UGA Recruitment

[pinapple]

Originally Posted by BeachMom

Dear rs086872,
I understand the frustration that you have as this happened to my daughter as well when she went through recruitment at UGA during her freshman year. I just hope they've changed things a bit so that your daughter did not get the phone call at 2:?? a.m. on that Saturday morning to inform her that she had been "released from recruitment." The thought of the recruitment system at UGA makes my stomach flip each fall. That precious young women are subjected to the humiliation of getting up at 6 a.m. to meet their Pi Chi (or whatever they're called) to be in front of a group of women who will in 20-40 minutes decide if they want to invite them back (as well as the sororities know some girls they already want to get to know better) is down right cruel. These are 19-22 year olds deciding this....the brain doesn't fully develop until a little later. I think the Navy used to call it running the gaunlet......

That being said (and to calm down some of the readers) it is a system that over time has proven itself. And as systems go, it is not perfect. Georgia's sorority homes are like eye candy to these young women and they all do a great job of promoting themselves during the week. While returning to recruitment (should she desire) as a sophomore is an option, it is no guarantee and the odds are not really that great even with the UC quota. Lot of very qualified transfers are admitted in at UGA in addition to any upper classmen who make the decision to go through recruitment. I know because my DD tried again....and she's no slacker of a student, etc., etc., etc., and graduated this Spring, double major, magna cum laude, and headed to DC to begin work with a consulting firm on September 8th. I've often thought it is easier to get into UGA than to join a sorority there. Can you believe that?!

But now back to your DD....she is a precious young woman, she is important, she matters to the world, and she is loved by you. There isn't a trio of Greek letters out there that can substitute that. What can she take from all of this? Life can suck at times and then you move on. It's also about relationships that you develop with other people...you mentioned she was shy...maybe this experience will encourage her to put herself out there a bit more. I'm not going to lie, it was painful as hell both times and the production in Athens up and down Milledge (and Lumpkin) on Monday night will be tough. Give it a few weeks and then it will begin to die down. There are many great organizations at Georgia that need new members each year.

Can Georgia improve their process? I think so. To slap this right up against first day of classes, the focus for all moving in last week was "I'm hear for recruitment" and if you weren't, then it was "what the heck are all those buses doing moving girls from house to house?" That's just one idea.....I have some others that I'll keep to myself.

Sorry for such a ramble. I wish the best to you and your daughter.....

I 100% understand what you are saying but the base of disappointment in ANY Greek System during recruitment, IN MY OPINION, is our societal norm that we never allow children to fail. Trophies for every kid, ribbons for everyone one who isn't first, second, or third, etc. Some of these girls walk through doors of these houses never having had experienced major life disappointments. They arrive at the college they wanted, in the car they wanted and are staying in the dorm they wanted. When that is the case and it is coupled with a disappointing recruitment, it is a perfect storm and a horrible way to start a new chapter of one's life. I certainly do not have the solution, but I do believe this is a huge part of the issue when it comes to how the disappointment is handled. I see it every year. The girls that are actually released, the girls that "self" release and the girls that simply cannot accept that her bid card says ABC instead of DEF. You could literally line up the majority of women in the majority of houses, strip their letters, shuffle them up and you would never know the difference. Because of that in the deep part of the brain that is our reasoning sector, the girls have to realize it was not personal, no matter how it feels.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by pinapple

I 100% understand what you are saying but the base of disappointment in ANY Greek System during recruitment, IN MY OPINION, is our societal norm that we never allow children to fail. Trophies for every kid, ribbons for everyone one who isn't first, second, or third, etc. Some of these girls walk through doors of these houses never having had experienced major life disappointments. They arrive at the college they wanted, in the car they wanted and are staying in the dorm they wanted. When that is the case and it is coupled with a disappointing recruitment, it is a perfect storm and a horrible way to start a new chapter of one's life. I certainly do not have the solution, but I do believe this is a huge part of the issue when it comes to how the disappointment is handled. I see it every year. The girls that are actually released, the girls that "self" release and the girls that simply cannot accept that her bid card says ABC instead of DEF. You could literally line up the majority of women in the majority of houses, strip their letters, shuffle them up and you would never know the difference. Because of that in the deep part of the brain that is our reasoning sector, the girls have to realize it was not personal, no matter how it feels.

I went through rush back before the everyone gets a trophy mentality, and it was still a difficult experience. I suspect that it's even harder now, partially because the kids have less experience with setbacks growing up like you note, but also because the group of girls rushing at UGA is so much more "competitive" for lack of a better word because of UGA being harder to get into.

So many of them would have been absolute top rushees back in the day based on GPA and resumes, and now they are just average for the process. (I see this sometimes when I look at legacies and their moms' chapters. The daughters are probably more accomplished than their moms at the same age but end up in "lesser" chapters because the whole pool is that much more accomplished than previous UGA generations.)

I agree with you that it's not very personal, even though it feels that way.

[maconmagnolia]

Originally Posted by pinapple

I 100% understand what you are saying but the base of disappointment in ANY Greek System during recruitment, IN MY OPINION, is our societal norm that we never allow children to fail. Trophies for every kid, ribbons for everyone one who isn't first, second, or third, etc. Some of these girls walk through doors of these houses never having had experienced major life disappointments. They arrive at the college they wanted, in the car they wanted and are staying in the dorm they wanted. When that is the case and it is coupled with a disappointing recruitment, it is a perfect storm and a horrible way to start a new chapter of one's life. I certainly do not have the solution, but I do believe this is a huge part of the issue when it comes to how the disappointment is handled. I see it every year. The girls that are actually released, the girls that "self" release and the girls that simply cannot accept that her bid card says ABC instead of DEF. You could literally line up the majority of women in the majority of houses, strip their letters, shuffle them up and you would never know the difference. Because of that in the deep part of the brain that is our reasoning sector, the girls have to realize it was not personal, no matter how it feels.

I couldn't agree more. I think that this is also why it is so hard for some parents when their daughter either 1. doesn't get a bid or 2. doesn't get a bid that she wants. They've always given her everything, and now they can't just give her this.

[ASTalumna06]

As evidenced by this thread on THAT site…

http://www.greekrank.com/uni/85/topi...-side-of-rush/

It always makes me a little mad/sad that these women (at least say that they) are willing to drop all ties with their sorority because their daughter didn't receive a bid from their chapter/sorority. That's clearly not the answer. Things are obviously much different than they were 25 years ago, and as has been said, it's not personal.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

As evidenced by this thread on THAT site…

http://www.greekrank.com/uni/85/topi...-side-of-rush/

It always makes me a little mad/sad that these women (at least say that they) are willing to drop all ties with their sorority because their daughter didn't receive a bid from their chapter/sorority. That's clearly not the answer. Things are obviously much different than they were 25 years ago, and as has been said, it's not personal.

I have mixed feeling about this. I understand the realities that GLOs can't take all the legacies sometimes because they have more legacies than quota. And yet, I don't blame a woman at all who rather than continue to support a chapter that cut her daughter instead gives her support to the chapter that found a place for her daughter. And let's be honest, how many of these folks were supporting the chapters in any substantive way before the daughter rushed anyway? What ties are they really cutting?

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

I have mixed feeling about this. I understand the realities that GLOs can't take all the legacies sometimes because they have more legacies than quota. And yet, I don't blame a woman at all who rather than continue to support a chapter that cut her daughter instead gives her support to the chapter that found a place for her daughter. And let's be honest, how many of these folks were supporting the chapters in any substantive way before the daughter rushed anyway? What ties are they really cutting?

Supporting your daughter's chapter is one thing.. Threatening to cut all ties with your own sorority is another. Regardless of their level of involvement, they just sound petty and childish.

[AOIILisa]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

Supporting your daughter's chapter is one thing.. Threatening to cut all ties with your own sorority is another. Regardless of their level of involvement, they just sound petty and childish.

Agreed - the sorority is more than just one house of that sorority. The parents sound just as petulant and entitled as the kids - probably the first time the parents haven't been able to fix a bad situation for their kids and they're going nuts.

ETA - I see that I said just what FSUZeta said, except she said it better!