GreekChat.com Forums  

Go Back   GreekChat.com Forums > Recruitment > Sorority Recruitment

Sorority Recruitment Recruitment event and bid day ideas, membership retention, publicity, recruitment policies, etc.


Register Now for FREE!
Join GreekChat.com, The Fraternity & Sorority Greek Chat Network. To sign up for your FREE account INSTANTLY fill out the form below!

Username: Password: Confirm Password: E-Mail: Confirm E-Mail:
 
Image Verification
Please enter the six letters or digits that appear in the image opposite.

  I agree to forum rules 

» GC Stats
Members: 325,123
Threads: 115,503
Posts: 2,196,042
Welcome to our newest member, zsamulpitt5293
» Online Users: 1,564
2 members and 1,562 guests
*winter*, speedsters
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 03-19-2016, 07:41 AM
Kenzie2016 Kenzie2016 is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 5
2.4 GPA and looking to rush at University of Alabama?

Hi guys

I will be attending Alabama in the fall of 2016, and was wondering if I could get in a sorority with a 2.4. I have one semester left in high school, so I'm hoping I will be able to raise it to a 2.7, but that is as high as I can possibly get it. I got in because they saw my high ACT score and my explanation for why GPA was so low my first two years of highschool, ( mother and grandmother had cancer, I was never at school I was always was with them. When they beat it I focused on my studies, raising my gpa from 1.6 to a 2.4 in two semesters) I am worried that they will cut me, even before they hear my reasons.

Any advice would be super helpful!

Last edited by Kenzie2016; 03-19-2016 at 07:42 AM. Reason: Wrong word
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 03-19-2016, 08:19 AM
stef831 stef831 is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 86
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenzie2016 View Post
Hi guys

I will be attending Alabama in the fall of 2016, and was wondering if I could get in a sorority with a 2.4. I have one semester left in high school, so I'm hoping I will be able to raise it to a 2.7, but that is as high as I can possibly get it. I got in because they saw my high ACT score and my explanation for why GPA was so low my first two years of highschool, ( mother and grandmother had cancer, I was never at school I was always was with them. When they beat it I focused on my studies, raising my gpa from 1.6 to a 2.4 in two semesters) I am worried that they will cut me, even before they hear my reasons.

Any advice would be super helpful!
That's going to be very tough, not impossible but difficult. I would do everything possible to get the GPA as high as you possibly can. Get good recommendations and put forth your best effort. If I were you though I would wait and work on your studies to raise your GPA your freshman year. Not sure if Alabama offers spring rush or COB but that may be an option too. Keep an open mind if you decide to rush in fall and its possible you may not get your top choices just go into it with positive attitude. Best of luck.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 03-19-2016, 09:04 AM
Titchou Titchou is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Sweet Home Alabama
Posts: 4,574
To be very honest, your chances are slim to none. However, several groups there do COB spring semester so waiting to see what your fall grades are would be good. And Alabama also has an upperclass quota so waiting till sophomore year where you could really improve your grades is also an option. A large number of the groups there also utilize the upperclass quota. You will need all your recs for Alabama.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 03-19-2016, 09:20 AM
FSUZeta FSUZeta is offline
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: naples, florida
Posts: 18,410
No matter the reason, your GPA is low. Don't waste your money and your time rushing this fall. Pledge the library and devote yourself to getting stellar grades, but leave a little time to get involved with a campus organization. Keep your nose clean. Plan on rushing in the spring providing you have the GPA, or wait until fall formal 2017. As Titchou said, get recs. to all sororities.
__________________
I live in Fantasyland and I have waterfront property.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 03-19-2016, 09:41 AM
Griffins&Quills Griffins&Quills is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,263
If you're insistent on going through recruitment, I would make sure your rec writers know the reason for your low GPA, and that they explain it in the letter, at the least.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 03-19-2016, 11:45 AM
ladybug12 ladybug12 is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 519
Some traditionally strong sororities at Alabama had COB spots this spring due to early graduations, etc.

I would not put myself through formal recruitment in the fall with your GPA. Better to study hard and get good fall grades while trying to get to know as many freshman girls in your dorm and classes with sorority connections...could lead you to COB opportunities in the spring or a strong upperclass rush in Fall 2017.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 03-19-2016, 11:57 AM
AZTheta AZTheta is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: N 37.811092 W -107.664643
Posts: 5,295
Can't speak for every NPC sorority, however I venture to say this: very little wiggle room on GPA requirements for consideration as a potential new member. It's the easiest and fasted "cut" made in winnowing out the PNMs (and at Alabama there are a lot of PNMs so the field needs to be narrowed in some fashion, quickly, right out of the gate).

You're getting great advice here from women who truly know Alabama and I would take their advice.
__________________
"One of the painful things about our time is that those who feel certainty are stupid, and those with any imagination and understanding are filled with doubt and indecision." Bertrand Russell, The Triumph of Stupidity
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 03-19-2016, 12:17 PM
DubaiSis DubaiSis is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Back in the Heartland
Posts: 5,424
I would have to concur. Potential is very important in rush (perceived grade risks will get cut even if the hard number is there), but there is a hard and fast bottom line that can't be crossed except in the most rare of circumstances. Being a sophomore is not a deal-breaker at this school. Get the grades where they should be, make friends, be involved on campus. It will work itself out later.

I'm glad your family members came out the other end ok. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made and you made a choice to be with family at the expense of your grades. This was undoubtedly the right thing to do and thankfully won't necessarily hurt your long term options. But it will have hurt in the short term.

Have you talked to your school advisor about any way to redeem what must have been a few failing grades? If you could bring back a few of those from the dead and get yourself to a 3.0 along with great recs I would say it MIGHT be worth just giving it a shot. As long as you went in with low expectations about results.
__________________
"Traveling - It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller. ~ Ibn Battuta
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 03-19-2016, 01:53 PM
Kenzie2016 Kenzie2016 is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 5
Thank you so much! I also have over 160 community service hours, will that benefit me in any way? Also do you know if they look just at the cumulative gpa, or all of my 4 years? I have some scary growth going from a 1.6 to two semesters of 4.0+.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 03-19-2016, 03:08 PM
Hartofsec Hartofsec is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 705
It will be your cumulative GPA (confirmed by the UofA's records -- you will have a final official transcript sent to admissions after you graduate).

It is possible that sororities would see your transcript if alums include an unofficial copy you provide when they write and submit a recommendation. But I think you would likely still experience heavy cuts after the first round since many sororities would not look much beyond the 2.7. Your community service is a good thing, and you need that regardless, but it won't do much to offset your GPA.

In your case, since you know you are capable of a high GPA, I think your experience through recruitment would be far more positive as a stellar sophomore than it would as a struggling (with GPA cred) freshman.

During your freshman year (aside from killing your courses), you will have the opportunity to become involved on campus and meet/make connections with actives of different chapters.

Kudos to you for helping with your mother and grandmother -- wishing you all the best whatever you decide!
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 03-19-2016, 03:17 PM
Titchou Titchou is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Sweet Home Alabama
Posts: 4,574
HartofSec and I are both Alabama alums and have worked with our chapters there in recruitment. We are trying to give you the most realistic answer we can. Hope you take our advice.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 03-19-2016, 04:03 PM
stef831 stef831 is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 86
Again...I do have to echo the sentiments here. See what you can do to raise your GPA as high as possible. My daughter went thru COB this past spring, and she accepted a bid from kappa alpha theta, at an extremely competitive SEC school- as she wanted to really wanted to start strong and missed the cutoff for formal recruitment. I can tell you first hand that they do look very heavily on your grades. In fact, they have to even submit mid-term grades where my daughter attends. Its a big part trust me. I would not put the stress on myself at this point, but rather take everyone's suggestions and study hard freshman year raise your GPA as high as possible and rush in your sophomore year. I truly wish you the best!!
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 03-19-2016, 04:43 PM
Sciencewoman Sciencewoman is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,417
We have a minimum incoming GPA requirement, which is set at the international level. I think this is pretty typical, but the minimum can vary from group to group. The Alabama recruitment guide lists "suggested" GPAs (these may be the international minimum, or they may be a locally set higher minimum). While chapters may have some leeway with locally set higher GPA minimums, chapters cannot extend a bid to you if you do not meet the group's (inter)national minimum. Last year's guide indicates that every group has at least a 3.0 listed, and some are higher. Take these seriously...they are listed to give PNMs guidance in situations like yours.

http://www.uapanhellenic.com/greek-chic.html

You don't want to shoot yourself in the foot by getting released during freshman recruitment due to sub-minimum HS grades...then earning a great GPA and getting involved freshman year, only to have a potentially successful sophomore recruitment derailed because chapters remember you had a low GPA when you went through the previous year. Better to have a fresh start and go in strong sophomore year, in my opinion.
__________________
Gamma Phi Beta
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 03-19-2016, 05:17 PM
Hartofsec Hartofsec is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 705
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenzie2016 View Post
Thank you so much! I also have over 160 community service hours, will that benefit me in any way? Also do you know if they look just at the cumulative gpa, or all of my 4 years? I have some scary growth going from a 1.6 to two semesters of 4.0+.
(Thinking about community service and your struggles when your mom and grandmom were ill)

If you were my daughter, I would advise you to direct your energy toward researching campus involvement opportunities (and making a list even), so that you might hit the ground running as a new freshman on campus. If you delay recruitment until 2017 (spring or fall), you will have time to really pursue and invest yourself into some campus orgs and activities.

For example -- apply for Freshman Forum -- you should be able to do this during the summer. On your application (and hopefully during the interview round) you might think of ways to highlight how your experience with service, struggling academically, overcoming adversity, and then recovering academically left you with a unique perspective and experience as you approach college. And how this translates into contributing as a member of Freshman Forum, of course.

You would meet and serve with a lot of freshmen -- including a lot of freshmen in sororities (ETA: not to mention that this would be a real plus -- leadership position -- on your recruitment resume)!

Last edited by Hartofsec; 03-19-2016 at 05:26 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 03-19-2016, 06:02 PM
AnchorAlumna AnchorAlumna is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Old South
Posts: 2,935
Is 2.4 your weighted or unweighted GPA? Because UA looks at weighted, Panhellenic also looks at weighted. So that might be good news for you.
But if it's 2.4 unweighted, I would not spend the money to sign up for recruitment.
As everyone else has said, spend your first semester or year studying like heck, meeting people, getting involved.
Good luck and
Roll Tide!
__________________

Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
My University of Alabama 2012 Rush Story :) hazeleyesxoxo Recruitment Stories 39 09-04-2012 11:07 AM
University of Alabama Rush/Sororities rolltide10 Sorority Recruitment 31 05-20-2012 10:29 AM
Unsuccessful fall rush at Alabama, questions about possible spring rush. Advice? Bamarushee Sorority Recruitment 58 08-23-2010 12:47 AM
2007 Fall Rush @ University of Alabama BamaMama Sorority Recruitment 2 08-15-2007 03:46 AM
University of Alabama rush!! LauGh A Lot Recruitment 52 12-13-2004 01:13 PM



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:56 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.