joining a fraternity, then transferring??

[greekdee]

Originally Posted by tjizzle

because if i wait to rush at my new school, ill be rushing as a spring semester sophomore which really isnt preferable

Something else to check out in regards to the fraternity you want to pledge this fall: when do they initiate their pledges? For some, pledgeship runs the entire fall semester and guys undergo initiation shortly after spring semester begins. For others, the pledge period is shorter and guys get initiated the same semester they pledge. Finding this out will help you to know what your actual status will be when you transfer.

If you're still a pledge when you transfer and the chapter accepts you, you might have join their spring class and go through the process again...just one possible scenario, but it will all depend on that chapter's policy for handling these cases.

[adpiucf]

Originally Posted by tjizzle

because if i wait to rush at my new school, ill be rushing as a spring semester sophomore which really isnt preferable

Why not? Have you researched Greek Life at the school you plan to transfer to? Do second semester sophomores not receive bids? There's a good chance you will pledge at your current school, initiate and then not be allowed to affiliate at a transfer chapter. If you want a fraternity experience, why not give it a shot at the school you want to end up at instead of taking that chance?

[greekdee]

If you've completed pledgeship and become an initiated member of the fraternity, you won't be able to pledge a different group. You might be able to request through the national headquarters that you be released from membership, but it will be their decision.

Remember, too, there is always the chance you won't want to affiliate with the chapter at your new school. Greek chapters can vary so much from one campus to another -- your fraternity might be a great fit for you at one school, but not so much at another. I'm really not trying to be a downer; just being honest about what you could possibly run into so you'll have as much info as possible when making your decision.

If you're still a pledge when you transfer, I am not sure how that would work in regards to the chapter taking you and allowing you to complete pledging through them -- BUT if the chapter decided not to take you, you would be free to rush and pledge another group since you had not gone through initiation.

[Titchou]

If I was in a group and knew someone would leave the next semester, I would not vote to give them a bid. Just sayin'.....

[greekdee]

Take care not to put too many carts before their horses. You're making a lot of strong assumptions -- that you'll get into the fraternity, that you'll be accepted at the other school and that you'll be a good fit for the chapter there. Nothing is a sure thing on any of those fronts -- and won't be until you have a bid in hand, an acceptance letter in hand and an invite to affiliate in hand. Nothing is a sure thing, and the worlds of fraternity rush and college applications just aren't always predictable. It might all work out just the way you envision, or it might not. Keep that mind.

[Kevin]

My chapter has rejected affiliation requests from transfers from other schools. It's a possibility that your transfer chapter would do that to you. Just because you can get initiated at one school doesn't necessarily mean the other chapter will want to have anything to do with you and your friend likely has very little insight into how that chapter selects their members.

You'd be safest to just hang out with the chapter at your current school and be social with them, then rush when you transfer. I know my chapter has had some excellent one-year members. We've even bid and initiated international students who we knew would transfer back home and they turned out to be outstanding alumni.