What GPA is too low for your campus?

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

One of the girls is looking at recruitment at Ole Miss with a 3.0 out of high school.

Is that likely to be a problem with some groups there or is that okay?

To me a 3.0 out of high school today, unless its a realllllly good high school probably, isn't going to equal a 3.0+ in college.

ETA: There's no course of action that I'm considering based on this information. (I'm not looking to write harsh recs or anything. I don't think I know something the chapter doesn't.) I'm just curious about whether it's likely to hurt the PNM, or if I've just gotten used to seeing really high GPAs most of the time and that this grade range out of high school is cool.

I have no idea about Ole Miss, but I know grade inflation is a huge issue which makes me look at the whole package instead of GPA. I am lucky enough to have the luxury of not having a lot of recs to write so I can really get to know women and their whole story.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel

I have no idea about Ole Miss, but I know grade inflation is a huge issue which makes me look at the whole package instead of GPA. I am lucky enough to have the luxury of not having a lot of recs to write so I can really get to know women and their whole story.

Right, general grade inflation is so common that I wonder if chapters look at grade risk cut-offs a lot higher than they used to.

I just wonder if the girls in question need to be prepared from some kind of hard early cuts or if they are in pretty good shape. It's strange not to have any idea.

[texas*princess]

I think that really depends on the GPAs of the entire pool of pnms each year.

In year 1 - you might have 100 pnms, all with very close GPAs above all of the campus & chapter totals. They might range from 3.0-4.0. If most of the pnms have closer to a 4.0, those who have 3.0-3.2 might be at a greater risk of being cut from the most competitive houses based on grades than those who have higher GPAs. So that year, a GPA between 3.0-3.2 might be "too low" even if they are above the minimums

In year 2 - you might have the same number of pnms - all with GPAs above all of the campus & chapter totals, but the range is 2.7-4.0. That year "too low" might be considered 2.7-3.0 because the range is a little bit bigger

But that's based on grades alone... there are so many different areas that are looked at and chapters use different MS processes to get different types of members. One chapter for example, might only want girls with a 3.8-4.0 because they have won grades every semester for the last decade and they want to keep that up. Another chapter might be OK with someone who got a 3.0 because they had a lot of philanthropic work or whatever. So I think "too low" is also a function of the way chapters are selecting members

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

Right, general grade inflation is so common that I wonder if chapters look at grade risk cut-offs a lot higher than they used to.

I just wonder if the girls in question need to be prepared from some kind of hard early cuts or if they are in pretty good shape. It's strange not to have any idea.

This is why I try to get a lot of information on a woman so I can honestly represent her to my sisters and she is given a fair chance to not fall through the cracks because grades are often a method many sororities use to make initial cuts. I am very honest that GPA is a method for initial decisions, and they shouldn't take it personally if they aren't invited back.

I'm not talking about women who have below the campus minimum, though that has happened. I've only written one rec for a woman who was above a 2.0 but below the majority or all of the campus chapter minimums. I've been surprised and amazed at what the real story is (sick family member, watched siblings because parent lost job and they had no money for daycare, personal illness, took on employment to pay for college, and so on) and that these experiences are not just explanations for not having a 4.0, but are an example of character and personality. One woman had academic issues early in high school, but did amazing work junior and senior year, she had a 4.0 during senior year and had attended previous summer school/alternative school so she could graduate on time. If I hadn't taken the time to get to know her and looked at her transcripts, she would have probably been released completely the first day.

If I feel strongly about a PNM with a GPA that might be a deterrent, I also contact women I know in other groups and try and help her get a fair chance.

Grade inflation can also be a result of schools, and not all schools grade the same, finding out that information can be difficult.