Switching from a Local Sorority to a National One

mkprncss · #1 04-27-2010, 09:23 PM

Hello everyone!

First off, I'd like to start by saying that I did try to search this topic but I didn't have any luck here so I'm sorry if it's been asked before!

In late August 2008, I was accepted into a local sorority on campus. Two semesters later, I resigned (note: I left on good terms). 1 full semester which was mostly as a pledge & one full semester as a sister

I had wanted to join a sorority that would allow me to do volunteer work, develop my leadership skills, and make new friends. Long story short: it didn't happen.

Anyway, to this day I am still active within the Greek community. I attend formal dinners, eat lunch with Greeks, and spend a large majority of my time with them.

Over the past few months I've been really impressed by one of the sororities on campus. I'd love to join them. I feel that there are many more benefits of being in a national chapter that I really am attracted to. For one, the rules and traditions have been going on for years so they are organized and set. I now understand what it takes to be in a sorority. I don't see the reasons that I left the local sorority for being a problem.

I've already spoke with the greek life adviser once. She had a few concerns with me attempting to rerush.

I've already expressed to her that I would be suicide rushing for XYZ and no one else.

So, I'm really just looking for some advice here. If anyone has any links to similar posts I'd appreciate it!

atoheadlines · #2 04-27-2010, 09:30 PM

You quit so suck it up and move on. Most of the time life doesn't go as planned and things happen. I know most Greeks that by Junior year and are fed up with things are so busy they quit. You had drama and didn't agree with the things they did so accept it. If you doubt you made the right choice then you have to come to terms with quitting. The sorority was letting you down and you did nothing wrong so just move on since you still seem to enjoy it. You don't have to be Greek to go to socials with guys so you can still be involved. It doesn't matter how cute you are or if your mom was in a sorority you quit end of story.

mkprncss · #3 04-27-2010, 09:34 PM

...I know I don't have to be greek to go to socials with guys... thats not the point at all

DDDlady · #4 04-27-2010, 09:48 PM

I would ignore the guy above. It appears he just joined and is most likely a troll. Anyway, I would talk to the women you know in the group you are interested in. From them you should be able to gauge whether you would be a good fit for them, and they can also be your advocates to the chapter. Also, I would keep an open mind when going through recruitment. Its always best to give everyone a good look. Good luck!

KSUViolet06 · #5 04-27-2010, 09:59 PM

Ok, just some things to think about:

1. If your school's Greek community is that small, I would assume that everyone knows you were a part of this other sorority.

2. I'm going to be honest with you here, if these 2 chapters don't get along well, they may take the attitude of "we're not taking on that girl who quit ____ because they're stupid."

4. The Greek Advissor can tell all of the sororities that you are eligible until the cows come home. Just because a chapter CAN take you, doesn't mean it will.

5.It is very possible that you having been part of this other sorority makes the others completely uninterested. It's not like you were a PLEDGE. You were a full-fledged member of this chapter for a whole year. That's different from a girl who was maybe a pledge of a local for a semester and quit. It may be seen as "Too bad because it's too late now." You know?

6. I wouldn't put all of my eggs in this one sorority basket here.

The main question I think the sororities would be asking in this case is "Why should we take her (a 1 year member of a local) as opposed to another student with NO past history with the Greek system?"

jennyj87 · #6 04-27-2010, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atoheadlines

I dunno what a troll is because unlike you DDD I wasn't born when the internet was first made.

What? Does this not make sense to anyone else?

Anyway, coming from a small greek life, everyone knows everyone. I can tell you that there are a lot of questions when a girl quits one sorority to "join another" because nothing is guarentteed. We had one girl do that two years ago and the next year she went through recruitment she got cut by all three the first night. Its not like you rushed on year, didn't get in so you tried again. I'm not saying there is no chance, but be careful to put too too much hope into it.
It might be different if you know everyone in the national sorority. They might understand your situation, but if they dont know, they might cut you.

DDDlady · #7 04-27-2010, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atoheadlines

I dunno what a troll is because unlike you DDD I wasn't born when the internet was first made.

And you know when I was born how? And you posted like a troll. Based on your username I would guess you are a guy, and based on your internet comment, I guess you are no spring chicken either. You posted an irrelevant and slightly mean response, and that is why I called you a troll. This girl was asking about a situation with sorority recruitment.

atoheadlines · #8 04-27-2010, 10:21 PM

I just think if you quit you shouldn't rejoin. I thought after initiation you can't anyways. I know personally several guys that went through rush quit before initation to join another and they made it in but most people thought it was shady.

33girl · #9 04-27-2010, 10:23 PM

If the local sorority is not in the school's Panhel, rushes completely separately and basically is "apart" from the 3 national groups, you might have a chance.

But if the local is a full member of the school's Panhel, rushes at the same time and competes for the same rushees - do not do it. You would be basically invalidating the local as an entity that's on the same level with the other 3 groups. That would completely ruin any "good terms" you left on, and there are most likely people in the Greek system who just wouldn't cotton to the local being dissed in that way.

My pledge sister had a big who was active the semester she and I were pledging, student taught the next semester, and then graduated. She didn't use it as an excuse to not be active in the sorority. I know it sucks, but seriously, this is not even a factor - and at your state, you're kind of past needing a big to guide you through Greek life. Did you take a little? If so, you did the same thing to her that your big did to you - even worse, since your big went alum and was still a sister. Point being that "my big went MIA" is NOT a feasible reason to want to pledge another group.

KSUViolet06 · #10 04-27-2010, 10:24 PM

I'd be careful with the suggestion that knowing a bunch of girls in the national group = more people to advocate for you and a higher chance of a bid.

They could know you and like you, but not necessarily want you to be a part of their sorority (which could very well have something to do with the fact that you were part of another chapter for a year).

Yes, technically it is a local and you are ELIGIBLE to go through again, but they may see it as "you are a nice girl, but you were part of and initiated into another group."

It's just not something I would count on, esp. when you're dealing with a smaller Greek system.

Also just because a sorority is a national, doesn't mean that the chapter is organized. A national chapter could potentially be just as disorganized as your former local.

Another thing: even in a national group, there are girls whose Big Sisters go MIA and don't come around. Being part of a national doesn't mean that things like that NEVER happen.

33girl · #11 04-27-2010, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atoheadlines

I just think if you quit you shouldn't rejoin. I thought after initiation you can't anyways.

That only applies to NPC groups - i.e. if you join one NPC you can't quit and then join another NPC.

Her initial sorority was a local, so technically she can, but it really depends on the local's standing within the Greek community and on campus culture if it would be accepted.

ETA: not that I think this is her, but WHOA bad google choice with teh username.

DDDlady · #12 04-27-2010, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atoheadlines

I just think if you quit you shouldn't rejoin. I thought after initiation you can't anyways. I know personally several guys that went through rush quit before initation to join another and they made it in but most people thought it was shady.

There is a difference between what you can do when your first affiliation is a local. You cannot join two NPC sororities or a NPC and a NPHC sorority, but you can be a member of a local sorority and a national sorority. And whether it will be thought of as shady or not will be situation dependent. No one on this site will be able to tell her how women on her campus will act. We can only advise her as to how they may respond. That is why I advised her to talk to women in the organization she is interested in. It could be that there is something else going on with her situation that could make the perception of her rushing different from what it appears to be in her OP.

chickenoodle · #13 04-27-2010, 10:53 PM

I apologize for the highway hop, as I'm not in a NPC org.

1) How do you (the OP) know if the grass is greener on the (NPC) side? You are not privy to the inner workings of that sorority.

2) I may not be in a sorority, but I am a member of a GLO and I don't presume to know what values your sorority stands for. However, you took the oath and swore to uphold the ideals and code your sorority stands for. Since you were initiated and were a member for 2 years, I assume those ideals mean something to you.

If you don't like how things are going, make an effort to change things. Head up a Sisterhood Chair to increase moral and sisterhood. Learn Robert's Rules and run for Chancellor or run a workshop for your sisters. My point is, you can't bitch about everything wrong and do nothing to (at least try to) improve your situation.

(I apologize again; I hope I didn't leave anyone's toes too bloody.)

atoheadlines · #14 04-27-2010, 11:00 PM

If she is already friends with girls in it why join? The bond is already there it just seems she wants to join for the name sake.

KSUViolet06 · #15 04-27-2010, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chickenoodle

I apologize for the highway hop, as I'm not in a NPC org.

1) How do you (the OP) know if the grass is greener on the (NPC) side? You are not privy to the inner workings of that sorority.

2) I may not be in a sorority, but I am a member of a GLO and I don't presume to know what values your sorority stands for. However, you took the oath and swore to uphold the ideals and code your sorority stands for. Since you were initiated and were a member for 2 years, I assume those ideals mean something to you.

If you don't like how things are going, make an effort to change things. Head up a Sisterhood Chair to increase moral and sisterhood. Learn Robert's Rules and run for Chancellor or run a workshop for your sisters. My point is, you can't bitch about everything wrong and do nothing to (at least try to) improve your situation.

(I apologize again; I hope I didn't leave anyone's toes too bloody.)

She mentioned in her posts that she has already resigned. It's too late for this stuff.