Would you bid a 16 year old?

[Tulip86]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

I think one thing you are missing, though, is that some women who are young when they get to college skipped ahead when they were very little. I was ALWAYS in a peer group that was a year or two older than me, by chronological age. It's not like I got to college and that was the first time I was being hit on by older guys or the first time I had access to alcohol or heck, even the first time I'd been in the bars in Champaign (where the age to get in was 19, but you could practically draw a picture of yourself on an index card and use it as an ID).

So I don't really know what's more common: skipped when they were little, or graduated high school early for other reasons, but I don't necessarily think the two groups are identical.

THIS!

I skipped ahead in 1st grade, always 1 or 2 years younger than my peers as well. I feel like kids who skip ahead at an early age have more of a chance to reach the same emotional maturity as their peers by graduation.

[ThetaPrincess24]

I think it depends on the campus, the chapter, and the PNM/new member.

In 2011, we gave a bid to a new member who was 16. She graduated high school a year and a half early and even entered technically as a sophomore because of her AP credits and some early college classes she took. Parents had to sign certain forms for sure, but she was a very mature young lady. She's been a great member and we have not seen problems. I think she was really looking for a core of lifelong network of friends and some kind of stability in that regard. Her father was in the military and they moved around quite a bit and she never really had a consistent group of friends. she told me once Theta is her family where someone is always "home" to talk to or hang out with.

I did have members contact me out of concern with her age. It could have been an issue should she have not been as mature, but from an alcohol standpoint, the law and rules for her are really no different than they are for members who are 18-20. The law says no drinking or purchasing of alcohol if under the age of 21. Thus, this applies to a 16 year old just as it does older members. Same thing as a fake ID. It's against the law for anyone to have or produce false identification, so the rule/law would apply to her the same as it would anyone else. From a sex standpoint, 16 is the age of consent in the state of Kentucky so if that was something she chose to do, that would have been her own business I guess.

I do think caution and careful thought should way in on a decision with someone who is younger. Not all 16 year olds are mature enough to handle college life. My 16 year old son sure as hell is not and would not be something his father or I would allow him to do. Then again, I'm sure all of us could give countless examples of 18-21 year olds we know that are/were not mature enough to handle college/Greek Life...

[aephi alum]

Originally Posted by ThetaPrincess24

I think it depends on the campus, the chapter, and the PNM/new member.

Agree.

It depends on the maturity of the 16-year-old. Some 16 year olds are all but adults, while others are still vastly immature. The recruitment process should sort out the immature ones.

My sorority would offer a bid to a 16-year-old provided she meets our requirements (full-time student at a 4-year university, meets minimum GPA, and other requirements I won't go into). Financial paperwork must be countersigned by a parent or guardian.