Upperclassmen Recruitment

[pearls&pink]

Should I even bother going through recruitment as a senior in college? I transferred to college last year and want to join a sorority, but don't know if I should since it's my senior year. Any advice?

[KayDee29]

It truly depends on your university as to how competitive recruitment is and whether seniors generally get bids or not. However, the only way you'll ever know for sure is to go through the process and enjoy it as much as possible.

[ASTalumna06]

Also, if you do go through recruitment as a senior, I would hope that you'd want to be involved as an alumna, too. Look into volunteer opportunities after graduation and speak of those during recruitment.

My chapter has initiated two seniors that I'm aware of. One of them joined basically because all of her roommates were sisters and so she obviously had a very strong connection to the chapter already. The other knew a sister or two going in, she emphasized her desire to be an advisor a year or two after graduation, and she wanted to join other alumnae in the area who were looking to start an alumnae chapter. She graduated, helped found that alumnae chapter, and she now serves on another chapter's advisory board.

Go through recruitment and see what happens. Just be aware that your options may be limited, and you may not receive a bid at all.

[adpiucf]

I think that recruitment is a valuable interviewing experience, and you'll learn a lot that you can take with you as you interview for grad school/jobs. I personally don't think that a senior without sorority connections has a shot in hell, but I'm sure there are exceptions. One thing is for certain: you will not know unless you give it a try. Register for recruitment and remain open minded through the end.

[pearls&pink]

Thanks so much for all the advice!

[33girl]

I will make a blanket statement and say that if your school is in this thread, you probably shouldn't bother rushing unless you are Selena Gomez or someone amazingly famous. Not only is your chance of getting a bid small, you need to lay out quite a bit of $$$ for registration fees and appropriate outfits. If you've got it to burn, that's your prerogative.

However, if you're at a school where people can sign up the first day of rush, the fee is miniscule, and lots of people don't even think about pledging till they are sophomores, I would say go for it.

[Blue Skies]

Recruitment is usually fun whether you end up pledging a chapter or not. You will make friends, build bridges to your school's greek community, and see some pretty chapter houses.

As a senior, you will have a level of ease and security that will help you to withstand the expected cuts. Some chapters will cut you after the first day. Some will cut you midway through the process. At the end, you might (if you are lucky) be left with 1-3 chapters, depending on your campus, that may have an interest in you. So just keep in mind the likelihood that most, if not all chapters will end up cutting you. Try to keep an open mind to any chapters that might want you. Remember that you are just meeting a handful of the women in that chapter.

Be sure to express to the members a stong interest in joining, that you wish to start contributing to the chapter ASAP, and that you are aware of the benefits of lifetime sisterhood.

Your chances are small but you will never know unless you try. It's a small risk for a potentially great reward.