Difficult Situation

[beachlover16]

Hey ladies! I've done my research and I know you've already been asked if girls should rush or not. I'm not looking for that, I know that I'm going to give rush a shot however I'm in a difficult/akward situation and I am looking for any advice possible on how to handle rush considering this.

I graduated high school in 2010 without anticipating I would be. I had planned on graduating a semester later however I had already gone on my college visits (thankfully) so I knew where I wanted to go but I hadn't taken the SAT so I enrolled in community college. I finished my first year at community college and I was offered an AMAZING internship that summer during that summer I was admitted to the school I wanted to go to. Well, the last week of that internship I was offered another internship for an international company. It was like a dream come true so I accepted as one of the only students representing the USA! Because of this though I had to delay my transfer to Spring.

Well, the school that I will be going to this Spring is very small it has 4 sororities. Because of this I don't think they have a Spring rush and I can't find evidence of one on their website. This would require me to rush as a Junior. (credit wise I won't be a junior but years in college) I'm very nervous about my chances although I know it's possible. Another difficulty is I don't know any recommendations. My father was in a fraternity and he was actually his frat president so I have been exposed to the benifits of greek life in my family just not from my mother. Also, I'm not worried about age because I'm still 18 (graduated early) but I am seeking any advice I can get!

Sorry about the long post I just wanted to completely describe my situation. Thanks a ton for any advice!!!

[excelblue]

Lane-swerving here, but be on the lookout for Spring recruitment activities, and f they don't come up, confidently do formal recruitment the following fall.

If the school only has four sororities, I'm guessing that it's probably not very competitive. Just be yourself and hope for the best.

There's really no decision to be made here. It's basically: participate in recruitment and possibly (or even likely) get a bid, or don't participate and remain independent. Better go with the first choice if you want to have any chance at all!

[beachlover16]

Thank you! I really appreciate the advice, I think a bit of it too is my nerves. I'm considering calling the school to see if there is a spring recruitment first! Again thank you though!

[DubaiSis]

Originally Posted by beachlover16

This would require me to rush as a Junior. (credit wise I won't be a junior but years in college)

If you're not a junior, you're not a junior. It's credits that count.

[beachlover16]

If I'm not a junior by credits though will that hurt me after the average amount of time?

[Always AlphaGam]

Originally Posted by beachlover16

If I'm not a junior by credits though will that hurt me after the average amount of time?

I really think you're making a mountain out of a mole hill here.

If your credits say you're not a Junior, you're not one. I'd leave it at that.

[DubaiSis]

This isn't a job interview - they're not going to ask you why you have gaps in your education. And if they did, two highly prestigious internships would certainly be reason enough.

And yes, you're overthinking it. Relax, look into informal rush opportunities as soon as you start at school - they won't necessarily be advertised but the Greek Life office should be able to help get you started, and stop worrying about it so much until then.

[crosscaravan]

My advice would be to just sort of roll with it and have fun. When you get onto campus, keep your eyes open for recruitment events (as others have said, they may not be as widely advertised as formal recruitment would be) but also focus on settling into your classes, meeting new people, and having an all-around good time. Don't stress it.

Focusing on what what could go wrong can sometimes cause things to go wrong. Sort of like a self-fulfilling prophecy - for example, today one of my coworkers was all, "I'm not going to be able to make any sales today, what if everyone comes in and cancels their orders, this could go horribly horribly wrong" and kept dwelling on it during his entire shift! When customers came in, they picked up on his negative attitude, and lo and behold - because he was busy worrying about it instead of actively trying to make the sales, he didn't actually get any on his own.

I know it's not quite the same thing, but the attitude you have going into this sort of thing is generally obvious from the get-go - and if you do have time between your arrival on campus and when your recruitment starts, and you keep a positive, upbeat attitude and show that you have a passion for living your life to its fullest (which it sounds like you do, since you've taken so many amazing opportunities already), it's likely that you'll be noticed in a good way, especially if the women in the chapters are keeping an eye out for PNMs, which I imagine they might be in a smaller Greek system. Don't quote me on that though - since I don't know your exact situation. At worst, you'll make a ton of new friends on your campus, and at best, you'll go into recruitment and when people hear your name, maybe one or two of them will say, "Oh, I had a class with her/I've seen her around/she plays ___ with my friend, she's always excited and upbeat, she might be a good fit!" Not that I can say for sure what they would say or do, but if you have time between your arrival and when recruitment starts, you can definitely use it to your advantage.

Make the most of what you have, don't focus too much on your negatives - especially in the case of being a "junior," since you're not really one with those credits - and be prepared to go into this with an open mind regardless of what you hear around campus. Recruitment, whether it's formal or informal, is an amazing experience no matter how it turns out - you get the chance to meet so many different women from so many different walks of life, and in the best case scenario you get the opportunity to have sisters and to be a sister to a group of amazing women.

Oh, yikes - sorry I rambled so much! Please keep in mind that this is just my two cents, and that as I'm not 100% familiar with your situation I can't give you any guarantees or say anything about what will and won't work on your campus with any degree of certainty. Still, I think keeping a positive attitude no matter what happens along the way will help a lot.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by beachlover16

Hey ladies! I've done my research and I know you've already been asked if girls should rush or not. I'm not looking for that, I know that I'm going to give rush a shot however I'm in a difficult/akward situation and I am looking for any advice possible on how to handle rush considering this.

I graduated high school in 2010 without anticipating I would be. I had planned on graduating a semester later however I had already gone on my college visits (thankfully) so I knew where I wanted to go but I hadn't taken the SAT so I enrolled in community college. I finished my first year at community college and I was offered an AMAZING internship that summer during that summer I was admitted to the school I wanted to go to. Well, the last week of that internship I was offered another internship for an international company. It was like a dream come true so I accepted as one of the only students representing the USA! Because of this though I had to delay my transfer to Spring.

Well, the school that I will be going to this Spring is very small it has 4 sororities. Because of this I don't think they have a Spring rush and I can't find evidence of one on their website. This would require me to rush as a Junior. (credit wise I won't be a junior but years in college) I'm very nervous about my chances although I know it's possible. Another difficulty is I don't know any recommendations. My father was in a fraternity and he was actually his frat president so I have been exposed to the benifits of greek life in my family just not from my mother. Also, I'm not worried about age because I'm still 18 (graduated early) but I am seeking any advice I can get!

Sorry about the long post I just wanted to completely describe my situation. Thanks a ton for any advice!!!

Just because a campus only has 4 chapters doesn't mean they won't be taking new members in the spring. Just like anywhere else, there may be one or more chapters below campus total who will be participating in COB. Unlike larger campuses, they will likely not have a formalized recruitment process, so coming in as a transfer student would make it difficult to get your foot in the door. Inquire at the Greek Life office to find out if any of the groups are below total and participating in COB. Then try to meet some members. They may be in your classes. Inquire about COB. If they don't invite you to a party, fall formal recruitment is your only option. Also realize that if they only have one or two spots, they may have friends lined up already, so don't be offended or hurt if you do t get the chance. Such is COB.

[33girl]

^^Exactly, if anything, I would think (sweeping generalization) a smaller system would be more likely to have an organized spring rush.

Do a search for the school's name on here - there is a thread showing when formal rush takes place, another thread discussing whether or not you need recs there, and you may also find some posters who go/went there. They would be the best ones to ask about the particulars of formal/informal rush timing.

Good luck!

[Katmandu]

You are 18, not 25! You are traditional freshman college age, and if your credits do not make you a junior, why do you refer to yourself as a Jr.? Muddying the waters.

Go through spring recruitment or COB if they have it, and if not, go through fall recruitment with a smile on your face. As others have said, you are overthinking this. Two internships doth not a jr. make, although it should make for some sparkling conversations and some interesting experiences. You sound like a great PNM, and I hope you have a terrific time. You have a great answer as to why you are interested in sorority life--Daddy was president of his fraternity and I know from him what a wonderful experience it can be. Done!

[beachlover16]

Thank you ladies! I really appreciate all the advice! The only reason I refer to myself as being a junior is that if there is no informal rush it will be my third year out of highschool at the time I rush. I know that my internships explain my gap although I just fear it would come down to loosing the opportunity based on not being a freshman. Again thank you I truly appreciate all the advice!

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by beachlover16

The only reason I refer to myself as being a junior is that if there is no informal rush it will be my third year out of highschool at the time I rush.

When I was a freshman, there was another freshman who was 25, just out of the military and joined Chi Omega. She was WAAAY more than 3 years out of high school, but she was still a freshman.

[frangiblefacade]

Honestly, I'm a senior by credit hours, but I just transferred to a new school and am changing majors, so I will be in school for at least 2-3 more years now. I just went through recruitment at my school, and there were only 4 sororities as well. I explained my situation to the girls at rush, and everyone was very understanding. I ended up getting a bid from a great sorority. So honestly, I don't think you will have many problems when it comes to that front. Good luck!

[violetpretty]

Did you check this thread to see if your school does formal recruitment in the fall or spring? Even if you missed fall recruitment, there may be COB opportunities in the spring.