Advice on bringing a new sorority (colony?) to my Midwesten university campus

[navane]

Originally Posted by Sororitysock

Total is 79 at your school. Everyone made at least quota (34) this last recruitment, and quota was actually down by one since last year. A chapter closed due to low numbers as recently as 2007. This is not a campus where expansion is warranted at all, particularly to satisfy the wants of a couple of young women who decided to pack it up because they couldn't find anyone they had anything in common with among hundreds of other young women.

I think there are two campus locations which match the description given. The other campus has a total of 115 with quota at 36. 5 out of 7 met quota. 2 missed quota by 2. I'm still not seeing a need for expansion.

[sigmagirl2000]

We're talking about the school with a total of 79. Just for clarification sake. Either way, expansion isn't necessary.

[navane]

Originally Posted by sigmagirl2000

We're talking about the school with a total of 79. Just for clarification sake. Either way, expansion isn't necessary.

Ok, thanks. I wanted to make sure I was thinking about the right place.

[shadokat]

This is a pretty grim generalization of colonies. As someone who has advised a HUGELY successful colony and am now working with my second, this doesn't need to be the case.

At the colony I am now working with, we had 200 women come out for 80 spots. We gave LESS THAN 50% of them bids. And for what it's worth, 4 dropped.

This has NOTHING to do with the original post, but I had to respond in kind. As for the original poster, there has to be a NEED for expansion at your campus, and there isn't. You're perceiving a need, where one doesn't exist, based on the fact that you dropped out and think another group is necessary.

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

Rainbows pooping unicorns. You are thinking sorority membership is the magical union where everything is perfect and the girls in YOUR sorority are completely in sync with you at all times in all issues. They are not so much friends as mythical creatures who are perfect in all ways.

You were in a sorority where you had and still have friends. They were not good enough (being mid-tier), so you want to start another sorority chapter that meets these mythical standards. Let me tell you how colonies work, almost every time. A colony comes on campus and girls go bonkers trying to get in. Somewhere between, oh, half and most of the girls get in and they're elated. Then they get down to business and a good chunk of the girls drop out because it turns out being a colony member is hard AND there is none of that unicorn poop ANYWHERE. So then some of these girls who were very carefully selected are gone and the ones left have a sense of reality. But they probably aren't the prettiest or most "fun." And the reputation of the new chapter starts to suffer at least a smidge. So this new chapter that so many girls were just desperate to get in? Now they are mid-tier at best, and probably solidly in last place. And when next year's rush comes around, the new girls who didn't hear anything about how AWESOME it would be in the colony only see "that new house" that doesn't rush quite right and they come off as a little needy. And I heard that they take everyone in colony rush. And they take half of quota.

Now to be clear, being part of a colony can be highly rewarding. But those girls have to have a pretty thick skin because probably for the rest of their collegiate experience they are not going to be in the cool sorority on campus. The successful ones don't care, appreciate their friends and enjoy the great times that they absolutely do have. But if they are focused on being the top of the heap, they are not going to be happy. Or if you expect your friends (because let's remember, it's friendship at the basis of sorority membership) to be perfect and sing and clap every time you approach, then there is no way sorority membership and colony membership in particular is going to make you happy.

[DubaiSis]

It is a gross generalization. Colonies range from less than your 80 to upwards of 300. And loss of only 5% is fantastic. I highly doubt anyone would have numbers on typical retention rates through the colonization period and the first couple years. But losing 5-10% of your members due to the reasons I gave (and so many more) can be a real burden on both the running of the group and the campus reputation.

The point I was making, by way of gross generalization, is colony membership isn't a cakewalk and all of the things that she thinks she will avoid by being in one are even greater than with an established chapter. That does NOT mean that a person shouldn't attempt to be part of a colony. But doing it because the chapter you were in doesn't check all boxes of perfection is going to only result in heartache. The risk/reward with colony membership is great. But it is not instant.

[shadokat]

Agreed with all your points re: the OP.

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

It is a gross generalization. Colonies range from less than your 80 to upwards of 300. And loss of only 5% is fantastic. I highly doubt anyone would have numbers on typical retention rates through the colonization period and the first couple years. But losing 5-10% of your members due to the reasons I gave (and so many more) can be a real burden on both the running of the group and the campus reputation.

The point I was making, by way of gross generalization, is colony membership isn't a cakewalk and all of the things that she thinks she will avoid by being in one are even greater than with an established chapter. That does NOT mean that a person shouldn't attempt to be part of a colony. But doing it because the chapter you were in doesn't check all boxes of perfection is going to only result in heartache. The risk/reward with colony membership is great. But it is not instant.