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KSUViolet06 and texas*princess,
Some of the wisest words I have ever read on this forum. I think it would be great if they could be stickied for all to read in future- along with the rest of this thread.
Tiers in fraternities and sororities at any campus are not so much about the organizations themselves, but rather about the composition of the members in those specific chapters.
In my experience, people who pledge "top tier" chapters knew it was going to happen. They were prepared for it well in advance- as were their mothers, and they did not need to come to a site like ours to ask advice on what to do. It is not universal. Top candidates sometimes slip through the cracks- but for the most part those who pledge "top tier" come into that realm for reasons that cannot be made up for at the last minute with grades, activities or other window dressing.
Members of top tier sororities are not superficial or snobbish by default in this situation- they are merely enjoying the Greek experience within their own social realm.
And members of second or below tier sororities are not inferior in any way as Greeks or as people.
However- anyone who goes through rush hoping for top tier choices and then drops out before rush ends because they did not get invites back to top tier houses and think they are too good for the invites they got- good riddance! They are NOT suitable for any chapter precisely because they have the wrong idea that pledging a "top tier" house will somehow confer on them some kind of special status and that they are too good to accept anything less.
Such people merely serve to validate the incorrect stereotypes about Greek life in general and they have no part among our number. To those who think they are too good for some chapters, rest assured at competitive campuses they do not need or want you. They can fill their roster with enthusiastic and eager members just as easily as the top tier chapters.
To address something both of you have touched upon- after college I do think tier status goes away in large measure. As long as the chapter was not awful, having "been there" will always be to one's credit.
That said, there are some who will cling to having been "top tier" for the rest of their lives, and especially if life after college does not bring the social prominence and wealth one was expecting. I am old enough now to have seen that come to pass with some "top tier" friends from high school and college- and it is just plain ugly.
But who cares about those people? They are in the same group as those who cling to having been a high school cheerleader or having won the 5th grade spelling bee even though they did nothing of note once that was over.
In the long run, being a part of a fraternity or sorority is a valuable and rewarding step in life, and the individual member will benefit only to the extent to which they learned from and enjoyed the experience. Even the low tier chapters can offer one chances to lead, organize and learn proper professional and social behavior.
Anyone who comes into the rush process disregarding all that in the interests of seeking to get some kind of "status" they never had (and never will have) deserves to be left behind. If nothing else, it will hopefully be a life lesson.
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The GC Master Beta
Last edited by EE-BO; 09-06-2008 at 11:55 PM.
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