Hope you're having a great day!

Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

Hope everything is going well today!

Philanthropy Day
 

Hi y'all! I'm typing this out since my last party ended before we can rank the chapters and I figured I'd do it now. Today was Philanthropy Day, so lots of videos and slideshows. Without further ado:

First was Gemini! The Gemini philanthropy was something that didn't really affect me directly but that I had volunteered for in the past, so I was excited to see them again and learn more about what they did to support it. I enjoyed their video and activities, and it seemed like all the actives truly enjoyed volunteering their time. The girls were funny and sweet and overall I had a good time here.

Next up was Aquarius. I already knew about the Aquarius philanthropy from when I went to their COB event last semester (one of the actives said to me that it was the first time she'd seen it and that it was top secret and I wanted to say, "Uhh no it's not, I've seen this before!"). Due to the nature of it they weren't able to get as hands-on as some other groups, but I didn't hold that against them. Two of the actives I talked to were actually in the same class that I'm taking this semester, which was either a freaky coincidence or they recognized me and purposely bumped to me, but either way I enjoyed myself. I was double rushed here but they handled it very well.

The last party of the morning was Leo. Although I knew a few Leos I had no idea what their philanthropy was about so I was excited to learn more about it. I was actually really disappointed by the presentation because besides the standard national video they didn't make it seem like they cared all that much or did all that much for their philanthropy. They did have an active who was affected by the philanthropy's cause speak for a bit about how important it was to her, but I didn't get that sense from the rest of the chapter. None of the actives I was with really spoke about it much, and the girl walking me out actually said "Oh shoot, I didn't really talk about our philanthropy with you guys!" , leading to a super-rushed last minute discussion. The girl from my state who said hi to me before came over again to greet me, which touched me. I think that the girls seem really sweet, but overall I'm not feeling it here.

After my lunch break I headed over to Sagittarius. My mom had always done something small to support the Sagittarius philanthropy, but I hadn't realized it until I started looking up sorority information online and realized that the little thing my mom had always done was actually for her sorority philanthropy, so even though I've never been directly affected by their cause it still meant a lot to me. I was not disappointed at all here! The girls were funny and sweet-we talked about random things like siblings doing laundry and shrinking our clothes-and the philanthropy video focused specifically on their chapter and the work they had done which really impressed me. I also spoke with several girls who had gone through recruitment and joined as sophomores, so I could tell this group had clearly done their homework with me! The president and recruitment chair also came by and said hello, and I overall felt wanted and super hopeful to go back tomorrow.

My second of four consecutive evening parties was at Capricorn. I didn't know what their philanthropy was at first, but they did a really good job of explaining it while showing how funny and tight they all were. I could tell that they cared about each other and had a close sisterhood. The actives I talked with raved about how much they loved volunteering for the local philanthropy, and it was clear that they were all very passionate about helping out. I left feeling awesome about them and hoping to see them again tomorrow.

Fiesta numero tres was at Cancer. Their topic was more serious and hit a little closer to home than some of the other topics (no pun intended with the name I swear), but the actives and the video conveyed that they were serious yet still wanted to enjoy themselves while volunteering. The girls seemed to genuinely like each other and were the most passionate for their philanthropy of all the groups I saw today. I had a wonderful time and would love to go back tomorrow.

The last party I had today was at Taurus. I had no idea what their philanthropy was coming in, so I was ready to learn more about it. Unfortunately, I didn't really see the point to it, and I just didn't feel like it addressed an immediate issue or made a lasting and visible difference. I felt bad for being so indifferent to something they were so passionate about but it just didn't move me to want to get involved. I was also double-rushed here but none of the actives seemed to be able to balance the conversation between me and the other girl I was with, so it was a lot of the other two girls talking about people they knew and me feeling completely left out. This happened a couple of times and I was a little miffed when I left because I felt ignored. The other PNM was also a little rude and acted like she was too good for the party, so I didn't really enjoy myself. I didn't talk to any of the nice girls I had talked to the day before, which disappointed me as well.

I haven't officially put my rankings in the computer yet but when I do this is what they will look like (we can go back to up to six tomorrow so I'm only ranking one):

Sagittarius
Capricorn
Cancer
Gemini
Aquarius
Leo

1. Taurus

I'm sad that I didn't have a good experience at Taurus like I did the first time, and I will be happy to go back again, but I will be really said if I lose Sagittarius, Capricorn, or Cancer. I get my schedule early again tomorrow so I'll just have to hope for the best!

ETA: My other friend in a different Pi Chi group got invited to the maximum nine parties today! She had:

Sagittarius
Capricorn
Cancer
Pisces
Aquarius
Aries
Gemini
Libra
and either Virgo or Taurus (the first friend reporting to me didn't remember)
This girl isn't even sure if she wants to continue past tonight, and here she is with a full schedule! I hope I see her tonight so I can ask her how she's feeling. She's a legacy to at least Aries and Aquarius, possibly more, so I hope they're treating her extra well.

Also, funny rushing story time! Friend Number One went to Pisces today, and at one point she asked the active rushing her what she was involved in. The active replied with something along the lines of well my major is super difficult so all I really do is Pisces stuff. When FNO asked what her major was, she said communications! No offense intended to any comm majors but saying that to a girl double-majoring in German and industrial engineering in the honors college was probably not the best way to go! Needless to say my friend was not very impressed with the group on the whole.

Changed my answer: I'm rooting for Sagittarius. I love continued legacies.

^^^ Me, too!

Round 3 Schedule
 

Just got back from getting my schedule. Lots of heavy cuts today. I got invited back to

Aquarius
Sagittarius
Taurus

I'm sad to see Capricorn and Cancer go, but I'm wicked excited to have Sagittarius back!! I will give away a little bit of what chapter Sagittarius is and say that they have a national policy of legacies going to pref getting put on the first bid list automatically, so if they were going to cut me it was either going to be today or tomorrow. Now I'm even more nervous for tomorrow!

My Friend Number One (had six chapters yesterday) got asked back to:

Taurus
Aquarius

She really likes Aquarius and I have a feeling she'll end up going there.
Friend Number Two (nine parties yesterday) got asked back to:

Taurus
Aquarius

She is going to stick it out through today but is really unsure if she'll continue the process, since she doesn't think Taurus likes her for herself and has ranked them last in every ranking she has made so far. She also felt like Aquarius only wants her because her sister is an Aquarius, but she liked them a lot better and is happy to go back there. I hope she has a wonderful time today and is convinced to stick with it.

Have a great day today! I'm rooting for your legacy house, but it's also cool that you and your friends could still become sisters together in Aquarius.

clemsongirl,
I know you are disappointed but look at it this way....Aquarius, Sagittarius, and Taurus see something special in you! They see you as a sister! The others didn't. Don't dwell on that. Look to the future and see the positives!

Good luck clemsongirl -- hoping all of your parties today are wonderful!

Sisterhood Part One
 

Thanks everyone for the words of encouragement! I just got back from my first party and since I have a gigantic break between this one and the next one (my next party is at 5:30 PM!) I figured I'd type some now.

I went to Aquarius this morning, and I loved it! This chapter has seriously grown on me through recruitment. I've gone from ranking them in my bottom three the first night to seriously considering being a sister there, and I am so happy about this. The skit was super cute and clearly showed how much they all cared about each other. The actives I talked to were nice and I totally clicked with the last one. I hope that I'll get to see them at prefs tomorrow!

Also on a side note the three chapters I have left have three of my favorite badges, especially Aquarius, so I feel like no matter which one I get I'm all set for a beautiful badge:)

ETA: Not so much a weird rush story as a weird rush observation, but there was a PNM in my party today who had what was clearly a Lilly Pulitzer Delta Gamma wristlet. Like, had the anchors and the DG on it and everything. I'm sure she's not actually a member of Delta Gamma but that just makes it weirder to have since she isn't one, and even weirder that she's wearing it to recruitment for other chapters!

I'm a tour guide at my school, and last year one of the girls who was getting a tour during my time slot had a DG Lilly wristlet. I thought she might be a potential transfer and wanted to ask, but I lost her when she went with another tour group and tried to forget about it.

After my tour was over, I ran to the nearby cafe to grab a coffee and she and her mom were there looking for something. I helped them out, and then asked her if she was thinking about transferring because whaddya know, we have a DG chapter on campus and I'm actually a sister there. She looked at me like I was nuts and told me she was a junior in high school. So I asked her about the wristlet and she told me it was very popular in her hometown and she just happens to really like anchors and pink. She had no idea it was part of a greek collection even though it clearly has Delta Gamma all over it :confused::confused:

At least now she knows!

Yikes...definitely a faux pas!

Can't wait to hear how your last two parties went!

Sisterhood Part Two
 

Just got back from the Sagittarius party and I absolutely LOVED it!! The skit was super funny and really showed how much the girls cared about each other and their sorority. I was smiling and laughing the entire time! We were then encouraged to do something small for the philanthropy which was the same thing my mom and I have always done so I was happy to talk about that with the active who was rushing me. The president and VP of recruitment again stopped by to say how glad they were to see me again too. I instantly clicked with the second girl rushing me and we had the most wonderful conversation. My mother and best friend are super excited for me and I really hope I will be back tomorrow! I am trying to keep my expectations in check but it is so hard not to fall in love with this group!

Can't wait to hear more. Such a spread out day!

I hope your last party is going well!

(Check out my response to you in the Finding Your Letters... thread. My daughter smiled at your post, too.)

Last One!
 

Sciencewoman, they took my breath away! I made my mom drive all over campus looking for them because I just HAD to see them before we left campus. I kept saying while we were driving around, "Mom! I could have LIVED here!"

Back to our regularly scheduled programming, folks! After much ranking drama amongst my Pi Chi group we have finally put in our decisions and now will wake up again for a 7 AM schedule delivery.

My final party tonight was Taurus. To recap, I had a really good time with them the first night and a really bad time with them the second night, so I didn't know which Taurus was going to show up this time around. I was afraid of being double-rushed while standing in line outside of the party because the girl I would have been paired with was being a complainy witch, so I was happy just to start out by not being double-rushed and forced to spend any more time with a girl who so clearly did not want to be there. The active who I talked to first ended up being from my home state, which was wicked exciting! Part of me refuses to believe that it was a coincidence but she seemed so surprised when I told her we were from the same state that she might not have known where I was from. Their skit was cute but the fact that I am just not connecting with their philanthropy prevented me from enjoying the parts of the skit talking about the philanthropy, so I was lukewarm about the skit overall. Taurus was also by far the most expensive house, which didn't endear them to me any more. The dance routine-and I was surprised to find that apparently each sorority includes a choreographed dance routine with their skit regardless of how much sense it makes with the plot-was well done, though. The second active I talked to was super bubbly and fun, so I left this house feeling more good than bad about it.

Because I only had three groups left tonight and we can go back to a maximum of three I did not have to rank any, but I have a clear order in my mind:
Sagittarius
Aquarius
Taurus

I am a little worried about getting invited back to Taurus tomorrow because I would feel bad about joining a group when I didn't really care for its philanthropy, but I will be heartbroken if I don't get Sagittarius. I wouldn't choose Aquarius first but I definitely know I would be happy there.

Random musings/updates: Friend Number One loves Aquarius and can really see herself there, but she just isn't feeling it with Taurus. I haven't talked to Friend Number Two but I won't be surprised if she drops or has already done so and I'm just not aware of it. Cuts were really heavy among my PX group-since we're all at least sophomores a lot of us were left with only one or two groups, although a couple had a full schedule or close to it. One of my other friends who is a sophomore (we'll call her Friend Number Three for consistency's sake) caught up with me today and I found out that she was invited back to
Aquarius
Sagittarius
Libra
Virgo
and I believe she ranked Aquarius as her first choice to be dropped should she get the other three chapters back.

My only super awkward rush story happened to a girl in my PX group: she was talking to a Taurus active who was discussing all the frat parties she had been to and how she had ruined her dress by spilling beer on it after going out after her formal sophomore year. It made me uncomfortable just to think about it!

I hope all is well!

It is! I am on my phone so I can't do a detailed post but when I get to my laptop in a second I will update!

Prefs!!
 

Okay I'm finally here! Between the start of the Georgia game ticket pick-up and the snafu that has been schedule distribution I have had a very busy day, but now I can happily report that I will be attending preference round today at
Aquarius

and tomorrow at
Sagittarius!!!

My Pi Chi group met at 7 AM this morning to get our schedules, but they weren't ready yet. Our lovely Pi Chi texted us to let everyone know that schedules weren't going to be ready until at least 8, so I went to Starbucks and on my way there passed through the student union where at least 30 Pi Chis were waiting to receive their girls' schedules as well. Finally she texted us again to say that she would just send us all pictures of our schedule sheets when she got them because they still were not ready. I went to my 9:05 class and at about 9:40 got a text that was a picture of my schedule! I didn't want to look at it during class because I didn't know how I would react so I waited until class was over and then sprinted into the bathroom to read it.

I am SO HAPPY that I'm going back to Sagittarius! I immediately texted my best friend and mom and they were equally thrilled! My boyfriend was happy for me as well although it doesn't mean as much to him personally. I'm also really happy to be invited back to Aquarius because they seem like a close, meaningful sisterhood. I'm also a little glad I got dropped by Taurus because I'd rather have a girl who truly wants to join them go to preference and get put on their bid list than me.

Update on my friends: Friend Number One is only preffing at Aquarius and is really happy about them, and Friend Number Two hadn't gotten her schedule yet when I saw her this morning but seemed interested in continuing recruitment. I haven't run into Friend Number Three yet to ask her how she's doing.

Thank you everyone for the well-wishes and I will let y'all know how my first party goes tonight!

YAY! So excited for you. Have fun tonight!

This is great news!!! I'm really rooting for Sagittarius now, and so is my daughter! Your mom must be on pins and needles!

(Aquarius sounds like a great option, too, though!)

Good luck and have a wonderful time, I'm pulling for the legacy house too but do what your heart tells you!

Pref Party Number One
 

Today I went to the Aquarius preference party, and while I didn't fall in love with the chapter as much as I love Sagittarius I definitely enjoyed it and would be happy there if that is where I ended up. I was paired with an active I didn't know, which irked me a little because I know more than a few girls in this chapter and I thought I had made some really great connections with other girls I had met throughout the week, but this active was really lovely and had a lot of things in common with me so my annoyance soon blew over. A few girls spoke about what the Aquarius sisterhood meant to them, and while they all had really nice messages they were all clearly very nervous and relying on their notecards to get through their speech. I kept thinking, "Why did they pick these girls to share when they can't speak in public?" I don't mean to devalue their bravery to talk in front of a group in any way, but the way they talked distracted me from the wonderful things they were saying. They then showed a video about their sisterhood that one of their girls had made. It was a sweet video that really showed how much they cared about each other. It didn't start right away, though, which drew me out of the emotion of preference and into, "Why isn't it working?" The execution was just not very smooth, which stood in contrast to the very polished and put-together Sagittarius parties I had been to so far.

I was really, really, moved, however, when they announced that each of us had been given a little sorority symbol with a trait written on it that best represented us. Mine said humor, and I immediately started tearing up because I felt like they had noticed and appreciated one of my defining characteristics. We then pinned our smaller symbols onto a larger symbol to show how together many different types of girls make a chapter, and by then I was crying because I felt special and wanted. The personalization was definitely what sold me on this chapter! The active I was paired with was sniffling too by this point because of how moved she was by the video of her sisterhood, so we both walked out laughing and crying at the same time. The party ended on a high note for me and I left it feeling wonderful.

Am I going to rank it above Sagittarius? I don't think so, unless something goes horrifically wrong at the Sagittarius party tomorrow night. But could I see myself fitting into the chapter and enjoying my years there and the friendships I would make? Absolutely. It saddened me greatly when the Pi Chis were taking roll prior to the party starting because a lot of girls seemed to have dropped from recruitment rather than pref this chapter, and I felt like those girls were missing out on a caring and loving sisterhood. If this was the only chapter I had left to pref I would run to them smiling and happy on Bid Day. I only hope that they get the best girls that fit them well, and if I'm one of them I will be completely okay with that.

Glad that party ended on a high note and looking forward to hearing about Sagittarius.

clemsongirl I'm really looking forward to your happy ending -- either will be lucky to count you among their new members!

I'm enjoying you enjoying your week -- good luck!

This is so exciting! Good luck and follow your heart. <3

I'm seriously on the edge of my seat, can't wait to find out where you land!

Me too, can't wait to find out!!!!

Even I want to know how this one turns out.

And I really want Sagittarius to turn out to to be Pi Phi. You know . . . just 'cause. :D

LOL!!!

Haha I feel so special because everyone seems to want to know where I'll end up! And MC I hate to break it to you but there is no Pi Phi chapter currently on campus so it is not Pi Phi. I realized the Sagittarius and arrow symbolism after I randomly chose the names, but I picked Sagittarius for my legacy chapter because it's my sign:) I will definitely post how my second party went tonight!

Oh well. Can I at least hope that Aquarius is Delta Gamma or Delta Delta Delta?

Feeling really dumb because I didn't get the obvious and immediately wondered if there was a connection between clemsongirl and carnation.:o

Loving your story! Can't wait to hear the rest!

We don't have a Delta Gamma chapter either! Somebody didn't read my first post:p You can hope as far as Delta Delta Delta goes, but you don't get to find out until tomorrow. I won't reveal every code name but I definitely will share Aquarius.

I did, actually.

But I'm just a guy . . . Surely you don't expect me to be able to keep all of this straight for 70+ posts, do you? :p

Alright, you're forgiven! But it's only because of your Y chromosome. All the ladies are still on the hook:p

So... how did the second pref party at Sagittarius go?

The Last Party!
 

So I just got back to my dorm, everyone! Entering our rankings into the system took FOREVER, but more on that later. I think there's a party some people want to know about;)

As I walked into the Sagittarius party I was picked up by an active who I had met from the previous rounds (and I feel bad because she had no nametag on and I cannot remember her name!). She was funny and wonderful and all those good things, and I was feeling good about myself and Sagittarius in general.

Then I got bumped.

My new rusher was the exact opposite of the girl I had just been talking to. She was rude, condescending, nosy and complaining. She complained about how long recruitment took, how little sleep she got, the whole nine yards. Right before we did a little ceremony she rolled her eyes and said that because it's such an old sorority we have to do this ritual, clearly implying that she didn't think much of it. She also was very dismissive of the fact that most girls, actives and PNMs alike, were emotional and crying, which made me feel really bad about the fact that I was too. She didn't make much of an effort to get to know me and she kept asking me vague questions like how I felt or how things were going. She even talked bad about her own chapter, saying that most of the girls were perfect all the time and that all of them were pageant queens! The worst part was that she kept asking me which group I wanted to join, and while I tried to give evasive non-answers she persisted in asking how I felt. I was waiting for someone to come bump me again, but it never happened:( I was sad that I had been paired with this girl, and sad that someone with such an attitude would be allowed to talk to the PNMs in the first place. Sorry for the long rant but she was just so horrible!! /rant

There were good parts though; do not despair! In the middle of the party the PNMs sat in chairs while the actives lined up in front of them. There was even a sister playing the violin! Then the president and a few other girls spoke about how much Sagittarius meant to them (and they did not need notecards!), which was interspersed with one or two sisters singing. It was really beautiful, and I teared up when some of the actives started crying while describing how much their sisters meant to them. All the PNMs then put flowers in a vase, similarly to what I did at the other party, and then I went back to talk to the dreaded rusher. At the end I was walked out with a "It was nice to talk to you" full of attitude. Ugh.

Then it was off to rank! After taking a coach bus across campus that was standing-room only because four pref parties got out simultaneously, we walked into the student center and sat down in the theater used for movie showings. We weren't allowed to talk or use our phones because it was supposed to be "our experience", which got really frustrating because we hadn't brought anything else to do. The two Greek Life grad students ended up playing a "Get to Know Us" game where we guessed where they were from because while the PNMs weren't supposed to talk to each other they were allowed to talk to the grad students. Girls were sent upstairs to get in line again in groups of 30 or 40, and the line was very slow-moving. After about an hour (10:30 PM) we were told that we could go get food from the food court nearby, so we collectively ran out and did that. Then I got in line to be sent upstairs to where the computers where, then put in another waiting room. I chatted with the Director of Greek Life, and he was really impressed when I asked if he was the one in charge of sorority extension (thanks GC ladies and men!). We then got put in another line and were told that there could be absolutely no talking or we'd get moved to the back of the line; two girls behind me actually did get moved to the back of the line because they would not stop talking. I ended up picking up a book on graduate schools to read to pass the time. After another hour and a half of slowly shuffling through the Career Center I finally made it to a computer where I had the MRABA explained to me and then ranked (at midnight)

1. Sagittarius
2. Aquarius

Why Sagittarius after my pref party fiasco? I kept and keep telling myself that one active does not a chapter make, and to quote something I read in a thread long ago the chapter could have held pref in a cardboard box with glowsticks and I still would have signed their name with my finest penmanship. That actually sounds like a really fun pref party, come to think of it. Anyways, I truly believe that I would be happy in either sorority, but that Sagittarius is the right one for me. My mom and best friend have done an awesome job of not pressuring me to choose one way or another, so I can truly say I made this decision on my own.

We were supposed to have our bids delivered to us in our rooms at 4:30 tomorrow, but apparently my Pi Chi has class so I should get it around 5:15 and then have half an hour before we meet to see the Pi Chi reveal and run down the hill to our new chapters. I don't know if I'll be able to update GC in that half hour but no news is good news and getting a bid from either chapter is good news!

Thank you all so much for your advice and good thoughts! Tomorrow I will also thank the lovely ladies who either wrote recs or found them for me, but I don't want to give away what chapter I'm not a legacy to by doing that now. I'm so glad recruitment is almost done and by this time tomorrow I will be a new member somewhere!

Best of luck!!!