Help for a possible GLO member...

[AOII_Luv]

Hey all! I was just wondering if you could help me and my sister (real sister) with a few things. She is going to be a senior in high school in the fall and is thinking about where she wants to go to school and if each greek system is for her. I have suggested campus visits for each, but I was just looking for an opinion at these campuses too.

So, if you go to Western Michigan , University of Michigan-Ann Arbor , Central Michigan , Michigan State , Grand Valley State or University of Kentucky can you answer a few questions for me:

1. Is the greek community at your school strong and recognized by other non-greek students?

2. Of the sororities on your campus, which are the top three strongest ones? (Academically, sisterhood, participation in others philanthropies...you get the idea!)

3. When does recruitment usually start at your school?

If you have any other information that would be appreciated too. Although I would love to see both of my sisters as AOII's, I know they have to go with what is right for them.

Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you!

[PM_Mama00]

I take it you're from Michigan? I don't go to Grand Valley but I'm pretty sure their recruitment is in the winter. My friend is a Sigma Kappa there. The campus is beautiful, even tho it's in total farmland. I don't think your sister should be looking for a school based on its Greek system though. At each school, there will always be a sorority that will be the best in each category you're asking about. She should look mainly at what she wants to major in because in the long run (and I know I'll get flamed for this one) her future is gona rely back on her degree and the school she went to. Rarely does what Greek affiliation you are matter to an employer, unless you have connections.

[AOII_Luv]

Excellent point! I guess I should have said this in the beginning...Amy, my sister, is basing her choice of school on her major. She wants to be a nurse, like myself! But, she is keeping an open mind about every school I listed, including Indiana University.

I was checking out the greek system of the campuses because chapters vary from campus to campus and she is just trying to decide if the school she goes to, if being greek is right for her.

Thanks!

[PM_Mama00]

Ahh! I see now. Well good luck to her with choosing. Unfortunately there wasn't much for me to choose from!

Originally posted by AOII_Luv

1. Is the greek community at your school strong and recognized by other non-greek students?

2. Of the sororities on your campus, which are the top three strongest ones? (Academically, sisterhood, participation in others philanthropies...you get the idea!)

3. When does recruitment usually start at your school?

1. The greek system is pretty strong at U of M, even though only 18% of students participate (about 7000)in social orgs and we have a greek involved in pretty much every student organization on campus. On a pretty much anti-greek campus it is well recognized by non greek students. However, non and anti-greek students do stick up for the system when they feel its been wronged.When its time for a greek event at UM, everyone knows about it, sees it and/or hears it going on.

2. In all truthfulness I couldnt tell you who does the best acadeimically, even though a report does come out at the end of the year. But women in the greek system have higher then GPA's than women who aren't. Think it was 3.04 vs. 3.14 (not a biggie). same goes for the fraternities. Couldnt tell you about sisterhood either, but all the houses seem to have some strong bond, if not throughout the whole house, through the pledge/new member classes. As for philanthropy, there is always some sorority doing something for their charity or another chairty every week so everyone is equal and strong on that.
There are a few that it seems most girls look at when they go through recruitment and thats because of word of mouth, national recognization, yada yada...which are Tri-Delt, KKG, and Theta. All cool houses.

3. Formal Recruitment begins about the 2nd or 3rd weeks of school and last about 2 1/2 weeks. But its only 2 days a week. Sometimes on weekdays starting at 5 and sometimes on weekends. Professors know the deal so I think they are easy those days that girls rush. Girls have to go to all 16 houses on campus (7 the first day and 9 the second) So the first day your out from like 5-11pm and next from 9am-5 or 6 pm with an hour break.
Winter Recruitment usually begins in February and last a week. Its more like fraternity rush at this time where its just hanging out with the house. Much more relaxed. This is usually for houses that didnt make quota or just want a "Friend's Rush", only about 3-4 houses generally do it. Either way rush is competitive at Michigan.

4. Michigan has a pretty sweet Nursing program and has many greeks involved in it. One is one of my sisters!

5. U of M doesn't have AOPi anymore (TKE is currently living in their lovely house), but it seems like U of M is always willing and looking to expand their system (we could definately use more NPC sororities with a 16:30 frat. ratio), so if she wanted to recolonize the AOPi chapter and AOPi's nationals were all for it. I am sure she'd have no problems. Even though U of M is pretty anti-greek, there are women always looking to create something new and different from what is already available. Thats how we brought back Alpha Gam

If I can think of anything else Ill add it. I hear Western Michigan's system is sweet also.

[newbie]

Hey...

I just went through the admissions process so I just wanted to mention some things.

Make sure your sister visits EVERY campus before making a decision! Without the college visit, I think one is walking on a tightrope. Before, I had never considered one college, UC Davis. But when I actually visited, my opinion of the school did a complete 180.

Also, although I am not Greek, I would focus more on what the school has to offer, in addition to what the people are like, than what the Greek system is like. As long as there ARE Greek systems, IMHO, I don't think it should be of too much importance, unless your sister doesn't want to be Greek and the school is heavily Greek.

I hope I didn't sound patronizing there! (I really didn't mean to.) Good luck to your sister! I know how emotionally and physically draining the whole process is...I'm wishing her the best of luck!

[Tom Earp]

Look not only at schools and I mean look, then do the same thing for the right organization! Each School and Greek Organization is different in the makeup of the people in it!

We are not clones of the members that we become, we feel comfortable with the people that we join with!



When I started my local, I had the idea of affiliation with a strong National! LXA was not my first choice, but it was my last!

I have never looked back to say what if I had gotten XYZ Fraternity!

If it dont feel right then dont do it!!!!!!!

Check it all out, I wanted to go to some big schools thank goodness I did not!

I did not want to join one of the bigger Fraternitys on campus , I joined a local that went National Greek and got booted!
I di my own thing and again, am still involved and never looked back!

Good Luck

[LeslieAGD]

Originally posted by AOII_Luv
Amy, my sister, is basing her choice of school on her major. She wants to be a nurse, like myself!

Just wanted to mention that EMU (Eastern Michigan) has a really good nursing program as well. If she ends up considering EMU, let me know and I can fill you in on our Greek Life as well.