The OP never said that she couldn't pay the dues, she commented they were a little high. I'm sure her mother and aunt have already informed her of the basics of sorority dues and finances, even though they are not pushing her to pledge their sorority.

During recruitment, what sister would say, "Oh, our dues are higher because our Treasurer isn't good at managing the books". You would never know that until you pledged. Also, knowing from her post that they don't have houses, it couldn't be for that large sunroom addition to the chapter house

My point is that she shouldn't outrule a chapter based solely on their dues.

Did you finish recruitment yet Stargazer? ;)

Round 1 and 2
 

I apologize for not posting in forever but I got sick Sunday night when I got home and ended up in the emergency room with difficultly breathing (I have asthma). Anyway, it turns out it’s bronchitis and it’s totally wiped me out. However, I’ve been to all the new member events so this story does have a very happy ending! I will try to continue the writing if it is that day and I just came back from the parties. Since round 1 and 2 were in one day I will write those both in one post and then save pref for tomorrow and bid day for Tuesday in order to maintain the suspenseful nature.

Here is the rest of the story:

So if you remember due to a snow day round 1 and round 2 were smooshed into one day (Saturday). We went from about 4-10 with only about a ½ hour break in between. Needless to say it was intense! Also, I don’t know why they had us rank because we didn’t end up doing that again until Sunday night after pref. It turned out the sororities could cut us anytime they liked after round 1. If a sorority invites us back though we have to attend and cannot receive a bid if we don’t. I hear it was very different in previous years so apparently this is a new system to all involved.

Round 1 (game/getting to know you round)
Cookie Mintster- They had the absolute cutest set-up ever!!! They were all wearing matching Barbie girl shirts that said: Cookie Mintster Barbie: who wouldn’t want to be one. We talked for the most part and it was great. All these girls love to have a good time and love one another. I talked about so many things with so many different sisters here. From conversation about music to boys to hanging out to school everything flowed well. Another fact I learned is that the chapter is one of the very first chapters of the organization. I think they really like me!! They seem to be pretty elite though and I’m kind of wondering if I fit their mold (so to speak). I would LOVE to come back here!!

Founder’s Favorite- I like this chapter a lot better this time. They had a cute theme as well and really seemed to put a lot of effort into it. There were really cute decorations and it seemed as if many more sisters were there as opposed to during Round Robin. One game involved candy and questions and was a great way to get to know the sisters and other PNM’s at my table. If you got a certain color candy (I forget which) you had to say an embarrassing moment and I’m afraid I shared when that was too embarrassing. I hope it doesn’t count against me. I was quite surprised that I liked this chapter though as I didn’t really like it before. I wonder if it’ll make a continued comeback in round 2.

Birthday cake remix- Again, I know this sorority is not for me so going back is strange but my mother always taught me to be polite so that’s what I’ll do. I find one sister who is in one of my classes and end up talking to her for most the time. I do attempt to talk to a handful of other sisters and the conversation never seems to get off the ground. They all are nice girls though I know I don’t fit in here. This doesn’t stop me from wondering though what’s wrong with me as I seem to be doing so well at the other chapters and feel bad as if I didn’t try hard enough but I just have a feeling you know. What’s funny enough is that the tent talk is people who like Cookie Mintster usually also like Birthday cake remix and people who like Founder’s Favorite also like Cheesecake Fantasy. That just shows to me to never listen to tent talk lol.

Cheesecake Fantasy- Wow! Again I’m impressed with this chapter. I love love love these girls and can only hope they feel the same way. It’s very difficult so far for me to decide between the Cheesecake Fantasies and the Cookie Mintsters. I wonder if the fact that I’m a legacy here influences the way I feel about them. However, I realize there hasn’t been any cutting round yet so I could be getting my hopes up for nothing. Maybe they don’t even like me. Anyway, this round was great- we played some fun getting to know you games and all the girls seemed to nod at my answers. I also talked with the girl again whose friend I had studied abroad with. She said she was very happy to see me again. I hope this is a good sign! If invited back I will go back in and instant!!!

So that’s it for round 1. We are told we have a half an hour until the next ones start to get food or whatever. I can’t believe we have to come back so quickly. I take the time to freshen up my make-up and forgo the bite to eat. I’m so nervous about my invites that I can’t.

I’m invited back to every chapter and wonder why BCR invited me back. The rumor is (I find out later on) that the sororities only cut really if they really hated you or due to grades. Apparently pref party seems to be the most important cut. I am thrilled with all three and relieved I don’t have to go back to BCR. I feel a little guilty about this thoughl




Cheesecake Fantasy- I am love, love loving the Cheesecake Fantasies AGAIN! From the cutest theme (KISS tee shirts that said “KISS the competition goodbye). All the girls are really sweet, outgoing, and make an effort to get to know me while I learn about Cheesecake Fantasy’s philanthropy. While it’s an extremely worthy cause it’s not something I have a personal connection with (something that all the other ones have) I’d still love to raise money for this. However, I find out they only do one big philanthropy activity a year. The girls seem to enjoy the one they do do but don’t seem to have a passion for it. Perhaps I’m wrong for saying so (and if I offend anyone I apologize) but this bothers me a bit.

Birthday cake Remix- I walk into the room and we break off for groups to learn more about the philanthropy. It’s a cause that I hold dear to my heart so now looking back on it I’m glad I got invited back. During the craft I talk about how much their philanthropy means to me and how much I would love to contribute to it. The girls seem to be off put my excitement about it though and prefer to talk about other topics. *An after thought: I was very excited because I do love their philanthropy as it has something to do with what I want to be when I grow up and maybe I scared them*. They tend to do more casual events to raise money all throughout the year and don’t have an annual type philanthropy event set-up yet. While I love the philanthropy I still don’t feel at home here. I hope to not be invited back for pref.

Founder’s Favorite- Their room was decorated really well. Had balloons on the tables in the sorority colors and posters on the wall detailing different aspects of their philanthropy. First, the philanthropy chair speaks- she’s SO nervous and I feel so bad for her. She puts on a video afterwards that’s SO touching. I seriously tear up the entire time. We sit down and do our craft which involves coloring. Yay! I love coloring. My thing (I’m afraid I’ll give it away if I say) seems to turn out really well and some of the sisters and PNM’s comment on it. There is one sister however that seems to be writing things down and another that is going around the room just looking at us. This makes me really nervous. I like this chapter again but am afraid that there is too much diversity (it seems like cliques form) for such a small chapter and I’m afraid that will bother me. However, anywhere in life this can happen I suppose and try not to let that sway me. If I get invited back to pref I would go but am still on the fence and preferring Cheesecake Fantasy and Cookie Mintster.

Cookie Mintster- These girls and their room is seriously decked out. They obviously took lots of time to prepare for this. The philanthropy chair speaks and tells us all the different activities they do to raise money for their philanthropy. I like that they have two which relate to the ideals they were founded on. The philanthropy chair explains that many of the ways they raise money are also ways for the girls to have fun together (ie carwashes, auctions, etc). They also tell us about different annual events they’ve had for the college community which are fun but also benefit their philanthropy. I like that these girls know how to have fun and give back. They also are all well put together and put on a good, professional yet fun attitude. I really like them and hope to be invited back to pref.

We leave and are told to wait by our cell phones as later in the evening we will get a call with which sorority or sororities can invite us back to pref. We can go to as many as invite us back.

Even though we don’t have to, just to let you guys know where I’d stand I’d rank the chapters:

1) Cookie Mintster
2) Cheesecake Fantasy
3) Founder’s Favorite
4) Birthday Cake Remix

I wait practically all night until finally at like midnight or so I get a call… where do you think I got invited back to?

I'm loving your story!!!

ACK!! Let's not be a tease!!


FWIW, when I went through Recruitment, two sororities would "neglect" to tell the PNMs that their dues were for 12 months while all the rest charged for eight. Pretty sneaky, would you say?

How can dues be for a 12-month period? Don't those chapters have summer vacation? (Sorry if that's an ignorant question.)

Some chapters have dues that are due during the summer. I guess you slap a stamp on a check and send it to the chapter.

Honeychile's school has (or had) trimesters instead of semesters, so that may have something to do with it.

Preference Party
 

So I got invited back to: Cookie Mintster, Cheesecake Fantasy, and Founder’s Favorite! I was so excited but at the same time really worried because had to go shopping for a new dress and I’m kind of curvy. I ended up with a pretty printed wrap dress with cute turquoise heels to much the turquoise flowers in my dress. I wore the typical tiffany’s heart necklace and pearl studs in my ears.

Cheesecake Fantasy is first- I thought I knew what to except from reading other stories on here and my mother’s account but my school apparently does things differently. The PNM’s just stood outside and were let in when the time was for the party to start. It was so nice! Their ceremony came first and seemed well rehearsed and made me truly imagine myself (if I’m lucky enough) someday as a Cheesecake Fantasy. They sang some really sweet songs and it was really nice to get to see a different side of them. On a very superficial side I really like their badge though I’m of course NOT going to make my decision based on that. They had homemade little cupcakes with our names on it in frosting dyed the Cheesecake Fantasy’s colors. How cute! I talked to the girl whose friend I studied abroad with. She’s really sweet and said she heard a lot about me from her friend. However, I’m still wondering if I like Cheesecake Fantasy as much as I do because of my mom and aunt. Even though they didn’t mention a lot about their experience in Cheesecake Fantasy I still think it would be SO cool to be sisters with them and stuff.

Founder’s Favorite- Wow! A lot of girls got invited to this party. I’m not quite sure what this means but it was interesting to go from Cheesecake Fantasy to here. I feel so bad for the girls because they apparently didn’t realize when they party was starting and as we were let in you saw some people scrambling to their spots. Also some PNM’s came in late and it amazed me how many heads (both PNM’s and sisters) went to the door when this happened. Although their ceremony didn’t seem well rehearsed they did seem to have a lot of emotion behind it and even spoke one line that stood out to me. After the ceremony was over all the PNM’s went to go get drinks (the sisters poured for us) which was cute and baked goods (cupcakes shaped like Founder’s Favorite letters AND dyed their colors among assorted brownies and cookies). Due to the large amount of PNM’s here (there was about double PNM’s to sisters) not everyone got to talk to sisters. It was sad as some PNM’s were being rude. So, I made a point to talk to the sisters. Even though I’m not quite sure where I fit in here I still like the girls as people a lot and could see myself as friends with all of them. I left here having a good experience but not wanting to be a sister. Does that make any sense?

Cookie Mintster- I was really excited to be coming back here but ended up slightly disappointed. The ceremony wasn’t anything like the others (which of course, should be expected as all sororities are different) but it didn’t seem like they put much feeling into it. All throughout the week it seemed like they have a lot of love for Cookie Mintster so I cannot fathom why the ceremony fell so flat. However, the talking afterwards was very good and reminded me again how well I fit in here. I hope the Cookie Mintsters feel the same way.

After the parties have ended we meet again in our groups and have time to rank them. I keep on going back and forth in my mind between putting Cookie Mintster and Cheesecake Fantasy first. You should have seen me, I was practically going crazy! It came down to the fact that I had to see if I really fit in well at Cheesecake Fantasy or did I just think that because I was a legacy I should go there. Also, is Cookie Mintster me or just because I share the same interests as the girls could I be a sister. If this sounds weird and stressed it’s because that’s how I felt during ranking. I was SO afraid I made the wrong choice up until the last moment. Eventually, I ranked:

1) Cookie Mintster
2) Cheesecake Fantasy
3) Founder’s Favorite


I went to sleep so scared! What if I didn't get any bids? What if something happens? What if I made the mistake? Seriously... a girl can drive herself crazy with all these questions! My mother told me her own story about when she rushed (FINALLY!) and I think it really helped. It left me understanding that I will end up where I'm meant to be. I finally calmed down enough to go to relax and go to sleep.

Oh and for the questions people were asking:
1) I understand dues and have worked out with my mother a way to balance them. Since she's knows the benefit of being in a sorority she has said she'll pay 1/2 and I pay the rest. This is really sweet of her and I'm so lucky!
2) On my campus (based on what I know) the sororities dues are due every semester. So no 12 month dues here LoL. I can imagine how tough that would be.

Since most of the sororities are in the one dorm, and two weren't, the ones in a house would justify it by saying that "there are still expenses during the summer", which, of course, is true. It's just that it really should have been figured into the same 8-month formula as the other GLOs.

And yes, the trimester bit. Lots of times, the sororities & the fraternities with independent houses would rent out in the summer to make some extra money. Living in one of those during the summer was part of the whole experience.

Ooooh I'm so excited to hear where you end up!!

For some reason, I think there will be a twist and the OP will end up at Cheesecake Factory.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.

I was, too. Can't wait to hear!