hope curly gets here soon with her invites!! :)

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your recuitment!! Good luck!! :p

Round 2 invites
 

Here ya go ladies....We had to sit in the room for about 2 hours again...but they finally let us leave!
I was invited back to 7, and this afternoon I will be returning to 6 houses:

AChiO
AEPhi
DPhiE
KKG
PhiMu
PiPhi

To clarify...the houses that I went to during Round 2, and will NOT be returning to are: Theta, ZTA, KD :(, and SigmaKappa.

I thought I had clicked with the ZTA girls, but I guess not. Theta was one of the last houses yesterday, and the girl I was paired with up did not click with me. She was very athletic, and I'm not....so we didn't really click well. I have to admit that I was so tired that I wasn't too focused.

Now KD....I was upset that I didn't see them on my invite list this morning. :eek: At the same time, I had a gut feeling that I wouldn't be seeing them. I really liked the house, and especially the Round 1 girl, but I just didn't really *click* with the Round 2 girl. We still had a good conversation, but it wasn't as great as the Round 1 girl. If only I had gotten the Round 1 girl during Round 2. Who knows....I just hate how it could depend on who rushes who. Plus, I think I'm at a disadvantage being a sophomore, and they might be stricter with sophomores GPAs. That's the feedback I'm getting from people I've spoken to.

Well just to update everyone on my 'greek or no greek' life question....I'm still not sure. I had good experiences at all the houses I'm returning to, but as far as getting a good vibe from the house as a whole, I don't know yet. There isn't one house that really sticks out in my mind. That is really the only thing motivating me to attend Round 3 today. I don't want any 'what ifs' later on...so I'm going to see for myself.

I've discussed this with various people already....if I don't find myself clicking with one house, then I'm going to withdraw. I'm not going to join a house that I semi-like just because I want to be in A sorority. I want to be in a house that I really, really like and feel comfortable in....not b/c I like it from the ones I have left! So I still haven't decided if greek life is for me...but maybe I'll know by tonight! A part of me just wants to sleep for the rest of the day (parties are from 2:30-10p, and they're not feeding us!), but the other part of me doesn't want to give up until I absolutely, positively know that this stuff isn't for me.

I hope I haven't offended anyone....and I want to thank you all for being so supportive. I'll try to update later tonight, if not tomorrow morning...depending on how tired I am! ;)


Oh....on a side note...there are about 1200 girls who started during rush. I'm girl number #815...I'm curious to know how many girls have dropped!

Do you mind if I suggest not withdrawing after today, but instead going to pref, and then if you don't feel right anywhere, simply no preffing?

I suggest that because like a lot of people I wasn't really sold on anywhere until after pref. That's when what the house is really about shows - you see part of what they stand for in their preference ceremony, you get to see if the girls really love their chapter or if they're just going through the motions, and you hopefully feel like you could really belong in at least one house, maybe two.

CurlyGirly--

So glad to see you're sticking with rush and going to round 3! Of course, I'm especially happy to see you're visiting D Phi E again :) I know what you're saying about feeling that "at home" thing, but often times, it takes some time for that. During rush, you find some places where you could see yourself...once you get a bid and start the new member process, you realize that you did make the right choice. Trust me, from a girl who NEVER thought she'd join a sorority, it does take a bit of time.

I hope your choices get easier after today!! Whatever your decision, we're behind you :)

Heather

Curly,
I would def. wait until after pref night. you can always withdrawl before you sign your bid cards. Wait it out. Pref. is a lot less crazy like all the other rounds are, and its very personal and you will get to see a lot more of the sisterhood and the sisters personalities themselves.
I know this can be a confusing time, but my advice is to wait it out and do your best. And if you withdrawl before you sign your bid card, i think you may be eligible for a COB or Snap Bid (i am not sure though) if you decide that it is for you later.
-Maggie

I'm sorry to hear that you won't be going back to Zeta:(. Please stick it through til pref and make your decision that night. Your feelings might chnage in a day and you have 6:D GREAT houses to choose from.
It'll work out in the end, whatever your choice may be.

thanks
 

Thanks so much for all the support...I'm definitely going to attend Round 3...and tomorrow morning I'll decide if I'm going to pref or not. I know it all takes time, and that's why I'm going to stick it out.

I remember reading on GC once that recruitment is the best experience that no one EVER wants to go through with again....totally understand! lol

curly: I'm sorry you won't be coming back to KD :( However, you have a nice number of houses to choose from. And keep in mind.....pref is where you really see what a house is all about & fall in love with their sisterhood.

Good luck!! :)

Also, if you don't find a house you "click" with you could consider colonizing DZ and make it into the house of your dreams!

Curly...
Best of luck to you!!!! Hang in there!!!!

CurlyGirl, I think 90% of all PNMs have felt EXACTLY like you. It goes with the territory of a huge greek system. One day you like ABC next day you think XYZ is great. Then, oops XYZ isn't so wonderful but QRS starts to shine. It's like a horserace, some are first right out of the gate but for any number of reasons, fall behind and a new horse starts to pull ahead. You never know what's going to happen till you're in the finale stretch. I honestly hope you stay with it to the end.

Fuzzie Alum is right, please go to pref Fuzzy Alum wrote-I suggest that because like a lot of people I wasn't really sold on anywhere until after pref. That's when what the house is really about shows - you see part of what they stand for in their preference ceremony, you get to see if the girls really love their chapter or if they're just going through the motions, and you hopefully feel like you could really belong in at least one house, maybe two.

Curlygirly,

First of all, I have to say YAY KAPPA! I'm thrilled to have one of our GCers going back there.

*ahem*

Now...

I'm actually going to one-up JAM and Carnation and suggest that you go through the New Member period. Formal recruitment is such a farsical event and can seem very shallow at a big school. You only get a few 20 minute conversations on which to base your decision. Preference Night is very beautiful and moving and it could very well be that you'll be sold after that, but if you're not, I'd suggest that you wait until the circus of rushing dies down and you get the chance to see everyone when they're not always dressed to impress. Just hanging 'round a house, you get to know some very real people underneath those made-up exteriors. If it were between sororities, I'd suggest that you not sign your preference card because of the one-year waiting rule. But especially because your choice is not between sororities, but rather between being or not being Greek, I think that in order to make a truly informed decision, you need to get to know a house beyond the superficial level. The NMP teaches you all about what it's like to be a sister in a particular house. You'll get the opportunity to become very much closer with all the women there through retreats and teambuilding activities and such. If, when Initiation time comes, you still feel like this isn't the gig for you, then you can depledge rather than Initiate. But please, give it a good, thorough try.

Best of luck at 3rd round. Have fun, smile loads, and ask tons of questions. I'm sure you'll find the place that's right for you.

I agree with KappaKittyCat (and I love her name -- so cute!). Rush is nothing like your new member period. Go to prefs. Trust that the group that places you on its first bid list sees something in you that meshes with its sisterhood. After all the excitement dies down, you can relax, look around, and get acquainted with your new sisters. Chances are, you'll find tons of new friends and discover personal meaning in what your sorority stands for, and you'll want to be initiated. If not, you can depledge. Trust us, this week is the hardest part of the next three years. Go ahead and pledge so you won't wonder, "What if?"

And of course I'm thrilled you're going back to Pi Phi!

:confused: I thought UF rush was over ?? I could be wrong... but that's what I thought. If it is not over, I agree.. you've gone through this much, stick it out through prefs and see what happens !!! if it is over let us know what is going on we're all soo curious Did you go to prefs ? did you accept a bid ? what happened ? WE ALL NEED TO KNOW hehehehehe. If you decided not to go back or if you are off celebrating with your new sisters... I hope you are VERY VERY happy with whatever decision you made. Keep us posted !!

I agree Kappa Kitty! Glad you mentioned it!

curlygirly - glad you're going back to AEPhi (not that I'm biased or anything... :D)

I strongly suggest you go to prefs... I think you said your pref parties were an hour or an hour and 15 minutes, which, taken together with the other parties, is plenty of time for some good conversation.

KappaKittyCat makes a good point about the new member period... also, remember that you're not going to know who your pledge sisters are until bid day, and they are the sisters that you will be spending 4 years with as a collegian, rather than 1 or 2 or 3. During your new member period, you'll find out how well you're bonding with them.

In the meantime, relax and have fun at round 3 :)

KappaKC - you are totally right.

Since I heard that Curlygirly was not asked back to KD, I was very disappointed - to say the least. <ahem!>

But actually, the entire time that I have known Curlygirly (I guess it's no secret I was her - and her boyfriend's - high school journalism teacher), I have just been encouraging her to GO GREEK - I don't think I ever said GO KD.

Of course, we all like to hear of somone pledging our sorority. But really, we are all very happy to hear of girls pledging - PERIOD! (this is one thing I LOVE about greekchat - gosh, it's great to have a "fair playing field" talking with all kinds of greeks -race/gender/weight/looks/yaddayadda.)

I've also said to Curlygirly, when it came to going through rush "Do it, so you never regret it." And yes, you can always depledge- that's an option.

But the bottom line is, greek life is more than just your college years. Looking back, those were the WORST years of my entire sorority life, because of cattiness (what!?! Cattiness in KD?!? http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/otn/wink/wink2.gif). I really began to enjoy my sorority life through my involvement as an alumna -- not through a chapter or an AA (we don't have any chapters in South Florida and the Miami AA disbanded after Hurricane Andrew). My involvement came through the internet. I won't go on about it here, but let's just say that I don't consider any of my chapter sisters any of my close friends at this point in my life. I am much closer to other KD's online.

And when you meet women from other sororities, you laugh over your collegiate experience...and after talking, you realize that you really DO have much in common, just with different letters.

So, getting back to Curlygirly...you go girl!!! Go on with rush, keep the DZ colonization in your mind. And when YOU are there with your name in lights (and I know they will be) -- let all of them eat their hearts out! http://216.40.241.68/contrib/scorchio/saevilw.gif

kdonline- Another really great post!

Can you tell I'm anxious about all this? My computer has been on 90% of the day!

End of Round 2!
 

Hello ladies....first of all I want to thank you all for your support, and for pushing me to attend Round 3. I am very glad that I did. The houses that I thought I hadn't clicked with during Round 1 and 2...ended up being some of my favorite houses. The videos shown really made me see a more personal side to each house. It wasn't just about the perfect walk out or the perfect smile, it was about being friends with all these girls.

The day has been really really long, and I am STARVING! But I've made sure to come back here and post, since you've all been so sweet.

Today I visited KKG, Phi Mu, AEPhi, PiPhi, DPhiE, AlphaChi. I loved all of the videos and all of the girls...but there were a few houses that I could definitely picture myself in.

First of all, I cried and got chills during the KKG presentation. They showed a video imitating the MTV show 'Diary' and it was really sweet. I got chills during the video. Then, with the lights dimmed, all the girls gathered and sang the song "At the Beginning" from Anastasia. (if you haven't heard it...you should!) It is the sweetest song, and coincidentally a very special song to my boyfriend and I. We've been dating for 4 1/2 years (as kdonline mentioned, we were her students)...and we loved the song from the moment we first heard it. Soo...of course, after watching the video, and hearing the music, I cried. And then I felt dumb b/c I don't even know these girls! lol....Either way, I really clicked with the girl who rushed me, and we figured out that we have friends in common. (she's from Miami also)

PiPhi made the cutest video spoof of Charlie's Angels...but instead PiPhi's angels. I had a good conversation with the girl....I liked the fact that we went to a bedroom, and weren't in a super loud room yelling back and forth at each other. They also sang a song, but a PiPhi song...again, got chills. As I walked out, the girl who rushed me during Round 1 said hi. I can't believe that she remembered me, but PiPhi was my *first* rush party ever during Round 1....so that was really nice.

Phi Mu...the girls were soo sweet...and their video spoofed Friends, but instead it was Sisters. They even filmed an opening in a water fountain with umbrellas, like their opening of friends. The girls seem very real to me, and very sincere. I was taken aback though, b/c the girl said to me "So I hear that you like....." and it was because her and the girl who rushed me for Round 2 had talked about me! :eek: Either way, this is a house that is a victim of a lot of tent talking, and the video proved all of that talk wrong. I'm glad I gave it a chance, b/c the girls there are wonderful!

Alpha Chi...could totally see myself in the house. They were also very real and sincere. I've consistently clicked with the AlphaChi girls in each round...but up until this round I couldn't picture myself there. I liked their video also...and again, chills!

You don't understand, I'm not a crier or the type of person to get chills....so I was really surprising myself at each house.

DPhiE and AEPhi....both great, great houses....and the girls were great. I clicked with the girls that rushed me. But now that I am looking back at all the houses, I definitely got **the feeling** that my PiChis were talking about at some of the other houses. I'm not going to mention names, b/c I don't want to jinx anything!

Tomorrow at 10am we receive our lists of who invited us back. On a side note, for those of you who have been keeping up with this thread, my roommate attended Round 3 today and loved one of the 2 houses that she visited. I'm sure she's really thinking about it...but I have a feeling that she might be going greek....who knows!!! :) Only time can tell....

I'm headed to the kitchen now....but I will be reading your posts as the night goes on. :D

one more thing...
 

I just read over my post....I didn't mean to write less and less about each house. I loved them ALL...and I'm just tired...so the blurbs about them got shorter and shorter...sorry!!! ;)

I'm so glad you took our advice. And I'm thrilled Pi Phi gave you chills!

Curlygirly,

I am thrilled that you decided to press on with rush. Even if you don't go Greek, it is not an experience that should be missed. It sounds like you entered Round three with an open heart and an open mind. Keep looking, you will find that special "thing" that tells you where you should be.

As for your roomate, things have a way of working out the way they are supposed to. It is just possible that one of hte two houses that she went to today is where she ends up and where she always would of ended up, had she not been heavily cut. Remember, it is about where you end up, not where you don't end up.

Keep us posted!

be ready for the next step
 

sweetie. sounds like you had a very good day. be ready to go to pref. i suspect there are adventures awaiting. see how it plays when the craziness goes away. i suspect you'll feel wonderful and right.
for your room mate, keep trucking. it's not time to sing yet. play the game as long as you can.
lol

:D

I never went through formal recruitment; I was COB'd so this is all so exciting to read! It sounds like you have an excellent head on your shoulders. I wish you a wonderful time at pref. It'll be an awesome experience. :)

Time's almost up!!! It's so exciting that you had such a wonderful time getting to know these chapters better as the week went on. Tomorrow when you're waiting for your invite list, just remember, in a few days you'll have an entire house full of sisters just waiting to be your new friends. This tiring week is sooo worth it! Best of luck tomorrow, and have a great time at Prefs. Take everything in and follow your heart to your new home!

Tara
I have a Phi Mu castle...

OK, I KNOW it's 2 more hours and on top of THAT whose going to run back, log in and immediately type a post TODAY!?!

When this is all over, I'll look back and think-
"So WHAT if I didn't mop, dust, vac and made really LOUSY suppers this week!" HURRY UP AND GET THIS RECRUITMENT SEASON OVER! My house is a MESS!
Oh well... I gotta get a LIFE!:D

Oh justamom, I could've written those EXACT words. Clean?? What's that? I've got rush threads to read!!

Curly, we're waiting for your morning update! :)

Prefs!
 

Hello ladies....

I received my invite list this morning...here is what it said!

Alpha Chi Omega
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Phi Mu

I was dropped by Pi Phi, DPhiE and AEPhi. I'm extremely nervous about tonight, b/c I'm still not 100% positively sure that I'm going to accept a bid. I have my favorites as of right now...but we'll see after tonight.

As of right now, the most pressing question is red or black dress? They're both knee length, cocktail dresses...black is a tubetop and the red is a one-shoulder. I really like the red dress, but don't know if I want to stand out that much! lol

What do y'all think? :confused:

Go with the red dress. I know that you will look beautiful!

Congrats on your invites, pref night is truly a special night! I think you should go with the red dress. How did your roommate do with her invites?

Congrats on your invites! Those are all awesome chapters!

Personally, I'd go with the red dress. Everybody else will be wearing black. If you wear red, it'll be easier for them to remember you.

Ha, ha. I wore a red dress to prefs while everyone else was in black, and actives from all three houses later told me they were impressed.

I'd go with the red one! Red is such a stunning color and makes a statement.

Congratulations on your invites! Have a wonderful time tonight!

Tara
I have a Phi Mu castle...

I say go for the red!!! It seems like everyone is always in black at pref. Plus AChiO will probably think it is cool because its one of their colors. But then be careful not to tell the other two that you went to AChiO for pref or they could get the wrong idea.

Also you will probably be asked how you are feeling about going greek or going XYZ. I would caution you to maybe not let on you aren't 100% sure about accepting a bid. Because by the time you walk out of one of those houses you will probably have **that** feeling.

I would say you are having a tough time making a decision. That way the sorority doesn't know if are torn between them and another house OR if you aren't sure about going greek.

the red dress :) and good luck on Pref night. Thats like my favorite night of all :) I hope you find whats right for you!


Nichole

Prefs Update
 

Hello ladies...

Prefs was definitely a very long night...but very helpful. To recap, I visited Kappa Kappa Gamma, Alpha Chi Omega and Phi Mu. After the last party, all the girls met with their rush groups in Norman Field (across the street from Sorority Row). From there we walked to our "home base"...the room where we've been meeting to receive our invite lists. It was amazing seeing 19 rush groups walking in their prefs dresses across campus. My home base was in Florida Gym, which is right next to the stadium. I would have to say that it is almost on the opposite side of campus. We walked in silence (for the most part), and stopped traffic everywhere we went. It was quite a sight! :eek:

Our Pi Chis had warned us to bring a bag with a change of clothes and comfortable shoes. So there I was wearing a red dress (I was complimented all night! hehe), flip flops, and carrying a huge bag and my red heels in the other hand. The air wasn't on in our room b/c it's on a timer, and doesn't work on Saturdays. It was funny, b/c the moment we walked into our room, all the girls starting undressing and changing into their comfy clothes. :D

We got our instructions and asked questions. The pizza guy arrived a bit later...so we pigged out! By the time we got our ranking sheets in front of us, girls were freaking out. Girls were waiting in line to talk to the Pi Chis about what decision to make. Then finally, at midnight, all the girls turned their papers in to the computer Pi Chi. (we started at about 10p) She then ran to the computer room....scanned all of our sheets...and we were allowed to leave about half an hour later.

I didn't take too long to rank the chapters...but this afternoon I'll make my final decision.

Now about the actual pref ceremonies...they were beautiful. I was so excited to finally be able to eat! One house served chocolate covered strawberries on a glass plate that had my name written in frosting. Another house put my name on a cupcake. I liked the ceremonies in all the houses, and I even got teary eyed in some of them. In one house, one of the sisters was talking about how her mom died of cancer, and all the support that she received from her sorority sisters.

I do have to mention one thing, at one house, the girl that preffed (sp?) me kept saying "I'm sooo glad to see you again"...."I feel really comfortable talking to you"....."we've all been talking about how cute you are"......etc, etc. I know that this isn't a direct violation of any kind, but after leaving the house I felt really uncomfortable. I felt guilty not ranking it higher than I did....but I didn't like how I felt pressured by the girl. I understand that by attending prefs, the chapter is letting you know that they are very interested in you. But at the same time, I don't like feeling guilty about *not* joining them. Get it? I am confused as it is about rush, so I didn't really like all the added pressure! :(

There is a ceremony this afternoon at 5p where all the girls will be inducted into Panhellenic as a whole. That is also where we find out our Pi Chis affiliations. (super excited about that...since we started guessing last night) Then at 6p, we all walk to Norman Field and stand in circles according to our groups. Our Pi Chis will hand envelopes to us, and we have to hold them on our head so we don't peek. Then, at the same time, we all open the card and "cry and run" to our houses. Now, I'm not a crier, and I'm definitely not a runner....so if I accept the bid, I'll be walking there! lol....

I'll update everyone when I get back! Thanks again for all the support!

Thanks for the update, curlygirly! I can't wait to hear what you choose.

Thanks so much for the updates, curlygirly! I will be checking frequently to see what the outcome is! Thank you again for sharing your experience with us.

~Rxy

P.S.-glad you went with the red dress! :)