Sorority & Rush Information Sessions for High School Seniors

GPhiBLtColonel · #1 02-02-2003, 03:53 AM

Are these sessions helpful? Are they needed? Can they be more helpful, esp given the comments we all see so frequently here on GC like "I just did not know etc" or I was so mis-informed, etc"

How can we help to make potential rushees better informed about rush and sororities BEFORE they get to college?
What can we do to stimulate more interest in high school girls about sororities and rush?

33girl · #2 02-02-2003, 10:39 PM

I think it depends on the area. Around here, people can go to big state-related schools like Pitt or Penn State, state system schools like Clarion or Slippery Rock, or private colleges like W&J or Westminster. Rush is TOTALLY different at these three types of schools and from school to school. In other words, what I might tell someone to do from my experience might be completely off for the school they are going to. This isn't even taking into account women who leave western PA.

adduncan · #3 02-04-2003, 03:07 PM

I don't know how successful you would be getting high school administrators to allow GLOs to distribute information directly, but there may be another avenue.

One of the kinds of work I do for my alma mater is act as an AAV: Alumni Admissions Volunteer. We are groups of alumni who volunteer for Boston U in our home towns--manning a booth during "college night", giving presentations to HS seniors who've expressed an interest in applying, and once in a while do field interviews as part of the application process. This is not a unique thing to BU: most colleges/universities have either pros and or alumni handling these jobs.

If you could get some organized info into the hands of whoever does outreach to potential applicants, you'd achieve the same goal. You could fit it in the section under "Student Activities" or "Campus Life". Then, during "College Night", or what have you, you can introduce your GLOs and Greek life along w/ the school.

IMHO, it's a good idea. I helped staff a presentation in the fall to about 300 HS kids in the Houston area, and recently conducted an interview for an applicant. BOTH TIMES the FIRST questions I got were, "Is there a Greek system?" "Do you have a chapter of XYZ?" "Is there anything I can do now to prepare for rush?" Thank God I was up to date on our current Greek system and how it works--a lot of kids (esp in the South <g>) are really eager to hear it.

Adrienne (PNAM-2003)

adduncan · #4 02-04-2003, 03:19 PM

I don't know how successful you would be getting high school administrators to allow GLOs to distribute information directly, but there may be another avenue.

One of the kinds of work I do for my alma mater is act as an AAV: Alumni Admissions Volunteer. We are groups of alumni who volunteer for Boston U in our home towns--manning a booth during "college night", giving presentations to HS seniors who've expressed an interest in applying, and once in a while do field interviews as part of the application process. This is not a unique thing to BU: most colleges/universities have either pros and or alumni handling these jobs.

If you could get some organized info into the hands of whoever does outreach to potential applicants, you'd achieve the same goal. You could fit it in the section under "Student Activities" or "Campus Life". Then, during "College Night", or what have you, you can introduce your GLOs and Greek life along w/ the school.

IMHO, it's a good idea. I helped staff a presentation in the fall to about 300 HS kids in the Houston area, and recently conducted an interview for an applicant. BOTH TIMES the FIRST questions I got were, "Is there a Greek system?" "Do you have a chapter of XYZ?" "Is there anything I can do now to prepare for rush?" Thank God I was up to date on our current Greek system and how it works--a lot of kids (esp in the South <g>) are really eager to hear it.

Adrienne (PNAM-2003)

Blue Violet · #5 02-04-2003, 08:22 PM

At the highschool where I student teach, it is in our dress code that students are not allowed to wear greek lettered paraphenalia. Highschool is so cruel and cliquey that inviting sororities would make it so much worse. I can hear it now. "I'm gonna be a AD!" and then the fat girls are already shoved in to "rattle rattle hear comes the cattle...omega moooooo!" It would be horrible. I also think that it would totally turn off some of the wonderful PNM's that aren't in those cliques. I'd hate for plain Jane to think she has to be Barbie to rush...and no matter what the colleg girls looked like, it'd be the highschool girls setting the tone. Anyway, jsut my .02. We have Civinettes and Anchor club here and jeeeez, it's not supposed to be a popularity contest but the girls that get in and aren't "popular" end up dropping usually. it's so sad! Anyway, just me. i think they need that summer to get some distance and mature before rushing. Persoanlly i think should fall freshman should not rush anyway. Wait for grades.

FuzzieAlum · #6 02-04-2003, 08:58 PM

Depends where you're talking about ... in a big city where lots of girls are likely to go Greek, great. The problem is that the girls who know at that point they want to go Greek are the ones who need the least help!

I am from a smallish town (60,000 people), and believe it or not it is the biggest metropolitan area for three hours any direction! At my high school, I am aware of two other women and two men who went Greek from my class - out of 400 graduates - although there may be a few I don't know about. I don't think there are any individual sorority or Panhellenic alumnae groups in the valley. So the ROI for a Panhellenic to drive down and do a presentation would be poor. And yet this is the biggest goldmine - clearly this is a part of the country where Greek life has not yet reached its full potential. Most of our regional state schools have no GLOs at all.

curlyagd · #7 02-04-2003, 09:54 PM

Well.. let me preface this by saying I went to a huge school in Alabama where the vast majority of the girls went to Alabama and Auburn and ended up in very strong chapters on those campuses. Our high school counselors held an info session for senior girls one day after school. During that time, they passed out a book with "rush terms" like ice water tea parties.. just random stuff that people might have never heard of. They also had schedules of the rush events and I think even the applications for Alabama and Auburn. Beyond that, they listed all of our teachers (who were willing to write recs) and their affiliation in college so we could get recommendations. While I know this is not the norm, maybe a booklet like this could be helpful at some of the schools. I know I wasn't able to go to the meeting (golf practice) so I just went to the office the next day and picked up a book. If you have any other questions about my school atmosphere, or what else was in the book, just ask me! I can try to remember a little more.

GPhiBLtColonel · #8 02-05-2003, 01:48 AM

...that booklet idea curlyagd! Thanks!

Shark In Skirt · #9 02-05-2003, 02:12 AM

To be honest, I DON'T think it's a good idea to make special efforts to inform girls about rush, rush terms, etc.

"I just didn't know" isn't a good excuse for anything. Rush meant ALOT to me and so I went out there and researched it... that's how I ended up here at GC!

I think rush is, for the most part, an accurate process that eliminates the girls who really "want it" from the girls who are indifferent. The former will research the process of their own intiative whereas the latter won't!

XOXO,
Annie.

#10 02-05-2003, 12:25 PM

I wish we had had something like this at our high school. I had 400 people in my entire high school (grades 7-12) and I think only about 10 kids per year went to college. Those who did rarely came back. I don't think any of us even knew sororities existed before we got to college. I didn't.

Because of that, I was at a COMPLETE loss when Rush happened freshman year. I honestly thought that "Greeks" were special clubs for people of Greek ethnicity, and didn't pay it any more mind. It wasn't until much later (and too late for me to rush again) that I figured out what was going on.

Maybe in bigger cities or southern areas kids know about going greek, but in smaller towns... it's a total mystery to most of us. And with Recruitment getting earlier and earlier, I think too many girls miss out.

justamom · #11 02-06-2003, 08:49 AM

I'm not exactly sure how long ago it was...over 5 years for certain.
Our Panhellenic Alum Assoc. Was allowed to set up a table at the High Schools and had little pamphlets and reps from SOME of the sororities (Here we go again.) ANYway, they stopped doing it. When I brought it up to one of the officers, I was told it really wasn't a good idea. WHY??? Get ready...
First, these sororities were NPC. There are 2 High Schools in our area the ladies would consider visiting, the other HSs did not have the same "interest" level...
Second, they really didn't have the "manpower" to write recs for girls they didn't know and who perhaps, "weren't cut out for sorority."
Third, with all the discrimination suits, they felt they were opening themselves up if they didn't visit all the HSs.
Fourth, they want the girls who represent OUR area to be of the "highest caliber" so a rec from their association carries some weight.

They now drop of fliers at the offices, an announcement is made, anyone interested picks up the application and turns it into the association.

adduncan · #12 02-06-2003, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by justamom
I'm not exactly sure how long ago it was...over 5 years for certain.
Our Panhellenic Alum Assoc. Was allowed to set up a table at the High Schools and had little pamphlets and reps from SOME of the sororities (Here we go again.) ANYway, they stopped doing it. When I brought it up to one of the officers, I was told it really wasn't a good idea. WHY??? Get ready...
First, these sororities were NPC. There are 2 High Schools in our area the ladies would consider visiting, the other HSs did not have the same "interest" level...
Second, they really didn't have the "manpower" to write recs for girls they didn't know and who perhaps, "weren't cut out for sorority."
Third, with all the discrimination suits, they felt they were opening themselves up if they didn't visit all the HSs.
Fourth, they want the girls who represent OUR area to be of the "highest caliber" so a rec from their association carries some weight.

They now drop of fliers at the offices, an announcement is made, anyone interested picks up the application and turns it into the association.

This is why, IMHO, information about Greek life should come from the **colleges** not from the GLOs themselves. Along with the fact that Greek life is different in almost every school you attend--according to dozens of threads on GC.

Adrienne (PNAM-2003)

adduncan · #13 02-06-2003, 03:50 PM

Here's an online example from my own alma mater. When we have information nights or Summer Send-Off, I'm going to try to get the Student Activities Office to send me a boatload of the print version:

http://people.bu.edu/gogreek/viewbook/cover.html

Adrienne (PNAM-2003)

Coramoor · #14 02-06-2003, 05:28 PM

I was actually thinking about this today.

I brought it up to a few guys in my chapter and they liked the idea. I think I'm going to find out when the next college fair is at the local highschools and set up a booth there.

kateshort · #15 02-06-2003, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Shark In Skirt

I think rush is, for the most part, an accurate process that eliminates the girls who really "want it" from the girls who are indifferent. The former will research the process of their own intiative whereas the latter won't!

This might sound dumb, but how do you know if you really "want it" if you've never heard about it?

I mean, yeah, there are some schools who send out fliers of rush information to all incoming women, because they have fall recruitment and have it before school starts, necessitating women moving in to dorms early... but not all schools do that. And let's face it, while many schools have web sites, not all of them have panhellenic pages, and many that *do* have greek sites haven't updated them recently.

(I keep a list of chapters, with links to chapter, panhel/greek, and school sites for each school that had an ADPi chapter, and trust me when I say that some sites have not been updated with recruitment information since 2000 or so.)

Not to mention that while it's easy to hear about recruitment at State U if you live near State U and all of your older siblings' friends go to State U, but it isn't so easy if you're going to school out of state.

Just like not all sororities have the same "personality" on every campus, not every campus has their recruitment or even "we have a greek system" info out there. If I ever become a Valpo Guild member and host a get-together for incoming freshmen, I'll be darned sure to tell them that there's greek life there!