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Am I the first Pi Phi to post in this thread?
I have a comment pertinent to the OP's original perception of Pi Phi (which does not offend me at all).
I was a Pi Phi in college, and not in a "top tier" chapter. That was fine by me! I knew in college, though, which Pi Phi chapters are generally considered some of the strongest/most popular/top tieriest. It was a topic of conversation! There was even some fascination with them... like... oooh... top tier Pi Phis. Of course, since this has already been pretty clearly outed in this thread, the Texas Pi Phis were one of the chapters that was mostly frequently mentioned.
Fast forward to me graduating and moving to Austin to go to grad school at Texas.
I have had Pi Phi benefit me in ways that are sometimes surprising. When I get around certain types of people and Greek Life comes up and they find out I am a Pi Phi, some kind of switch goes off in their head. Sometimes they get nicer to me. Sometimes they tell me chatty stories or start to think of me as their peer when maybe they did not before. A lot of times they say "You really need to meet and talk with my high school daughter!" In one extreme situation I was even given pictures of the daughter to evaluate.
I honestly believe that being a Pi Phi (specifically a Pi Phi, not having been president of a sorority and an award-winning member on a regional level in general) has helped me with job applications and that sort of thing. Because people see that I am a Pi Phi and suddenly assume that I am "one of them."
It is very interesting and I never would have guessed how widespread it is.
The funny thing is, that when I was active in my sorority I had a strong sense that Pi Phi was not nerdy everywhere or cool everywhere. I also knew, for example, that the "hot chapter" at my campus was only average at my best friend's college campus and bottom tier at some other schools I had friends at. But for these people in Texas who make assumptions about me because I am a Pi Phi, they don't seem to realize that the socioeconomic/class values they associate with Pi Phi may not apply to every Pi Phi chapter. I just don't understand how these people don't get it or don't "see through me."
I guess part of it is that my chapter, despite not being "top tier," was in many respects pretty preppy and southern-like. The new members we took were not like that, but the seniors we graduated were. So I guess people see me looking preppy or cute or put together or being socially competent or whatever and just assume I'm from an awesome chapter. eg I can pass, until they start asking me questions about politics or something. ROFL. And also a lot of Texas people go to my school so maybe they just assume W&L's tiers mirror Texas or UT tiers.
Anyway just my .02.
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