Rushing with a Lower GPA

[LaXGirl2013]

I am a student at ___ and was planning on trying to rush a sorority this fall, however I have a lower GPA then the requirement. I have only been a student at ___ for one semester, and did decently in all of my classes except for math. I re-took this math class during the summer to try and pass it this time around. I didn't fail the class, however my GPA is only a 2.25, and it is a requirement to have at least a 2.5 GPA to rush. I am an active participant in sports on campus, and am apart of the Color Guard. I was also an extremely active student in High School and did pretty much everything under the sun along with AP courses, and managed to keep a great GPA and get a free ride to college. Do sororities take in other activities and past experiences into account when rushing, or will my lower-than-required GPA overshadow all of my other achievements? If so, will I still have an opportunity to rush later on, or would rushing later on tarnish my value in the eyes of the sororities?

Thanks for the help!

[clemsongirl]

Originally Posted by LaXGirl2013

I am a student at ___ and was planning on trying to rush a sorority this fall, however I have a lower GPA then the requirement. I have only been a student at ___ for one semester, and did decently in all of my classes except for math. I re-took this math class during the summer to try and pass it this time around. I didn't fail the class, however my GPA is only a 2.25, and it is a requirement to have at least a 2.5 GPA to rush. I am an active participant in sports on campus, and am apart of the Color Guard. I was also an extremely active student in High School and did pretty much everything under the sun along with AP courses, and managed to keep a great GPA and get a free ride to college. Do sororities take in other activities and past experiences into account when rushing, or will my lower-than-required GPA overshadow all of my other achievements? If so, will I still have an opportunity to rush later on, or would rushing later on tarnish my value in the eyes of the sororities?

Thanks for the help!

If your school's Panhellenic requires a 2.5 to go through recruitment, then you will not be allowed to sign up and participate in any organized recruitment activities. That's what the term required means. And honestly, not trying to be mean, your GPA is so far below what my and many other organizations require that I doubt you would be successful in recruitment no matter how involved you were in school. If I were you I would work extra hard on getting your GPA as high as possible, but at least over the minimum to participate, then go through recruitment again next year or look at informal recruitment in the spring. Your options may be more limited as an upperclassman but they'll be better than the nonexistent ones you have now.

[KSUViolet06]

Grades are very cut and dry with sororities. The GPA is typically set by the chapter's national HQ and the chapters are expected to follow it. Many times, they are not permitted to make exceptions to that rule. Someone could have great activities, an awesome personality, etc. but if she does not have the grades, she cannot be extended a bid. The average GPA requirement is at the very least, a 2.5 and your grades are far below that.

As to the "Can I rush later on?" question, that depends on the school. There are some schools at which non-freshmen are at a significant disadvantage, while at others, class standing is not as much of a factor.

[navane]

You mention that you repeated the math class this summer. Did you file for a course forgiveness? That would allow the first attempt to be disregarded from the GPA calculation and only the second grade will be used. Universities handle these things differently; so, course forgiveness may not be an option in all situations. However, do check in to your academic advising center or registrar's office to see if your campus offers a course forgiveness option.

[als463]

Originally Posted by navane

You mention that you repeated the math class this summer. Did you file for a course forgiveness? That would allow the first attempt to be disregarded from the GPA calculation and only the second grade will be used. Universities handle these things differently; so, course forgiveness may not be an option in all situations. However, do check in to your academic advising center or registrar's office to see if your campus offers a course forgiveness option.

Unfotunately, grade forgiveness is not an option at every university. My undergraduate insititution is one of those schools which is an exception to the rule.

OP, I would bust my butt and get a higher GPA. As other posters have noted, your GPA is much too low to even go through recruitment. Don't be discouraged though. Just work to get your GPA up and don't do anything that could wreck your chances of going through recruitment in the future. Good luck.