Hi ladies :) I just wanted to give you a quick update, Prefs brought an unpleasant surprise, but more than made up for it. Since today was bid day I got an AMAZINGGGG new home, and can't wait to tell you all about it!







But I have to so be patient with me :)

Nooooooooo I don't want to wait!

I want to hear how last night went and today too!!

YOU'RE KILLING ME

I think this year amount of houses per round got changed,

Day 1 - UCF Day - All 10 Chapters
Day 2 - Philanthropy Day - 8 Chapters (not 7)
Day 3 - Video Day - 6 Chapters (not 5)
Day 4 - Pref Day - 3 Chapters (same from past years)

This set up is kind of a double-edged sword. When it went 10-7, lots of PNMs would drop the less-liked chapters immediately after UCF day while the 'top' chapters would string them along, only to get dropped after video day and potentially have NO pref parties!! The 10-8 system allows girls who get all their top choices the opportunity to get to know chapters who are usually less-liked during the first day or two of recruitment. However I don't like that they have to cut from 6 to 3, I feel like that's a major drop! (ETA: Another thought, PNMs could potentially end up with a pref schedule of their BOTTOM 3, which could cause that dreaded heartbreak and crying at the tents, and possibly dropping from recruitment on the spot) I haven't heard anything though about how that has worked out for them.

I did recruitment twice at UCF, the first year I did it (05) we ranked each chapter. Starting in 06 they had you rank the bottom 3, essentially, regret with interest. Although I have to say in 06 and at least 07 as well, PNMs didn't go through recruitment thinking "Hmmm who am I going to drop today??". The idea of mutual selection was still in their heads, and during my year the RGs encouraged us to "rank" chapters anyway even if it was for our own personal edification just to keep our minds clear about who we liked MORE than who, not just who we didn't like the most if that makes sense.

Where's the update on this story??! I want to hear more!

I don't really see how 10-8 or 10-7 makes a difference. RFM is what will make the difference, the "top" chapters making the steepest cuts after round 1.

Yess, I can finally do this!

I know the outcome:) :)

I won't spoil the surprise, but I REALLLY knew she would be this (just from the posts and knowing where she went on each day). I just had that feeling she would go there!

Congrats, can't wait to hear the story of it all!!!

Pref Night
 

Haha it’s easy to know the outcome when you know how to find me on Facebook ;) FYI- a good friend from high school that was going through with me went Chi O so congrats on a great new sister!

Now.. IM SO SORRY to keep you waiting but I’ll finish up. We were supposed to start prefs at 4:30, but ended up being held in the parking garage till nearly 7 due to rain. It was an adventure, charter buses dropping girls off at each house on the row, rain coats and umbrellas everywhere, doing attendance in house vs on the lawn.. it was CRAZY.

So crazy, I didn’t even get to see my Rho before the night started. She called and told me my first party and instructed me to get the rest of my schedule from an Exec member. Glue was up first and I was pretty excited. I had time before the party and decided to find an Exec.

Paper and Pencils stayed off my list, but Markers was gone instead of Folders. I didn’t mind not going back to Folders, but Markers had been neck and neck as my favorite with Glue all week. So I was a little hurt. But I knew Glue, Folders, and Backpack made a great schedule, so on I went.

Paper- Pi Beta Phi
Pencils- Alpha Epsilon Phi
Markers- Tri Delta

I was pretty surprised when my party at Glue started because I had expected to be paired with someone I had met earlier in the week and I didn’t. It worked out great though, my rusher was WONDERFUL. She took me to her room and we talked about how she grew up close to me and used to play my school in sports. We got along great, so great we didn’t even quit talking long enough for her to show me her scrapbook she had made. About half way through the party we went downstairs to see part of their ritual. I don’t think it would be right to go in to detail but I will say it was one of the most touching things I’ve seen. Sisters all around the room were crying and you could see how much they meant to each other. My rusher and I were both crying as we left and I KNEW this is where I wanted to end up. I was so touched I cried all the way to my next party at Folders.

This party was nice. I got to see three girls I had met earlier in the week. We chatted and they introduced me to a new sister who I got along with nicely as well. We talked a little about their ritual and then moved into a bigger room to see part of it. It was simple and sweet. I felt bad because I had really grown to like these girls and knew I would love to be friends with them in the future but I just didn’t feel closeness with them the way I did Glue.

Backpack. I was matched with the sister I had met the night before and she was as sweet as ever. She had made a scrapbook and showed me her memories from her first year of sisterhood and talked very fondly of her sisterhood. I felt a little awkward because we hadn’t found that relatable ground like I had in my previous parties. We were still more on a question/ answer bases than a conversation one. When we went in to see their ritual it was very nice and you could see that the sisters meant a lot to one another but for some reason I felt more disconnected from them than any other night. I couldn’t see myself here at all.

So at the end of the night I ranked my houses.
Glue
Folders
Backpack

BID DAY
I was TERRIFIED all night that I wouldn’t get Glue. Waking up, getting ready and waiting at the school seemed to take forever. But eventually we made it into a gym and were given our bids to sit on. I was surprised because I feel like we didn’t wait that long before we were told on the count of three you may open your bids.. 1… 2… 3…
I began ripping my card open and started crying..



























Out of complete HAPPINESS! I had received a bid to GLUE!

Folder- Chi Omega and Backpack- Kappa Alpha Theta were great, but after a long week I knew where my home was, and as soon as they let me I sprinted to

ALPHA XI DELTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! J <3

My Pledge Class and new sisters are WONDERFUL we have all clicked really well already! They took us on one of those river boat dinner things last night and we had a blast! I can’t even explain how happy I am to have found my home<3 Thanks for reading and as a treat I’ll post a couple pics!

:) A HAPPY PLEDGE!!! :)

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...sd-059_001.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...16_3400195.jpg

Yayyyyyy :) Congrats I'm glad your story had a happy ending!!

yay!!! congrats!! so happy you found your home! :) i did to, but you know that already haha ;)

That is so awesome you found your place in UCF Greek life!! It sounds like you had a very open mind during recruitment, many girls get SO down on themselves when they are dropped from houses. You will be so happy w/ AXiD!!