Me, too. You are wise beyond your years. :)

Great attitude. Can’t wait to hear more!

Also can’t believe Carmel Fudge Brownie is still pulling that Day 1 crap. Panhellenic should increase the fines to something astronomical. And NPC should have monitors.

Can't wait to hear more!

Thursday, Round 2, Day 1: Philanthropy
 

I woke up before my alarm this morning and got ready as quickly as I could. I was the second name called out during schedule pass out. My eyes quickly scanned the list.
Snickerdoodle Sundae
Blueberry Cobbler
Lemon Pound Cake
Strawberry Shortcake
Mango Peach Lemonade
Cinnamon Sugar Donut
6 out of 10. Not perfect, but it was a whole lot better than having none! There were multiple houses that I was incredibly happy to see on my list, but I had a little trouble completely masking my disappointment over the fact that the other 7 houses had already decided that I hadn’t been a good fit for them. I understood that there was no reason to mope around though if there were still so many other amazing houses that were willing to meet with me for a second time today! I left for my first party feeling a lot better and very excited to learn about all of the wonderful causes these women support.

Snickerdoodle Sundae: I felt a little more like a number to this chapter during this round. We watched a video on their philanthropy and were given a drink to sip on. I talked to two different girls, and while both were really sweet, I didn’t feel any real connection to either of them. The second girl that I spoke with had a very personal relationship with her chapter’s philanthropy, and I loved hearing her share her story. This is a house that is heavily sought after by most PNMs, so I felt as though it would be in my best interest to not become too attached to them.
Blueberry Cobbler: The girl that I was picked up by first in this house was incredibly blunt, and that shocked me a little once we started talking. She turned out to be funny, and I had a nice time talking to her, but I absolutely loved the second girl that I was paired with. Something about her seemed to radiate joy. This house’s philanthropy video felt very personal to the chapter, and I appreciated how hands-on this sorority got to be with their cause. Overall I had a decent time here, but I was still excited to visit the other houses that I had left on my list.
Lemon Pound Cake: The room that we were brought into was absolutely gorgeous, I was a little shocked with how decorated it seemed compared to the other chapters. Again, I loved this house’s philanthropy and the video that they presented, and I connected incredibly well with the girl that I talked to for most of the round. I was loving this house more and more as time went on.
Strawberry Shortcake: The treat that this house gave us was adorable, and it correlated cleverly with their philanthropy. One of the sisters in this chapter gave a heart touching speech about how her sorority affects the lives of others, and I loved that. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the best conversations here. For whatever reason, I felt like I couldn’t talk as easily with the active I was paired with as I had been able to in some of the other houses. She kept a relatively blank stare on her face for the majority of the time I talked to her, and I think that made me nervous.

After what I had heard the night before, I was still shocked when I had a few girls tell me directly after our parties that night that if I wasn’t invited back to a few specific houses, I should drop recruitment altogether. I don’t agree with that type of mindset; in fact, these types of comments make me question the reasons for other people’s choice to go through recruitment at all. Shouldn’t a sisterhood be seen for what it is: a sisterhood? C’mon, it’s 2018 people! I hurt for the girls who potentially missed out on their perfect house because of what their sister’s mother’s best friend believed to be the only sororities worth becoming a part of at a single university in a single state in a single country on a single continent in the entire world. The things that separated one house from another were so minuscule, yet they were blown out of proportion to the point where they were regarded as law by so many women during recruitment. I know I already spoke about this in an earlier post, so I’ll step off my soapbox now, but I knew in my heart at that moment that I would be proud to join any sisterhood that saw something in me that the others might not have seen. The week was already flying by, and I was beyond ready to hit the hay!

Those PNMs don't realize that all these chapters are more similar than not. Look at any sorority's Instagram from the same campus (doesn't matter the campus), members are all pretty and seem to be having fun. However, at some school, UT for example, 'tiers' are hard baked into the mud and that's all they care about. And there is a weird camp thing. I stopped going to summer camp when I was 14. I dunno.

Did you not attend Mango Peach Lemonade and Cinnamon Sugar Donut on this day?

Philanthropy is 2 days at UT.

Good to know. I was confused, too.

Friday, Round 2, Day 2: Philanthropy
 

So sorry that I did not clarify that the Philanthropy round was spread out over 2 days!

Mango Peach Lemonade: I couldn't have been happier to visit this house again! I have a genuine connection to this house’s philanthropy, and I was so happy that I was able to have such an honest conversation about the good that this chapter’s cause can do for the lives of others with the first sister I talked to. The second sister I talked to ended up having one of the same hobbies as me, something that I hadn’t had in common with anyone else during recruitment so far. I joked around so easily with the last sister that I talked to, and I saw many familiar faces on my way out. Yes, I definitely felt at home here.
Cinnamon Sugar Donut: This house’s philanthropy video confused me because of how short it was and how little information it presented to us. Someone in my family is affected by this house’s philanthropy, so I was happy to get to share that with someone else. The sister that I talked to for most of the round had a personal story to tell about their philanthropy as well. It took her the entire round to tell the story, though! I tried to fit in comments and ask questions where I could, but she wouldn’t let me intervene for the most part. She ended up having to speed through her ending because it was time for us to leave.

I had had varying experiences with the houses throughout the Philanthropy round, but I would’ve been happy to receive invitations back to any of them for the next day. My only receiving 6 invites thankfully made ranking simple. We could list our top 6 favorites to be invited back to for sisterhood.
I casted my vote as:
1. Mango Peach Lemonade
1. Lemon Pound Cake
1. Blueberry Cobbler
1. Snickerdoodle Sundae
1. Strawberry Shortcake
1. Cinnamon Sugar Donut
2.
3.
4.
5.

I honestly had no idea what to expect from my schedule the next day. I was inclined to believe that I’d be lucky to get more than one chapter back at all. Although I had given the process all that I had so far, I was also terrified of receiving a release phone call. I had already met so many incredible women, and there had been multiple instances in which I’d been reminded why I chose to go through the process in the first place because of the sisterly bonds, kindness, silliness, and dedication I’d seen in practically every chapter I’d visited. I had always thought it was a tad bit silly when girls would gush about how connected and at home they felt with certain chapters after visiting with them for a grand total of 70 minutes, but I was beginning see how easy it was to get swept up in the thrill of it all. My doubts about how quick the bonds of friendship and sisterhood could form were fading fast, and that’s something I was so pleasantly surprised about. I was beyond ready to run home.

You have an outstanding and mature attitude toward recruitment. It's a shame that there are those PNMs who have already discounted those that they deem to be "below them." Sadly though they've likely heard this from family and friends.:(
Can't wait for the next installment in your story.

You're forcing me to root for my least favorite confection on your list. Go Mango Peach Lemonade!

Love this story so far! You are very good about keeping an open mind.

Looking forward to hear more of your story! And I'm really wishing there was a "like" button on this forum. Your attitude is absolutely awesome!!

Saturday, Round 3: Sisterhood
 

Thank you all so much for your kind words! It really does mean a lot to me.

Completely opposite from the day I had picked up my Philanthropy schedule, I was one of the last names to be called to pick up my Sisterhood schedule. I could feel my heart racing with every second that passed. I opened my schedule to find:
Lemon Pound Cake
Blueberry Cobbler
Strawberry Shortcake
3 out of 6. But most importantly, WHERE was Mango Peach Lemonade?! Ouch. Rejection had hurt worse than I had expected it to. In fact, it felt a little like getting slapped in the face, followed by a few bee stings and half a bottle of “no tears” soap in my eyes to finish it off. I had prepared for this exact moment for months now, so why was that familiar sharp pain of disappointment still present in my throat? Realizing that I would only feel worse if I tried to bury my true reaction to the situation, I allowed myself to be an emotional 18 year old girl in the minutes that followed after I received that schedule. I knew that this morning had been a big deal for a lot of other girls too, so I wasn't surprised when multiple PNMs squealed with excitement/cried hysterically/threw their schedule on the ground (yes, one girl really did this). I won’t lie and say that I wasn’t disappointed by my schedule because initially, I was. I was disappointed that so many houses had already determined I wasn’t what they were looking for. I was ESPECIALLY disappointed that I would never join my friends as a Mango Peach Lemonade. I quickly grieved over my losses before reminding myself of the houses that were still on my list. These houses were filled with beautiful, intelligent sisters that were willing to give me another chance, and that in and of itself amazed me.

Lemon Pound Cake: Again, the decor of this house was simply breathtaking. The snacks presented to us were unique and delicious. Their video was well put together and seemed to really showcase their personality as a chapter. Members read letters that they had written to other sisters in the chapter, and the round was finished with a beautiful song. I had heard rumors about this house the entire week, essentially saying that they only took girls of a certain type. I was not this type, but I of course respected the sisters who were, so I figured if this house invited me back I would still be incredibly excited because of the positive experiences I had had there all week long.
Blueberry Cobbler: The active that I talked to was absolutely wonderful. She was so real in a way that I had seen very little of throughout the week. The sisters of this house spoke about their big and little relationships, as well as how they had all grown closer throughout the year. I also liked the video that they played for us.
Strawberry Shortcake: This house had been a bit of a question mark for me all week. This house was decorated beautifully, and while I didn’t connect on a personal level with the active I spoke to, we made polite conversation throughout the round. She seemed sweet and really passionate about her house, but we just didn’t automatically click in the way that I had with many of the other sisters in other houses.

I casted my vote as:
1. Lemon Pound Cake
2. Blueberry Cobbler
3. Strawberry Shortcake
4.
5.
6.

I always get the feeling that I haven’t done enough, that I wasn’t what people wanted, that I didn’t live up to the standards or expectations of others, no matter how prepared I feel. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel that way after I finished this round. In my heart, I knew I’d done all that I could at that point to show these women who I was and what I had to offer. I’d been introduced to some amazing chapters, to some incredible women. I’d cried over my losses, and I’d laughed with new friends that were just as confused as I was. I had presented these sororities with what I was. For some, it would not be enough. I knew this. But I hoped that for just one, it would be.

I'm really hoping for a happy ending. Your maturity seems well beyond your years!