Reality Check

[TexasCutie86]

Hello to everyone on GC! I recently discovered this wonderful site and for the last couple of weeks, I have been able to find the answer to many of the questions I had about Greek recruitment and life. Now the last question I need the answer to is whether I should or should not rush this fall. From what I've read on GC, it seems like the odds are up against me. I am a 4th year senior at competitive school in Texas. My GPA is okay (2.75) and I have no recs for any of the houses on campus due the fact that I am Hispanic and do not know any women who are Greek. Although I feel like everything I mentioned so far is counting agaisnt me there is hope. According to my university's NPC, seniors are not counted as part of the quota and most of the sororities list the minimum GPA between 2.2-2.5. I know that if I do decide to rush I will get cut from most of the houses after the first round and I'm okay with that because I really want to be part of the Greek community. I consider myself as a smart, fun, funny gal and I am hoping the chapters get to see that and get pass the fact I'm a senior with no recs. With that in mind, I also feel that I'll be easier to remember among the hundreds of girls who rush each year since I'm different than your regular blonde freshman. So please GCers, give me your HONEST advice on whether I should go through with it. I don't care about joining any particular house but I do care about finding a house full of girls that will be my sisters for life.

Originally Posted by TexasCutie86

Hello to everyone on GC! I recently discovered this wonderful site and for the last couple of weeks, I have been able to find the answer to many of the questions I had about Greek recruitment and life. Now the last question I need the answer to is whether I should or should not rush this fall. From what I've read on GC, it seems like the odds are up against me. I am a 4th year senior at competitive school in Texas. My GPA is okay (2.75) and I have no recs for any of the houses on campus due the fact that I am Hispanic and do not know any women who are Greek. Although I feel like everything I mentioned so far is counting agaisnt me there is hope. According to my university's NPC, seniors are not counted as part of the quota and most of the sororities list the minimum GPA between 2.2-2.5. I know that if I do decide to rush I will get cut from most of the houses after the first round and I'm okay with that because I really want to be part of the Greek community. I consider myself as a smart, fun, funny gal and I am hoping the chapters get to see that and get pass the fact I'm a senior with no recs. With that in mind, I also feel that I'll be easier to remember among the hundreds of girls who rush each year since I'm different than your regular blonde freshman. So please GCers, give me your HONEST advice on whether I should go through with it. I don't care about joining any particular house but I do care about finding a house full of girls that will be my sisters for life.

The fact that you are Hispanic has nothing to do with not having recs.

Just because the minimum is 2.2-2.5 does not mean squat. If this is a competitive school in Texas, you'll be against girls who have STELLAR GPAs, most of whom will have recs. You may be considered a grade risk, and chapters won't want potential grade risks.

It's likely you'll be cut heavily and you won't get a bid. If you're not prepared for that outcome, I wouldn't even bother rushing.

[BabyPiNK_FL]

Well, I understand what she means in the sense that because of her culture, finding someone you know personally who is NPC greek may be down right impossible. And the concept of approaching people you do not know and vice versa to recommend you for something like this sounds odd.

[KSUViolet06]

I'm not sure what being Hispanic has to do with not having recs, but if you are at a competitve school in Texas, you are going face some heavy cuts without them.

Also, yes, your GPA is above the minimum, but many of the girls in recruitment will have GPAs far exceeding the minimum.

As far as whether you "should go through with it", we can't really tell you whether you should or not. The odds are definitely against you, but honestly, there is nothing wrong with trying.

Originally Posted by BabyPiNK_FL

Well, I understand what she means in the sense that because of her culture, finding someone you know personally who is NPC greek may be down right impossible. And the concept of approaching people you do not know and vice versa to recommend you for something like this sounds odd.

If she's a 4th year senior, I find it hard to believe that she would not know anyone on her campus who could point her in the right direction to solicit recs.

Not only that, she did mention that she's read and gained a lot of answers just by reading GC, so she'd (hopefully) know that having resources like the Alum Panhellenic in her area/nearby may help.

Culture or not, if you want something badly, you do whatever you can to get it and you don't use being Hispanic as an excuse not to do it.

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by BabyPiNK_FL

Well, I understand what she means in the sense that because of her culture, finding someone you know personally who is NPC greek may be down right impossible. And the concept of approaching people you do not know and vice versa to recommend you for something like this sounds odd.

Yeah, I caught that as well.

I don't think any girls I went to high school with would have been able to get recs to an NPC sorority.

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by OTW

If she's a 4th year senior, I find it hard to believe that she would not know anyone on her campus who could point her in the right direction to solicit recs.

Not only that, she did mention that she's read and gained a lot of answers just by reading GC, so she'd (hopefully) know that having resources like the Alum Panhellenic in her area/nearby may help.

Culture or not, if you want something badly, you do whatever you can to get it and you don't use being Hispanic as an excuse not to do it.

Yeah that's true too.

I'd wonder why she waited three years before deciding to rush.

[texas*princess]

I'm hispanic... and I also know some other hispanic women who chose to rush, but they didn't use their ethnicity as a reason for not having recs.

Also, you're a 4th year senior? How much time do you have left in school?

If you are at a competitive Texas school, I don't know many chapters would take you because many chapters have minimium GPA's well above the minimum to rush....even if seniors don't count towards quota.

My advice is to concentrate on your school so you can graduate with a better GPA.

Just being honest.

[Blue Skies]

Originally Posted by OTW

The fact that you are Hispanic has nothing to do with not having recs.

Just because the minimum is 2.2-2.5 does not mean squat. If this is a competitive school in Texas, you'll be against girls who have STELLAR GPAs, most of whom will have recs. You may be considered a grade risk, and chapters won't want potential grade risks.

It's likely you'll be cut heavily and you won't get a bid. If you're not prepared for that outcome, I wouldn't even bother rushing.

Cosign...but...my feeling is that a girl who has made it through three years with a 2.75 is unlikely to be a grade risk. Anyone else might be, but a senior? She's got three years under her belt, and the finishing line in sight.

TexasCutie, by any measure your chances of getting a bid under these circumstances are quite low, perhaps less than 10%. If you can live with those long odds, then give it a go. I personally believe that rushing has value even in situations such as yours. It will prevent you from thinking, "What if?", and it will give you a close-up view of a segment of campus life that intrigues you.

Consider it training for job interviews, for presenting yourself in the best possible light, and for selling yourself. Rejection is a part of life. As long as you don't take it personally, you'll be all right. It can take a lot of "no's" to get to a "yes" that will bring you happiness. But realize that the "yes", at this point, may not necessarily be coming from a sorority.

Originally Posted by Blue Skies

Cosign...but...my feeling is that a girl who has made it through three years with a 2.75 is unlikely to be a grade risk. Anyone else might be, but a senior? She's got three years under her belt, and the finishing line in sight.

You're right. I assumed that she would have X numbers of years left if she was considering rushing as a senior.

[violetpretty]

IMO, your biggest obstacle is your class standing. I think a senior, even with recs and a stellar GPA would have an extremely slim chance at joining an NPC sorority at a competitive Texas school.

[Kansas City]

You can't join a Greek organization without going through some form of recruitment. So long as you know the factors that are working against you (competitive system, senior, grades) and can deal with any consequences (severe cuts, no bid, etc.), go ahead. You can't win the lottery if you don't buy a ticket. Good luck with your senior year and recruitment!

[Lightning Bug!]

Maybe someone who pledged as a senior could weigh in on their rush experience? I'm just a little worried about how much the OP can get out of one year...my senior year was a whirlwind of finishing up my life on campus and figuring out what to do the next year, and I barely saw my sisters that year, even though I was living in the house. She might do better to spend a year with a service fraternity.

[TexasCutie86]

Originally Posted by OTW

If she's a 4th year senior, I find it hard to believe that she would not know anyone on her campus who could point her in the right direction to solicit recs.
Not only that, she did mention that she's read and gained a lot of answers just by reading GC, so she'd (hopefully) know that having resources like the Alum Panhellenic in her area/nearby may help.
Culture or not, if you want something badly, you do whatever you can to get it and you don't use being Hispanic as an excuse not to do it.

See the thing is that I just discovered this website about three weeks ago. After reading and learning about recs, I checked my local Alum Panhellenic but by then the deadline had passed. Since I was over two months late, I figured that there was no chance of getting someone to write me a rec so close to rush.

Originally Posted by BabyPiNK_FL

Well, I understand what she means in the sense that because of her culture, finding someone you know personally who is NPC greek may be down right impossible. And the concept of approaching people you do not know and vice versa to recommend you for something like this sounds odd.

Thanks BabyPink for understanding. I grew up in a part of town where everyone I knew (family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances) was either an illegal immigrant or a first generation American. Most of them barely graduated from high school and very few made it pass that. Back in high school my main goal was to graduate from high school and go to college. I don’t think I ever thought about joining a sorority until I came to college and started meeting sorority girls in my classes. From what I've seen, the Hispanic culture doesn't really consider that a priority.

Originally Posted by Senusret I

I'd wonder why she waited three years before deciding to rush.

The reason why I waited so long to rush is simply this: I didn't care for it. It wasn't a concern for me so I paid no attention to it. It wasn't until last year that I became interested but by then I had missed the deadline. And it wasn't until I found this website that I realized how competitive it is at my school. I really wished I had discovered this website last year so that I would've prepared myself better for this year.

[texas*princess]

Originally Posted by TexasCutie86

Thanks BabyPink for understanding. I grew up in a part of town where everyone I knew (family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances) was either an illegal immigrant or a first generation American. Most of them barely graduated from high school and very few made it pass that. Back in high school my main goal was to graduate from high school and go to college. I don’t think I ever thought about joining a sorority until I came to college and started meeting sorority girls in my classes. From what I've seen, the Hispanic culture doesn't really consider that a priority.

Please stop blaming things on the Hispanic culture.

I grew up in S. Texas, which by the way, is almost ALL hispanic. And guess what? Several of my high school friends ended up in NPC/Multicultural/Latin/NPHC sororities.