^At Tailgate U we did look at grades. Not only was there a minimum required GPA, we wanted to pledge some girls with the potential for very high GPAs. The 4.0 girls brought up the average for the rest of us. And there were mandatory study halls.
One of the 4.0 girls in my sorority class was an engineering major who went on for her PhD. Another was an accounting major who became a CPA. Yet another was a business major.
@Cardinal Fang, In answer to your question about grade-point averages, yes, the Greek organizations have access to the prospective members’ high school grades, which is supplied during the application process, either through a release or a transcript copy. At Ole Miss, girls are warned on the front end that there is a high likelihood they will not receive a bid from any house if their high school g.p.a. is under a 3.0. A girl with good connections might beat the odds.
I am stunned by the people who suggest various “lottery” systems for membership recruitment that by their very nature would destroy the Greek system. While there is some stratification by SES in the Greek system, there is also segmentation by geography and general interests. Different houses tend to appeal to different people with different values, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, tastes, and preferences. A forced lottery system would certainly make each individual house more “diverse,” but would in effect destroy any real diversity by forcing a sameness on each Greek house.
As for the OP’s question, there are a lot of just, plain middle class kids in the Greek system. There aren’t many poor ones simply because of the financial obligations. Does personal or family wealth matter? Of course it does! A rich member is more likely to be able to pay bills and so forth. A friend of mine fondly remembers the annual football trips he and half-a-dozen other members took when one father sent his private jet for the group. All other things being equal, I’d rather give a bid to a guy who might take me somewhere on his family’s jet than a guy who didn’t have a jet.
But let’s not overplay the importance of wealth. It’s one factor among many, and not the most important factor by a long shot. Far more important is whether you like the person and think you would enjoy their company. Academic potential, personality, geography, appearance and physical fitness, leadership potential, collegiality, and a host of other things are considered when deciding to extend a bid. If in doubt, sure personal wealth could sway the decision. So could grades, appearance, and so forth.
The system works well as it is and should not be changed. But there is no reason why students wishing to participate in a lottery-type system can’t just create one instead of trying to destroy the current system.
^ Are you a fraternity member?
At my kid’s school, students need to meet minimum GPA requirement in order to rush.
@Pizzagirl Yes, when you signed the school application for rush, you gave them access to your grades. The school verified you were eligible. Recruitment GPA Is usually only a 2.0 to 2.5, so it’s not too hard to make. The school then gives the houses a list of GPAs for each PNM. Usually the Membership Adviser and Chair are the only ones who see this.
As far as sororities, I know they had GPA requirements at my school back in my day late 80’s) as that’s why my mother’s house released me. (I had a horrible freshman experience and had transferred). I don’t know if it was universal then, but it has been since I have been advising (starting early 90’s).
Osserpusser: I am so sorry. How difficult that must have been for you and your mother at the time. Of course, it is clear you love your own sorority and it was a great experience for you.
Thanks, alh. We did not have mandatory study halls. There was, of course, a room that was set aside to be “quiet hours” so you could study there late at night and not disturb your roommate. And a typing room so you did all your term paper typing there because of the noise :-).
@alh My mom was devastated and never volunteered for her house again. I was shocked at first, because I truly thought they’d overlook the GPA requirement based on unusual circumstances of my freshman year, which many knew about. I didn’t know they couldn’t.
But it forced me to look honestly at other houses. Like you said, it was a blessing in disguise. If that’s the worst thing that ever happened to me, I’d be a lucky gal!
^ neither the “like” or “helpful” buttons sometimes seem appropriate. I would just really like to avoid these kinds of scenarios even though, as we all acknowledge, they are definitely first world type problems.
We need a" hug" button.
Glad it all worked out, Osserpusser.
I don’t recall recruitment GPA’s, but remember a GPA requirement for initiation. I don’t know if that was mandated by our national organization, the college or our specific chapter.
We also had mandatory quiet hours during the week and rooms set aside for studying.
My Ds went to different universities. I had to send high school transcripts for both to the University Panhellenic offices with our applications. Additionally, individual sororities had GPA requirements which were higher than the one designated by the school.
During pledgeship, they had mandatory study hours at the sorority house. D1 wasn’t crazy about that-she had excellent grades and knew how to study, and group study didn’t cut it for her.
With a little quick research and reading back through the UVA fraternity suspension thread, I answered my own question. EarlVanDorn was in a fraternity.
[/quote]
How does everyone feel about that sentiment?
PG: I am particularly interested in your response.
I don’t know how you’d know if the father had a private jet,and that he’d be into letting his kid and frat brothers use it if he did. I know several actors/celebrities or children of such are in greek life at my d’s school. All are in the “top tier” houses.
"All other things being equal, I’d rather give a bid to a guy who might take me somewhere on his family’s jet than a guy who didn’t have a jet.
How does everyone feel about that sentiment?
PG: I am particularly interested in your response."
Since you asked, I think it’s a gross, vulgar, and classless sentiment.
It also begs the question as to why you’d ever reveal that your family had a private jet in the first place (unless you were the kid of a well-known celebrity where it would be assumed).
My H had a friend in med school who took them skiing via private jet. He didn’t know his friend came from this kind of money until the trip occurred because his friend wasn’t classless enough to advertise it.
What if…
someone in the group knew the family and said, “I hear Mr. and Mrs. Jetowners regularly take their friends along. What fun. Let’s pledge JetOwner kid instead of NotJetOwner kid. Otherwise they are pretty much the same”
adding:
because obviously this advantages the jet owners, the vacation home owners, and perhaps those who have the best professional and social potential networking opportunities to offer. Are these reasonable considerations, as EarlVanDoren suggests? As long as all else is equal?
It’s hard for me to comprehend when I’m from a system where no one knows about the girls’ families one way or the other. How the heck would we know sitting in Illinois that some girl from Seattle is from a wealthy family unless maybe her last name was Gates? (Or she was an “obvious” celebrity kid)
The wealthiest girl I knew at NU was from a small town in Idaho. Turns out her family owns the potato processing company that supplies McD French fries. But you wouldn’t have known that just from talking to her at rush parties. Sally305 might know who I’m referring to, she was a KKG 
Maybe nowadays houses do more social media sleuthing than was possible in our day. I don’t know. Anything is possible.
But even if someone said that, where the girl lands on the bid list is still based on the scores of all the members; Ms I-Want-To-Fly has no “power” to elevate her above non-jet owner.
Tom Hanks’ son was undoubtedly heavily rushed, but I suspect it was less “cool, then we will have a jet and we can get our greedy little hands on the Hanks’ money” and more “we can say we have TH’s son and wouldn’t it be cool to meet TH.” Of course, maybe I’m naive.
I had 2 sorority sisters with very recognizable last names. And yes, they were from “those” families. No one made a big deal out of it. No idea if their families owned private jets, exotic vacation homes or whatever.
And if you don’t actually LIKE the person but you’re just trying to use him or her to get to someone’s money for your own amusement, then you’re pretty much a jerk or a loser in my book. Since you asked