Perception of sororities nationally

[TigerPiPhi]

Originally Posted by irishpipes

I read this and interpret it as somewhat contradictory. On the one hand, you are saying that people think DDD is strong based on their limited, regional experience. On the other, you say that DDD's strength is national. (As in stronger than other NPCs.)

Exactly! Which is why, as a Pi Phi, I can't help but be a little offended by the OP's original comment.

Pi Phi is considered by many to be a strong national sorority because there are a number of strong chapters in areas all over the country, not just in Texas or the South. The same with Tri-Delt. So while the OP may not have had the experience of a "top-tier" Pi Phi chapter (or any other GLO, for that matter) in her area, she should not have stated that it is a "surprise" to learn that Pi Phi or another GLO is considered strong. I found that kind of tactless.

[TigerPiPhi]

Originally Posted by irishpipes

At the risk of being flamed, I'll go out on a limb and say that I do think that there is one sorority that stands out to me as being the best nationally. I'm not talking about the quality of the sisterhood enjoyed by its members, but rather a combination of statistical success along with a consistently positive reputation. It's just my opinion, of course, but I know it is one shared by people pretty high up in my org. I'm just talking about the organization as a whole, not the individual members or chapters. Like every org it has some weak chapters and individual members, of course. That doesn't mean I would rather be a member of that org - just that I respect it as the best overall nationally.

Actually this is a better way to explain "national strength" and a way I've heard Nationals describe the concept when speaking panhellenically. More of how well the national "business" is run, so to speak. Much more quantitative than the "top-tier" concept, which is very subjective.

[TigerPiPhi]

Originally Posted by breathesgelatin

Am I the first Pi Phi to post in this thread?

I have a comment pertinent to the OP's original perception of Pi Phi (which does not offend me at all).

I was a Pi Phi in college, and not in a "top tier" chapter. That was fine by me! I knew in college, though, which Pi Phi chapters are generally considered some of the strongest/most popular/top tieriest. It was a topic of conversation! There was even some fascination with them... like... oooh... top tier Pi Phis. Of course, since this has already been pretty clearly outed in this thread, the Texas Pi Phis were one of the chapters that was mostly frequently mentioned.

Fast forward to me graduating and moving to Austin to go to grad school at Texas.

I have had Pi Phi benefit me in ways that are sometimes surprising. When I get around certain types of people and Greek Life comes up and they find out I am a Pi Phi, some kind of switch goes off in their head. Sometimes they get nicer to me. Sometimes they tell me chatty stories or start to think of me as their peer when maybe they did not before. A lot of times they say "You really need to meet and talk with my high school daughter!" In one extreme situation I was even given pictures of the daughter to evaluate.

I honestly believe that being a Pi Phi (specifically a Pi Phi, not having been president of a sorority and an award-winning member on a regional level in general) has helped me with job applications and that sort of thing. Because people see that I am a Pi Phi and suddenly assume that I am "one of them."

It is very interesting and I never would have guessed how widespread it is.

The funny thing is, that when I was active in my sorority I had a strong sense that Pi Phi was not nerdy everywhere or cool everywhere. I also knew, for example, that the "hot chapter" at my campus was only average at my best friend's college campus and bottom tier at some other schools I had friends at. But for these people in Texas who make assumptions about me because I am a Pi Phi, they don't seem to realize that the socioeconomic/class values they associate with Pi Phi may not apply to every Pi Phi chapter. I just don't understand how these people don't get it or don't "see through me."

I guess part of it is that my chapter, despite not being "top tier," was in many respects pretty preppy and southern-like. The new members we took were not like that, but the seniors we graduated were. So I guess people see me looking preppy or cute or put together or being socially competent or whatever and just assume I'm from an awesome chapter. eg I can pass, until they start asking me questions about politics or something. ROFL. And also a lot of Texas people go to my school so maybe they just assume W&L's tiers mirror Texas or UT tiers.

Anyway just my .02.

What I always thought was kind of neat was that at alum club meetings, or any function where sisters from different chapters would interact, everyone got along as if we would have all pledged the same chapter in college, when that reality that wouldn't have been the case. It's like all the superficial stuff that gets judged to determine "tiers" or whatever gets overlooked when you meet someone who shares the same bond of sisterhood as you. Instant stuff in common. Sounds cheesy, but it's true.

[Benzgirl]

Damn. I thought we had killed this thread.

[TigerPiPhi]

Originally Posted by Benzgirl

Damn. I thought we had killed this thread.

Sorry. I didn't know I was forbidden to post or have an opinion.

[agzg]

Tee hee.

Originally Posted by TigerPiPhi

Sorry. I didn't know I was forbidden to post or have an opinion.

Oh, for crying out loud! Quit playing the friggin' victim!

[TigerPiPhi]

Originally Posted by OTW

Oh, for crying out loud! Quit playing the friggin' victim!

Wow. What a warm panhellenic spirit we have on here.

My point was that I didn't see any rule on here that prevented people from going back to interesting threads and making relevant comments. It's not like the thread was locked.

[KSUViolet06]

You're new here, but just to add some insight, this topic has been discussed ad nauseum here on GC. If you search "top sorority nationally" "top tier" or any of those, there is alot discussion of it, and it just gets old (esp. when it gets brought up). That and you've posted like 4 times in a row on one topic.

[TriDeltaSallie]

Originally Posted by TigerPiPhi

Exactly! Which is why, as a Pi Phi, I can't help but be a little offended by the OP's original comment.

Pi Phi is considered by many to be a strong national sorority because there are a number of strong chapters in areas all over the country, not just in Texas or the South. The same with Tri-Delt. So while the OP may not have had the experience of a "top-tier" Pi Phi chapter (or any other GLO, for that matter) in her area, she should not have stated that it is a "surprise" to learn that Pi Phi or another GLO is considered strong. I found that kind of tactless.

Well, my original comment is not really as sinister as some people have thought. I contemplated letting this go, but I'm going to explain my original thought and then people can think whatever they want.

When I said it wasn't hard to guess most of the rest perhaps I could have worded it more carefully. However, if I had to guess six top sororities I already knew two of them. I knew Theta was a top group from reading about Jenna Bush pledging there. I knew from hearing about and discussing top chapters (as breathesgelatin mentioned in her own Pi Phi experience) that Tri Delta was strong at Texas. For wrong or right, panhellenic or not, I would have immediately guessed that Chi O and Kappa were two of the others. They are two groups that I automatically expect to be top groups. I also know from experience that they are not top groups on every campus. No sorority is top everywhere. But that is my personal perception of them based on both local and national experience. I expect them more often than not to be a top group. I won't get into the ins and outs of the other two guesses I would have made for fear of making even more people mad at me.

Others here may have their own groups that they would automatically expect to be strong and that is fine. My very original point was that our perceptions are shaped by so many different experiences we have that we are all going to look at things differently.

So that was the thought process behind the original comment. Hopefully that clears things up.

[KSUViolet06]

I'm not going to quote you, but I'm going to tell you that we don't like to have these kids of posts here bashing chapters (whether what's posted is true or not). It's just rude and stupid. That, and you just sound like someone with "sour grapes." If all you're here to do is badmouth Auburn Pi Phi, then expect your posts to be deleted by someone (that and you need a hobby).

[breathesgelatin]

generation4grl, you are a treasure!

TigerPiPhi, there is a function called multi-quote that will allow you to quote multiple users in one post. Just press the icon with the quotation mark and the plus sign in the bottom left corner of the posts you want to quote.

IMO there was nothing offensive in the OP's original comment about her perceptions of Pi Phi.

Also, TigerPiPhi, if you'll re-read my post about my experience as a Pi Phi in Texas, I don't think that my original meaning has anything to do with your interpretation. The superficial stuff ISN'T being overlooked. It's just beyond these people's realm of possibility that someone could be a Pi Phi and not be old money or whatever. It's not happy-happy-joy-joy land.

Finally, TigerPiPhi, discussion of national NPC reputations or tiers or whatever you want to call it pretty much always degenerates into a hot mess on GC; when a new poster revives a thread by posting a bunch on it, it's bound to raise some people's suspicions. I think you'll find this a welcoming place if you chill out and lurk a bit and figure out the vibe here.

The End.