recruitment advice for juniors

[DeltaBetaBaby]

It is my understanding that there are always groups at Penn State that are under quota/total. So, my very first question would be whether you have attempted to visit ALL groups doing COB. If you go through recruitment in the spring, it is very likely that the same groups willing to take juniors are the ones that would be doing COB now.

I'm also unclear what you mean by "not the experience you had hoped for". Does that mean you did not get invited back to the top chapters and dropped out? If you have your heart set on one or two chapters, it's probably not going to work out for you. My best advice at this point is to look at ALL chapters and if one of them really wants you, give it a shot.

[nittanygirl]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

So, my very first question would be whether you have attempted to visit ALL groups doing COB.

This.
Yes, juniors get bids at Penn State, but I've never even heard of a situation where they were not cut from nearly all "top tier" groups in formal recruitment from various people I've known that did formal.
Be open to all groups, email the recruitment chairs of the sororities you haven't visited to set something up. You might get a bid, you might not, but if you don't utilize all your options, you may never know whether you might have loved it somewhere.

[krose]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

I'm also unclear what you mean by "not the experience you had hoped for". Does that mean you did not get invited back to the top chapters and dropped out? If you have your heart set on one or two chapters, it's probably not going to work out for you. My best advice at this point is to look at ALL chapters and if one of them really wants you, give it a shot.

What I mean by that is, I went in with an open mind, since I don't know anyone here I didn't know anything about the chapters. I didn't have my heart set on anyone, I don't even know what the top chapters are here, but I knew a couple I just didn't mesh with. I always left their parties feeling disappointed. When first rounds was starting and I got invited back to 5 parties out of a possible 14, I didn't let it bother me and went to all the parties and made the best of it. Then I was dropped by all but one (one of the groups whose parties I did not enjoy), and maybe it was a bad decision on my part but I had class during the party so I couldn't go. I decided to drop because if by chance I had made it to pref night I would have had to miss that too because of class. I thought my chances of getting a bid weren't good, and even if I did get a bid it was to a chapter I didn't feel I would want to pledge.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by krose

I thought my chances of getting a bid weren't good, and even if I did get a bid it was to a chapter I didn't feel I would want to pledge.

If you don't mind my asking: How do you know that when you said yourself that you just came school in the fall?

I can maybe see a junior saying that who maybe has been on campus a few years, but I'm curious as to how someone could make this determination having just arrived at school a few months ago.

[krose]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

If you don't mind my asking: How do you know that when you said yourself that you just came school in the fall?

I'm not saying I know for certain but the whole time I was talking with the girls it just didn't feel like I belonged. It's nothing against them personally at all. I'm not sure if I can explain it without sounding naive. Basically I was unsure about them, didn't ever have good feelings when I left their parties. If I had gotten a bid from them and turned it down I couldn't pledge again for a year. So the way I see it is now I can still go to their COB events and see how I feel about them, but if I had gotten a bid from them from formal I can't say that I would have been okay with accepting it, and I wouldn't have been able to cob after recruitment or rush in the spring.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by krose

I'm not saying I know for certain but the whole time I was talking with the girls it just didn't feel like I belonged. It's nothing against them personally at all. I'm not sure if I can explain it without sounding naive. Basically I was unsure about them, didn't ever have good feelings when I left their parties. If I had gotten a bid from them and turned it down I couldn't pledge again for a year. So the way I see it is now I can still go to their COB events and see how I feel about them, but if I had gotten a bid from them from formal I can't say that I would have been okay with accepting it, and I wouldn't have been able to cob after recruitment or rush in the spring.

Did you go to COB events for that group? They're clearly the group that is most interested in you.

[krose]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Did you go to COB events for that group? They're clearly the group that is most interested in you.

I have been in contact with the president and we are trying to set something up. I am not writing them off completely, I just don't think I would have been able to commit to them without checking all of my options first, if that makes sense?

[Blue Skies]

Originally Posted by krose

I'm not saying I know for certain but the whole time I was talking with the girls it just didn't feel like I belonged. It's nothing against them personally at all. I'm not sure if I can explain it without sounding naive. Basically I was unsure about them, didn't ever have good feelings when I left their parties. If I had gotten a bid from them and turned it down I couldn't pledge again for a year. So the way I see it is now I can still go to their COB events and see how I feel about them, but if I had gotten a bid from them from formal I can't say that I would have been okay with accepting it, and I wouldn't have been able to cob after recruitment or rush in the spring.

If you are unsure about them, then you should definitely give them a shot. You'll know when a group is absolutely, positively NOT for you. But the group that you are unsure about might be your home!

I would encourage you to give it one more try at spring informal or COB. You are obviously interested in greek life, why not?