At least we know you're not done and your story has a happy ending or else I'd be sad! Where did your friends end up pledging?

oh no! like jess said, i'm so glad we already know this has a happy ending or this would be truly sad! but how interesting that both you and susan wind up with similar experiences thus far (being cut, dropping out, yet ultimately finding your home :))

Yeah, I'm definitely glad that we already know you have a happy ending. Otherwise, I'd be struggling to figure out the right thing to say - we all know that a woman can have a perfectly wonderful college experience even if sorority life isn't in the cards for her, but its hard for a bunch of sorority women to try to convey that online without sounding insincere!

I'd imagine it must have been heartbreaking to get down to the end, have only your mom's house left as one that you really feel strongly about, and then get dropped. :( But I'm thinking happy thoughts, and I'm curious to hear how the story ends!


P.S. I figured out which chapter Babe Williams is. You made a recent post in another thread that gave it away. :)

I did kind of know it was coming since she did mention that she pledged as a sophomore in some other random post that I stumbled upon...but I thought I'd play along anyway. I think I know which one is DG and I definitely knew it was coming when I saw the round 3 invite list.;)

Well, I could keep going day by day, but it would take way too long, so here's the summary of events between prefs my freshman year and my decision to rush again.

I tried out for the fall plays, got callbacks for two of them, and was cast in the show I really wanted a part in (a small speaking part, but by comparison only two other freshman girls were cast in any of the shows and neither of them had lines). On my hall, a lot of the girls pledged Marian Paroo and Carrie Pipperidge. My friend on my hall who really guided me through the process pledged Eliza Doolittle. Two of my friends from high school pledged Kate Monster, two pledged Magnolia Hawkins, one pledged Eliza Doolittle, and one pledged Roxie Hart.

Time passed that fall and spring as I performed in that first college play, assistant directed another, and did another show that summer (not at the university). I met a girl who was an alum of the Anne Egerman chapter who was also in my show. She was really surprised to hear that I had dropped out of recruitment and encouraged me to go through recruitment again in the fall. I told her that I really didn't want to deal with the cuts again, and she noted that my involvement on campus might make it easier for me this time. However, I was already slated to direct a show, produce two others, and take 18 credits in the fall. I decided too much was on my plate to pledge, anyway. I was happy without Greek life (even though I secretly wished I could do both).

However, I kept in mind what the Anne Egerman alum had said and happened to run into my Roxie Hart friend in the late fall of my sophomore year, right before finals. She told me all about how happy she was as a member of Roxie Hart and how surprised she was that I had not joined a sorority. I told her a little bit about my story (and about the favorites who dropped me during recruitment). She suggested that I go through recruitment in January because it was low-pressure, I wouldn't have to attend parties for chapters I was not interested in, and several of my favorites from freshman year would be participating.

I really thought about it over winter break and when I came back, I stopped by Greek Life in between classes the first week of spring semester and filled out the form to go through spring recruitment. I was told that the houses participating would be:
Magnolia Hawkins
Margo Channing
Cora Hooper
Dolly Levi
Babe Williams
Kate Monster

Alright, now you're caught up. I'm now going into 19-year-old me voice.

I am supposed to get invitations to events within the next couple of days. Let's cross our fingers that I get a second chance with Magnolia, Margo, or Babe!

Are you going to Dolly or are you through with them?

We'll have to see who invites me to events, won't we? ;)

By the way, friends one year younger than me from my high school pledged Babe Williams (1), Dolly Levi (1), Magnolia Hawkins (2), and Cora Hooper (1), so maybe I will know some girls in the chapters this time! :)

I guess UGA does informal a little differently than UMD. During our informal recruitment, PHA has very little involvement. A PNM merely has to bring her transcript to show that she has the credits and GPA and she can go to anyone's open houses that she wants without having an invitation first. PHA does have a booth set up with all 14 chapters so PNMs can get the schedules, and PHA does hand out master schedules and maps, but that's about it.

So do PNMs sign up with PHA, and then PHA tells the chapters that dramadawg is signed up and the ones who want her to come to an event invite her? So you pretty much have to have connections to even get an invitation?

Well, now you're just abusing us with all this waiting. How about some hints of which group is which in real life?

Historically, I'd say this is pretty accurate, and it's also pretty rare, as far as I know, for as many groups to be participating in informal as are for DGDramaDawg's informal rush.

DGDD(if I can take the liberty to abbreviate your user name), wouldn't you say it's more typical for only a couple of groups to be doing informal and that most of the time a PNM might only be recruited by one group?

I'm always late to these threads - I'm loving your story though!

Yes, it's basically like this (or was during the 2002-2003 school year when I was a sophomore):

1. PNM signs up with PHA and fills out recruitment forms which include collegiate GPA.
2. PHA gives info to chapters for all PNMs.
3. Chapters choose who to invite to events. Some chapters might invite all PNMs to all events, others might invite only some PNMs to all events, some chapters might invite all PNMs to the first event and then make selections for other events, and some might invite only some PNMs to the first event and then make cuts from there. It depends on the chapter.
4. PNM goes to Greek Life Office on Bid Day to pick up bids. Greek Life Office may have multiple bids for a PNM because PNM may have attended every event for more than one group.

Generally, it's pretty rare for 6 groups to do informal, as alphagamuga mentioned. A lot of times if 5 or more groups are participating in informal at UGA, it's because a spot or two have been vacated by seniors who graduated in December and the chapter wants to fill to total (I know this was the case with one chapter who participated when I pledged... the rumor was that they had only one spot!). I also agree with alphagamuga that oftentimes the PNMs know who they want and the chapters know who they want beforehand. I was definitely the exception, going through without a lot of Greek friends and having several chapters I was interested in.

Hints (because alphagamuga asked):

Here's who's not participating in spring recruitment:

Alpha Delta Pi (Marian Paroo)
Phi Mu (Roxie Hart)
Chi Omega (Lois Lane)
Sigma Kappa (Julie Jordan)
Kappa Delta (Carrie Pipperidge)
Zeta Tau Alpha (Eva Peron)
Pi Beta Phi (Charity Hope Valentine)
Delta Delta Delta (Anne Egerman)
Alpha Omicron Pi (Eliza Doolittle)
Reno Sweeney (Delta Zeta)
Annie Oakley (Kappa Alpha Theta)
Janet Weiss (Kappa Kappa Gamma)

That leaves:

Delta Gamma
Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Chi Omega
Gamma Phi Beta
Sigma Delta Tau
Delta Phi Epsilon

I wish informal recruitment was less common at UMD. All of the chapters do it every fall, though the number of spots available in each chapter varies. It's because quota x 3 is only in the 60s (we have spring formal recruitment), whereas total is 95. So each fall, an average chapter would take about 10 new members. It might be fewer if they didn't have very many seniors graduate, or more if a chapter is small, has withdrawals, or has a lot of seniors graduate. Last fall, one chapter took 4, and I know some had around 30 spots.

The problem is that because fall informal is so "established" as a way to join a sorority at UMD, lots of PNMs will just do fall if they don't get what they want in the spring, because every chapter does fall. When I was flyering right before recruitment, I had a girl tell me "Oh, no, I'm going through in the fall". :mad: NO! That's not how it's supposed to be!

Are there some advantages though too? I bet having all the groups do informal might be a little more relaxed in general. Having one big high stakes formal rush/recruitment isn't always so great for PNM or chapters.

(While most groups do make quota and it allows them to be at total, if you don't, there's kind of a stigma to COB and informal. The perception is that the top tier groups don't ever do it.)

If everyone was kind of in the same "always doing informal" boat, it might make recruitment a more natural process where you could really get to know PNMs and groups.

It is true that there is no stigma about informal recruitment. However, it would benefit the smaller chapters to not have to compete with the larger ones during informal. Plus, it would give chapters at total the chance to have a retreat or something at the beginning of the semester, more programming, more socials, whatever, instead of spending all that time (and money) on pre-recruitment, recruitment, and a new member period.

Plus, if everyone always did it, there wouldn't be a negative connotation to doing informal like there can be if only 4 or 5 out of 18 participate.

I guess the grass is always greener...

Yeah, I guess the grass is always greener.

I hadn't thought about some of the issues. I don't remember informal being that draining, but I can see that if everyone did it, then it would get more competitive too, and you'd end up having to work at it just as much as formal in terms of planning, etc.

It seems to me that your campus needs to lower total and fast.

Informal didn't get so popular until they announced that they were moving formal rush to Spring. My chapter had a pledge class of 4 in spring 94 and I know that entire pledge class were basically women who were already friends w/ others in our chapter and didn't want to bother w/ formal rush. Also as the # of PMN's signing up for rush decreased (quota was 36 in Fall 94 - too high as only like 5-6 houses reached it out of 15) it dropped to 26 for Fall 95 formal, yet even though quota dropped, total remained the same (it almost has to to support the houses that hold 35-50 women.) So many houses have to do it to keep the houses full and stay as close to total as possible- or probably above in some cases.

Additionally by moving formal to the spring, sophomores are MUCH more likely to go through informal in the fall (they probably feel that if they waited until their 2nd spring on campus they would be at a disadvantage vs. the freshman who were rushing their 2nd semester) and to that point there are probably freshmen who figure- well I might as well wait another semester, live in the dorms again next fall- stay friends w/ my friends who join this spring and then just pick from their houses in the fall. etc. etc.

Since DramaDawg is making us wait, I've highjacked some:


Because I'm a complete nerd, I pulled up the UMD greek life grade report from Fall of 06 since that was the most recent. I didn't look like anyone had above 95 members. And that would have reflected the results of formal rush.

Maybe you all could drop total to about 75 or so. At first girls might have to go through formal to get bids since there'd be fewer open slots in the fall, but since quota can be adjusted based on the number of girls, they could find homes in the spring.

At UGA some groups who always make quota have way above total, but it's still set reasonably enough that most groups don't have to hold year round rush to be at total.

Is lowering total something that your PC talks about? Why does it get shot down?

Alright, I have time, so I am posting this now. Big reveal tomorrow, though. Gotta keep you on your toes.

I got invites to events from the following chapters:
Margo Channing
Babe Williams
Dolly Levi
Cora Hooper

Because I am currently acting in one play and producing another, my rehearsal schedule conflicts with a lot of the events. I knew going in that I was not going to accept a bid for Cora Hooper, so now I have to consider the other three... and the one time that events are scheduled for that I can attend them happens to have events for Margo Channing, Babe Williams, AND Dolly Levi! This means that (a) I can only attend one recruitment event, which seriously worries me because I don't know if they will remember me after only one, and (b) I can only be recruited by one sorority, because obviously they won't extend a bid to a girl they have not met.

So I've got to take a good hard look at Margo, Babe, and Dolly and decide which group I will be calling to say "Sorry, I can only come to one event; I hope that's okay" and which groups I will be telling "Sorry, I can't make it to any events, but gosh-I-wish-I-could."

While I really liked DOLLY LEVI during recruitment, I still can't get over the fact that they cut me right before prefs. However, they are my mother's sorority and I feel a strong connection to them because of her. I also feel like I should have a loyalty to them because Babe Williams and Margo Channing both cut me after round two, but Dolly Levi kept me for round three. They also have the prettiest house.

During recruitment, MARGO CHANNING was a house I grew to like a lot more during round two (I ranked them seventh during round one, but first during round two). On the one hand, this was my top choice when they cut me, so I feel that I should definitely want to go back this time. On the other hand, I've only been there twice and the first time I didn't connect with them as much as Dolly Levi or Babe Williams, so there is always the chance that I might not like them as much this time... or I might like them just as much!

I liked BABE WILLIAMS equally each round that I saw them during recruitment... for round one they were right below Dolly Levi and right above Margo Channing and for round two they were third, below Margo Channing and above Dolly Levi. I feel like I can count on liking these girls just as much as I did during formal recruitment, whereas my opinions on the other chapters switched between rounds.

Well, I picked a chapter and decided to go for it. I attended the one event, which I had to leave early for a dress rehearsal. I walked in and was greeted by the freshman year roommate of one of my Kate Monster friends... she was a member of the chapter who pledged during formal recruitment my freshman year! I had an awesome time at the event... I even met two girls who were involved in theatre! I stayed talking to one of the girls for so long that I was almost late to rehearsal! On my way to rehearsal, I called a family member who is a member of this house to tell her that her sorority was definitely the perfect place for me and I hoped I would be getting a bid from her house when I stopped by Greek Life on Bid Day.

So.........

Was it DOLLY LEVI, which would make my mom a Delta Gamma? Did I give Dolly a second chance?
Was it MARGO CHANNING, which means I have another family member who is a DG? Did I go for my first choice from the first time around?
Or Was it BABE WILLIAMS, which means I have another family member who is a DG? Did I go for the chapter I knew I would definitely like just as much as I did the first time around?

Until tomorrow, ladies... feel free to place your bets.

I think it's the size of the houses that keeps them from dropping the total below 90- houses don't like to get into situations where they have to "force" girls to live in for 2 years (even though I know it happened when I was there- not in my house but in others) I know that since I graduated my house that slept 41-42 women actually had a waiting list @ one point. A few of the larger houses (Tridelt, KD, Theta and AOPi come to mind) sleep 50-60+ I believe, so having a total of 75 would not work for them.

I can't speak for PC- also I haven't read that report- can you provide a link?

Oh nice work, DGDramadawg. You know how to build suspense. I will be checking in tomorrow for sure!



As far as UMD, I hope I didn't mislead you. It's just the grade rankings, but it has the number of members on it:http://www.union.umd.edu/greek_life/...20-%202006.pdf

Maybe you're right about the reasons they don't want to lower it. It's interesting to wonder if numbers are higher with year round rushing or if they are higher when there's a perception of scarcity in opportunities to be Greek. You know what I mean? Would more girls join over time if there was just one big formal rush they knew they had to participate in, instead of always knowing they can rush the next semester?

Well, as I posted earlier, I'm 100% positive I know who Babe Williams is.

So...at least that narrows things down for me. (I won't say in what way, so as not to spoil the fun for everyone else trying to guess.)

Margo Channing. I know it.

Meanie! :mad: I want to know now! Oh, well...I guess I can wait!

We actually talked about extension, and I was on the extension committee, but it was shot down. Those numbers seem funny. I know we gave bids up to 95, but I think we had one girl withdraw after recruitment, so maybe that's why our number is listed as 94 instead of 95. The thing with informal is that there are tons of chapters who COULD take up to 95 and merely choose not to. Yet when we talked about extension, they're whining that "only 3 chapters were at total in the fall." Whose fault is that? (There are a few chapters that try to get up to 95 and can't, but I am not talking about those.)

i'm also gonna cast my vote and say you went to Dolly Levi. I mean, we already know which house you went with, and you havent made any mention of any other family members being greek. Then again, you kinda randomly threw in that you were a legacy via your mom. I doubt you'd randomly call a family member (another DG) without calling your mom first and telling her how excited you were...

But who knows - im enjoying the twists.

(in my Chicago singing voice) "We... want... (more)storrrrrrrrryyyyyyy"

Here's a hint for those who know UGA well (don't know that it will help anyone else):

The three chapters that were participating in spring recruitment for which I did not attend events were:
Alpha Chi Omega (Magnolia Hawkins)
Sigma Delta Tau (Kate Monster)
Delta Phi Epsilon (Cora Hooper)

That means the three houses that I had to choose between for the one event were:
Delta Gamma
Alpha Gamma Delta
Gamma Phi Beta

That seals it - I know who's who now. :)

between you and dgdramadawg :mad:
no fair! first she leaves us hanging and then you make tantalizingly unfair statements to those of us who lack such insider knowledge! grrrrr!

i'm going to go with dolly as well since i don't know why you would have thrown in that huge MY MOM IS A MEMBER OF DOLLY LEVI in such a huge dramatic fashion (though you are a theater person so who knows...) only to let us know that she got "the call..." so yes. dolly gets my vote, followed by babe.

Well, the first house I decided to call to give my regrets was BABE WILLIAMS. While I really liked Babe both rounds during recruitment, the last time I saw them they were still lower on my list than Margo, and they didn't have another chance for me to meet them without comparison to other chapters during round three like Dolly. When I called the Gamma Phi Beta house, the girl I spoke to was really nice and said she wished I could make the event and she was sorry I had rehearsal.

Then I was down to two: DOLLY LEVI and MARGO CHANNING.

I know who it is!!! (I think, because of the order in which you named the houses, but I won't spoil it for anyone :D)

Well, the first call that I made when I left Delta Gamma's event (where I met my big and my future roommate) was to my mom, of course. She was also the first person I called when I picked up my bid from the Greek Life Office. She was so proud and happy for me!

BUT (plot twist!) the SECOND call that I made after leaving the event and after picking up my bid was to my AUNT, a member of Delta Gamma! Of course I wanted to let my Alpha Gam Mom know about my happiness, but I was also so excited about DG and needed to share that excitement with my Aunt... even just after my first ritual on the night of bid day, I realized how special it was to be able to call her to talk about things that I can't share with my mom or any of the other Greeks in my family.

Yes, that's right, MARGO CHANNING was Delta Gamma and DOLLY LEVI was Alpha Gamma Delta. In the end, even though I felt a tug of loyalty to my mother, I just felt that I would always wonder "what if" if I didn't attend the event at Margo Channing/Delta Gamma, my first choice from formal recruitment. My mom totally understood, because it was more important to her for me to love the house I pledged than to be her sister. As soon as I walked into Delta Gamma, I knew I had made the right choice... they were genuinely excited to have me there and by the time I left I was sure it was a perfect fit for me.

Yay! I love happy endings...even if we know they're coming!

I love happy endings too!!! And, I hope that if any PNM's are reading this, remember that while recruitment might not always work out the first time round, sometimes the second time a charm! :)

Absolutely! Some other advice to PNMs who might be reading this thread and thinking of going to UGA:

1. All of the chapters at UGA are awesome. I have at least one friend who was a collegiate member of every chapter and I know no one who didn't love her chapter. Even if they weren't all perfect fits for me, they're all perfect fits for somebody!

2. Some good things that I did as a PNM: I gave every chapter a second chance before I started making decisions on where I would or wouldn't pledge; I didn't let rumors or other people's impressions of houses guide my decisions.

3. Some bad things I did as a PNM (or things I didn't do that I would go back and fix if I could): I let my worries about being poorly versed in recruitment make me nervous; I didn't get recs for every house; I didn't think through my outfits for recruitment beforehand. I know the last two seem silly, but man, they're both so true. Also, this isn't in my notes, but when a house asked me what other parties I was attending, I listed them... stupid, stupid, stupid.

4. The one thing I did that I wouldn't recommend to anyone: While I consider it good that I did not attend prefs when I knew I would not fit in with either house, I would NOT recommend that to the average PNM. I knew at that point that I would be less happy if I ended up in either of those houses than if I was not Greek at all. A lot of ladies drop out of recruitment hoping to COB or go through spring rush to pledge their top houses later on, but I am one of very few people that I know who dropped out and later ended up with her heart's desire. If you want to be Greek, don't drop out of recruitment, because rarely will houses who cut you in formal suddenly want you in informal. Not everyone's second chance turns out as well as mine and I don't want anyone to see this thread and think it's likely to happen to the average PNM at UGA.

Margo Channing, I knew it! What a fun story!

Hooray for happy endings! :) Such a great read. I like the way you sumed up the experience and gave advice at the end too. :D