GreekChat.com Forums  

Go Back   GreekChat.com Forums > Greek Life

Greek Life This forum is for various discussion topics regarding greek life. If you are posting a non-greek related message, please do so in one of the General Chat Topic forums.


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: 325,124
Threads: 115,503
Posts: 2,196,043
Welcome to our newest member, znathanhulzeo24
» Online Users: 1,252
2 members and 1,250 guests
JayhawkAOII, Sen's Revenge
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 01-25-2013, 10:27 AM
JLCo JLCo is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 44
Is Greek right for my dd?

Wanted to get some opinions on whether some people with experience think going Greek would be a good option for my daughter. Below is info/ description of her.

She wants to go to a large university and be part of a nationally ranked College Dance Team. This will involve many hours of practice and performances.

She is truly gifted (IQ 148) and gets impatient with demands that she sees as not being "logical".

However, she seems to be fairly out-going/ social in an independent way.

She would really enjoy participating in the philanthropic activities of a sorority.

Overall, she is attractive and physically fit.

She plans on going to Med school- so I am not sure that some of the political connections made in a sorority would be of as much value to her as someone majoring in other fields.

She will likely participate in Honors program and do intern research

Even though she is "geeky" because of being smart, she is also very hip because she does all types of dance- including hip-hop. The summary here is that she is very unique and I just don't know if her uniqueness plus other commitments would result in her not enjoying Greek life.

Also of note is that she can not afford a semester of bad grades due to the rush week and expectations put on her when she is a new member. Not sure if this is a factor or not or if the sororities would be considerate of her commitment to academics, dance team, and research.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Last edited by JLCo; 01-27-2013 at 07:30 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 01-25-2013, 10:34 AM
FSUZeta FSUZeta is offline
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: naples, florida
Posts: 18,410
Also of note is that she can not afford a semester of bad grades due to the rush week and expectations put on her when she is a new member. Not sure if this is a factor or not or if the sororities would be considerate of her commitment to academics, dance team, and research.JLCo

This jumped out at me so I will address this. No one can afford a semester of bad grades.Whether your daughter's goal is medical school or something entirely different will be of no concern to the sorority. All the new members are treated the same, and the sorority has the same expectations for them all, no matter their intended major. If you or your daughter are expecting special treatment, then greek life might not be the best activity for her.

There are plenty of sorority members whose goal is medical school. They have learned time management and value their sorority membership as well as academics.
__________________
I live in Fantasyland and I have waterfront property.

Last edited by FSUZeta; 01-25-2013 at 10:36 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 01-25-2013, 10:36 AM
AXOrushadvisor AXOrushadvisor is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 696
I don't know if Greek Life would be right for your daughter or not. She would need to go through the process and see if it is right for her.

Does she have good time management skills? She will need that in order to participate in a sorority, be on a nationally ranked dance team and take pre-med courses. My niece had to choose between the sorority and the dance team at her university because she didn't think she would be able to handle it. Another thing to consider would be the events she would miss while practicing for the dance team and dance team commitments.

All sororities value good grades. I don't think rush week will impact her grades especially if recruitment is done before school starts. If recruitment is during school she will need good time management skills to stay on top of reading and assignments during the week.

It is not so much the connections that are valuable in Greek Life. It is the life lessons that you learn. It will help her tremendously with her social skills. Most members of Greek Life can ace an interview because they have had 4 years of recruitment experience that mimic the interview process. I would think the social skills she would learn would aide her in having a good bed side manner which would be important in her chosen field.

I think Greek Life is a wonderful experience for most every one. I would certainly not discourage it if she feels like it is something she wants to pursue. It is a time commitment though and she needs to know that going in to the process. Good luck to you..
__________________
Alpha Chi Omega
Real. Strong. Women.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 01-25-2013, 10:43 AM
summer_gphib summer_gphib is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Roaming around Disney World
Posts: 1,718
I'm thinking it's a decision, she as an adult, will need to make? Why is Mommy on here trying to decide for her? Each university has a unique Greek Life scene. She should be a big girl and make her own decisions.
__________________
“All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed.
For after all, he was only human. He wasn't a dog.”
― Charles M. Schultz

Warning: The above post may be dripping in sarcasm and full of smartassedness.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 01-25-2013, 10:44 AM
HQWest HQWest is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,027
This can be really hard to answer without knowing your daughter or her choice of college. (Which for privacy you should not put on here.)

Maybe the better thing to do would be to ask some of her friends?
Does she have friends from high school or cousins that have gone on to college that are now in sororities?
Would she benefit from having a built in peer group when she starts on campus?
Would she benefit from being encouraged to participate more in on campus activities, social events, or philanthropy projects?
Would she just like to meet some other people with similar ideals and interests?

Some schools allow athletes, flag, dance team, and band members to have reduced recruitment schedules so that they can participate in both. Some schools don't allow freshmen on the dance team so that's a moot point.

I can show you sorority women of all shapes sizes and colors that are on the dance team, in the band, homecoming queens, that run track or are on the basketball team. We have elementary ed majors, art majors, business majors, engineers, pre-law, pre-med - you name it. (And that can be just one chapter....)

Last edited by HQWest; 01-25-2013 at 10:47 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 01-25-2013, 10:46 AM
chi-o_cat chi-o_cat is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: NC
Posts: 548
Quote:
Originally Posted by summer_gphib View Post
Why is Mommy on here trying to decide for her?
Because of her uniqueness?
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 01-25-2013, 10:57 AM
ElvisLover ElvisLover is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: DixieLand
Posts: 150
IMO, let her go through and see if she wants to be a part of a group. She can always drop if she's overwhelmed by it.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 01-25-2013, 10:57 AM
Old_Row Old_Row is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Consumer of Educational Resources
Posts: 486
Quote:
Originally Posted by JLCo View Post
Wanted to get some opinions on whether some people with experience think going Greek would be a good option for my daughter. Below is info/ description of her.

She wants to go to a large university and be part of a nationally ranked College Dance Team. This will involve many hours of practice and performances.

She is truly gifted (IQ 148) and gets impatient with demands that she sees as not being "logical".

However, she seems to be fairly out-going/ social in an independent way.

She would really enjoy participating in the philanthropic activities of a sorority.

Overall, she is attractive and physically fit.

She plans on going to Med school- so I am not sure that some of the political connections made in a sorority would be of as much value to her as someone majoring in other fields.

She will likely participate in Honors program and do intern research

Even though she is "geeky" because of being smart, she is also very hip because she does all types of dance- including killing hip-hop.

The summary here is that she is very unique and I just don't know if her uniqueness plus other commitments would result in her not enjoying Greek life.
Also of note is that she can not afford a semester of bad grades due to the rush week and expectations put on her when she is a new member. Not sure if this is a factor or not or if the sororities would be considerate of her commitment to academics, dance team, and research.

Any advice would be appreciated.
Everyone is unique. Your daughter is not any different or more special than anyone else.
__________________
Roll Tide!
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 01-25-2013, 11:22 AM
AnchorAlumna AnchorAlumna is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Old South
Posts: 2,935
"very unique"

My English major soul is righteously indignant. Forgive it, please.
__________________

Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 01-25-2013, 11:44 AM
DeltaBetaBaby DeltaBetaBaby is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: ILL-INI
Posts: 7,208
Send a message via AIM to DeltaBetaBaby
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna View Post
"very unique"

My English major soul is righteously indignant. Forgive it, please.
Hahaha, if you click on a thread that has "dd" right in the title, you get what you deserve, AA.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 01-25-2013, 11:46 AM
adpiucf adpiucf is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: I can't seem to keep track!
Posts: 5,803
JLCO, your daughter is the only person who can decide if going Greek is right for her. She does this by signing up for recruitment and going through the process, and ultimately bidding a sorority to become a new member. She can drop out at any time if she decides it isn't right for her, but she is the only one who can make the determination. If she's interested, let her ask these questions. Greek Chat is a great resource for her, as is her university's office of Greek Life/Panhellenic.

All sorority members are unique and valuable, and have diverse school commitments and majors. Grades are a top priority and sororities have GPA requirements to maintain membership. However, members must learn to budget their own time accordingly. The sorority will not do it for them. If members don't meet minimum GPA requirements, they can be put on probation until their grades improve or ultimately will have resign their membership. Sororities recognize that academics are the reason why people go to college, and members with consistently low GPAs that fall below chapter standards will not be allowed to retain their membership.

Consider that whether or not your daughter joins a sorority, she will still attend college parties and likely fraternity parties. She will have a sisterhood with her dance team. She will be exposed to a variety of new experiences and decisions no matter if she is in a sorority or not.

I have several sorority sisters and friends who went on to med school. I also knew several Greeks who were on the football team, dance team, in the theatre program, etc. Other sisters worked full time concurrently with full time college enrollment. Like I said, all of our members are unique.

If your concerns are less "is Greek Life right for my kid" and more of "what are her chances of getting in?" We have no idea-- it is up to the women who are in charge of membership selection in the respective sororities at her university.

So if she wants to try it out, I say go for it. The worst thing that can happen is she doesn't get a bid, but she will have given it a try and developed some good interviewing skills in the process.
__________________
Click here for some helpful information about sorority recruitment and recommendations.

Last edited by adpiucf; 01-25-2013 at 11:49 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 01-25-2013, 11:53 AM
SydneyK SydneyK is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,952
Quote:
Originally Posted by summer_gphib View Post
Why is Mommy on here trying to decide for her?
If the OP is for real, then ^^ this.

Quote:
Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna View Post
"very unique"
I know, right? That's right up there with "a little bit pregnant" in my book.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby View Post
Hahaha, if you click on a thread that has "dd" right in the title, you get what you deserve, AA.
This, too.

Sigh.
I guess I thought this was a troll. I'm still hoping that's the case. Please, oh please, let this be a troll.
__________________
Never let the facts stand in the way of a good answer. -Tom Magliozzi
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 01-25-2013, 11:59 AM
JLCo JLCo is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 44
Greek Life

Quote:
Originally Posted by HQWest View Post
This can be really hard to answer without knowing your daughter or her choice of college. (Which for privacy you should not put on here.)

Maybe the better thing to do would be to ask some of her friends?
Does she have friends from high school or cousins that have gone on to college that are now in sororities?
Would she benefit from having a built in peer group when she starts on campus?
Would she benefit from being encouraged to participate more in on campus activities, social events, or philanthropy projects?
Would she just like to meet some other people with similar ideals and interests?

Some schools allow athletes, flag, dance team, and band members to have reduced recruitment schedules so that they can participate in both. Some schools don't allow freshmen on the dance team so that's a moot point.

I can show you sorority women of all shapes sizes and colors that are on the dance team, in the band, homecoming queens, that run track or are on the basketball team. We have elementary ed majors, art majors, business majors, engineers, pre-law, pre-med - you name it. (And that can be just one chapter....)

Thanks for the info. It sounds like she might like it because I think she would "benefit from being encouraged to participate more in on campus activities, social events, or philanthropy projects?..". I have heard of some people doing sports and being in a sorority and wanted to get some input on this.

Last edited by JLCo; 01-25-2013 at 12:04 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 01-25-2013, 12:06 PM
thetalady thetalady is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Big D
Posts: 3,008
Quote:
Originally Posted by SydneyK View Post
Sigh.
I guess I thought this was a troll. I'm still hoping that's the case. Please, oh please, let this be a troll.
It is pretty clear to me that at BEST, this is the special little snowflake asking these questions posing as her mother.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 01-25-2013, 12:14 PM
adpiucf adpiucf is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: I can't seem to keep track!
Posts: 5,803
Student athletes, like any sorority member, are expected to maintain the minimum requirements of membership and follow the proper channels to get excused absences if a legitimate school activity (games, practices, etc.) prevents them from participating in a mandatory sorority activity. It is very doable. That being said, most student athletes don't pledge Greek organizations because of the dual time constraints and the fact that their sports team is like sorority all on its own. The same is true of band members, theatre majors, etc., where those student groups spend a lot of time together. Those student-athletes/band members/dance team members who do pledge sororities are valuable members that the chapter proudly cheers on and brags about!

My sorority had a few girls on the cheerleading squad and dance team. Some held office in the sorority, lived in the house, went to social activities and philanthropy events, and certainly missed a sorority event here and there due to their sports obligations, but overall I would say these women got the most out of their sorority experience... just like any other member with various commitments! In fact, most sororities require their members to be involved with at least one other campus activity outside Greek Life (which dance team certainly would be) to maintain balance and nurture their personal interests. Pretty much every sorority member is juggling classes, sorority obligations, and other campus commitments. Some are working and interning, too.

Basically, if your kid rushes and get a bid, it's up to her to make friends, meet her commitments, pay dues/tuition/room and board, and manage her time. She's an adult now. I get that you may have some input if you're the one controlling the purse strings, but a sorority isn't going to turn your daughter into a raging party whore alcoholic who will fail out of school and never become a doctor. She can be successful or fail all on her own. Individuals make their own life choices, not the organizations they join.

There's no harm in her rushing. Most sororities hold recruitment before school starts, they all have GPA requirements and several require members to put in study hours at the library each week.
__________________
Click here for some helpful information about sorority recruitment and recommendations.

Last edited by adpiucf; 01-25-2013 at 12:25 PM.
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
Greek Week Champs and Greek Goddess, Part II BBelleADPi Alpha Xi Delta 6 05-09-2008 01:33 PM
Positive Greek Story - MTSU Greek Fundraising DZHBrown Greek Life 4 11-14-2003 11:11 PM



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:12 PM.


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