Exactly what I was thinking! :)

See, that is what I thought too. I guess it is just hard to know how you will react to nerves. I mean I am not saying EVERY girl was non-talkative and frowny, but a lot of the girls just seemed scared to be themselves I guess. It was mainly the freshman going through who I noticed this about. I was a sophomore when I went through, so I already knew college was nothing like highschool - and I think some of the entering freshman are so scared of being judged and going from hero to zero, they just are too afraid to be themselves.

Not Smiling
 

The thing though is that a lot of girls may think they are smiling or just being polite and keeping their mouths shut when in reality they have somewhat of a frown on their face.

When i got my licence photo taken I was just sitting there and low and behold I was frowning because when the guy said you're done and I looked at the photo I look quite mad but in reality I wasn't, just sitting there waiting patiently.

I'm not trying to say this is a good thing, but I realize now that maybe I had been cut in the past because of this. I don't wear a smile 24/7 and while I loved being there I may have come off as if I was ready to leave.

But this year I am meeting with an alum from my area who has been a great deal of help and support for me and she is going to help me with mock meetings and outfits and just maybe I'll figure out some good and bad things I'm doing.

At each table I made it a point to:

a) ask at least one original sounding question



Any suggestions on "original sounding questions?"
-kalie :cool:

bump!

Things I've seen (or done!):

-One PNM, upon meeting a sister (named Jane Doe), exclaimed, "I have a cousin I haven't seen in years named Jane Doe!" Obviously, this only works if it's true, but it made a connection.

-One PNM wore a very unique pin - it was a large washer with a nut, a bolt, a screw, and a little washer soldered onto it and somehow made gold. EVERYONE commented on it, and it turned out to have been made for her. It made her stand out, without looking silly.

-One PNM, who had been loved by the sisters throughout Recruitment, told her Pref sponsor that she was wearing her lucky dress, because she really liked ADPi. Had she announced it to everyone, it would have been a little different, but by saying it to her sponsor, her sponsor in turn said, "you've met Heather, haven't you? She's wearing her lucky dress, just for us!"

-One PNM mentioned that her brother was a member of XYZ at another college, and he had told her to be sure to rush ADPi. She became "the PNM with the smart brother" (and got the bid!).

-One PNM mentioned that she had been an elf the Christmas before. Any unusual job like that can make a PNM stick out.

-One PNM commented on a sister's dress, saying she loved Ann Taylor, too. Any connection between a PNM & a sister is usually good - this comment showed that the PNM knew style, and wasn't easily intimidated.

I'm sure there's more, but these are just a few examples of a clever PNM turning a scary situation to her advantage.

with more and more panhellenics providing t-shirts for first round parties, it becomes more difficult for pnms to stand out. this is when the unusual piece of jewelry , pair of shoes or belt or the unique question will help you be remembered.

now we are not talking candy necklaces, nipple rings or combat boots -it should flatter you and make you stand out in a good way. ask unique questions similar to those included in the above posts.

i was so bored by the 2nd day of ice waters that i decided that i was going to start asking the sorority members questions right off the bat-you can all imagine hearing "what's your major, what dorm are you living in, where are you from" 9 times the first day, and knowing that you had to look forward to that 9 more times on the 2nd day . i wasn't pushy or inappropriate-i waited to see where the conversation was going first. i can't tell you how relieved the sorority members seemed to be-i guess they didn't have to work so hard on me, because i was doing half the work and it must have come across in a positive light, because i had more invitations than i could accept for all subsequent days.

^^ Great advice! I think if PNM's come in with a mental list of questions-- getting to know her sponsor at the event and questions about sorority programming, she will come off as interested, prepared and extroverted.

smiling
 

Okay, I'm pretty inexperienced with recruitment as I haven't been through it on "the other side" yet and my own experience is limited to spring informal at only two houses, but, it seems like a good idea, if you are nervous, to tell that to the active you're with. Can someone back me up?

I mean, chances are on the first day someone is going to ask you, "so how do you like recruitment so far?" Respond honestly, "actually, I'm just so nervous that I'm afraid I'm not ...(showing my best self, appearing as interested as I really am, you fill in the blank)." It seems like the sister would then have the opportunity to share her own recruitment story or admit that this is her first time doing formal recruitment and that she's nervous too! and the two girls would then get to share that in common. If a PNM admitted that to me and we got an actual conversation / exchange of experiences and emotions out of it, I wouldn't forget her in a hurry! Plus, the next day, if she is invited back, I would have the opportunity to follow up on it.

However, I do have to agree with Meridionale that it's impossible not to smile. If you're surrounded by beautiful women who are all smiling at you, how can you help but smile back? I personally felt like a rock star when I was being rushed! :D

notyouraverage,

i like your idea!! i know if a pnm had told me that she was nervous, i would have tried my darndest to make her feel better, and relax her.

also if you are feeling sick/have a cold, and you don't feel well, i think that it would be okay to say to your sorority hostess,"i'm sorry if i seem a little out of it....i have a cold, and am not feeling 100%. it would be better to admit that you had a cold, than to have all the sororities think that you were just not interested.

Yup--even though a lot of people say to downplay negative thoughts when speaking with your rusher (you get the same advice on the "other side," BTW), I always appreciate honesty! Don't dwell on the fact that you have the sniffles or you're feeling nervous, but honesty is always appreciated.

Another related piece of advice: don't exaggerate or bluff when you're trying to stand out. You'll look fake, and some folks can see right through that sort of thing.

I always remember girls with a sense of humor. Like has been said before, try to make a connection with your rushers, like having friends in common, the same major/minor/interests/activities/church/honors programs/etc., and make sure you show that you're interested! Even if you aren't necessarily enthused with a certain chapter, still show interest in them. Humor us, please. Everyone goes way out of their way to throw rush events, so even if you're more interested in a different chapter, still be pleasant and find out all about the chapter that you're in at the moment. Even if you end up going elsewhere, you'll end up doing activities like Greek Week, philanthropy events, and all kinds of other things with them later on, so why not get to know them at rush?

If you're in a school with deferred recruitment, it's also a good idea to get to know sorority women during your first semester there. We don't bite, really, so if you're in a class, club, or even in line somewhere with a sorority girl, introduce yourself! We're always glad to meet girls who are interested in rushing later on and if you know girls in the room beforehand, it helps you stand out to that sorority AND feel more comfortable in that room.

Amen to accessories--I showed up to our informal "Fall Parties" day trying to follow the t-shirt and jeans dress code EXACTLY, but I definitely wished I had played around with cute accessories because everyone else looked so cute!

Also, wear cute but comfortable shoes. Cute shoes can be another thing that can help you stand out, and it's easier to function, period, if you're able to stand sans pain. Go shopping for something that will look great for each day and break them in beforehand. Luckily, I see more and more cute flats lately, so I guess now's a good time to be going through rush! You don't have to wear heels if they make you uncomfortable, but don't wear your grandma's shapeless loafers, either, if you intend to stand out somehow.