New to GeekChat & question about colonizing recruitment!

[Angelus]

Hello!

I have a question about colonizing sororities. A few years ago I went through recruitment at my university and received a bid for a sorority, unfortunately my family was not having a good year financially and I could not go through with initiation but the sorority left the bid open for the year in the event that things changed the following semester. After the year was up I inquired again but they said my bid had expired.

I have really wanted to join a sorority and now I am a senior. There was a sorority colonizing on my campus and I interviewed but was not invited to move forward. I was a bit surprised as I was under the impression that a colonizing sorority needs to build an entire sorority (freshmen, sophomore, junior and senior). In addition, I am incredibly involved on campus with leadership positions and great internships. I was a bit surprised to not receive an offer. I was wondering if I could find out why I did not? Or if anyone has any theories? How do theses processes work for colonizing sororities and selections?

Does anyone have any recommendations moving forward? I am really disappointed as I wanted to join.

[AnchorAlumna]

No one where can tell you why you weren't given a bid - we weren't there.
But I can tell you that a colonizing sorority, while it often invites women of all class years, does not take everyone who applies. Just like an established group, they choose many, but don't have to take everyone. And in choosing colonizing members, an effort is make to choose women who can work together.

[Angelus]

Thank you for your response! Do you think I could inquire as to why? I was thinking of asking my Greek Life office. I really wanted to be a part of greek life before I graduate, I've always felt it was a missing piece in my college career which is why I am so disappointed. It doesn't look like I have any options left.

[DubaiSis]

I doubt you would get a valid answer. Membership selection is both secret and intangible. It could be something obvious (your grades, that thing you were caught doing, the unfortunate tattoo on your face) or it could just be a feeling, a chemistry among the group. Or maybe they really only wanted 2 seniors and they had already taken 3. Sometimes it's just not in the cards.

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by Angelus

Hello!

I have a question about colonizing sororities. A few years ago I went through recruitment at my university and received a bid for a sorority, unfortunately my family was not having a good year financially and I could not go through with initiation but the sorority left the bid open for the year in the event that things changed the following semester. After the year was up I inquired again but they said my bid had expired.

I have really wanted to join a sorority and now I am a senior. There was a sorority colonizing on my campus and I interviewed but was not invited to move forward. I was a bit surprised as I was under the impression that a colonizing sorority needs to build an entire sorority (freshmen, sophomore, junior and senior). In addition, I am incredibly involved on campus with leadership positions and great internships. I was a bit surprised to not receive an offer. I was wondering if I could find out why I did not? Or if anyone has any theories? How do theses processes work for colonizing sororities and selections?

Does anyone have any recommendations moving forward? I am really disappointed as I wanted to join.

Originally Posted by Angelus

Thank you for your response! Do you think I could inquire as to why? I was thinking of asking my Greek Life office. I really wanted to be a part of greek life before I graduate, I've always felt it was a missing piece in my college career which is why I am so disappointed. It doesn't look like I have any options left.

The Greek Life office will not know. This is private info that only the group knows, and probably very few in the group know it - only the women selecting those who would receive bids. Evenif you talked to them, they would not tell you.

[AZTheta]

It appears that the NPC sorority ship has sailed, and, for you as a college senior, there really are no remaining options as an undergraduate. Perhaps your (self-described) persona, "incredibly involved on campus with leadership positions and great internships", worked against you in this circumstance. A colonizing sorority doesn't need all superstars. That's a recipe for disaster. And it also needs to "grow" its own leaders. Membership selection for a colony is complex. There has to be a balance or the colony won't flourish. NB: I am speculating and offering one possible explanation. As others have said, we don't know why you weren't chosen.

Knowing "why" is something that, honestly, isn't going to be of any help to you. There is nothing you can do, nothing you can change, no one to whom you can appeal for reconsideration. For reasons which are known only to the colonizing sorority, you weren't offered a bid. Understand your disappointment, and move on. I sincerely am sorry it didn't work out for you and hope that in the future you'll find other membership organizations that will fill that niche.

Caveat: the colony may do spring recruitment, or other sororities on your campus may offer opportunities for COB, and there is a very small chance you may receive a bid in those circumstances. I wouldn't put $ down on it myself.

ETA: after having a long discussion with a friend about the challenges and responsibilities of MS for colonies, I'd like to share the following for others who may stumble upon this thread in the future. Asking us (or anyone involved in the colony) why you weren't selected isn't going to get you an answer. HOWEVER, asking "what could I do to improve my chances of being selected in the future, for this or any other sorority?" WILL get you useful input and feedback. In the OP's scenario, I didn't sense that she wanted to know how she could possibly receive a bid; rather, I sensed she wanted to know why she wasn't chosen (and we're back to square one, folks). Perhaps I'm missing something that someone else picked up on?

[Angelus]

Originally Posted by AZTheta

It appears that the NPC sorority ship has sailed, and, for you as a college senior, there really are no remaining options as an undergraduate. Perhaps your (self-described) persona, "incredibly involved on campus with leadership positions and great internships", worked against you in this circumstance. A colonizing sorority doesn't need all superstars. That's a recipe for disaster. And it also needs to "grow" its own leaders. Membership selection for a colony is complex. There has to be a balance or the colony won't flourish. NB: I am speculating and offering one possible explanation. As others have said, we don't know why you weren't chosen.

Knowing "why" is something that, honestly, isn't going to be of any help to you. There is nothing you can do, nothing you can change, no one to whom you can appeal for reconsideration. For reasons which are known only to the colonizing sorority, you weren't offered a bid. Understand your disappointment, and move on. I sincerely am sorry it didn't work out for you and hope that in the future you'll find other membership organizations that will fill that niche.

Caveat: the colony may do spring recruitment, or other sororities on your campus may offer opportunities for COB, and there is a very small chance you may receive a bid in those circumstances. I wouldn't put $ down on it myself.

ETA: after having a long discussion with a friend about the challenges and responsibilities of MS for colonies, I'd like to share the following for others who may stumble upon this thread in the future. Asking us (or anyone involved in the colony) why you weren't selected isn't going to get you an answer. HOWEVER, asking "what could I do to improve my chances of being selected in the future, for this or any other sorority?" WILL get you useful input and feedback. In the OP's scenario, I didn't sense that she wanted to know how she could possibly receive a bid; rather, I sensed she wanted to know why she wasn't chosen (and we're back to square one, folks). Perhaps I'm missing something that someone else picked up on?

I was asking why I wasn't selected and asking for theories because I did not know if there are caps or quotas on seniors when colonizing. I did not know if it was for some external factor that was out of my control so I was looking to see what people know from experience as I have no familiarity with the colonization process.

However, I would be equally interested in knowing what I could do/could have done to improve my chances of being selected in the future. If I did not get it the first time around, would it be work pursuing next semester?

Since I received a bid early on in my college career from another sorority I am vaguely familiar with some of the qualities sororities look for. Ultimately it also comes down to fit, and perhaps I just was not the right fit for that sorority.

[DubaiSis]

You are assuming that you did something wrong or that you are lacking something. What we are trying to tell you is you very possibly didn't do anything wrong or are lacking anything important as a successful or lovely person. Colonies do take members from all 4 classes, but it definitely is not 25% each. I can't say that this particular group took X number of seniors or that that is the reason you weren't selected.

Even if we knew you (we don't) or which sorority you were trying to join (we don't, and don't share), we still couldn't tell you what happened. This is just one of those life lessons where you have to accept that you can't control everything and just accept that not everything is going to fall in your direction.

[ladybug12]

Could your past issues with finances somehow have affected your outcome?

If you were asked about your pledging an NPC group in the past and you said " I had financial issues" it would possibly throw up a red flag for any group.