Transferring schools and affliating with chapter
 

Hello,

I am a fully-initated member of my sorority. I am coming to the end of my freshman year. I have had problems with a certain sister bullying and hazing me, and am not happy at the school I am currently at. My question is, I am leaving this school at the end of the semester, and from the fall will be transferring to another school. I know obviously I can never rush again or join another sorority, but can someone please give me information on affiliating with another chapter? The chapter is in a different state. I am up-to-date with dues payments and am in good-standing with my current chapter.

Thank you.

This is a question for members of your sorority, not strangers on the internet.

Good luck.

Well I thought there might be someone on this site who could help me. It is more a question of asking sisters at the school I am transferring to, but I would rather know before I have transferred.

Thanks.

We have no idea since we do not know your affiliation. You should contact your advisory board, and/or your national office.

Okay, thank you very much. I will contact nationals regarding this matter.

Thanks very much.

Dear Brooke,

KnightShadow is correct that you will have to get exact information for your national sorority and also the chapter at the school to which you will be transferring. I wanted to give some general information that was true for me in my sorority both as a member and as an advisor and in two other cases in other sororities with which I am familiar (the cases of affliation - not the complete running of the sorority).

I transferred schools at the end of my sophomore year and affiliated with the chapter at my new school. I was a member in good standing (as you are). I contacted the Greek advisor at my new school who put me in touch with the women of the chapter. I met first with the chapter director and the president. My grades were checked through the school and my standing through nationals. I next went out to dinner with a group of juniors in the chapter (my year group) then attended a chapter meeting ( I believe it was a casual meeting but I'm not sure.)
The next week the chapter voted on my affliation and I was accepted. I loved my first chapter but I loved the chapter with whom I affliated even more - they are the ones that were my bridesmaids and that I still see every year. (I'm 47 now).

One thing that can come into play - I transferred from a large school with a large competitive greek system and a very prominent chapter - to a large school with a small non-competitive greek system and a very prominent chapter. If you are transferring from a not-too-hard-to-get into greek system to a very competive one - the chapter will be more stringent in examining you. Girls have been know to go to certain schools to pledge the sorority they want and then try to transfer to a school where they may not have been successful in pledging that sorority.

I have not been involved in working recruitment since 2004 - but at that time affliation numbers did not come into play in either quota numbers or total figures.

Again, you will need to contact your national headquarters and the advisor of the chapter at your new school to get exact information.

Do that this spring so that hopefully you can get to know some new sisters during the summer and be a part of the excitement of rush in the fall.


I wish you the best.
Georgia Rose

;) This post made me chuckle.

Long story finally made short by the end, "you will need to contact...."

Dear Georgia Rose,

Thank you so much for all that information. I appreciate it a lot :)

The chapter I am currently with is a large chapter, but not very selective. So you are right in saying that the chapter I wish to affliate with may not take me. They also could be completely different and I may not fit in.

I will contact nationals first and then once I transfer, I will contact the chapter at the school I am transferring to.

Thanks again,

Brooke.

Actually, contact your nationals and see what their policy is (you get right in, you have to be voted in, you have to wait a semester, or other possibilities). Do this, like, today.

Then once you know, I would reach out to the chapter before you actually get there (i.e. don't show up on their doorstep cold). You might want to do this through your regional director or whatever they call them in your group, so the chapter knows you're not a perp or a stalker. Point being you have a whole summer to email and possibly get to know some of the sisters in person and that might go a long way to smoothing things over and helping you and the new chapter feel comfy with each other.

It goes without saying to not mention the sister that you had the conflicts with. Just say you're transferring because you didn't like your school and let it go at that.

Chances are there will be a vote on whether or not to affiliate you. Go to the Greek Life website of that University and find the e-mail of the Chapter President. Let her know you're interested, and try to get to know the girls too. You should be all set :)

Um, no.. she might not be “all set.” The policies for your organization and hers could be completely different.

Contact headquarters. The end.

Back in my day, we had a lot of girls try to transfer in from less competitive chapters, but we gave all of them a fair shake. They were all invited to attend events and hang out at the house to get to know the chapter, and after a semester would be asked to affiliate/or not -but usually, if it was apparent that the girl did not click with the chapter, she quit hanging out with us.

Point is, every organization will have different policies, as will every chapter (while working with in the constraints of national policy).

Definitely reach out to the president NOW and let her know of your desire to affiliate, and ask what she recommends. Hopefully, you will get to meet some girls before you show up- try to if you can! It will make things easier.

Good Luck!

katydidKD, for the record, this is an example of why people get snarky. People who should know better give bad advice or ask stupid questions.