Should you join a "lower tier" sorority?

[Jen]

How different would the experience in a "lower tier" sorority really be?

You'll have sisterhood events. You'll have mixers with some fraternities. You'll have formals and semi formals. Scholarship opportunities. Can participate in Greek week. Will be able to attend regional events, conferences and conventions. Will be able to attend parties, host philanthropy events and volunteer with your philanthropy. So where are the real differences?

Maybe you'll have less numbers than the others (but, potentially, a closer sisterhood)? Maybe your alumnae network in that area will be smaller (especially if you're a newer chapter)? You'll maybe have a better COB program because your formal recruitment style is a bit weaker than others? People might say "they're lower tier"?

I can't think of too many differences, especially when it comes to the social aspect. The low tier sororities at my alma mater and the top tier groups do the exact same things. The experience is the same, ultimately.

[AlphaXi_Husky]

Originally Posted by Jen

How different would the experience in a "lower tier" sorority really be?

You'll have sisterhood events. You'll have mixers with some fraternities. You'll have formals and semi formals. Scholarship opportunities. Can participate in Greek week. Will be able to attend regional events, conferences and conventions. Will be able to attend parties, host philanthropy events and volunteer with your philanthropy. So where are the real differences?

Maybe you'll have less numbers than the others (but, potentially, a closer sisterhood)? Maybe your alumnae network in that area will be smaller (especially if you're a newer chapter)? You'll maybe have a better COB program because your formal recruitment style is a bit weaker than others? People might say "they're lower tier"?

I can't think of too many differences, especially when it comes to the social aspect. The low tier sororities at my alma mater and the top tier groups do the exact same things. The experience is the same, ultimately.

Is it similar? Yes. The same? Not entirely.

One of the bigger differences I can think of is if you're needing to constantly COB (as in not just two or three people). That can be really draining on members and take up time from other activities (school or sorority related). I've worked with chapters who rarely have to COB and those who have to COB constantly. It's a lot more work for the latter chapters and definitely affects chapter dynamics.

And of course, there could be reasons for the need to constantly COB that affects chapter dynamics as well (high turnover indicating poor chapter health).

[33girl]

Originally Posted by AlphaXi_Husky

Is it similar? Yes. The same? Not entirely.

One of the bigger differences I can think of is if you're needing to constantly COB (as in not just two or three people). That can be really draining on members and take up time from other activities (school or sorority related). I've worked with chapters who rarely have to COB and those who have to COB constantly. It's a lot more work for the latter chapters and definitely affects chapter dynamics.

And of course, there could be reasons for the need to constantly COB that affects chapter dynamics as well (high turnover indicating poor chapter health).

Too often, the people telling chapters to COB constantly (as in parties every week) are from chapters who never had to do it and consequently, have no idea what they’re talking about.

How do you do it effectively? Maintain a wish list year round of qualities the chapter is looking for in sisters and women who are possible members. Every sister is in an extracurricular activity outside the sorority where they can meet unaffiliated women. Bring women to meet your closest friends (your sisters) with no pressure. Maintain the friendships you make. The woman who may not want or be able to pledge this fall may be ready for it the next fall and be a much more dedicated member. You should be able to keep the parties to one a month and when it’s time for a pledge class, you can bid women you’ve gotten to truly know.

Most of all, look beyond the freshman class, and don’t just get a list from the Greek life office of the women who weren’t bid and run around pell-mell trying to remember who they were from rush and bidding them. That is a sure way to have crazy amounts of chapter turnover.

Finally I don’t know how a sorority that is far behind in numbers can effectively catch up without having a pledge class in the spring (if formal rush is in the fall). Shoving everyone into one huge class is a sure way for women to feel lost in the shuffle and quit.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Too often, the people telling chapters to COB constantly (as in parties every week) are from chapters who never had to do it and consequently, have no idea what they’re talking about.

How do you do it effectively? Maintain a wish list year round of qualities the chapter is looking for in sisters and women who are possible members. Every sister is in an extracurricular activity outside the sorority where they can meet unaffiliated women. Bring women to meet your closest friends (your sisters) with no pressure. Maintain the friendships you make. The woman who may not want or be able to pledge this fall may be ready for it the next fall and be a much more dedicated member. You should be able to keep the parties to one a month and when it’s time for a pledge class, you can bid women you’ve gotten to truly know.

Most of all, look beyond the freshman class, and don’t just get a list from the Greek life office of the women who weren’t bid and run around pell-mell trying to remember who they were from rush and bidding them. That is a sure way to have crazy amounts of chapter turnover.

This. The main problem that COB chapters have is that they try and cram those parties into a week or two, bid who they can, and essentially give up after, or they're constantly having parties with a bunch of PNMs and requiring that all sisters are present. That certainly gets exhausting.

Making friends in a more natural way year-round should be the goal.

[navane]

Originally Posted by AlphaXi_Husky

Is it similar? Yes. The same? Not entirely.

One of the bigger differences I can think of is if you're needing to constantly COB (as in not just two or three people). That can be really draining on members and take up time from other activities (school or sorority related). I've worked with chapters who rarely have to COB and those who have to COB constantly. It's a lot more work for the latter chapters and definitely affects chapter dynamics.

And of course, there could be reasons for the need to constantly COB that affects chapter dynamics as well (high turnover indicating poor chapter health).

I agree. I think that, for a chapter with fewer members than the others, the constant pressure to "catch-up" and the practical need for the members to have to double-up on officer positions has the potential to wear the membership down after a while. So, while holding a formal or philanthropy event is the same in concept, the practicalities of it are not at all the same experience. In other words, it's twice the work for a chapter half the size of her campus counterparts. That said, the very core function of our existence, sisterhood, should indeed be essentially the same.