Many collegiates have the opportunity to go Greek as freshman students but may get turned down or completely shoot down the offer. As they get further into their collegiate career, they begin to wonder if they will ever find the correct Greek home. If they do find it will sisters judge them based on their age? Yes, sororities would love to have many freshmen because they will be in the sorority longer—but sororities also love to have older new members if their personalities go well together. If you are concerned about your chances as an upperclassman, I will dispel some of your fears and help you become a stronger upperclassman new member candidate.
My sorority is lucky. I had multiple upperclassmen in my new member class. In fact, in my Spring 2012 new member class, at least four girls were not second-semester freshmen like me. (We had deferred recruitment then, so you had to be at least a second-semester freshman to join.) Some new members were sophomores and even juniors. It is not uncommon to see this. Ultimately any sorority would rather have a strong upperclassman with an extensive leadership background than a weak underclassman. Here are some tips to becoming a successful upperclassman candidate. Not all sororities will look at these things, and some are kind of relaxed about it.
To get a good hold on the ones that focus on these things, use these tips. If you are an upperclassman, remember that some sororities expect you to be way more together than a regular potential new member. You have to show them why they should pick you.
A Good GPA Helps
I am not saying that GPA will be a deal-breaker, but sororities want to know that anyone they take will have good grades. If you have had a couple of semesters to adjust to college life, sororities are a lot less likely to take the grade risk. With first-year students, it is easier because they may not have a college track record, or the one that they do have could be just a product of bad teachers or a bad semester. You want to show them that you have maintained a good grade point average. Grades are crucial in sorority life. If sororities have too many grade liabilities, an upper-level student may be the first to get cut. Before you go through recruitment, make sure your grades are in tip-top shape because they will be looked at, if only for a little while.
Clubs Are Important
Being involved is also important if you are not a freshman. Make sure you have one or two extra-curricular activities to pad your belt. One, it gives you things to talk about; and two, it’s just awesome. When you join a sorority, you are expected to be involved—so why not jump on in and start right away. Have a couple of clubs to talk about during recruitment. Don’t lie about your club involvement, though! Members of sororities are also involved. They will be able to tell if you actually went to that Llama Lovers Anonymous meeting.
Hold A Conversation
If you have been in college a while, the girls will expect you to have known a little about conversation. First-year students are still nervous, and I am not saying that you are not nervous, but they expect you to be a little less nervous because you have been around college a while. Here are some tips and things to remember.
Remember That Any Sorority Girl You See Is Just Like You
It may be hard to see when sorority members are wearing similar clothes or are more made up than you—but they are in the same college, and they are college students just like you. It seems a little intimidating because they are the ones with your ticket to a sorority in their hands—but they are in the same boat as you.
Get To Know All The Greek People You Can
As an upperclassman, you have the ability to hang out with more Greek people than most freshman students because you have been at the school for a while. Talk to Greeks in your classes and get to know all the sorority women you can. It is so much easier to get through recruitment if you know a few girls in the room.
Be Patient
Greek life is a great way to get involved on your campus. Recruitment is a mutual selection process. Be patient if you get dropped or don’t get the designer sorority you want. Make sure you are joining the sorority you are joining for the right reasons. Patience is the key to getting through recruitment and finding the sisterhood for you.
Have Fun
Recruitment is a fun time, not a stressful one. Have great conversations and meet new people. Not doing well during formal recruitment will not hurt you horribly. Don’t get so wrapped up in doing everything perfectly that you forget to have fun. Good luck with recruitment!
