Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Got Questions???? I Got Answers! (Part I)


Hello out there! It's been a while since I last updated my blog! Things have been hectic with school and all, but now that things are winding down, I can answer a few of the questions that you posted on my blog.

1. Q. Now that I am in graduate school, does that mean I can no longer apply for membership into a Black Greek Letter Organization?
A. No, that does not mean you cannot apply. Most BGLO has Alumnae membership intake. This requires that you hold a Bachelor's Degree from a College and University and you have graduated with the minimal, yet required GPA needed for membership. I have many friends and sorors who have gone through the membership intake process at the Alumni/Alumnae level.

2. Q. I am the first person in my family to attend college. How can I show interest, so the members on the campus know that I am interested in joining their organization?
A. I have answered this question time and time again. The BEST way for the members to know you are interested in joining their organization is by attending their events. Trust me, after while they will notice your face, and realize that there may be interest there on your part.

3. Q. I am BEYOND the average undergraduate age. (Over 25). Do I still have a chance of becoming a member through undergrad?
A: Yes, As long as you meet the requirements, you have a chance of becoming a member. None of the BGLO discriminates based off of age, race, or religion.

4. Q. If my mom, aunt, and sister are all members of XYZ org,  can I automatically become a member of the same organization?
A: If you have family members that are members of the organization who wishes to become a member of, then I would suggest that you speak with them. All BGLO have specific rules in terms of "legacies" Your best bet is to talk to your family member to see if the organization they belong to honor legacies.

5. Q. Who can write my letter of recommendation?
   A. This can be best answered at the informational/RUSH. At the information/RUSH, they will go over the details about who can write your letter of recommendation. Side note: I would recommend that you ask for a LOR from a person who you know PERSONALLY! I have been asked to write over ten letters of recommendations, and how many have I written? TWO!

6. Q.  What happens if the chapter that I want to join is suspended or just coming from a suspension? How can I become a member after the suspension is up?
A. Generally speaking, most BGLOs have it set up where the nearest Alumnae/Alumni Chapter is in charge of bringing back the chapter. The best advice I can give you is to keep your eyes and ears open. If a chapter is coming from a suspension and the Alumnae/Alumni chapter voted to revive the chapter, trust me you will know about it through fliers, social media, programs, social activities, community service opportunities, etc.

7. I want to join XYZ, but they have never had a chapter on my campus. Can I still join?
A: That is indeed a possibility; however it's a long process. First, you need to get approval from the College/University. You also need to reach out to the nearest chapter in the area. (Alumnae/Alumni Chapter). Starting a new chapter is not only time-consuming but VERY expensive.

8. Do I have to "Step" to join?
A: I get this question quite often. No, you are not required to "Step."

9. I do not have the required GPA because I experienced a family tragedy, I took a class that was too hard which killed my GPA, or my teacher gave me a grade that I did not deserve. What can I do?
A: Nothing. No, let me take that back, FOCUS ON YOUR GRADES! I have said this before, and I will repeat it.  You are not in college to pledge. You are in college to get a degree. So I will once again say to focus on your grades for now. If you can pull them up, then, and only then, should you focus on pledging an organization.

10. Q. I can't find anyone from the organization that I want to join to write me a letter of recommendation. What can I do?
A: Nothing at this point. Take a year to get to know the members of the organization. This can vary from attending events, performing community service events with the orgs, etc. Most of the BGLOs requires it's prospective members to receive a letter of recommendation from one of its members. So I would suggest that you get to know them. Oh and this doesn't have to be from the chapter that you are seeking membership from. This could include your past teachers, members of your church, neighbors, etc. If you do not know any members, then you are not putting yourself out there enough.

If you have any other "burning" questions, drop a comment here, and I will try to answer them in my Part II


38 comments:

  1. Hello, I have been following your blog since 2014. I interviewed for organization XYZ on Feb 2, 2017 and now it's Feb 22. It has been about 3 weeks. Do you think this week will be when they make the calls? I haven't received a letter in the mail at all. Nor have I heard anything from others who have been interviewed. Any advice is welcomed. Thank you for your blog!

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    1. I have a similar question. I'm waiting for notification as well to find out if I made it into XYZ or not. How long did you have to wait between your interview and that wonderful call?

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    2. Did any of you ever hear back from the org you applied for? Did you make it? It's been 3 weeks for me.

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    3. Good afternoon. To whom this may concern, I am a college student going into my 3rd year, and I am currently interested in joining DST org. I went to the informationals my freshmen year, however when I realized how little I knew and how unprepared I truly was I no longer went. Additionally I think I left a bad impression on the president at the time as a result. However I am a different woman now than I was back then, and I feel more confident that this something I want. My question is, should I start back going to the informationals, even going as far as to explaining to the current and pass members that didn't feel I was ready and so I needed time to learn what I needed to, and give my all now?

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    4. To the last poster, before you just got an informational, you need to attend their regular events. Meet the members and let them know that you support their events. The first and only time that they see you should not be for your informational

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  2. I do have question. If my Rush Packet was super tight meaning I tripled checked all thay is needed for the Alumnae Chapter I am seeking membership with, and I learned few of my friends all got call for interviews coming up 3 days Thursday, Friday, and Saturday does this mean I wasn't considered?

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    1. Did you ever get your interview? I went through this a few years back. Exact same scenario. I ended up getting called for my interview a few days later as they had a lot of people to interview.

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  3. Hello, I am interested in joining a graduate chapter (fraternity). However, I missed the interest meeting. On their website they have a membership link. Should show my interest on the link or wait until they have another interest meeting?
    Thank you for your time.

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  5. Is there a way to know when a certain organization is comming back on campus after being suspended?

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  6. I am a freshman, soon to be sophomore and had saw that the organization i am interested in had their suspension lifted sometime in 2016 and was wanting the question i stated above ����

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  7. During the spring time my freshman year I rushed for xyz organization but did not get in, of course I was hurt and upset that I did not get in, but over time my wounds healed. Over the time where my wounds were healing another organization has caught my eye and I did all my research on them a little bit more and feel like I could really see myself in this organization. It's been 2 years since I was rejected from the other organization. My question is should I even bother joining this organization because I feel like they will reject me because I tried to join another organization 2 years ago.

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  8. I tried to join XYZ org and got denied. It was heartbreaking but I am better now and doing well. However, I plan to transfer schools in the upcoming semester. This has nothing to do with getting denied from the org but rather because of academics.I plan on rushing again the same XYZ org at the new school. However, some have advised me not to because it will look like I tried to change schools to get into the org which IS NOT the case at all. What should I do? I dream of becoming a part of this org but I do not want to get denied again because it looks like I' running away because I got denied. Does this happen often where people get denied and continue to try for the same org? Will I ever get accepted? Should I plan to rush at my new school? Thank You!

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  9. Hello, I have been reading your blogs for a long time, and I appreciate you taking the time to provide answers to questions that I have been afraid to ask for years. Your advice has gave me the courage to look into joining a NPHC sorority. Before asking my question, I will give my background. I have been attending XYZ org events for the past year. The current members, the president and the advisors know me by first name basis. After this semester my cumulative GPA will be right above a 3.0. I have four consecutive years of community service under my belt and I have at least two financial members willing to write my letters. My question is, what would hinder me from getting accepted into the sorority? As well as, how can I get past being so nervous and doubting myself? Thanks!

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  10. Hello. I am a sophomore about to be a junior. I've been wanting to pledge since I started school. I know pledging is expensive and time consuming. What I want to know is how do I go up to a member of [Insert Org Here]and let them I'm interested. Is it a good or bad idea to try to go up to them and be friendly? I don't want to sound desperate or anything, I am trying to keep myself informed of what's going on with the chapter and when they will conduct another interest meeting. Thanks.

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    1. You should attend the organization's public events regularly. Show that you support them. Observe during these events and carefully figure out who is approachable. They will take notice that you attend their events.
      Do your homework and find out: Are any of the members in other groups: student union, a sport, an interest group that you could join? Try to get to know them outside of their Sorority, based on common interests you may have with some of the members.

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  11. This blog has been very helpful. Thank you for taking the time to be so informative. I know you already answered this, but I want to piggyback of question 3. I'm 40 years old, and recently graduated from my local community college and I finishes with a GPA of 3.6 (honors). Now, with that being said my 2 questions are: (1) is 40 to old to consider joining a sorority at the undergrad level, and (2) is it possible to join at the alumni level? Sorry if these questions are unbelievable, but test me, typing it out, I feel a little embarrassed.

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    1. The organizations have no age requirements. My aunt was in my 50s/60s when she joined the undergrad chapter of her sorority. With that being said, remember that you would be trying to join an organization full of 20 year old women. There will be many differences in your lives, goals, interests, etc. You should decide if you want to go through that. You can wait to join an Alumnae/Grad chapter but you must complete your Bachelors degree to apply for any orgs on that level. Good luck though.

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  12. I can answer your questions. First, congrats on graduating! Sororities do not discriminate because of age (undergrad or grad/alumni chapter). You can possibly qualify for an alumni chapter AFTER you earn your Bachelor's Degree. Good luck.

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  13. What should you do if you're interested in joining an org but have leadership responsibilities in other non-Greek related organizations?

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  14. Hello thanks for the advice! I went to a lot of interest meetings last semester and I think this may be the semester for intake :D (SHOOK) things have been going well and I think I've made myself known I think I MAY have overstepped with one of the members of the org that use to be my RA now I think she may think I did too much ( I emailed her about having any tips...I know you spoke out against this but I was eager and out of pocket :( ) ? Should I address this and apologize or keep it moving because it's too late and hope she forgets my eager email! Thanks!

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  15. I am currently enrolled as an online student at ASU living in GA with a burning desire to join the Divine 9. Is that possible? If so, how do I go about inquiring that will later lead me to a chapter?

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  16. The school I currently attend is a PWI (I’m a freshman) and the only sororities they have on campus are pwi , me and my friend want to bring a Divine 9 sorority to our campus & we need help we don’t know where to start

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  17. Good Morning,

    There is about to be a RUSH soon for an Alumnae Chapter of XYZ. Would they still consider you even though you do not reside in the service area but you have all the other requirements?

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    1. Hello. I assume you are speaking of Delta Sigma Theta. No, you MUST reside in that service area and proof will be required for with the application.

      Signed,
      A member of DST

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  18. Hello. I did not excel in undergrad and make no excuses for it, but by the grace of God I received my CPA designation. Do you still recommend pursuing a Master’s Degree for a better GPA in interests of joining a grad chapter? Thank you.

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    1. Unfortunately, your CPA designation will not count towards your GPA requirements. Some organizations always require a certain GPA. Some remove the GPA requirement after a certain amount of years post graduation. You should inquire with the requirements of the organization you are interested in. However, to strength your GPA, yes you must get a Master's Degree or higher.

      Signed,
      A member of a Divine 9 sorority

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    2. Question: I am interested in attending a Rush for an alumnae chapter,but they have not had intake in YEARS. I support their events in the meantime. Does anyone know the maximum # of years that can go by without a chapter having intake??? Are they required to have intake at least every X years? I am dying over here. They are not on probation.

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    3. To the last poster, there is no maximum amount of time between intake. Unlike undergrad, alumnae chapters do not need to have intake as often since they do not rapidly lose their members and often their chapters have adequate sizes. My chapter went 11 years between their last two lines. Just keep doing what you are doing and make sure you are also getting to know members. Attending events doesn't help as much if the members don't know you. Good luck!

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  19. During my matriculation at my university, I did not pledge my desired sorority. I went in as a non-traditional (22 year old sophomore) transfer students and felt kind of insecure because of it. I attended the RUSH and even obtained the intro and application package. Needless to say, I let this insecurity get the best of me and I didn't pledge. It is something I deeply regret to this day.

    Yes, I missed all the excitement of being "On the Yard" but is it too late to still have fun and be an active member of a sorority? Are there any undergraduate chapters that would allow a graduate student to pledge? Or would I have to pledge a grad chapter? Have you ever heard of a grad chapter having a probate? If so, which sorority and chapter? Say if I did join a grad chapter at a university other than my Alma mater, would it be strange and looked down upon to wear 'nelia at say, homecoming events? or is that acceptable?

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    1. Once you have received your first Bachelor's degree, you are no longer eligible to join an undergrad chapter. This includes if you went back for a second Bachelors degree.

      Yes graduate chapters still have New Initiate Presentations (not called probates). You can search YouTube for videos.

      I think though that you might want to re-evaluate why you want to be in a D9 sorority. All I read is about how you want to party and have fun and experience the "undergrad Greek life". While yes, grad chapters still have fun, they do so much more and really are about the business of bettering their community. If you go in only looking for something similar to that undergrad experience, you will be let down.

      I joined via grad chapter and I love it. Sure it would have been nice to have the undergrad experience but it doesn't take away from all the joy that I have experienced in my grad chapter. We still have parties once or twice a year. We still stroll. However this is like 5% of the time of what we do. Therefore, figure out what you really want out of joining and then go from there. Definitely attend the local grad chapter events to find out if it's what you want to do.

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  20. My mom is an AKA, so I grew up knowing nothing but AKA. I went to all AKA events, one of her line sister is my godmother, and I just knew growing up I would hopefully one day become her legacy. I started college last year, and I attended nothing but AKA events at first. Then I attended a Meet the Greeks seminar, and we were told to visit everyone's event before making a final decision. I already knew in my hear that I was going to be an AKA, so there was no need for me to go to any one else's event.

    My roommate was determined to become a Delta. She is shy, so she asked if I would attend some events with her. Since the speakers at the meet the greek event emphasised that we should going to other people's event wouldn't be held against you, I decided to support her. My eyes truly opened after attending some Delta events. They were mad cool, down to the earth, and some have developed a friendship with me. This made me realize that I needed to rethink submitting for AKA and do some soul searching and give all greek letter orgs a chance. I ended up going to all events (Zeta and SGRho). I enjoyed learning about them as well. Then the time came to pledge. My mom was excited and wanted to go over the application with me. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I was having second thoughts. Instead I told her that I may have a change of heart.

    This is my sophomore year and I heard that the Deltas will be possibly having a line this year. My roommate is applying and she is beyond ecstatic. She doesn't know that I am really thinking about applying as well. What do I do? I am scared that my mom will be highly disappointed in me, but I never fit in with AKA. They are just too prissy for my taste, and the members on my campus are extremely stuck up. I just don't fit in with them. I know that AKA is more than the chapter that you are initiating in, but I never fit in with my Mom's friend's daughters either. All they cared about it was superficial stuff, which is not me. Some of them became AKAs or hoping to become an AKA. I don't want to disappoint my mom, but I know that if I pledge AKA for her, I would end up becoming inactive. I don't want to do that. She use to joke with me in HS and say, she will ONLY pay for AKA. I worked over the summer and saved my $ for Delta.

    PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!

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    1. You should apply for the org that you feel more comfortable in. Your mother should understand because she wants you to be happy. It wouldn't look good for you to apply for an org just because you have family ties. It would also look bad if you joined but your heart isn't in it especially if you become inactive. Theses orgs are lifetime commitments and it doesn't make sense to dedicate yourself to something you aren't 100% for

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    2. As the last poster said, follow your heart. Research both orgs OUTSIDE of your school and decide which matches you better. This is a lifetime commitment that will extend past your 4 years on campus so make the right decision.

      I am a Delta legacy but my sister decided to do a different org. My mom still supported her. And to make you feel better, our immediate past National President, Dr. Paulette C. Walker, is the daughter of a still active AKA.

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  21. I hope someone can help! Turned in my packet 2 weeks ago. I am still waiting on a call for an Interview! One girl said she received an interview, but several of us still have not heard anything....no interview call
    No denial letter! It was over 80 ladies at rush! I’m going crazy! Someone help!

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    1. This happened to me on my first try. A friend got her interview call like 2 days before me. Depending on the org, they call 48 hours before and if they have to do a lot of interviews, they are staggered across days. Keep your faith up that as long as you don't get a denial letter, you are still in the running. For my org, as long as your application was complete, you WILL get an interview. Good luck!

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  22. When trying to get to know members of the sorority that I am interested in, how should I make use of my time during their events? Most of the time members seem unapproachable at their events.

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    1. They know that there are interested members so they expect people to come out and talk. Just walk up to them in off time, before or after the event, and speak. Even better, if you are in college, find them outside of their events. In classes or other organizations and talk to members.

      ~Signed,
      A member of a D9 Sorority

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