HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Wow, I nearly spewed diet coke when I read that, but very good point.

It's also very possible that pledge retention is not so great on your campus. Believe me, a sorority would rather say "total was raised" than "a bunch of girls deactivated/depledged", even if that happens across the board.

The way your school does informal is very different from the way my school does it. The sororities who were participating in informal sent out special invitations to a just few girls, and we could arrive when we wanted to and leave when we got ready. I'm very interested to hear more about your informal recruitment :)

if all the pnms in the session that you are attending leave at the 50 minute mark, then it might look odd if you stay around. plus the sisters might be busy getting ready for the next group to come. you might get a better feel for what to do when you are actually at the event.

good luck to you!!

Sounds like you're excited :) I'd definitely play it by ear in terms of showing up and leaving. The chapter might not tell you "Oh listen, you have to go now" but it might be weird for them if you stick around while they're prepping for the next session. I'd just leave when all the other PNMs take off. They'll probably give you some direction at the parties.

On the other hand, if you're invited to stay at a chapter and you're having a good time then by all means stay. Just go with the flow. Good luck! I'm getting excited for you. :)

Each sorority will likely structure their informal events differently; just go to the open houses/invitationals and be yourself! Remember that this is a mutual selection: the sororities are interviewing you, but you are also interviewing them. You've had a semester to observe them on-campus, so while 3 days isn't a long time for recruitment, you had the benefit of the fall to see them in action and get a feel for their sisterhood. I hope it all works out!

The 13th will be here before you know it. I know you're excited; take this week to indulge in laying your recruitment clothes, get a pedicure and dress up on campus-- you never know who is watching! You may also want to stop into a few campus club meetings; there may be sorority women who are members. It will also be a great topic of conversation at recruitment when they ask if you are involved on campus: you can tell them that you've started looking into opportunities and attended X, Y and Z recently.

Channel that excited energy into a positive and good luck!

YES.

(That's what my mamma always said.)

i agree with you, i would hesitate to dress in sweats for a recruitment party, but you might not have to dress as if you were going out either. maybe something in between, a dressy pair of jeans, with heeled boots, and a nice sweater-assuming you are farther north than i? ask your panhellenic office if they can suggest the appropriate outfit for open house. good luck!!

I would "overdress" like you said--it's always good to stand out by looking super cute. If you go in dressed like everyone else (you know how many black dresses show up to pref days?), it's hard for you to get noticed or be memorable sometimes.

For my first party, I wore a nice pair of jeans, a button-down striped shirt and some preppy brown boots (they went with the outfit I promise). I was relieved to find my first party had all the sisters in jeans too. Some girls showed up in sweats and I was a little shocked. I can't remember what I wore for house tours but for skit I definitely dressed up, wore nice black pants, a white cami and a pale orange overshirt. Bear in mind this was in February in Massachusetts. My advice is start nice and dress a little nicer each day.

NEVER, EVER even think about wearing sweatpants to any kind of recruitment event. I personally would be insulted if I was talking to a rushee who dressed like that. It is basically sending a message saying "I could care less what I look like." During my informal, I always wore jeans, a nice sweater, and heels (in the form of either dress shoes or casual suede boots). Like the girls above me have said, it is better to overdress than underdress. You'll feel better about yourself too!:)

I agree. It's one thing if you are rolling out of bed and into sweats for a 7:30 AM class or wearing a fleece to the intramural fields to watch a soccer game. It is another to go on an interview looking sloppy. You don't need to wear a prom dress, but common sense diictates that if the theme is casual, you would wear nice jeans/top/stylish shoes, and as others have said, dress it up a little more each day. You don't want to to "stick out," but you do want to "stand out" as someone who takes care of herself to look her personal best at these events.

Sweatpants can also = Juicy Couture sweatsuits. :)

Unless you know for sure what school someone is going to and it's your school, I wouldn't say "never, ever" wear this or that. Campus culture is very different from place to place. In this case I agree with dressing up a little bit, but at some places, things like Lily Pulitzer dresses and pearls would be every bit as out of place as sweatpants would someplace else.

You're very right. I personally view Juicy as a $300 sweatsuit. It's something to wear in an airport or lounging around the house, in my opinion. I believe that would be inappropriate to wear if I was trying to look my personal best at a casual event to make a first impression. Again, that's just me. I think she is fine with nice jeans, but the OP should certainly inquire with the women on her campus with regards to what is appropriate to wear.

Seinfeld on sweatpants:
 

"You know the message you're sending out to the world with these sweatpants? You're telling the world, 'I give up. I can't compete in normal society. I'm miserable, so I might as well be comfortable.'"
- Jerry and George, in "The Pilot"