I don't usually post on recruitment threads (though like many others I am addicted to them, lol). But I just have to say you've got such a fantastic outlook on the whole thing - and I'll bet it shows through to the sororities you're visiting. Best of luck and I hope you have another great day of parties. :D

Cheers,
ShyViolet

Not the voice! I lost my voice in rush, as in screamed through the first 4 of 7 parties the first day and started to lose it, sounded like a man the second day, and was silent by pref day. Thankfully the girl who rushed me in Zeta the first day (who ended up being my big!) saw me again the second day and just laughed histerically at the fact that I couldn't talk over then insanity of the party. I'm glad she found it amusing. :rolleyes: But seriously, hot green tea all the time - my rho chi ended up having to bring me some in between prefs! haha, glad you're having a blast!!!

I can definitely see what you all meant by sororities blending together and how important it is to take good notes! In some ways I was a lot more relaxed today, but at the same time, I can see exactly how exhausting this recruitment stuff can be. Still having a TON of fun, though! Tomorrow’s the third and final open house round, and Friday we find out who asked us back for first rounds (up to 14 sororities). Starting to get exciiiiiited!

I was really excited to go to the first sorority because a good friend is a member there and was actually one of the reasons I got interested in greek life. The party was okay, didn’t feel too much of a connection with the girls I talked to, but I know how much my friend loves her org, so I’m not opposed to giving it another shot.

Sorority two had the coziest suite ever… everyone was commenting about it after we left. Again, I have another good friend in this org that really pushed me to rush. Of all the conversations I had today, these girls were some of the funniest, most down-to-earth people I talked to. Definitely interested in going back!

The third sorority was WONDERFUL! I only got to talk to one girl the whole time, which I hope doesn’t hurt me with cuts, but she was SO real and easy to talk to, we could’ve gone on all night. When they flicked the lights to signal the end of the party, we were both surprised how fast the time went. This group also had a pretty cool door chant… which, though it’s nothing to base a decision on, really confirmed my thoughts that these girls are unique.

The fourth sorority’s party was so-so… I felt more like I was rushing the sisters I talked to than they were rushing me! They were all nice and a really diverse bunch, but I’m not sure I could see myself fitting in there. Being a sophomore, I’ve been able to hang out with quite a few of the girls in this group before recruitment, and based on those times as well, I’m not sure that I can really see myself as a member (but no hard feelings :)).

I was a little nervous going to number five because I was aquainted with a lot of the girls there and wasn’t sure if things would be awkward or easier because of that. Much to my relief, it turned out to be the latter and a really fun time! I had a lot in common with the girls that rushed me and feel pretty good about this place.

Sorority six was a lot of fun; again, I knew one of the members here from another club and ended up having great conversation with her and a few of her sisters. My favorite groups so far have been the ones that cheer and scream during their videos and show a ton of spirit, and this group was one of them. I’m just so enthusiastic about joining and being a part of a strong sisterhood that it makes me happy to see members of an org screaming that they love their big/little when her picture pops up on the screen, or clapping ridiculously loud when pictures of homecoming or THON come up. I’m a sucker for passionate people :)

Annnnnd last but not least was sorority seven. I didn’t really click with anyone here, but like last night, it was the last party and I was totally drained from walking all over campus and telling people what my major is and where I live a million times. Like number six, these girls were clapping and cheering for their whole video and seemed to really love each other, so I’m not totally discounting them yet.

It was definitely cool knowing so many people in the sororities I visited today, but at the same time, it’s kind of making it hard to figure out whether or not it’s the right organization for me. But I have faith :)

Keep going, Petals!! You've got a great outlook! Can't wait for the next installment!!

Helloooo all!
Just wanted to pop in and say that open house rounds are officially OVER and tomorrow the first rounds start. I'm wayyy too exhausted to recap the night, but it was absolutely wonderful; I was kind of hoping I wouldn't like any of the sororities tonight so that my decisions on ranking them would be a lot easier, but I ended up loving just about every single one (which, in the end, still made my decisions a lot easier!)

We had to rank our top 14 houses, and even though before tonight I didn't think that there was any way I could decide, everything truely fit into place by the end of the night. There are about seven houses that I'm in love with and seven that I want to give another shot at. Even my bottom six were great chapters with wonderful women, and to tell the truth, I wouldn't be upset if I saw some of them on my invite list tomorrow.

Parties start at 6:00 tomorrow, so send good energies towards Happy Valley!

I can totally understand you on that! That's alot of recapping to do!:)

Haha, yup! I was kind of on an adrenaline kick the first two nights and wanted to organize my thoughts with some quick summaries, but tonight, I just want to relax and get ready for tomorrow.

Petals,

I know others have said it, but it's worth repeating: you have a fantastic attitude! I can't wait to see where it takes you. :)

Petals, I've noticed that it seems to fall into some sort of place for many PNMs. It worked for me that I wanted to cut the exact number of chapters that I had to each night. Keep having a blast!

Petals, I hope you had a nice relaxing evening. I feel tired just imagining what you are going through. I'm glad that you are feeling excited!

Hugs!!

yay!! i hope you get all your top houses!! go petals!!!

First rounds are officially over!

Things went pretty well and I’m super excited to see where I’m going back for second rounds tomorrow. When I got my invites back yesterday, all but one sorority were in my top 14. Today, I was excited to see that 7 of the 9 sororities I was going back to were also in my top 14. Compared to some other girls, I made out pretty well. It seemed like there were quite a few PNMs that got more of their least favorite houses than the ones they ranked higher, and some didn’t even get a full schedule of 14 houses. In the end, I was still really happy with my schedule and was invited back to:

Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Omicron Pi
Alpha Phi
Alpha Xi Delta
Chi Omega
Delta Gamma
Gamma Phi Beta
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Delta
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Pi Beta Phi
Sigma Delta Tau
Sigma Kappa
Zeta Tau Alpha

I was disappointed that 3 or 4 groups in particular didn’t invite me back, as I really had some great conversations with the girls that I spoke with. C’est la vie, though, as I’m in love with some of the chapters I visited today and yesterday! So now comes the fun part… names :). Since this rush has been nothing but cold, rain, wind, and typical crazy Pennsylvania weather, I think I have to go with a “places I wish Penn State had a branch campus at” theme.

Barbados – I just really didn’t feel much of a connection with this one. I could probably have fun going out with these girls, but all I could think about was when the party would end.
Cancun- Another so-so house. They were fun and I would love to be friends with the girls I’ve talked to, I just don’t see myself as a part of the whole group.
Bahamas – I had a GREAT time at this suite; I just feel comfortable here no matter who I talk to.
Fiji – This sorority was a lot of fun and the girls seem pretty down to earth, but there was just no spark between the girls I talked to and me.
Miami – This was another early favorite of mine, and I’m still really hoping I get to go back! Though the girls I talked to this time weren’t as energetic and outgoing as the ones I spoke to during open house, I still had a lot of fun and felt super comfortable here.
Hawaii – I LOVE this group! They were one of the ones I really liked during open houses, too, and I only like them more after first rounds. They’re incredibly bubbly and fun, and because of that, it seems as though they’re a favorite of everyone going through recruitment. At the same time, I really had some great conversations here and would be pretty disappointed if I didn’t get invited back.
Maui – This group sort of surprised me with an invite back, but the girls I’ve spoken with seem very genuine and poised. It’s definitely one of the favorite sororities of the girls in my Pi Chi group, and I still want to see more of them before I decide anything.
Acapulco – I can’t really get a feel for this group; it’s kind of lukewarm in my book. In one sense, I really want to see more of what they’re all about because there are a bunch of cool girls here, but on the other hand, after two rounds I still haven’t felt much of a connection to this sorority.
Jamaica – I originally cut this group but still got an invite back. It was definitely a better time than during open houses, but at the same time, I almost feel like they’re a little bit more about partying than I’m up for. They obviously have a really strong bond amongst the sisters, though, which is one of the major reasons I want to join a sorority, so I’m giving them another chance.
Puerto Rico – I know I shouldn’t set my heart on a particular sorority this early, but I seriously LOVE this group! They’re all really mature and I actually had some conversations beyond the typical small talk that made me feel confident that these girls take school just as seriously as their sorority. Their philanthropy is also very relevant to my major, which really makes me excited. I’m trying my best not to get too attached, but at the same time, I’ll be SO happy if they’re on my invite list tomorrow!
Bermuda – This was my least favorite house during first rounds. It was the second to last party, so naturally everyone was totally drained, but my rusher didn’t even talk to me for half of the party and just sort of sat there! It was just a really disorganized situation.
Aruba – I really like this chapter… they’re so real and down to earth and, most importantly, don’t take themselves too seriously. I definitely want to see more of them.
Virgin islands – This sorority was so-so; I’m hoping if I go back that they’ll really shine, as I know they’re a great group, but so far nothing’s really sparked a connection with me.
St. Lucia – I originally cut this house, but going back, I think I want to give them another shot. The girls care SO much about their philanthropy, which I also love, and they just seem like a really neat bunch overall.

Sorry if any of my comments don’t seem as optimistic as I’ve usually been—my attitude hasn’t really changed, I’m just absolutely beat from 6 hours straight of recruitment and want to spit out my thoughts to organize and make sense of everything!

I also just want to say that all of the groups here really were great, each in their own ways. I swear I’m not a Pollyanna, but really, I’m excited to see where I’m going because each sorority is so unique that I’m sure there’s one for me somewhere in the mix.

With that, here’s how I ranked everything tonight. Tomorrow we can go back to up to 8.

1. Puerto Rico
2. Hawaii
3. Bahamas
4. Miami
5. Aruba
6. Maui
7. St. Lucia
8. Jamaica
--------------------
9. Barbados
10. Acapulco
11. Bermuda
12. Fiji
13. Cancun
14. Virgin Islands

Finally, I just wanted to mention that if anyone wants to know anything more specific about what’s going on, feel free to PM me. I’m just trying to refrain from posting too much information publicly.

Thanks for the support, everyone!

Aww, I'm rooting for Jamaica (my mom is from there!) and Miami (because I'm from there!)