Dear Troll

[DubaiSis]

• I'm rushing at an SEC school. Will I get into a house?

My crystal ball says yes. err, no. err, try again later.
Again, we CANNOT tell you how it's going to turn out EVEN if you give us your whole life story and promise us you're cute as a button. Chances are if you have the grades and the credentials you will find a home SOMEWHERE, but that somewhere may not be the chapter you had your hopes set on. And that is a CHANCES ARE, not a guarantee.

• I'm going through rush now and I was cut by all but the 3 worst houses. Should I drop out?

Again, my magic 8 ball says yes, err no, errrr still unclear.
This is part of being a grown up. Sometimes you have to make choices you don't want to make that will affect your future for a long time to come. The reason we tell you so often to go ahead and pledge is because once the pressure of rush is off, and you see the sorority women in the unvarnished light of day, your opinion of them will likely change for the better. But hey, it's your life, and there are great outcomes that can occur by dropping out. I just wouldn't expect it.

• I can't decide if I should go through recruitment because (and you can fill in the blank... I'm not like those girls, I have a tough major and I'm going to be too busy, I'm a lesbian, I'm thinking about transferring to unknown school at unknown time in the future). Should I?

Magic 8 ball says - It is certain, Better not tell you now, my sources say no
We can't answer this one for you either. My suggestion is go through rush and see what you think. It costs you very little money and time to find out if it's the right thing for you. And in regards to my example questions:

Assuming that your major is harder than anyone else's is pretty shaky ground. Sorority women are smart cookies and to assume they're all fill in the blank easy major is going to get you in trouble. It's all about time management.

There is no like those girls. Sorority women are a mixed bag. There may be chapters on your campus that are oddly homogenous, but if you don't fit it in with them, there's another chapter that will be a better fit. Or not, and you'll know that by having gone through rush.

Lots of people entering college think about transferring as an option down the road. I wanted to go to a far away school and my parents told me they wouldn't pay for that until I knew what I wanted to do with my life. Once I got into my sorority and settled in school, I couldn't imagine giving all that up. But many students do, and it works out just fine. Que sera sera.

As far as sexuality, my perception is that is not the hot button issue it once was. But just as your choice to accept who you are and come out of the closet (or not) was your decision, whether or not you decide to out yourself in a recruitment environment or to your sisters at some later point is your decision. My standard answer is you don't have to tell your whole life story, but don't lie either. You want to share as much about yourself as you are comfortable with.

More?

[DaffyKD]

It appears to be troll season once again so I have brought this thread out of retirement.

DaffyKD

[WCsweet<3]

This is my 4th time rushing. I only like half the chapters because I don't feel like I fit into the others. Will recruitment be hard? Will my special golden chosen chapters love me as much as I love myself? If I tell the chapters that I dropped those other unworthy ones, will they love me more and recognize I'm a special snowflake?

Yeah, recruitment will be hard at many campuses. Some places practically only accept freshman. You will be given what you are given. Be happy with what you've got and accept it, you ungrateful brat. Most likely if they dropped you last time you went through recruitment, they won't like you any more than last time.

[DaffyKD]

I am an initiated member of XYZ. I am going to transfer to a very small school in which no one knows me. Is there any way that the Panhellenic at my new school will know that I am already an initiated member of XYZ?

Don't be so sure that no one knows you, especially in this day of social media. Have you ever looked at the friends of your friends on FaceBook? I have 2 friends who know friends of mine who I would never have imagined had connections with each other. I friend who lives in another state, has never lived in my state and she is friends with one of my high school classmates. No idea what the connection may be, but in the famous words of a Disneyland ride, "Its a small world afterall!"

[AZTheta]

^^^Taking it one step further:

If you were terminated from your sorority, or resigned, or transferred and there isn't a chapter of your sorority at your new school, and you think you'll just "re-rush", don't be so naive as to think that no one will contact Panhellenic at your new school once your plans are known, thanks to social media. We always hear about it, because no one can keep this kind of thing quiet. We will hear about it, and Panhellenic at your new school will as well. Most definitely. Rest assured.

Look on the bright side: you just saved yourself another recruitment registration fee! Use it for a spray tan or mani/pedi or whatever...

[exlurker]

Originally Posted by DaffyKD

I am an initiated member of XYZ. I am going to transfer to a very small school in which no one knows me. Is there any way that the Panhellenic at my new school will know that I am already an initiated member of XYZ?

Don't be so sure that no one knows you, especially in this day of social media. Have you ever looked at the friends of your friends on FaceBook? I have 2 friends who know friends of mine who I would never have imagined had connections with each other. I friend who lives in another state, has never lived in my state and she is friends with one of my high school classmates. No idea what the connection may be, but in the famous words of a Disneyland ride, "Its a small world afterall!"

Not to mention people in your home town who you may not know, but who have heard about your second initiation (or plans to rush at New U) from local or regional chitchat. A small world, indeed.

[HQWest]

^^^
There is a follow up to this story.

I pledged XYZ at State U., but then was going to transfer to Small College that didn't have my sorority. I resigned before transferring (rather than pay the dues I owed that semester.) My daughter Miss Awesome is still a legacy of XYZ, right? I have been writing rec letters for all of her friends that asked because I told them I was an XYZ. How would NPC groups know where I pledged or for how long?

[exlurker]

Originally Posted by HQWest

^^^
There is a follow up to this story.

I pledged XYZ at State U., but then was going to transfer to Small College that didn't have my sorority. I resigned before transferring (rather than pay the dues I owed that semester.) My daughter Miss Awesome is still a legacy of XYZ, right? I have been writing rec letters for all of her friends that asked because I told them I was an XYZ. How would NPC groups know where I pledged or for how long?

By checking in the records their HQ keeps. Even just flipping through the sections of the most recent printed copy of the XYZ alumnae directory ("maiden" name, married name if different, and list-by-chapter) would come close to verifying or falsifying a claim to be a member. If there's still a question, HQ can be contacted.

Those poor friends of a daughter: a "rec" from a non-member is worthless; why would someone DO that?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by exlurker

By checking in the records their HQ keeps. Even just flipping through the sections of the most recent printed copy of the XYZ alumnae directory ("maiden" name, married name if different, and list-by-chapter) would come close to verifying or falsifying a claim to be a member. If there's still a question, HQ can be contacted.

Those poor friends of a daughter: a "rec" from a non-member is worthless; why would someone DO that?

For collegians, because they are silly enough to think that they might actually still be members in some instance. Women need to be told that self-terminating or being terminated renders you an "un-person" in the eyes of the sorority. In other words...you never existed as an XYZ.

For 15+ years alumnae, honestly, I think a lot of times they just aren't sure what happened back in the day and not doing it maliciously.

[carnation]

In recent years, some recruitment applications have been asking for both the name and the membership number of any Greek relatives you have. I'm assuming that if they ask for this, they check up on it. There must've been a lot of fake legacies lately.

I also assume that there've been numerous fake rec writers because the rec forms from several sororities ask for more information on the rec writer than they used to.

[DaffyKD]

Bringing this to the top again. Once again we are seeing some of the same questions. Sorry I forgot to bring it up at the beginning of recruitment season.

DaffyKD

[pktcougar]

But what do I do if I was cut by everyone and want to start my own fraternity/sorority?

[amanda6035]

Sorry for the thread bump, but this is too good not to share....