Help with Informal Rush! Advice needed!

[Msm81793]

Hello, I am a current freshman going through informal recruitment at the moment, but I need some advice. I go to a fairly big school that is located in the northeast region. Greek life is pretty competitive here, as it is a well known party school, but it’s not super competitive like SEC schools and recs are not required. The Greek life percentage on my campus is about 10% and we have 8 sororities. I only recently decided to join a sorority.

I didn’t particularly have an interest in participating during fall rush and everyone that I talked to on campus told me not to do it my first semester because it is a major commitment that not many first time freshmen are ready for. I decided to rush this semester because I want the sisterly bond that sororities provide and I’m interested in the philanthropy work. I have checked the GPA requirement and even though my first semester grades weren’t that great, I’m working really hard to bring them up and I still meet the minimum requirement for the sororities on my campus. I also recently became friends with a sorority girl here and she encouraged me to rush and I have a cousin who is in a sorority as well.

My school does informal recruitment during the spring and so far, I’m really enjoying it. However, informal recruitment at my school is more competitive than formal recruitment. Only 4 of the 8 sororities on campus are participating in spring rush this year. There are only about 100 girls participating in spring rush but most of these sororities only have about 10-20 bids to give out. That’s about 40-80 bids total.

Even though it’s still early in the rush, I’ve been hearing a lot of rumors that are not very, um, pleasant to hear. I’ve heard that my top choice sorority, and the only house I’ve been able to visit thus far, is only giving out 15 bids this semester and that they already have their bids picked out. I find this a little hard to believe seeing as how it’s still so early in the process, but the rumor that I heard was that the sisters knew a lot of the girls who were rushing before rush even started and that they were giving “pre-determined” bids secretly.

I know better than to be one of those girls who believes that they either HAVE to get into their top choice or not get in at all, so I’m trying to keep an open mind about all of the sororities, even though I feel as if I clicked very well with this one. I haven’t heard any rumors about my second choice yet, so I’m still very hopeful about that one, but it seems as if most of the girls rushing this semester are aiming for that one also.

The 3rd one, from what I heard, is only giving out 8 bids this semester and has already given out 3 supposedly. Once again, that doesn’t really give me much hope of getting a bid from that one cause I haven’t even visited their house yet.

The last one is the one that my cousin is in and while it used to be one of my top picks, now I’m not so sure. Once again, I’m trying to keep an open mind, but this sorority has a horrible reputation. They’re on thin ice right now and could easily get kicked off campus if they don’t clean up their image. The only reason they’re even doing spring rush is because they recently kicked out a bunch of girls and now they need more. From what I heard thus far, not many of the girls rushing this semester are even rushing for this one because of its poor image. I’m also told that the sisters aren’t very friendly and even my cousin doesn’t feel very welcome there. I’m still going to visit the house, but I’m worried that this sorority will be the only one I get a bid to and I’m not sure what I should do if I don’t feel comfortable there.

I kind of want to try rushing again in the fall because formal recruitment sounds really interesting and I’d be exposed to even more houses that I could fit well with. At my school, there is about an estimated 600 girls that participate in fall rush. Also, the sororities at my school claim to be accepting of girls with a sophomore or junior standing but I’m still worried that being a sophomore next year will hurt my chances.

So I would just like a little advice from you guys as to what you think I should do. If I get a bid to the “undesirable” sorority, should I accept it even if I don’t feel connected to it? Would I be allowed to participate in fall rush if I decline the bid? Would it look bad to the other sororities if I come back for fall rush? And what about this whole “secret bidding” thing? The girls in my top choice sorority told me and a few of the other pledges to come back tomorrow so why would they say that if they supposedly picked out all of their bids? Was that rumor just started to “weed out” the girls who might not be dedicated? Plus, what if they gave a bid to a girl, but that girl accepted a bid from another sorority? Does that mean the bidding is still open?

I’m really confused about this whole process and what I should do right now. I’m honestly not even expecting to get a bid this semester and it wouldn’t surprise me if other girls got picked. The other girls probably know more sisters and know exactly what to do. The girls in my group were both sophomores and one had been through formal rush before but had quit because of personal reasons so I feel as if this rush is more beneficial to these older girls. I still want to find a sorority where I truly belong though and I don’t want to rule out the other houses that aren’t participating in spring recruitment this year because I might end up loving those houses.

Can you older girls on here PLEASE give me some advice and answer my questions. It would be greatly appreciated!

PS: I should also add that I don't party that much so I doubt the sisters would have to worry about me "tainting" their image. I also avoid bringing up controversial or awkward topics when conversing with the sisters or saying things that might make me sound cocky. I know that small talk is very important in rush and I didn't want them to get a bad first impression of me.

[ColdInCanada11]

Paragraph shock :0

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by Msm81793

Hello, I am a current freshman going through informal recruitment at the moment, but I need some advice. I go to a fairly big school that is located in the northeast region. Greek life is pretty competitive here, as it is a well known party school, but it’s not super competitive like SEC schools and recs are not required. The Greek life percentage on my campus is about 10% and we have 8 sororities. I only recently decided to join a sorority.

I didn’t particularly have an interest in participating during fall rush and everyone that I talked to on campus told me not to do it my first semester because it is a major commitment that not many first time freshmen are ready for. I decided to rush this semester because I want the sisterly bond that sororities provide and I’m interested in the philanthropy work. I have checked the GPA requirement and even though my first semester grades weren’t that great, I’m working really hard to bring them up and I still meet the minimum requirement for the sororities on my campus. I also recently became friends with a sorority girl here and she encouraged me to rush and I have a cousin who is in a sorority as well.

My school does informal recruitment during the spring and so far, I’m really enjoying it. However, informal recruitment at my school is more competitive than formal recruitment. Only 4 of the 8 sororities on campus are participating in spring rush this year. There are only about 100 girls participating in spring rush but most of these sororities only have about 10-20 bids to give out. That’s about 40-80 bids total.

Even though it’s still early in the rush, I’ve been hearing a lot of rumors that are not very, um, pleasant to hear. I’ve heard that my top choice sorority, and the only house I’ve been able to visit thus far, is only giving out 15 bids this semester and that they already have their bids picked out. I find this a little hard to believe seeing as how it’s still so early in the process, but the rumor that I heard was that the sisters knew a lot of the girls who were rushing before rush even started and that they were giving “pre-determined” bids secretly.

I know better than to be one of those girls who believes that they either HAVE to get into their top choice or not get in at all, so I’m trying to keep an open mind about all of the sororities, even though I feel as if I clicked very well with this one. I haven’t heard any rumors about my second choice yet, so I’m still very hopeful about that one, but it seems as if most of the girls rushing this semester are aiming for that one also.

The 3rd one, from what I heard, is only giving out 8 bids this semester and has already given out 3 supposedly. Once again, that doesn’t really give me much hope of getting a bid from that one cause I haven’t even visited their house yet.

The last one is the one that my cousin is in and while it used to be one of my top picks, now I’m not so sure. Once again, I’m trying to keep an open mind, but this sorority has a horrible reputation. They’re on thin ice right now and could easily get kicked off campus if they don’t clean up their image. The only reason they’re even doing spring rush is because they recently kicked out a bunch of girls and now they need more. From what I heard thus far, not many of the girls rushing this semester are even rushing for this one because of its poor image. I’m also told that the sisters aren’t very friendly and even my cousin doesn’t feel very welcome there. I’m still going to visit the house, but I’m worried that this sorority will be the only one I get a bid to and I’m not sure what I should do if I don’t feel comfortable there.

I kind of want to try rushing again in the fall because formal recruitment sounds really interesting and I’d be exposed to even more houses that I could fit well with. At my school, there is about an estimated 600 girls that participate in fall rush. Also, the sororities at my school claim to be accepting of girls with a sophomore or junior standing but I’m still worried that being a sophomore next year will hurt my chances.

So I would just like a little advice from you guys as to what you think I should do. If I get a bid to the “undesirable” sorority, should I accept it even if I don’t feel connected to it? Would I be allowed to participate in fall rush if I decline the bid? Would it look bad to the other sororities if I come back for fall rush? And what about this whole “secret bidding” thing? The girls in my top choice sorority told me and a few of the other pledges to come back tomorrow so why would they say that if they supposedly picked out all of their bids? Was that rumor just started to “weed out” the girls who might not be dedicated? Plus, what if they gave a bid to a girl, but that girl accepted a bid from another sorority? Does that mean the bidding is still open?

I’m really confused about this whole process and what I should do right now. I’m honestly not even expecting to get a bid this semester and it wouldn’t surprise me if other girls got picked. The other girls probably know more sisters and know exactly what to do. The girls in my group were both sophomores and one had been through formal rush before but had quit because of personal reasons so I feel as if this rush is more beneficial to these older girls. I still want to find a sorority where I truly belong though and I don’t want to rule out the other houses that aren’t participating in spring recruitment this year because I might end up loving those houses.

Can you older girls on here PLEASE give me some advice and answer my questions. It would be greatly appreciated!

PS: I should also add that I don't party that much so I doubt the sisters would have to worry about me "tainting" their image. I also avoid bringing up controversial or awkward topics when conversing with the sisters or saying things that might make me sound cocky. I know that small talk is very important in rush and I didn't want them to get a bad first impression of me.

QFP.

(Separate paragraphs created for easier reading)

[Msm81793]

Sorry! I copied and pasted from a word document. I fixed it.

[AOII Angel]

Oh lord. This is informal recruitment. Even though your campus has somewhat formalized the process, YES...each group may know who they want to bid before the parties even start. That's kinda how informal works. On most campuses, those groups wouldn't even advertise that they were doing recruitment. They'd just tap those women to join.

Listening to tent talk is probably the WORST thing you can do. How about you go to your cousin's sorority's parties and see how things go. IF you don't like it, you don't have to accept a bid. I assume that in this process you are NOT signing a bid card unless you receive a bid, correct? You will be eligible for Fall recruitment as long as you don't accept a bid. BUT, if you find out that you actually DO like the girls, give it a try and ignore the rumors.

No one can tell you whether it is better to take an opportunity now or try for one later when all the groups are open. There are risks with both. Use YOUR best judgement and in the meanwhile get your grades up.

[AZTheta]

Here are her questions, GCers, answer as you see fit:

1) In informal recruitment, do sororities have an idea of who they will issue bids to?

2) If offered a bid by my last choice, which has a terrible reputation, should I accept it?

3) If I accept a bid, and then drop, can I still do formal recruitment in Fall 2014?

4) Should I just go through Fall 2014 formal recruitment and forget the whole informal thing?

And the important fact: my GPA isn't all that hot, but it meets the published minimum.

I've saved you guys the work of trying to get through all that stuff. Have at it.

[AOII Angel]

So much more succinct and interpretable. Thank you, AZTheta for taking over Drolefille's job as the resident interpreter.

[AZTheta]

I miss Drolefille. A LOT.

[Titchou]

And to answer the questions as listed by AZTheta:

1) Usually

2) Only if you want it.

3) Yes, since the rules say that you are eligible for the next "formal" recruitment period. Caveat: don't accept a bid thinking you can just drop out and have a redo at formal. Just because you "can" do it doesn't mean it will work out for you.

4) That's up to you. We have no way of knowing.

And finally, with grades that just cover the minimum requirement you are at the bottom of the list, so to speak. Why should they take you over someone who has proven they won't be a grade risk???? I can't think of a single reason.

[Msm81793]

I should probably explain the GPA thing. I had a 3.6 in high school, so I'm not stupid, but the reason why my GPA took a beating this semester is because I'm taking a hard major and one of my professors was possibly one of the worst professors I will ever encounter. The class average was a 70, so I'm honestly thankful that I managed to pass with a C. It also didn't help that I got sick mid semester and missed class a few times to go to Student Health.

However, I have all As this semester thus far and I'm planning to take classes during the summer to raise up my GPA. Plus, I've seen girls with below a 2.0 get bids at my school. They're not as strict with GPA as other schools are.

[DubaiSis]

Reasons don't matter on the GPA. And trust me on this LOTS of smart girls flunk out of college. A lot more than inherent intelligence is required to do well in college.

As far as what you should do, I would finish the process. If you get an offer from a chapter you'd be happy with take it and don't look back. If you decide not to accept a bid or don't get offered one, work really hard this semester on your grades and your activities and get ready for rush in the fall.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by Msm81793

I should probably explain the GPA thing. I had a 3.6 in high school, so I'm not stupid, but the reason why my GPA took a beating this semester is because I'm taking a hard major and one of my professors was possibly one of the worst professors I will ever encounter. The class average was a 70, so I'm honestly thankful that I managed to pass with a C. It also didn't help that I got sick mid semester and missed class a few times to go to Student Health.

However, I have all As this semester thus far and I'm planning to take classes during the summer to raise up my GPA. Plus, I've seen girls with below a 2.0 get bids at my school. They're not as strict with GPA as other schools are.

I doubt you know what the actual GPA is of any person that received a bid at your school. . Women who have lower GPAs after they pledged happens all the time but doesn't mean they didn't have the GPA to pledge. Considering that YOU aren't a member of a sorority at your school, you wouldn't actually know that they aren't as strict about GPAs would you? Repeating worthless gossip may make you feel better but it proves nothing and will get you nowhere.

[Griffins&Quills]

Not to mention it's an NPC requirement to have a 2.5 to participate in formal recruitment, not just a chapter by chapter basis requirement

[sigmagirl2000]

Originally Posted by Griffins&Quills

Not to mention it's an NPC requirement to have a 2.5 to participate in formal recruitment, not just a chapter by chapter basis requirement

False.

The school where I advise just had multiple women going through recruitment with below a 2.0 GPA. We scoured the MOI and found that anyone is eligible to go through recruitment. We did have the GA pull these women aside and let them know that their current GPA was below the GPA required for initiation for every group represented on campus and they would not likely make it through the first round. However, the GA could not force them out of recruitment, and all three continued with this information. All were dropped by all groups the first round.

[Griffins&Quills]

Okay, well, I was under the impression that it was a requirement. What I don't understand about your campus is that if their GPA is currently below the requirement for initiation, isn't it moot point? Grades from the current semester are the only thing to bring up the GPA and initiation is typically before the end of the semester (I'm not familiar with holdovers, so, I'm not even sure if that's done in NPC), so why even bother paying the fee and rushing? On the EXTREMELY small chance that you have pull with someone important who would get special permission from nationals??