When did you KNOW?
 

I think oftentimes choosing a sorority is a lot like finding your husband. People say you will just know when the right person comes along. I think that is often (but not always!) the case with choosing a sorority. At some point in the process you just KNOW this is the place for you. You might not even be able to explain it to someone else, but something just clicks.

When did you know that "ABC" was the place for you? Was it a song? Something someone said? The first moment you walked in the door? Something done in the pref ceremony? Or was it later after you opened your bid card? Joined your new sisters at the house?

What sealed the deal for you? :)

It was the first night of recruitment--theme night. I had a random conversation with one of the girls I was paired up with about glasses vs. contacts. We literally spend almost the entire time on that conversation and it didn't feel akward or staged. I never had that same feeling at the other sorority, so that is when I knew.

I knew the first night, the first party. I walked into the house, saw the girls singing and clapping on the stairs, and I immediately felt this overwhelming sense of being home come over me. There isn't any other way to describe it.

I went through informal rush and was encouraged to rush by a woman in another sorority with whom I worked. I received a bid from her chapter as well, but I never felt there what I felt at Tri Delta. It was hard to tell her that I was choosing another sorority, but she was so very supportive, even buying me DDD gifts after I pledged. :)

The biggest confirmation after the fact was during initiation. I was so amazed by how well the beliefs of Tri Delta fit with who I was as a person. I remember being overwhelmed with joy that DDD was the perfect fit for me. :)

I rushed in fall 2005. But by spring 2005, I knew Phi Mu was the place for me. Many of the girls had spent the entire '04-'05 academic year becoming my new friends and making me feel very welcome on a campus where I knew barely a soul (even though it was sophmore year) and my closest friend at the time had flunked out. I was going through the process of putting my life back in order, and Phi Mu fit in really well into the scheme of that.

I technically knew before recruitment, since my school is deferred, invites pnm's to a few events in the fall and with only 3 very different sororities. Going to one of ZTA's fall nights was what made me decide to rush and it was then I knew I wanted to be one. Just the way the girls acted on campus, the friendships, the fact they were real, and how they all were so different but all shared the same bonds. It was at the preference ceremony though where I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else. And it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I loved it while in college and can't wait to be more involved with an alumni chapter, once I move closer to one!

Can this be moved to a more appropriate forum?

If the moderators think this is in the wrong place, they can certainly move it. My intention was to get more people to share parts of their rush/recruitment stories to illustrate how much the "aha!" moment can vary from woman to woman.

Same with the chants/songs thread. All of us here have little bits of our stories to share that PNMs will find interesting, even if we don't share our entire rush/recruitment story. :)

Most of the recent PNMs I know had their "moment" after recruitment. Like a lot of our recruitment story posters, they would fall in love with a group, think it was their perfect match, get cut, find a new favorite, get cut, and then they finally chose from what they had left. They fell in love after the ceremony, kind of like an arranged marriage.

Almost 15 years ago, it was probably the third day (pref was on the fourth day) when I began to remember some of the sisters that I had met on days one and two and met my "rush crush". I knew then where I wanted to be.

I think I started to know at the end of day one of Recruitment. Kappa was my first party, and I LOVED it. I remember leaving thinking, If they're all this great, it's going to be a hard decision! But at the end of all the parties, I knew deep down which group of girls I really had clicked with. While the other groups had been nice, I hadn't felt a connection like I had at Kappa. As the week went on, I felt it more and more strongly. Like a lot of PNMs I had gone in with my heart set on one group, and it wasn't where I ultimately ended up. But as I went through Recruitment I just knew the one I went in thinking was "perfect for me" really wasn't. Luckily, Kappa was! :)

I went through COB and had seen some other houses. I walked into the DZ house and all the girls were so welcoming and laid back. After a couple of minutes of talking to them I just knew that was where I wanted to be. I just felt so comfortable and everything felt genuine.

The next night when I was offered my bid, I was told I was given 24 hours to think about it but I was beyond ecstatic and accepted on the spot!

I knew the third night of rush when I was talking with my mom about the houses. I got excited when I even talked about Gamma Phi Beta...thats how I knew it was the house for me.

We all understand that here, but it might not be the best analogy to share with PNMs... ;)

I was in my dorm room waiting to get picked up and right before I opened the door I thought "oh @#$% I really hope XYZ isn't behind this door, because I really want to be an ASA."

Oh I know, I debated for some time whether to post what I did. But then I realized that almost every recent PNM I knew pretty much chose from what she had left after the massive cuts (and did not necessarily get to choose the group where she felt like she clicked). Then I started thinking--almost all the recent recruitment stories reflected that as well. Yet most of them are happy and grew to love the group they ended up with!

I hope that any PNMs who read this will take it to heart and remember that rush ain't over until it's over; who knows? Maybe you'll end up in the sorority you loved from Day 1 and maybe somewhere else but particularly if you're in a competitive recruitment, please don't get your heart set on one group!

Sorry for the hijack of sorts! Back to the topic!

I knew the first day of recruitment. I had gone through several other houses and had petty conversation, very forgettable, and I really felt like I was not meant for sorority life at all. The singing, chanting, clapping, screaming... maybe I was wrong about myself! The last house of that day I reluctantly chanted and walked in, and- maybe I just got lucky- but the girl I spoke to actually CARED about me, and what I said, and my goals, and my interests, and didn't just "yeah okay" them, we talked about them. I felt natural, like I didn't need to put on a show. That's when I knew that they were the one for me!

To be perfectly honest, as happy as I was with my bid from Chi Omega, I did not know that I was "meant to be" a Chi O until......... the morning of my initiation. I loved my sisters, don't get me wrong, but I was very uncertain about the finality of going through initiation and I had my doubts about whether or not I wanted to do it. Then on that morning I woke up and it just sort of hit me.

I know that sounds sort of lame, and maybe not encouraging to PNMs, but that's how it was for me. I'm the kind of girl who doubts and overanalyzes and overthinks EVERYTHING, but since initiation Chi Omega has been one of the few things in my life that I can say with certainty was exactly right for me.

me too!! a dear friend who was a member of another sorority and had been initiated the week before, literally talked me into going thru with my initation. i too was a commitment-a-phobe. listening to her was one of the best decision i ever made. i went on to hold one appointed position and 2 executive council positions in my chapter and have been very active as an alum.

I knew at second parties. I was matched with a girl that I just completely clicked with. They she was bumped and I clicked with the second girl as well. The party seemed to breeze by and it just felt right. Everything else about rush just seemed so forced.

Freshmen year I was really overwhelmed with the start of college and some other things going on in my life so recruitment was NOT a priority for me, so I dropped out after day one.

I saw my one of my best friends/roommate go on to pledge and saw how much she loved it and it really made me regret not trying it out.

Sophomore year I took it as far as I could. By second invitational round, I did not feel anything with the few chapters I had left. I know it is highly encouraged to give the chapters a chance until preference, but at that point make it I felt like I was forcing myself to just go through the motions. I wasn't really click with anyone. As cliche as it sounds, I just knew in my heart it wasn't meant to be with these chapters. I knew there had to be something different for me.

I dropped out. Most people would think a sophomore who drops out of rush would be done with her chances of joining a sorority. But like I said, I just knew there was something else for me.

Although I had Alpha Xi Delta would be recolonizing my junior year, I really never considered that this might be where I would end up. It wasn't until I received an e-vite for an ice cream social to learn about AXiD that I considered going through their recruitment process. I went to the ice cream social and although there seemed to not be a lot of interest at the time (only 3 other girls showed up!) I had a really good feeling about it.

I went through colony recruitment and that good feeling continued. I met some really great women, and was starting to see myself fit in with these girls. Before I knew it, it was bid day, and I was a new colony member.

Although I had a feeling there was something "different" for me, and even though I began to feel at home during recruitment, I'm also know someone who knew Alpha Xi was the place for me AFTER bid day. I am still just amazed at how close I feel to my sisters, and it's only been about 3 months! And coming from me this is saying a lot! I tend to be the kind of person who gets along with everyone but has a hard time making close friendships. Everything just feels so natural with them, and everyday I find more and more things that we have in common. I already know that they will be there to support me through thick and thin!

My case is a bit unusual, I know, but that's how I knew!

I am/was a legacy at Alpha Phi and at Delta Gamma so I was a little bit biased. But I just felt like I clicked with the A-Phi's above all the rest, from the first day I could tell that was where I belonged and that has proven more than true!

I have to say I didn't know until after I accepted my bid, and even then, I still wasn't sure. I had gone through recruitment as a sophomore and experienced some major heartbreak after our second day and thus dropped, and didn't really think I'd get a chance at Greek life after that...but then I went to a few of our COR events and really fell in love the weekend after I accepted my bid. I've met some of my best friends in the chapter, and I've found they're more loyal and accepting than my non-Greek friends :]

I was absolutely torn between 3 chapters on 4-party day. The other was great, but I knew deep down it wasn't for me. My chapter was my last party on 4 party day. I was seated in the front row for a skit with singing...every.single.girl up there smiled at me and made eye contact at some point during the song, and I swear there were actual twinkles in their eyes!

This is so weird...but it's my exact story, swapping out the campus for UGA and Sigma for DG.

A girl I'd already met before recruitment and I were walking to the concessions stands and she bought me a drink, and when we were standing in line she said "You're not one of those Diet Coke girls are you?" and I knew we were a match made in heaven! :)