Sorority Involvment...sorry it's long!

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by ErinKathleenNJ

Hi,

I'm not sure if you've read any of these, but there are a few other threads that have to do with graduate students wanting to join undergraduate chapters.

Graduate Student and AI
Can Graduate Students Rush?

I'm sure there are others out there, so try the search option. Have you called your graduate schools Greek office?

Good luck

I LOVE NEW PEOPLE WHO CAN LOCATE THE SEARCH FUNCTION!!!!


Seriously, you've got to be my favorite newbie ever. EVER.

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

I LOVE NEW PEOPLE WHO CAN LOCATE THE SEARCH FUNCTION!!!!


Seriously, you've got to be my favorite newbie ever. EVER.

Awww, thanks AlphaFrog I do my best!

[33girl]

MissKP:

The type of school you are at has a great deal to do with whether or not you would be a good fit for sorority involvement, even before getting into whether you could rush as a graduate student. If we khew where you were going it would help tremendously.

[adpiucf]

I agree. I don't see where anyone was rude-- just honest and giving you options that will work for your educational level and situation. Graduate students, as a rule, are not pledged to NPC sororities based on NPC bylaws. There are a few who admit grad students, but they are not beholden to this policy and a majority of the collegiate chapters who are allowed are unaware that this policy even exists.

You've been given suggestions for ways to seek out other forms of sisterhood groups, and some cautionary advice has been given on your selection of graduate program due to your age and lack of professional experience.

It was not intended as a slight to the accomplishment of being accepted to a program: that is a big accomplishment-- but many young people who move straight through from undergrad to MBA programs are not aware of the challenges that will lie ahead post-college when it comes time to secure employment. It isn't impossible if you're going for something like i-banking or possibly management consulting, but if you're planning on moving into IT or marketing, it may be an uphill battle due to a lack of pre-MBA/post undergrad work experience.

Best of luck.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by adpiucf

You've been given suggestions for ways to seek out other forms of sisterhood groups, and some cautionary advice has been given on your selection of graduate program due to your age and lack of professional experience.

It was not intended as a slight to the accomplishment of being accepted to a program: that is a big accomplishment-- but many young people who move straight through from undergrad to MBA programs are not aware of the challenges that will lie ahead post-college when it comes time to secure employment. It isn't impossible if you're going for something like i-banking or possibly management consulting, but if you're planning on moving into IT or marketing, it may be an uphill battle due to a lack of pre-MBA/post undergrad work experience.

Best of luck.

Right, but she did not ask for advice on her career path, and it is really nobody's business to give her that. I think the advice ABOUT RECRUITMENT was good, because it was honest, even if it is not what she wanted to hear. It is unfortunate that some posters felt a need to criticize her life decisions as well.

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Right, but she did not ask for advice on her career path, and it is really nobody's business to give her that. I think the advice ABOUT RECRUITMENT was good, because it was honest, even if it is not what she wanted to hear. It is unfortunate that some posters felt a need to criticize her life decisions as well.

Funny because I didn't see the criticism and I'm wondering where you saw it.

Because the message I got from adpiucf's post wasn't criticizing her life decisions -- it was basically stating that it may be virtually impossible to get an MBA and pursue a sorority. She came here looking for sorority advice but presented us with her life situation as well.

And I echo what Dani said. If she's not going to be able to handle the kind of stuff that we've said over here...then she probably wouldn't have been a good candidate anyway.

[VandalSquirrel]

Not only have I heard of Willamette, and considered attending the school, but a relative of someone I know very well is in a sorority there. Recruitment is done in the spring, and it is the type of school where undergraduates come at 18, and leave by 22 (and therefore sorority membership is in that age range). Even though you will be 20 (according to your post) you will still be married and a gradaute student. I am not a member of any of those three groups (Alpha Chi Omega, Delta Gamma, and Pi Beta Phi), so I don't know if they consider graduate students or married women for membership. However this document http://www.willamette.edu/org/phc/phcrecruitrules.pdf does not mention graduate students to be eligible, just sophomores, juniors and seniors for fall COB, and freshmen only for spring formal recruitment.

You should probably contact the Greek Life advisor for clarification and more information.

[EGAOPi]

Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel

Not only have I heard of Willamette, and considered attending the school, but a relative of someone I know very well is in a sorority there. Recruitment is done in the spring, and it is the type of school where undergraduates come at 18, and leave by 22 (and therefore sorority membership is in that age range). Even though you will be 20 (according to your post) you will still be married and a gradaute student. I am not a member of any of those three groups (Alpha Chi Omega, Delta Gamma, and Pi Beta Phi), so I don't know if they consider graduate students or married women for membership. However this document http://www.willamette.edu/org/phc/phcrecruitrules.pdf does not mention graduate students to be eligible, just sophomores, juniors and seniors for fall COB, and freshmen only for spring formal recruitment.

You should probably contact the Greek Life advisor for clarification and more information.

Thank you for posting this--I second EXACTLY what she said. She makes an excellent point--since only freshmen are eligible for formal recruitment (whereas at most schools, sophomores and upperclassmen are eligible), it appears that this school adheres to stricter guidelines. If they're focusing on freshmen primarily, your chances are not good as a graduate student. Furthermore, it should really not be your focus at this time.

[PeppyGPhiB]

I am very familiar with Willamette and its greek system since my best friend was in a sorority there. There may only be three sororities, but greek life on campus is very popular and filled with tradition (it's the oldest univ. in the northwest). There are live-in requirements (though you'd probably be exempt since you'd be married). The undergraduates are isolated from the graduate schools and their students, so honestly I think you would be labeled as "unusual" or "weird" for going through recruitment with freshmen. They probably won't know how old you are...once they find out where you are in your studies, they'll assume you're older and wonder why you're going through rush now. When it comes to recruitment, the bottom line is that chapters select members based on whether they would fit in. And since none of the chapter sisters would be able to relate to your school experience yet, they would probably think you wouldn't fit in.

This is how I see it, and I know that I'm just trying to be optimistic...A twenty year old girl is a twent year old girl. Yes, she will be married, and yes she will be in graduate school, but she's still 20 and enthusiastic to become an active sorority member. I think the rushers (and anyone for that matter) would see her as her first, then her academic status and relationship status. How she approaches this topic will be critical.

It's not like she's a 40 year old, 8 month pregnant woman in hair curlers (not that that's a bad thing, of course!). She's 20 and obviously determined and smart. Personally, I would see the fact that she's a 20 y/o married MBA candidate stranger than her wanting to join a sorority.

Despite what I think, it maybe completely different at Williamette. It could be a real disadvantage that you will be married and a graduate student. I think the fact that you you want to participate in a less involved manner would be your biggest disadvantage. That's what is what stands out the most to me. I'm not an NPC sister, but that would really stand out to me. That, plus the fact that grad school is a lot more work than undergrad. Lack of time + wanting a lesser role = hesitation on my part.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by EGAOPi

Thank you for posting this--I second EXACTLY what she said. She makes an excellent point--since only freshmen are eligible for formal recruitment (whereas at most schools, sophomores and upperclassmen are eligible), it appears that this school adheres to stricter guidelines. If they're focusing on freshmen primarily, your chances are not good as a graduate student. Furthermore, it should really not be your focus at this time.

That's not what it said.

It said "first year students may only participate in the formal recruitment period or Spring COB."

That means these are the only things freshmen can do, not that only freshmen can do these things. Any school that limited formal rush to only freshmen would find themselves on the end of a lawsuit (not to mention a reprimand from the sororities' national offices and National Panhellenic) very quickly. So just to clear up any confusion - sophomores, juniors and seniors ARE permitted to participate in formal rush at Willamette.

And again, the original poster would most likely be allowed to participate in formal rush. It's just that she's very very very very unlikely to get a bid.

[kddani]

Originally Posted by MissKP

I didn't know that you guys needed my whole college life story to get some information but here goes i guess, i hope its not to boring haha...

I will be 20 when I graduate, I will be married a few weeks later...then I am transfering to Willamette University (which I'm sure no one in GC is familar with because it is tiny and is in Oregon). But anyway...my reasons for wanting to join a sorority in addition to being connected to the university are: being able to have that sisterhood experience, my current university never gave me that opportunity as we don't have a greek system here so now that I'm transferring I want that experience. As I realize some of you out there said get involved in professional activities or other student organizations...well I would love to, if they offered that many. There are absolutely no professional organizations for my major except the MBA club, because it's not a business school...and for other student organizations, there aren't a lot and the only one that even interests me at all is cheerleading since that is what I do now...but I'm done with that so sorority was my number one choice. Plus I like the idea of having the opportunity to do the philanthropies and meeting new girls and giving me the opportunity to meet people and make some life long friends (being a married, transfer, grad student, doesn't exactly give you the best social life.) Okay I hope that answers all your questions...And as for using the search option...I definitely know how and have used it, but the other threads that pertain to this topic have wanted the freshman experience of living in the house...and that's just not my situation, so I was hoping for a different answer. Okay now that this is pages long...I'll be going. I appreciate everyone's replies, you guys are great.

Your situation isn't really different at all from many other threads. There have been a number of threads where graduate students want to rush, and are married, etc. so they would not want to live in the house. Living in the house doesn't have a lot to do with it. I'm not familiar with your school, but it doesn't sound like the groups are huge and I wonder if they even have live-in requirements.

I'm not sure what you're talking about with the "freshman experience". I'm not sure what you consider the "freshman experience" aside from living in the house (which rarely freshman do anyway, and in your school's case, freshman don't even go through rush until second semester).

Only a handful of sororities accept graduate students via their policies. But that doesn't mean that individual chapters do. And I do not believe that any of the three sororities that are at this school allow graduate students to rush. Possibly AChiO, but from what the school has been described I don't know that the individual chapter would be open to that idea.

In any event, I would echo others in their statements to concentrate on your graduate program. Sorority membership at the collegiate level is a LOT of time, a lot of late evenings, a lot of weekends. You're going to be a newlywed, don't think your husband would appreciate that (not saying that you need to live your life according to your husband, but you should have some consideration for him!), nor would that leave you a lot of time for what should be a heavy amount of coursework that is much more demanding than undergrad.

I'm sorry that you "missed the boat" on sorority membership, so to speak, but sometimes life works out that way.

[adpiucf]

On an unrelated topic: Have you considered the consequences of getting an MBA at your age? You are going to be virtually unhireable-- an MBA will not be considered for entry level jobs, and an MBA without any legitimate post-college work experience will not be considered for an executive level job. The MBA is a more useful career transition degree, not a stepping stone because you graduated early and/or don't know what to do next with yourself and your career. You are much better off working for at least 2 years before getting an MBA.

If you must have the MBA now, forget the sorority idea completely. Join the American Marketing Association, IABC, AD2 or one of many professional organizations in the community-- there will be plenty of service and social opportunities and networking opportunities. For "sisterhood," join a church group. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but at this point in your education/life, the sorority boat has passed and it is time to move forward.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

This would be the post in question, OTW. In my opinion, a poster who comes here looking for sorority-related advice does not need to be subjected to unsolicited advice about her career path.

Originally Posted by adpiucf

On an unrelated topic: Have you considered the consequences of getting an MBA at your age? You are going to be virtually unhireable-- an MBA will not be considered for entry level jobs, and an MBA without any legitimate post-college work experience will not be considered for an executive level job. The MBA is a more useful career transition degree, not a stepping stone because you graduated early and/or don't know what to do next with yourself and your career. You are much better off working for at least 2 years before getting an MBA.

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

This would be the post in question, OTW. In my opinion, a poster who comes here looking for sorority-related advice does not need to be subjected to unsolicited advice about her career path.

Then she should have left her life issues out of it when she first posted.