Texas State University/Southwest Texas Univeristy rush

[pandah]

So after 5 months of lurking around, shifting through LOTS of threads, i have to give up and ask for some help. I am looking to rush in the fall this year and i was trying to get a feel for what recruitment was like. The only link i could find that was pretty relevant was from 2002.

i have an idea of the gpa requirements (the school posts the grades online http://www.studentorgs.txstate.edu/greek/grades.htm) Im sure above the chapter average listed here is best, however ive tried asking the panhel office if below the average is acceptable but i've only been told that at least a 2.5 is a national requirement for the majority of the 6 sororities on campus. From what i have found here on GC, there are national and chapter gpa requirements. I guess what i am looking for is for example, a hypothetical situation, ABC has a 3.0 chapter avg, and Susie Q has a 2.9, is this going to be problem for Susie Q? Ive read threads about GPA cutoffs and many posters have said, most chapters wont take a girl below their chapter minimum gpa for obvious reasons, however, i dont know the minimum so should i use the chapter avg as an idea?

I'm doing well on recs so far, i'm not sure how competitive recruitment is here but the greeks are very visible on campus and to me, they seem like a large part of the student body. Im aiming for two recs for each organization, Should i aim for more?

I guess just any advice regarding recruitment here would be so helpful and much appreciated! i'm doing this on my own in a way, my family has no greeks on either side of the family so i'm the first trying to go greek! Its very exciting but very stressful at the same time!

[nittanyalum]

Originally Posted by pandah

ABC has a 3.0 chapter avg, and Susie Q has a 2.9, is this going to be problem for Susie Q?

Normally, yes, probably, but based on the greek grades report in the link you provided, only one NPC chapter there has over a 3.0 average, so you're probably ok at least making sure you have the 2.5 minimum (since even the 3.0 chapter obviously has members under that if it's only their average).

[KSUViolet06]

You can't really judge whether or not you'll be released from a chapter for grades based on the average. That tells you alot about how the girls in the chapter perform academically, but not about their requirements.

My advice is to contact the Greek Life Office and get the actual info about the minimums. That way you know for sure.

[gee_ess]

It has been my experience that the minimum required to go through recruitment for a particular campus often falls below the minimum for the chapters. So, if the required min to go through is 2.5, you can be sure that some of the houses will have a higher min. like a 3.0. These chapter minimums are not often posted. Now, that said, there are also exceptions to those chapter minimums. But, to pledge a pnm with a lower than required gpa will take special permission. Usually the pnm will need to have an abundance of extracurricular activities, etc to show that her academic performance suffered somewhat due to this involvement. It is harder to get a bid if you are below the chapter minimum, but it is not unheard of.

Two recs per house sounds good. But, if you know five alums from ABC sorority, go ahead and give your info to all five and ask if they would mind writing a letter for you. It is not going to hurt to have more than two letters or recs.


Good luck this fall. We will be rooting for you!

[ISUKappa]

Originally Posted by gee_ess

Usually the pnm will need to have an abundance of extracurricular activities, etc to show that her academic performance suffered somewhat due to this involvement. It is harder to get a bid if you are below the chapter minimum, but it is not unheard of.

Yes, or prove that there were severe extenuating circumstances (death in the immediate family, lengthy sickness, learning disability, etc...) and that the PNM made a sincere effort with respect to academics to offset that circumstance.

Just because there is a special circumstance doesn't mean the chapter has to do anything about it, though. Some won't allow exceptions, no matter the reason.

[KSUViolet06]

According to this page, PNMs @ Texas State need a 2.5:

http://www.txstatepanhellenic.com/page.php?page_id=5332

I'm sure your GL office will have info the specific chapter minimums though, since I don't see that info anywhere here.

Cuts are not made based on a chapter average, but if ABC has a local GPA requirement of a 3.0, and Suzie Q has a 2.9, she can expect to be cut by them.

[gee_ess]

I have not seen it as standard procedure to list the individual chapter minimums on a website - is this a norm I am not aware of?

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by gee_ess

I have not seen it as standard procedure to list the individual chapter minimums on a website - is this a norm I am not aware of?

At W&L it was listed in our recruitment booklet - which I now think has been moved completely online.

[alum]

Minimum GPAs were listed on the Wake Forest and Duke Panhel websites a couple of years ago. What I remember reading about W&L's is that the college Panhel minimum was lower than any of the individual groups' mins. I always wondered if that would cause angst for the girls who made the college min but none of the groups. Wouldn't they be automatically cut from all groups?

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by alum

What I remember reading about W&L's is that the college Panhel minimum was lower than any of the individual groups' mins. I always wondered if that would cause angst for the girls who made the college min but none of the groups. Wouldn't they be automatically cut from all groups?

This is true and it's a major problem at W&L. The Panhel minimum is 2.0 but all the groups have a minimum requirement of 2.25 or greater.

I think because of the general academic strength at W&L, many groups do get "grade risks" that they really want cleared, but it's a stupid situation. IMO Panhel should just raise the minimum.

[Just interested]

Texas lists it on their website as well as costs for each chapter

[catiebug]

Paging SWTXBelle!!!!

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by catiebug

Paging SWTXBelle!!!!

LOL - recruitment at TX State is not NEARLY as intense as UT or SMU. I think any g.p.a. over 3.0 would be just fine.

As an aside, looking at the numbers I wonder . . . would TX State be interested in expansion soon? (fingers crossed, and you know why!)

[pandah]

texas 09,
I unfortunately did not go through recruitment this fall. I will say to you though that i HIGHLY recommend going through all the "what not to do or say" recruitment threads, read up on the recommendations threads and pay attention to the conversation advice threads and listen to what the GC ladies say in other threads. My best friend went through rush at Texas as a Junior and she had a successful recruitment thanks to many of the threads here.
I am extremely pro greek for many reasons including the fact that it is a great way to get involved on campus, make friends etc. Since you are a sophomore I also recommend that whatever your non greek friends tell you about sororities or what you have heard from the fraternity boys or around campus, throw it out the window. Be open minded to all the sororities. There are six wonderful chapters here and there is a fit for all different types of women. Your experience will be ten times better if you do that! If greek life doesn't pan out now, get involved (well you should start now) in other organizations! There are service fraternities and sororities along with all the other student interest groups! Anyways, get involved at school, keep up the grades, and read all the advice threads, they are there for a reason and were extremely helpful getting two of my best friends prepared for recruitment at Texas and Texas State!
Also keep us updated! I've been reading recruitment stories all day and am now addicted! They are so much fun! Plus it would be great to hear how your experience went!

SXTXBelle- I obviously wouldn't know any information about possible expansion but just from chit chat with the sorority women i know, apparently the last expansion vote was shot down (I don't know when that was or for what reason). However they are apparently raising the application fee this year and they are pretty sure they are going to continue to have their recruitment a week or so after school starts. This past year they did some serious Panhellenic promotion before recruitment and I was told it paid off. Roughly the new pledge classes are sitting between 40 and 50 NMs and around 110-130 total chapter members. I know nothing about expansion but there has been steady increases in size every year but there was a huge increase in NMs this last fall. So maybe? Like I said though, it was mostly chit chat between friends but nothing that is official!

Oh I got my numbers from the grade reports (http://www.studentorgs.txstate.edu/greek/grades.htm)

I also wanted to say a belated thanks to those who posted and pm'ed with such great advice for me! While I didn't get to use it, I passed it along to some really good friends and it worked out for them!
Sorry the post is so long!

[gee_ess]

I think it is a good idea TO list those individual chapter minimums. Glad to see it being done in some places. Thanks for keeping me informed!