Sorority Bid Requirements (U of M)

lindseee · #1 09-07-2012, 06:47 PM

So I'm a sophomore and I've always wanted to rush and I'm kind of afraid this might be my last chance. I had a really rough few semester because I took on too much at once and my gpa plummeted to a 1.967. I'm doing much better now and I have a good balance between my schoolwork and social lfe but I'm afraid that my gpa will prevn t me from getting a bid. Does anyone that goes to Michigan know if they make any sort of acceptions if they like you enough and if you make it a point to guarantee academic improvement? Please let me know, its greatly appreciated. Thanks

-Lindsee

AnchorAlumna · #2 09-07-2012, 06:49 PM

You mean exceptions?
No.

adpiucf · #3 09-07-2012, 07:09 PM

There's no way to guarantee academic improvement other than to actually have a good GPA. I alluded to this on your other thread, but I strongly encourage you to skip recruitment and pull your grades up to at least a 3.0 before seeking membership. Get involved on campus and make friends with sorority women to increase your chances at recruitment once your GPA is up.

My sorority occasionally took a grade risk, but they were extreme exceptions with tons of connections to the chapter. Even then, those members never lasted longer than one school year before dropping out or being terminated because their grades never got up to the chapter requirements.

KSUViolet06 · #4 09-07-2012, 07:17 PM

I'm going to be honest. No. A 1.9 is dismal.

Chapters are bound by strict GPA requirements and may not even be permitted to make exceptions to said GPA requirement as it is something imposed by their national headquarters. It's probably especially unlikely at a school like UM where the PNM pool generally has VERY impressive GPAs/stats. When the rest of the pool includes freshmen with very high high school grades, a sophomore with a 1.9 is less than desirable.

And really, does a 1.9 even allow a student to participate in any extracurriculars? A 1.9 at many schools = academic probation.

GammaGirl1908 · #5 09-08-2012, 02:35 AM

Another Michigan grad here, and unfortunately the answer is no.

You are competing against people with very impressive resumes, and a sorority is a HUGE commitment of time and energy. If your grades aren't good enough now -- which they aren't -- the odds that they will be significantly higher in a few months, after devoting a lot of your time and energy resources to the organization, are very low.

I say this particularly because you noted that your grades fell because you had a challenging time balancing school with your social life. Adding even MORE social temptations and commitments by joining the greek system is not likely to do good things for your grades, since you've struggled there in the past.

I think you'd likely have a better chance as a junior with better grades than a sophomore with lower grades. I suggest focusing on your schoolwork this year -- big time! -- and re-evaluating next year.

fascination · #6 09-08-2012, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lindseee

Does anyone that goes to Michigan know if they make any sort of acceptions if they like you enough and if you make it a point to guarantee academic improvement?

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

You mean exceptions?

No, I think she meant "acceptions" because she doesn't want to face any rejectment.

ree-Xi · #7 09-08-2012, 12:45 PM

If you really want to get that GPA up, (and not for the purpose of going Greek, but because you are there for an education), you might try re-taking some of the classes in which you did most poorly. If, as you said, you had extenuating issues that contributed to your inability to do well in your classes, and those circumstances are now over, you should be able to do better next time around. Of course, it will cost you to retake classes and probably put off your graduation for a semester or two, but it could very well be worth it in the long run.

Whether it's the same professor - in which case, you can ask for guidance, or a new professor - which might make the difference in how the subject is taught, you might be able to really push your GPA up.

As for recruitment, you really have the cards stacked against you. I would estimate that the average time required during an NPC new member period would be equivalent to 3 credit hours or more, so what is going to be different this time around if you had that additional load on your schedule?

DeltaBetaBaby · #8 09-08-2012, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ree-Xi

Whether it's the same professor - in which case, you can ask for guidance, or a new professor - which might make the difference in how the subject is taught, you might be able to really push your GPA up.

Oh, please don't register for the same class with the same professor unless you go and speak to them about it first.

AZTheta · #9 09-08-2012, 02:38 PM

My recommendation re: GPA - go online and search for a GPA calculator. You'll get a specific answer of how many units you need to take with the corresponding grade (most often an "A" for people in the OP's circumstance) to raise your GPA to a certain point.

loved the rejectment reference. I miss that thread, it was wild and wacky. Is it still available to read, or is it gone, baby, gone?

BlueCarnation · #10 09-08-2012, 06:12 PM

Another UM grad here. Even if a sorority would make an exception, I would recommend you avoid recruitment and focus on your grades. Because recruitment is so spread out, it actually makes it very easy to get behind on schoolwork. The length of recruitment is supposed to help you keep up with school, but in reality recruitment is very time consuming and if you were to get in one, you will then be very busy. You need to focus on your school work. That is the reason you are at UM. I would strongly suggest talking to an advisor about the best way to boost your GPA. There are strict graduation requirements and you need to know if you meet them. Once you get back on track, then you can think about extracurriculars.

fascination · #11 09-08-2012, 06:55 PM

To AzTheta, I googled "Rejectment Greek Chat" and found this http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ght=rejectment.
But, seriously, to lindseee, I'm sorry I picked on your misuse of "acceptions." The recommendations that you concentrate seriously on your studies are well intended and are good advice. Wishing you success!

Go Alpha Gam · #12 09-09-2012, 10:10 AM

Being new to this sight, I appreciate the link to the Rejectment thread! What a hootment!

lindseee · #13 09-09-2012, 05:30 PM

I'm sorry about my misuse of 'exceptions', Michigan's finest right?! Haha no, I was just rewriting this and didn't double check. Just to clarify, my overall gpa is below a 2.5, and my semester gpa was a 1.9. You all made a great point though, I chose Michigan for the academics and need to succeed in those before all else. Thank you everyone, your insights really helped

BlueCarnation · #14 09-09-2012, 05:47 PM

Your sense of humor is going to serve you very well.

I really encourage you to set up an appointment with an advisor right away. UM can be pretty overwhelming and you just need to find what works for you. Also, I found that hiding away in the stacks of the Grad was a good way to focus--I used to study in the Law Library, but I would check out who came in every time the door opened!

Good luck and Go Blue!

DubaiSis · #15 09-09-2012, 05:56 PM

I second actually using your advisor. I had a great one who gave me very good advice, that I didn't take. And my first semester grades were horrendous. Thankfully grades were not the priority they are today. And just FYI, her advice was to dump at least one class I was taking because my load was too intense for a first semester freshman. And for an incoming freshman, I'd repeat her suggestion: take the minimum requirement to maintain full time status. You can pile on the hours or take summer school to make up the difference later. Your first semester needs to be spent learning how to be a college student.