Grade risks

[susan314]

We occasionally took grade risks in my chapter, but...

It was generally for someone who already had friends in the chapter who were really pushing for her. It generally was via COB vs. formal recruitment. And, we were a smaller chapter on campus that generally had a few spots available.

I would say that on a very competitive campus, you might not have the same luck. Especially if you're not open to joining one of the smaller chapters and have your heart set on one of the groups that typically always takes quota+ and always is at or above chapter total.

[ChildoftheHorn]

Hey, that is the case at my school. Grade risks are cut immediately. The posted min. GPAs at my school are really a joke w/ most being between 2.5-2.9. They change every year. Honestly, the avg. GPA in our greek system is a 3.4-3.6 out of 4.0 (as seen by posted GPA). Most places will drop you like a stone if you have less than a 3.1 unless you are a legacy/rich/beautiful/VIP in campus. I went through it my freshman year with a just below avg. rush GPA as an engineer and was told that my major was too high risk by a few places. I did end up average in the end, but dropped myself out before the last night due to being freeked out by events at those two houses (bad conversations involving really bad behavior on their parts). I have since learned that the exception is not the rule, that girl was more of a renegade of that group. The other girl was just really weird, found out later that she had some recent mental issues.

Informals are really the way to go in your case.

If Informals are an option, I would consider it. Groups tend to be more lax at that time with that sort of thing.

[kddani]

You will very likely be cut first round from every sorority whose minimum GPA you do not meet. You may also be cut by those who technically you are ahead of their minimum GPA- you still must have pretty low grades.

You are a transfer and won't know people on campus, you are a junior, you don't have any other outstanding activities to set you apart, you've rushed previously at a different school and got cut heavily and did not maximize your options with those houses that did invite you back.

Harsh, but that's the reality that you're looking at. If I were you, I'd really try to figure out a few big selling points to overcome your grades - and honestly, a transfer that hasnt' had the chance to get involved in anything yet isn't going to have a lot on the surface to offer.

[AlexMack]

Originally Posted by ChildoftheHorn

Hey, that is the case at my school. Grade risks are cut immediately. Certain majors are cut immediately (science/engineering).

This is the biggest load of crap I've ever heard. If they come through recruitment with a 3.5 gpa and an engineering major, you'll just drop them anyway?
My old roommate was a tri delt who rushed as a freshman first semester, double-majored in environmental science and engineering and kept a 3.5 (at least!) gpa at all times while being super-involved in her chapter. And the programs were really tough.
I understand the grade risk but automatically cutting girls because of their majors is total bull.

[ZTA zetahunny]

Originally Posted by centaur532

This is the biggest load of crap I've ever heard. If they come through recruitment with a 3.5 gpa and an engineering major, you'll just drop them anyway?
My old roommate was a tri delt who rushed as a freshman first semester, double-majored in environmental science and engineering and kept a 3.5 (at least!) gpa at all times while being super-involved in her chapter. And the programs were really tough.
I understand the grade risk but automatically cutting girls because of their majors is total bull.

EEEk this is horrible news for my daughter. I think she'll not rush now as she is a science engineering major (incoming freshman) at a highly competitive school. I was also a science major and maintained a 3.75 average at UT. Oh well...Her GPA is only 3.6 not great... but I always told her I was ok with anything above a 3.5. I was more into it than she was, but without going through and seeing for yourself, you won't ever "get it."

[33girl]

Originally Posted by ZTA zetahunny

EEEk this is horrible news for my daughter. I think she'll not rush now as she is a science engineering major (incoming freshman) at a highly competitive school. I was also a science major and maintained a 3.75 average at UT. Oh well...Her GPA is only 3.6 not great... but I always told her I was ok with anything above a 3.5. I was more into it than she was, but without going through and seeing for yourself, you won't ever "get it."

PLEASE do not let the words of ONE poster convince your daughter not to rush. Maybe that's what they do in her chapter (and if it is, she really shouldn't be telling the world that - have we heard of discrimination suits people) but as for the other chapters on the campus, she has NO IDEA why a girl was cut.

Good luck to your daughter!!!

[ChildoftheHorn]

Originally Posted by 33girl

PLEASE do not let the words of ONE poster convince your daughter not to rush. Maybe that's what they do in her chapter (and if it is, she really shouldn't be telling the world that - have we heard of discrimination suits people) but as for the other chapters on the campus, she has NO IDEA why a girl was cut.

Good luck to your daughter!!!

If your daughter has a 3.5, go through it. You never really know until you go through it. There are houses that like science majors and those that don't. For the ones that don't, she wouldn't want to be a part of them anyway.
It is just nice to be prepared for the worst. Those houses I got cut from first were ones not science friendly. There were still houses willing to look past that, a little over half.

Your daughter has a 3.5 in engineering - AMAZING!!!! You should be incredibly proud of her and I would love to see more engineers and science majors in sororities! More women are joining these fields and it would only make sense that houses would grow in that capacity too.

Tell her to go through it. Even if she ends up dissappointed, she will never wonder about "what if?" and that can be very important.

Don't let my comments discourage you, but do let it give you a better idea of what she may or maynot be getting herself into.

[ChildoftheHorn]

Originally Posted by centaur532

My old roommate was a tri delt who rushed as a freshman first semester, double-majored in environmental science and engineering and kept a 3.5 (at least!) gpa at all times while being super-involved in her chapter. And the programs were really tough.
I understand the grade risk but automatically cutting girls because of their majors is total bull.

I had an average GPA for recruitment, not a 3.5. More like the one I stated earlier.
As far as the cutting goes:
Before I even joined a sorority, I was at a friend's sorority house and they were talking about future recruitment stuff. The most shocking comment they made was:"Alright, we really can't take anymore engineers. Their GPA always drops after freshman year and we cannot afford that. Let's limit the number in this pledge class to 2-4 this year."

I wish that wasn't the common comments I have heard while being at other friend's houses, but it is. That sorority that the above comment was heard has one of the largest number of engineers. The numbers are different from house to house, but most have 3-8 total. The houses here are around 120-130 ppl. Engineering majors account for appx. 1/4th of the university and 26% of those are female. I might add that avg. GPA in the engineering school is a 2.7.

Policies may be different at other schools, in fact I am sure of that. It would have been nice to be prepared for the worst. I will say that it is getting better as houses are realizing more and more that diversity in majors makes for more fun ideas/converstations.

The fact of the matter is that certain houses will draw heavily from certain majors or schools. House GPA is a really big deal here because all the houses are striving to be the top chapters in their sororities. It is a major concern for them and any sort of risks are not taken by many groups.

I would really like this to change. It is a shame that people are judged before the person even gets to know them.

I will site one conversation that I had during recruitment:
"Oh, so your an engineer. We have one of those. She couldn't be here tonight, she is studying at the library."

The other thing to consider is that if someone does not understand your major, it will be harder for them to relate. Some people will change attitudes completely when you tell them your major and basically end the conversation.

Hey, we are girls too. I do my nails and hair, put on a nice outfit and go to class. There are girly girls in technical classes, but some people just don't see that.

[Football Fan]

It would be interesting to hear from members or advisors of chapters at Dartmouth, Stanford, Cornell, Duke, Vanderbilt and a few others where every PNM who goes through has a 3.75 GPA or above with very high SATs.

[alum]

With all due respect, I think you're stereotyping all the tier 1 schools as the same where ABC is top at all Ivies and XYZ is bottom.

Truth is, "everyone" knows that the Core Four at Duke do not happen to be the same groups at Yale. I can't speak for all (or any) Tier 1 schools or GLOs but as they say, mileage may vary.

PNMs may have different arbitrary cuts other than their hs GPAs/SAT scores. Many of the schools that FootballFan mentions have deferred rush so that fall freshman grades and activities can be added to the evaluations.

[Football Fan]

Alum,
There was no mention of any "core" sororities in any of the previous posts. I knew those universities had Greek groups and thought it would be of interest to receive comments about recruitment where grades would not be such a major factor. I have no idea what GLOs are even on those campuses. I selected them by taking the page of university rankings from my old copy of U.S. News & World Report and picking colleges I knew had a Greek system. If I missed Yale it was because I was unaware Yale had any GLOs other than fraternities.

[mystikchick]

Originally Posted by Football Fan

Alum,
If I missed Yale it was because I was unaware Yale had any GLOs other than fraternities.

if i'm not mistaken, one of the bush twins was a theta there? they also have pi phi and KKG

sororities play quiet role in Greek renaissance

[AlexMack]

Originally Posted by alum

With all due respect, I think you're stereotyping all the tier 1 schools as the same where ABC is top at all Ivies and XYZ is bottom.

Truth is, "everyone" knows that the Core Four at Duke do not happen to be the same groups at Yale. I can't speak for all (or any) Tier 1 schools or GLOs but as they say, mileage may vary.

PNMs may have different arbitrary cuts other than their hs GPAs/SAT scores. Many of the schools that FootballFan mentions have deferred rush so that fall freshman grades and activities can be added to the evaluations.

What are you using as a classifying factor for a tier? The Princeton Review?

[FuzzieAlum]

Football Fan, Vandy has deferred rush, so they're not going off of high school grades as much as first semester grades. And I'm sure we all know that the first semester can be rough on a lot of folks!

[DeltaBetaBaby]

At UIUC, you apply to a college, not the university as a whole (e.g. engineering, liberal arts and sciences, fine and applied arts), and the requirements were different for each one. In fact, some people would apply to one, get rejected, and re-apply to another. If a PNM came through who was majoring in engineering, we usually thought "great, she must be very smart to get into a competitive college," not "oh, engineering is hard, she will bring our GPA down". I have a feeling that CotH's experience is an isolated one.

To the OP, there may be a chapter or two on your campus that make very few cuts because their numbers are down. If so, those will be the chapters most likely to take a grade risk, because a girl with a low GPA may be better than no girl at all. The question will be whether you are a good fit for one of those chapters.