Sorority Shopping?

[AChiOhSnap]

My basic feeling on the matter is that, honestly, I am uncomfortable with a woman attempting to AI that even feels the need to "research" more than one organization, to say nothing of the women that acutally contact more than one.

"But OhSnap," one might say. "Without researching a few organizations, how will a woman know which sorority is right for her to attempt to AI into?"

That's my point exactly -- I would not be comfortable with a woman attempting to AI into AXO (not that AI is really common for my org, but let's use it as an example) unless she was approached by an AXO first. If this is the case and she feels in her heart that AXO is something she really wants to pursue, I would absolutely encourage her to research AXO a little more. However, if you don't have one specific organization -- with connections -- in mind when the idea of AI is presented to you, I don't think you should make an AI attempt.

My reasoning is this: too many women out there had failed recruitments in college. They can come on GC, post their stories, and pay lip service to the true purpose of AI until they're blue in the face, but the fact remains that many of these AIs are trying to use it as a "second chance" to "belong." A woman that is 28, 29, 30 or whatever and decides that she wants a chance to "do it all over again" shows a pretty strong lack of maturity -- I think most reasonable adult women move on from the college social scene after they graduate -- and that's going to be a pretty obvious personality flaw that will most likely come through to the alum group if a "shopping" PNAM makes contact.

Obviously, nothing I say really will make any difference to a PNAM dead-set on trying to get into a sorority. They're going to convince themselves that they're not that kind of PNAM, and go about their shopping. But to answer your question, yes, I think that contacting more than one group without any prior connection is dishonest, and can honestly make this kind of PNAM seem desperate and immature.

[ZTAngel]

Originally Posted by AchtungBaby80

I'll be honest--I don't think AI should be a common thing. I believe it's something that should be initiated by the sorority when a member knows a woman who would be an asset to that sorority, not something that an interested woman can "pursue" on her own. I realize that's probably not a popular view, but it's only my opinion.

Because I feel this way, I wouldn't view a sorority who had an open-door AI policy in a very good light.

I agree 100%. I believe that AI should be reserved for special people only in special circumstances.