The GPA requirement has always been around. We were taught when we were in middle school and high school that a person with a 4.0 GPA was the best student that walks the halls. Even better, if the student was in honors and AP classes and had a 5.0 GPA, they were like God compared to the rest of the students. When it was time to apply for colleges, some colleges expected no less than a 3.0, or no less than an 18 on your ACT, but that was just for ISU. My friend wanted to go to UIUC, but never got accepted, because he had a 2.5 GPA while he had a 33 on his ACT. Smartest guy in the world, but UIUC looked right through that.

UIUC is not the only culprit of doing this. Colleges all around the country are guilty of the GPA requirement. Let me just say, that there are two things that people need to succeed, being book smart and being street smart. For me, I am street smart. I couldn't take a test to save my life, but I know how to survive in the real world. Other people are the opposite, but I still see all of us as intelligent people no matter who you are.

Fraternities and sororities are my favorite group of people. There's a GPA requirement for every club, activity, you name it, they have their own standards. For PMA, my fraternity, we accept no less than a 2.5. I barely had that when I rushed, I was lucky enough to get into the fraternity. I always feel bad for the many people who fail to get accepted into a club because their GPA shows that they're "not intelligent enough for them". Worst of all, I was not extended a bid when I rushed for a business fraternity because they expected a 2.7 out of me.

The academic fraternities/sororities should just be a boost to your academic level and that's it. You want to network, meet new people, have new opportunities for jobs and new doors that will open for you. But if you don't meet their "intelligence level" they will kindly give you the boot out the door. You'll get that nice email from one of the executive members that basically says, "you're a dumbass, come back when you're smarter". You would've been a great asset to the fraternity! You will get so mad and discouraged that you constantly force yourself to do better. The pressure is on you to get the number, that little number that will open doors where you'll finally get accepted.

That number means nothing to me. I refuse to let a number define who I am as a person. I know that I'm an intelligent person, I made the right choice by going to college, I made the right choice by coming to ISU, and more importantly, I made the right choice by staying strong through every difficult situation in my life.

That all doesn't matter in today's society. When you look for jobs they want to see your degree, but they also want to see your number. That little number defines your whole entire future. That little number defines every little thing you do in college. You might wonder why nobody joins certain clubs, fraternities, or sororities. It's because they're being discouraged. You don't pressure someone to do better, you help them do better, especially if you're an academic fraternity.

Why turn someone away when you can help them become better academically? You need friends, brothers, or sisters to help encourage you along the way. If it wasn't for my fraternity challenging me to do my god damn hardest, I wouldn't be here at this school.

So yes, now is the time to strip ourselves of this little number that defines us. We should end discriminating based on obedience, but more so on what they can bring to the table, how can they make this organization better? That's my philosophy. I know some very intelligent people with a low GPA, and they're some of the smartest individuals I know. But, what is not intelligent is setting a difference between who is smart and who isn't.

Now I ask you, look at your transcript. What does that number mean to you? Does it still mean something?