Large vs Small chapters

[DGTess]

I went to college in the mid-70s, at a small selective school that had just a couple of years before closed its "womens" college and recognized us as equal. We had five chapters; the largest was about 40, and total enrollment of women was probably under 1000. My chapter was about 20 the year I was president -- yep, we knew everyone. We might not have been close, but then I have biological sisters that I'm closer to than others. Total was in the 50s, but no one approached it, and no one bothered to re-set it; what would have been the point? (Today, the chapters are large, another has been added, and chapter size is approximately 100, but it's also 40 years later.)

I've spoken to other women at similar schools during the same time. We can recall the bid days when you gave out a dozen bids and prayed some would be accepted. One of my pledge sisters got bids from both us and Chi Omega and had to decide; few of the Chi Os spoke to her for the next couple of years. (We did not have a today-style rush, obviously.) MOST of the greeks on campus were first-generation greeks.

So I've been reading GC for a few years now and learned my experience was not typical of today's student, even at the small schools. GC has helped me to write recs (though I've probably done fewer than half a dozen in 40 years) and has definitely helped me to understand my alumnae sisters better - many of them had the big-chapter experience that is completely foreign to me.

But I've had questions similar to those AngelPhiSig. I can't imagine a chapter of 50 or more, much less 200 (and I've never been able to figure out if total is 250, and you pledge 100 each year, where the other 150 went). I've been thinking a lot depends on where you *choose* to go to school. Someone who chooses SEC is probably in a very different place socially than someone who chooses a small private college, and looking for very different experiences (my chapter never once went to a football game). The sororities reflect that.