Initiation is-joining an Alumnae chapter without having joined the collegiate chapter.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Hmm...I think you may be a little confused. If an organization does let graduate students join collegiate chapters, but offers AI (and not all do), it is probably handled through an alumnae chapter, not collegiate. In order to "join" an alumnae chapter you need to be initiated, whether that's through collegiate or alumnae initiation.

I don't know if that helps at all of if I've just confused you more Can anyone else explain it more clearly?

[irishpipes]

Originally Posted by mkriske

I understand that, and left a part of what I wrote out, the part that to be part of the Alumnae Chapter, often you have to pledge the Collegiate Chapter first, at least for UCLA and LMU. This is what I was told, and I should have included it above
Michele Kriske

So are you saying that he entire alumnae chapter came from the same collegiate chapter? I only know for sure about my own organization, but I assume all the NPCs work this way too - an alumnae chapter is for any alumnae who live in a certain geopgraphical area. It makes no difference where you went to college as long as you initiated into XYZ. Are you saying that an individual NPC sorority has a UCLA alumnae chapter just for UCLA grads and a LMU alumnae chapter just for LMU grads? Strange. Usually (OK, always, as far as I know) there is an alumnae chapter for, say, Orange County, or Beverly Hills, or something like that, not for a collegiate chapter.

[WCUgirl]

Originally Posted by irishpipes

So are you saying that he entire alumnae chapter came from the same collegiate chapter? I only know for sure about my own organization, but I assume all the NPCs work this way too - an alumnae chapter is for any alumnae who live in a certain geopgraphical area. It makes no difference where you went to college as long as you initiated into XYZ. Are you saying that an individual NPC sorority has a UCLA alumnae chapter just for UCLA grads and a LMU alumnae chapter just for LMU grads? Strange. Usually (OK, always, as far as I know) there is an alumnae chapter for, say, Orange County, or Beverly Hills, or something like that, not for a collegiate chapter.

I believe 99.9999% of NPC alumnae organizations work this way, but I am aware of an alumnae chapter for alumnae of a specific collegiate chapter only. I want to say it was a KD chapter....? I can't recall. But yes, they do exist.

[33girl]

Phi Mu and Delta Zeta have "chapter organizations" which are only composed of alums of a specific collegiate chapter. If I'm not mistaken, you can be in one of these and a geographically based alum chapter at the same time.

And in a densely populated area like LA - I wouldn't be a bit surprised if there were multiple alumnae chapters that even though they are geographically based on paper, have membership mainly or solely from one collegiate chapter. If a lot of your collegiate sisters are in the same alum chapter, you'll probably end up in it too, even if it's across town. It really isn't supposed to happen that way, but until the HQs start saying "if your zip code is 90210 you must be in so and so alum chapter" it's going to happen.

[mkriske]

Originally Posted by irishpipes

So are you saying that he entire alumnae chapter came from the same collegiate chapter? I only know for sure about my own organization, but I assume all the NPCs work this way too - an alumnae chapter is for any alumnae who live in a certain geopgraphical area. It makes no difference where you went to college as long as you initiated into XYZ. Are you saying that an individual NPC sorority has a UCLA alumnae chapter just for UCLA grads and a LMU alumnae chapter just for LMU grads? Strange. Usually (OK, always, as far as I know) there is an alumnae chapter for, say, Orange County, or Beverly Hills, or something like that, not for a collegiate chapter.

I don't know if this is true or not, I have been trying to find a Sorority for about 10 years now. When I was working on my Bachelor's the Sororities were mainly for minoritygroups, when I worked on my first master's I was told I was too old to join, and in the past two years, while working on my second Master's I have had no luck making contact with groups. I actually went to an event with one Alumnae Group and worked on their Philathropic Project for the year, but have not heard anything about membership. A second group was in contact with me and then stopped answering my letters, and a third is much the same. When I have visited the various groups and looked at their alumnae pages, they refer back to my involvement in a collegiate chapter. I assumed for a long time that I had to have been a collegiate member in order to join and just found out 4 monthes ago that I didn't. To answer your question, I have always been referred to groups through their home schools, but I'm still looking. I'm sure I don't understand everything involved so please be patient with me. I cannot be the only 40 year old out there who wants to join and Alumnae Chapter. Can I?

[irishpipes]

You don't join an alumnae chapter. You join a national/international organization and are sponsored by an alumna or an alumnae chapter to do it. Then once you are initiated you of course are likely to be active in an alumnae chapter.

[mkriske]

Originally Posted by irishpipes

You don't join an alumnae chapter. You join a national/international organization and are sponsored by an alumna or an alumnae chapter to do it. Then once you are initiated you of course are likely to be active in an alumnae chapter.

Thank you I really did know that I am trying to join a National/International Organization, I just didn't state it correctly.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by irishpipes

You don't join an alumnae chapter. You join a national/international organization and are sponsored by an alumna or an alumnae chapter to do it. Then once you are initiated you of course are likely to be active in an alumnae chapter.

Yes, and I also wanted to point out that in addition to being active in an alumnae chapter, there will the expectation that you will support the collegiate chapter too if you live close by to one (i.e. helping out "behind the scenes in Recruitment, etc...stuff like that).

[OrigamiTulip]

Originally Posted by mkriske

It's very sad that there is nothing out there for those of us who would enjoy the networking aspect of a Sorority. Honor Socities are a nice thing to belong to, but they don't have the same feel as the sisterhood of a sorority has. We are left with the choice of joining Beta Sigma Phi if we want to get involved

Actually, there are over 20 community sororities, not just Beta Sigma Phi. That's almost as many community sororities as there are NPC sororities, with as many opportunities to find the right fit. So do some research, and look at all of your options, instead of just focusing on AI or Beta as your only options.

[LPIDelta]

You know, maybe I am weird , but I am 31 and LOVE the time I get to spend with the actives in the chapter I advise. Yes, I know being an advisor is 'different' but not really--I don't hang out with them (because lord knows I couldn't keep up) but I do sorority things with them, like attend meetings, go to special events, do philanthropy projects etc. I do not view my involvement as trying to relive my college days...and I suspect that older women who join collegiate chapters really aren't trying to do that either. Just some food for thought.

[mkriske]

Originally Posted by BetaRose

Actually, there are over 20 community sororities, not just Beta Sigma Phi. That's almost as many community sororities as there are NPC sororities, with as many opportunities to find the right fit. So do some research, and look at all of your options, instead of just focusing on AI or Beta as your only options.

Thank you for the link, it did help some, though I had already visited most of the ones listed.
Thanks again
MK