Joining a New Chapter
 

If anyone has experience about joining a new sorority at your college, either from the standpoint of a PNM attempting to join or sorority alum participating in the recruitment process, I could use some advice.

I just transferred to the main campus of my flagship state university after receiving an associate degree from my local community college. I never considered joining a sorority because I didn’t think this was an option for a transfer student because recruitment is very competitive so I didn’t participate in formal recruitment which ended last week. Classes started last week and some of the girls in my dorm were talking about a new sorority starting recruitment meetings next month. I checked this sorority out over the net and they appear to be a very old and strong national organization with many chapters at top universities nationwide. The new sorority already has a website under the Greek Life section of the university website and said they would be recruiting freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors. I am very interested in the possibility of joining this chapter provided their recruitment is a success both in numbers and the type of girls I would like to have as my friends. Grades are not an issue as I did very well at my community college. I think I look OK, not fat or ugly or anything like that. I do have some questions I think you could help me out with.

Will they hold it against me?

I never graduated form high school but got a GED in the evenings before I enrolled in my community college.

I know sororities like their members to be involved in student activities but I was unable to do so at my community college because I had to work part time. I have more spare time now because I have a partial scholarship and a relative is helping me pay the rest and do want to get involved and have been checking out several student organizations.

I worked full time for several years after I left high school so I am older than the other students in my class.

The new chapter website said you could submit letters of recommendation to the national office but the deadline for doing it has passed. The national website said there is an alum organization in the city where the university is located. Should I try to contact them even though it is passed the deadline?

When I meet with the sorority people is it OK to ask them,

How many members they are trying to recruit?

How much is it going to cost? I am not made out of money so of it just costs too much I can’t do it.

The other chapters at my school have absolutely gorgeous houses. Can I ask them what their plans are for housing? This is certainly not a deal breaker for me and it would be OK if they had no immediate plans but I would just like to know up front.

What are my chances of being accepted? I don’t want to be in the position of sitting by the phone waiting for a call that never comes.

Is it OK to tell them I am very interested in joining? I don’t want to come across as desperate but also don’t want to come across as stuck up and think I am too good for them.

The last thing is how do I tell if I like the girls who will be joining this new chapter? If it was an established chapter you talk to the current members and can tell if you fit in. In this situation I don’t see how you can.

Any other advice you can give me about joining a new chapter would be appreciated.

Thanks so much for any help you can give me.

Noone here can tell you your chances as we don't know you or where you are. That said, new colonies are always interested in getting women of all classes and all experiences. New colonies don't want to have all freshmen, they need upperclassmen and women with more experience to help ground the new members.

Yes, you should tell them that you are interested. Yes, you should ask about housing and what those plans are. Yes, you should ask about finances and what the projected dues are going to be.

Since you have an established college GPA, your high school record probably won't make a difference.

The colony organizers will hold events where the PNMs will attend and get to know each other and interact with each other and possibly active members from near by chapters.

Good luck .. you'll never know if you don't try.

I'm not an expert, as I never joined a colony, and the only new sorority on my campus never did the interview thing and just participated in formal recruitment.

However, I think it's okay to mention that you're very interested in the sorority, but I would add why -- because you'd like to help start something, because you're connected to their philanthropy, etc. They may be looking for people who are interested in XYZ, not just a sorority in general.

And ask about dues. Every sorority would rather have a PNM they love have to drop out of recruitment than join have to quit. Also, the sorority or panhellenic may have scholarships to help pay they can tell you about if you ask (ask your Greek Life Office, too).

You have a lot of great questions, all of which can be answered by the women helping with the colonization. The colonization team is the best source for information as each colonization is different. These women will be armed and ready to help explain the process and help with any questions that were not answered on the colonization or national web sites.

I agree with others who say check it out and get more information. Being a colony member of a chapter is a unique and rewarding experience and you'll never know unless you try.

Best of luck!

To be honest, I've never been involved with the colonization of a new chapter, but my advice would be to think about how to present your academic record and any extracurricular involvement in the best light for any applications and interviews. Even if it doesn't work for this situation, it's good practice for when you get out in the working world and need to have a résumé ready.

I've been involved in several colonizations. Usually the group will have an informational meeting where everyone attends. At that, you sign up for individual interviews with the colonization team (people the group has sent in for this purpose). After the interviews, they invite the women to a pref style event put on by another chapter. After that, bids are issued. And yes, they are looking for all age groups when they colonoize. You can ask any questions you want during the interview. I'd go to the frst event and see what you think. Then you can sign up for an interview or not.

I didn't mean to inply that anyone on Greek Chat could tell me what my chances were because none of you know me and even if you did you are not the one making the decision. What I did mean was at the end of the interview with the sorority representative if it was OK to ask something along the lines of "Am I the kind of girl you are looking for?" I get the impression that in these situations if they want you they call you and if they don't they never let you know untill you read about it in the school newspaper.

No, please don't ask that. Just tell the person how much you enjoyed meeting her, talking with her and learning about her wonderful organization. Leave on a positive note...

And yes,you should be advised one way or another...just like in regular recruitment.

I think you should ask as many questions as come to mind, because that will show that you're interested and have really thought out what you want rather than just showing up on a whim. The women interviewing you will be looking for people they think are strong and will make a great foundation for their organization on your particular campus. One of my best friends was in a colonizing group of a chapter and it seems like her experience was a little bit different than what you're going through- there was already an interest group on campus so their chapter participated in a mock formal recruitment process shortly after that school's official recruitment. But I do know that they took a solid amount of juniors and even seniors into the organization.

As for asking what you're looking for, I would not say this. You could stick with the job interview etiquette, maybe ask something like what kind of girls they are looking for, and then talk about how you fill that ideal for them.

Think of it more like dating than a job interview. Asking a question like that would be assertive with an employer but would make you a little stalkery with a date. And frankly, there is no such thing as "a kind of new member" any more. Sororities like diversity. The only fixed issues are grades and pleasant personality. You can definitely tell them YOU'RE interested, but I probably wouldn't ask to be reciprocated on that. They will have rules preventing them from saying anything very concrete. They can't make any promises, even if only inferred.

Joining a colony is a lot of work but I think can offer an even greater sense of unity because this group has nothing to draw on except each other. I say go for it, keep your inquisitive attitude, and have fun! Best of luck.

The more I think about it I know you guys are right. I would be unfair to try to pin them down like that. I will just have to see what happens. Another possibility has come up and I am exploring that but it is kind of a long shot. I have been reading some of the recruitment threads and wow, its like some of these girls and their mothers are ready to kill themselves if they don't get their first choice or don't get in at all. Its probably because I am a lot older and have been through some rough times and never thought I would be where I am now that I look at things a little differently. You have all been a big help and I will let you know what happens.

I don't want to say what university I am attending or the sorority involved because I have said some things I would rather not be identified with but I did it. I am a new member of the new colony. We got an absolute ton of new members and they all seem to be very nice girls so it looks like the colony is off to a very successful start. When I transferred here I didn't ever think I would ever be in a sorority but here I am wearing sorority letters. Sometimes things really do work out.

Congratulations!!!!!