recruitment advice for juniors

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by krose

I am a junior, but this is my first semester at this particular college. Penn State. I went through some COB parties for some of our sororities, but didn't get a bid. I decided to give formal recruitment a try, but because of conflicting classes and party schedules I wasn't getting the experience I had hoped for, so I dropped. After recruitment was over I was invited to some more COB parties, but it seems like I am probably not going to get a bid from any of the groups as I haven't heard back and it has been 2 weeks since the first parties I went to and almost 2 weeks since the last parties.

I'm really starting to feel discouraged. I didn't realize how hard it would be to join a sorority as a junior, especially since so many students transfer here as juniors. The girls in the Greek Life office assured me that I should keep trying, some sororities even take second semester juniors during spring informal. I honestly felt like this fall was my last chance, I know it will be a challenge to get a bid in the spring.

I heard some schools don't count juniors/seniors towards quota but I don't think my school is one of those schools. I think a lot of the girls that COB after recruitment have similar concerns. We never knew how we would be contacted if we were to recieve a bid, or how long it takes to be contacted. I would leave parties not knowing how to feel because I didn't want to get my hopes up. I know that everyone says to trust the process, you will end up where you are meant to, etc. I don't mean to sound so depressing but you can imagine how I felt coming to this school. I was so excited to get involved in greek life, and then every attempt I made has been unsuccessful.

Does anyone have any advice?

Paging nittanygirl! She's a new-ish Penn State Greek.

It is my understanding that there are always several chapters at PSU who hold spring COB.

I think it's worth a shot for you to check out some groups during spring and see what happens.

If you DO decide to go ahead with spring, my best advice would be to be open-minded.

If there are some chapters participating that you didn't check out this fall, be sure to give them a shot next time. You never know, you may end up really liking them.

You may get a bid, you may not. But what do you have to lose?

Good luck!

[nittanygirl]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Paging nittanygirl! She's a new-ish Penn State Greek.

Ah! We were answering at the same time!!

But I should have added, that I received a bid as a junior.
My best friend went through formal this year as a junior and received a bid as well. She kept her mind opened & prepared for heavy cuts (which happen) and she ended up in a chapter she loved.
Also, that I know there are chapters that are still looking.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Oh, here's another thing. If you really, really, want to give it your best shot during spring COB, you need to ask a brutally honest friend or two for feedback on how you present yourself. Any friends from high school or something who are in sororities at other schools?

We don't know you. We can't tell you if you are the shy girl who comes off as too good for everyone or the girl who is tomboyish, but comes off as not giving a shit about the effort that the chapters have put into recruitment or the girl who is trying so hard to be social that she comes off as an RM violation waiting to happen.

[nittanygirl]

Having done COB events, formal & then more COB events, you have exposed yourself to all the groups in the NPC on campus.

If this is not working out for you, I suggest you maybe check out other sororities on campus that may take juniors.
There are two service sororities, several multicultural sororities, engineering & ag sororities here at Penn State if you feel you need to look into other options.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Look, the bottom line here is that the OP went through formal recruitment and was dropped by all the groups but one. Her best bet is to see if that group is still willing to get to know her.

Does every school have a greek life office to ask? I'm a junior doing COB events in the Spring and I don't see any information about an office for greek life on my school's webpage. I would like to know if upperclassmen count for quota.

Also, let us know how it goes krose. It can be really nervewracking to go through being a junior and everything so know you're not alone!!

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Bronco

Does every school have a greek life office to ask? I'm a junior doing COB events in the Spring and I don't see any information about an office for greek life on my school's webpage. I would like to know if upperclassmen count for quota.

Also, let us know how it goes krose. It can be really nervewracking to go through being a junior and everything so know you're not alone!!

I'll go out on a limb and say if you can't find a Greek life webpage, being a junior is not going to be a big issue.

[Regina.George]

Originally Posted by Bronco

Does every school have a greek life office to ask? I'm a junior doing COB events in the Spring and I don't see any information about an office for greek life on my school's webpage. I would like to know if upperclassmen count for quota.

COB has nothing to do with quota. There are no quotas in COB. Chapters can give bids up to total or average chapter size depending on the school. Being a junior does count. Every warm body that receives a bid counts into total.

[FSUZeta]

it may fall under student life, campus organizations or the dean of students.

[AZTheta]

VS, you were anything BUT rude.

Bronco, you are exhibiting "Fast Food Behavior/Mentality". You want it your way and you want it instantly. There's no drive-through lane for recruitment, however. University staff are overworked and stretched thin everywhere; the economy has impacted higher education just as much (if not more, in some instances) as every other profession. I work at a University. I know.

A polite and courteous request, coupled with patience, often is the best route to follow. Should you not get a response within a reasonable time (a week), then you either follow up with another email request, or you make a personal appearance.

Good luck to you.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by AzTheta

VS, you were anything BUT rude.

Bronco, you are exhibiting "Fast Food Behavior/Mentality". You want it your way and you want it instantly. There's no drive-through lane for recruitment, however. University staff are overworked and stretched thin everywhere; the economy has impacted higher education just as much (if not more, in some instances) as every other profession. I work at a University. I know.

A polite and courteous request, coupled with patience, often is the best route to follow. Should you not get a response within a reasonable time (a week), then you either follow up with another email request, or you make a personal appearance.

Good luck to you.

I'm cut from the cloth where if I want or need something I do it myself and would walk to the office in person instead of sending one email and decide Greek Chat was my next move. The majority of the time I prefer face to face contact as it is harder for someone to forget about your phone message or email if you are standing right there. It just confuses me that there are names, numbers, and a location and that isn't acceptable and we're going to have campus specific information if someone rubs the Greekchat genie bottle. No kids, we're more like a Magic 8 ball here, sometimes yes, sometimes no, and very often the answer is:



I definitely see this as generational, as I've always had email but I don't find it to be the only way to communicate. But I'm SO RUDE I still practice the art of handwritten thank you notes and bring a local food gift if I stay at the home of someone outside my town.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by Bronco

Theres a webpage. And we have a fraternity and sorority life office but I think it falls under student activities and theres no real contact information for the specific office.

I managed to find http://www.wmich.edu/greeks/staff.html by going to the Western Michigan page and putting Greek Life in the search and that was the first link listed. Oh look, names, email, phone numbers, office location. http://search.wmich.edu/search?q=greek+life&x=8&y=9 This link also appears on the Fraternity and Sorority Pages Contact Us http://www.wmich.edu/greeks/contact.html

Srsly.

[Regina.George]

Originally Posted by Bronco

Regina.George - so if the chapter average on campus is more than the total the chapters can take in more than total?

No. From what I understand, it will be one or the other as determined by the Greek life office/campus. From what I have observed, average size is used most often when almost all of the sororities on campus exceed total/total hasn't been re-set in a long time. These are things that are not under your control and you should not concern yourself with them. They don't provide any additional opportunities or loopholes for someone in your position. Generally they are attempts to help the chapters with lower numbers; they are not to help add even more members to healthy chapters.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by Bronco

Okay is it necessary to be so rude? I said there was an office. And yeah I know there are contacts but there's no number for the specific fraternity and sorority life office itself which is what I was looking for. Follow your own links and youd see that it basically directs you to student activities. Oh and gives you the number/email for two advisers. I already tried emailing one of them and they didn't email me back. The address is the student activities office too. I thought 33girl meant an independent office or something.

Regina.George - so if the chapter average on campus is more than the total the chapters can take in more than total?

Obviously you have no idea what RUDE is but I guess acting helpless is the way to go here? That link I provided has the names of two separate people, including the advisor, with two different phone numbers from the main Student Activities number at the bottom of the page. What more do you want? Honestly, Kristin Fouts is the Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life and can be reached at 269-387-2131 and kfouts@wmich.edu and there is a Fraternity & Sorority Life Graduate Assistant who can be reached at SALP-GreekGA@wmich.edu and 269-387-2138. Their offices are listed as #223 Bernhard Center in Kalamazoo. What else do you need? If you really want to go Greek walk yourself to 223 Bernhard Center, or call them since your email wasn't answered. Rush ended almost two months ago and you need to be proactive if you really want to be Greek and take matters into your own hands, which may include going in person or actually doing some leg work. If you keep getting led back or thinking it is just the Student Activities Office, why aren't you asking them who to talk to or what to do?

Do you think anyone here is going to tell you any different than to go to the office, we have no special knowledge and really, a lot of people would have been a lot ruder or not given you the links. I gave you the benefit of the doubt of being unaware of navigating pursuit of membership, a mistaken act of generosity for sure.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Bronco

I thought 33girl meant an independent office or something.

Webpage = office?