Largest Pledge Class

[tallgreekalum]

Originally Posted by Titchou

I believe DG initiated 91 of the 92 that year. The chapter had slightly over 300 members!

We have MAYBE 3-4 chapters that have that many MEMBERS, never mind pledges! Maybe it works for them, but that's not the experience I would want. Too big. Too impersonal.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by tallgreekalum

Maybe it works for them, but that's not the experience I would want. Too big. Too impersonal.

I have a friend who is an Ole Miss DG (her NM class was actually the group of 92 that Titchou posted about), and she says that her experience has been great. They do ALOT of sisterhoods for different groups within the sorority (like freshman and senior bowling night) that really help girls to get to know each other. From what she says, her experience in the chapter is still personal.

[Tex1899]

Seems like I read Sigma Nu at Ole Miss pledged 92 one fall while Eli was there. While just under 80, Sig Ep at Oklahoma pledged 77 a few years ago.

[PhiGam]

Phi Delt took 72 and initiated about 50. Usually when this happens its because the fraternity lowered their selectivity in order to raise money for a new house or, in Phi Delts case, to finish the inside of their house.
50 pledges X $900= $45,000
We did the same thing, taking 51 and finishing with 33. We're gonna be over 100-120 after this next fall because we're building a new house in the next 5-10 years.

[Thetagirl218]

My pledge class was the founding class, and we had 83 girls. Our first pledge class was 43.

[PhiGam]

Originally Posted by Thetagirl218

My pledge class was the founding class, and we had 83 girls. Our first pledge class was 43.

If you're at UNF then I know one of your founders from HS.

[SthrnZeta]

Whoa, Fratty, you lowered your standards for money??? That's shocking!

[Ole Miss Phi Mu]

My pledge class had 94 members. You would think that it would be hard to meet everyone in your pledge class, but it really isn't that hard. Freshman year you spend so much time together for new member period, that you start to get to know each other pretty well. Then sophmore year, most sororities here make the sophmores live in the dorms, so you really get to know everyone.

[GammaPhi88]

I never realized they could be that huge, but they're growing up here at Syracuse! My pledge class is around 47 members (I just got a bid from Gamma Phi Beta!), and I thought that was kind of big. Then again, it differs here from sorority to sorority...ours is on the larger size.

[-Pike-]

wow, my chapter had 19 new brothers last semester which was the largest in over 10 years here. We are usually pretty selective....

[emb021]

I've been told that the APO Chapter at UT-Austin (our largest chapter) routinely has pledge classes that number over a hundred.

[OleMissGlitter]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

OleMissGlitter is an Ole Miss AOII advisor and from what she has said, the sorority retention rates are excellent. They initiate close to all of the girls they pledge.

Yes all of the chapters are doing a great job with retention I think. As an advisor on campus I know all of the chapters work very hard at this aspect of sorority life. One thing that helps is having lots of sisterhood events and I highly encourage all members to eat at the house. All of the houses have 3 meals a day M-Th and then on Friday there is Breakfast and Lunch. So meals are a great way to meet sisters you might not normally talk to at other events. Also, signing up for classes together is also a great way to get to know your sisters. Having sisterhood events early on in the new member period helps to get new member involved.

The past GPA results from Fall of 2007 have Chi Omega with the most members at 325 then Tri Delta at 321. Tri Delta also had the highest GPA.

Anyway, I think at Ole Miss the 9 NPC sororities are finally learning how to deal with their growing pains.

Also, I've been asked if these high numbers are because groups are "reorganizing" and the answer is no. That is what normal quota is at Ole Miss since Fall of 2000. We lost a sorority in 1999 so that increased quota. If Panhellenic votes to open up for extension I'm sure quota will go down to about 65-75 new members, but that's a whole

[SigPhiSunshine]

Originally Posted by OleMissGlitter

Yes all of the chapters are doing a great job with retention I think. As an advisor on campus I know all of the chapters work very hard at this aspect of sorority life. One thing that helps is having lots of sisterhood events and I highly encourage all members to eat at the house. All of the houses have 3 meals a day M-Th and then on Friday there is Breakfast and Lunch. So meals are a great way to meet sisters you might not normally talk to at other events. Also, signing up for classes together is also a great way to get to know your sisters. Having sisterhood events early on in the new member period helps to get new member involved.

The past GPA results from Fall of 2007 have Chi Omega with the most members at 325 then Tri Delta at 321. Tri Delta also had the highest GPA.

Anyway, I think at Ole Miss the 9 NPC sororities are finally learning how to deal with their growing pains.

Also, I've been asked if these high numbers are because groups are "reorganizing" and the answer is no. That is what normal quota is at Ole Miss since Fall of 2000. We lost a sorority in 1999 so that increased quota. If Panhellenic votes to open up for extension I'm sure quota will go down to about 65-75 new members, but that's a whole

I couldn't imagine "meeting" a sister who you share a house with over dinner. Thats so odd to me. My sorority advisor owns a bar on campus that is a big place for greeks, and greeks from Univeristy of Michigan hold events there too. One of my sisters is a bartender there and during one of the events, she happened to be in there to get her paycheck just as the event was ending. One of the UofM girls told her to hurry up and get on the bus so she wasn't left behind. How do you not know who your sisters are?!? maybe im just crazy, but i couldnt be part of a chapter that is that big and still claim that there is sisterhood.

My sorority is pretty small with only 19 members, ( ceiling set by EMU for all sororities is 55 and right now i dont think anyone is that big) but i like that. I know every single sister and most of their families. There isnt much that i dont know about any of my sisters

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by SigPhiSunshine

I couldn't imagine "meeting" a sister who you share a house with over dinner. Thats so odd to me. Maybe im just crazy, but i couldnt be part of a chapter that is that big and still claim that there is sisterhood.

Larger chapters still have sisterhood. It takes more work to get to know girls and you might not know EVERY SINGLE detail of every girl's personal life, but that does not mean that there isn't sisterhood (which is a very subjective term. I've seen plenty of chapters that have 20-30 girls who don't care to get to know each other beyond surface interaction.

[SigKapCoug]

I wonder where you put 300 people for a chapter meeting?