Prohibiting 1st Semester Freshmen From Pledging

[tld221]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

If there are no chapter or university-established restrictions, people can pledge an NPHC org as a first semester freshman. They have to have the necessary credit hours and GPA for the Fall line. Some of us had that as first and second semester freshmen but thank God we had to wait.

Pursuing membership as a first semester freshman doesn't happen too often but 2nd semester freshmen initiates are common, particularly for certain organizations with different credit hour requirements.

Is it? Chalk it up to regional differences, but almost every greek i know who came in on the UG level were sophomore/junior level. Im sure hypothetically it happens, but is it "common?"

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

I am against any school administration limiting the right of association. Do these universities allow 1st semester freshmen to join the ski club? the Baptist Student Union?

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

Do you find your sorority to be comparable to "sign-up type" organizations like the ski club and BSU?

That may be an issue.

touche. i too am against first-semester froshies pursuing membership, and that's both NPHC and NPC. i know it's the norm for the latter, but i really do think that freshmen need some time to get acclimated to college life, as it is a HUGE milestone and life-changing event. and while i'm sure most of us would like new members to associate that milestone with XYZ, i think that coming-of-age stage should happen independent of a GLO affiliation.

case and point, one of my LS's (ok, im letting go of all PC here) came in as a freshman - had very little knowledge/exposure to greek life and well, she was 18 vs. 20-21 like the rest of us. believe it or not, a lot of maturation can happen in those short 2 years. and in the present-day, you can definitely see the difference in her connection to our chapter and to the organization than the rest of us. love her to pieces, but should she have waited? i think so. no, i know so. even a semester longer couldve made a difference.

then again, i see why NPCers would be/are totally for first-semester initiation, because (what i gather from GC), formal initiations are done once an (academic) year, and there tends to not be a chance for a second-semester freshman to join.