Thinking of Transferring schools :-/

[ASTalumna06]

I know this is a DG forum, but hopefully I can help you out. And if there are other DGs here, maybe they can give some insight...??

I know that for my organization, and for many others, if you transfer, the new chapter has to vote for you to be active in their chapter in order for you to remain a collegiate member. For AST, you need 90% of the chapter to vote in favor of the motion. Otherwise, you would simply be considered an alumna member.

The problem with transferring is that the chapter that you’re at now is comprised of the girls that you truly fit in with. When going to another school, you might find that you’re not able to mesh well with the girls in the new chapter.

On the other hand, you might get there and find out that you love them and they love you, that they’re willing to take you in, and that you’ll have just as a fulfilling experience there as you had at your last school.

I’ve seen it go both ways. But the majority of the times when I’ve seen the transfer student not joining the new chapter, it’s usually the girl that transferred who figures out that the new chapter isn’t one that she wants to be affiliated with. And not for any bad reasons, but it’s just a new environment, with people she doesn’t know, and she would rather be active as an alumna member. We actually had a girl on our campus who was an AST, and she had transferred from another school. She would talk to us and say hi, but she didn’t want to be a part of another chapter. She said she thought about it, but when she got to school, it just didn’t feel “right”.

If you truly want to stay active as a collegiate member, I would suggest contacting the president of the new chapter and let her know that you’ll be transferring to that school. Don’t say anything about wanting to be in their chapter, but just give a friendly hello, and introduce yourself as a member of DG. If nothing else, this will inform them that there’s going to be a random girl around campus wearing their letters. If you receive invites to hang out with them, then go. If things are going well, they’ll most likely ask you (or vote for you) to become part of their chapter. It would almost be like you’re going through recruitment again to see if you fit in.

At the same time, if they don’t want you to be part of their chapter, there really isn’t anything you can do about it (as I know to be the case with many organizations).