Didn't get a bid, what should I do?

[jazing]

Speak for yourself. One of the first questions I was asked at rush was what my high school GPA was. I intend to ask the same. I've seen good people get a bid, then have to either drop, or wait out another semester because of grades. These people unfortunetly were wasted on, and they wasted their time pledging. My pledgemaster even said grades are the most important thing, and when he was pledging he had the highest GPA of his pledge class (of 20).

The fraternities with good GPAs get more stuff done. If I were you, I'd want to join one that puts grades first. And also one that doesn't go against what their national office wants.

[33girl]

Passing the dutchie on the left hand side, that's one thing. But bringing out a bong? Jeez louise. Then again, who wants to look a gift bong in the mouth?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gs4Nz6EjDA

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Passing the dutchie on the left hand side

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFtLONl4cNc

(I have never smoked weed but I love good music.)

[knight_shadow]

^^ That's what I thought 33girl's YouTube link would be

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

^^ That's what I thought 33girl's YouTube link would be

Same here! 33girl failed us.

[33girl]

How you can say a Facts of Life clip where Tootie is still on the roller skates is failing you in any form is f'ing beyond me.

[DrPhil]

LOL. Okay, a Tootie rollerskate clip is no fail. It just wasn't the music reference we were expecting. LOL.

[JDCookMS]

We bring grades up anytime we rush anybody. If you are under a 2.50 our policy is that you don't get a bid, except in extremely rare cases. So far this has worked out for us, as we have a good range of guys from jocks to geeks. Also, we have a Zero Tolerance Policy written into our bylaws that is strictly enforced, if you are found with drugs, then you are instantly kicked out. But, these things came about because at one point, years ago, our chapter went 4/7 years on probation for doing stupid shit.

[Ghostwriter]

Originally Posted by DTD Alum

One last thing about being invited to smoke weed. I think many fraternities will have at least pockets of stoners. Often times, this group can become almost a subculture within the fraternity, and their top picks may be widely different than the top picks of the fraternity as a whole. Sometimes they may be perceived (rightly or prejudicially) as the "slackers" of the group, and their favorites may be strategically ousted by other groups of guys during rush.

This^^^^

Many Fraternities have rules in which it takes only one dissenting vote for a person to not receive a bid. I think you were trying too hard to fit in.

[dekeguy]

Geez, I thought the old rule regarding bids was: ONE BALL - THATS ALL. All you have to do is piss off one active, or in some cases an alum, and you are history. This is a tough situation but it is a double edged sword. If you are friends with an active he can always send you a discrete message to the effect that:
a. You might want to try again (meaning only one or two balls were dropped on you and he/they graduated so give it a shot, you have a reasonable chance)
or
b. sorry you didn't get a bid, but there are plenty of other things to get involved with (meaning when your name came up they had to odrer a truck load of black balls just to take the vote so you haven't got a prayer).

As to weed, while I agree with all that has been said on this, one might also consider this a set up for a test. If you were a 'possibility' but some weren't sure about your judgment and reliability this might have been the land mine placed in your path to see if you would step on it or around it. There is a time and a place for everything and where they might not have cared what you did privately among friends what you did semi-publicly among strangers might have set off warning bells.
You won't get all the info you would like but I would ask someone I had gotten to know well enough to ask whether he could tell you if you were close and it was worth a shot or if you tried again you might run the risk of tar and feathers compliments of an angry mob.
Some fraternities are super strict about any comments but in my experience most allow SOME leeway in advising candidates about their realistic chances for a second shot.
Good Luck.

[jazing]

Pissing off a brother might not be a shot in the foot, but it most certainly can be. It just depends how you pissed said brother off, and what state the brother was in (drunk/high and you are probably not in trouble).

My experience when rushing was I had little interest in anything but AEPi, so I cannot really help. A friend of mine was rushing another group and didn't get a bid, but I think that had more to do with him not showing up to places. Get out there and show them you want to be a member. Be nice and connect and they will get you that bid.