[blueberrymuffin]

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.