Going through sorority recruitment is an exciting time. College women eagerly anticipate bid day and finding out which sisterhood has extended an invitation to join. But not every sorority rush experience ends on a positive note. Some women fail to receive a bid to a sorority. If the desire to belong to a sorority still exists, then the potential new member must decide whether or not to go through membership recruitment again.
The question that naturally follows is what are the odds I will receive a bid the second time through? The answer to that question depends on a number of factors.
Sophomore or Upperclassman Standing and Quota
Many schools easily place sophomores and even juniors during recruitment. However, at some schools it is nearly impossible to receive a bid after the freshman year. There are so many outstanding women who go through recruitment that the sororities can afford to be selective and only choose women who will be members for the full four years.
Some schools do have a separate sophomore or junior quota so the sororities can take a full quota of members and add an additional number of sophomores and/or juniors that are considered "free" because they do not count in the official quota. The college panhellenic office will be able to explain the policies regarding sophomores and juniors. If you really desire to be in sorority, then it is always worth the chance of going through, as long as you understand ahead of time that the odds are greatly stacked against you.
The Importance of Grades in Sorority Recruitment
Women frequently fail to do well in sorority recruitment for the simple reason that their grades are poor. While some women will meet the official minimum GPA cut-off, they have very little chance of getting a bid because there are so many other women with much better grades. Sororities frequently cut in early rounds based on grades alone. For example, the minimum GPA to rush may be a 2.5, but many sororities will automatically cut anyone below a 3.0.
If you think you were cut because of grades, there is only one answer. Your grades must improve substantially before you rush again or you will suffer the same fate the second time through. Bad grades will sink a potential new member almost every time.
A Poor Campus Reputation Can Ruin Recruitment
If you failed to receive a bid because of your reputation on campus or even in high school, going through recruitment again will probably not help. Once a woman is known to have a poor reputation, there is very little chance of her receiving a bid. You will be remembered from the previous year and, in all likelihood, dropped again.
This issue of reputation carries over to Facebook, both your own and that of your friends. Sorority women will review the Facebook pages of women going through recruitment and if yours is full of unflattering information and pictures, you have completely sabotaged your chances. Going through recruitment again the next year probably will not change that.
The issue of reputation also includes how you conducted yourself during recruitment. If you were rude or snarky, then expect your reputation to follow you indefinitely. Being rude to a chapter that you consider beneath you is never wise. Sorority women are friends and intimately connected with women in other chapters. The woman you are rude to in the chapter you don’t want may be best friends with a woman in the chapter you desperately want to join. They will talk and you will end up in neither.
Deciding to Go Through Recruitment Again
Sororities are full of women who rushed more than once and successfully pledged. If the problem was simply being overwhelmed by the process or not maximizing your options, then it definitely might be worth trying again. If poor grades or a poor reputation seem to be the problem, doing recruitment a second time will probably not change the outcome. But every woman who truly longs to be a part of the Greek life on campus and enjoy the benefits of sorority membership should pursue the opportunity with a realistic attitude rather than always wondering "what if."
Sallie Schaaf Borrink - Sallie Borrink is a professional writer with extensive experience with business clients, the consumer market, and online destinations.
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