A very lovely sophomore recruitment!
 

Hey GCers! I've been lurking around the forums for a while and all the help you guys provided was amazing!! I've been reading everyone's recruitment stories and decided I would post mine. Recruitment starts at the end of September and is classified as being fairly non-competitive. :)

I go to a state school in the Midwest and I am not from the immediate area, so I had to make all new friends. I was a freshman last year, and I didn't have time to go through formal recruitment in the fall.I regretted it all semester, so I decided to go through informal in the winter semester. To make a long story short, I checked out two chapters and didn't click with either of them. I've been slowly getting more excited about the idea of going through formal, so I decided I would give it a shot! I met the recruitment chairs for two different sororities (that I haven't met yet) by chance and they told me all about it and that they would love to get together for coffee with me before recruitment begins. So I know this was a really long intro, so sorry and congrats if you made it this far!!

We have 9 sororities on our campus. For them, I will be using some of my favorite TV shows. The code is totally random and does not correspond to any particular house!

Firefly
America's Next Top Model
Stargate: SG-1
Glee
The Tudors
Greek
Scrubs
Pretty Little Liars
Pokemon

The schedule of days is spread out over about two weeks.
Day 1: Kickoff
Day 2 & 3: Chapter Rounds
Day 4 & 5: House Tours
Day 6: Preference
Day 7: BID DAY!!

I'll try to post it live, but no promises!!

Correct me if I am wrong, but the bold part screams RECRUITMENT INFRACTION! :confused:

Just sayin'

Good luck. =)
(Go Firefly!)

YAY MIDWEST!! YAY STATE SCHOOLS!! YAY RECRUITMENT :)

Since I feel somewhat guilty about watching ANTM for like 6 hours today (stupid marathons), I'll have to root for them, but I love Scrubs too.

I'm rooting for Glee and Greek! I put off watching Greek for a long time because I figured it was just perpetuating stereotypes. Plus, as a member of a small chapter, I don't think we had the drama of the bigger houses, so it's fun to bitterly imagine that the other houses on campus were living this kind of craziness and back stabbing.

Really? I wouldn't want to be a part of dirty rushing or whatever, but it's before recruitment...so... maybe?

Also another thing that is questionable: I have friends in a sorority that I went through informal with last semester, and they are telling me some secrets about recruitment... is this bad??

Both the scenarios you've outlined make me uncomfortable. BUT - I'm not a student at your school, nor a participant in your system.

People talk; I don't know "secrets" about recruitment, but I hope they are not discussing membership selection with you. THAT is verboten.

I'd be very discreet and careful about my behavior and my actions. I would not want to be the one that was made an example of, should someone decide to cry "foul."

In the meantime, I'm hoping for a great ending to your story.

It definitely seems weird to me, but I would check with your Greek Life office and/or your Rho Chi, if you have one yet. As you've probably figured out from reading these threads, different schools have different rules and practices.

As far as the secrets, it probably won't hurt you, but is not cool as a sister, depending on what you learned. If they discussed the finer points of member selection, they shouldn't have. If they talked about how grueling work week is, or the fact that they are doing Grease for their skit, that's not a big deal. In any case, it's not YOUR problem; it's theirs.

They may not have as stringent of dirty rush policies (i.e. the coffee thing) if she's a sophomore. Or they just don't have as stringent of policies in general.

As far as the sorority members she knows telling her "secrets" - well, it depends on what they are. "Acceptable" and "not acceptable" were covered in previous posts. Although (and I'm really jumping to conclusions here) it may be a misguided attempt on their part to make her feel "in" with them and woo her to their sorority. Keep in mind they have been sisters for only around 6 months.

Thank you for all the clarification on that one ladies. The last thing I would want to do is make a recruitment gaffe. I don't have a Rho Chi yet, but I have several friends that are going to be ones, so I can ask them about that stuff.

As for the secrets, a girl did mention to me a few things that were big no-nos and that would get you automatically cut from their chapter. It was definitely good to know, but I'm not sure it's fair game. The same girl also told me that they were specifically looking for a girl with certain... beliefs I guess you could say? Not in a snobby way, but a positive one. As for the coffee topic, I think they meant it as more of a friends thing just to catch up rather than talk about recruitment. I could be wrong, but like I said I'm going to ask my Rho Chi friends :)

I'm getting so excited... I can't wait, but I know the end of September will be here before I know it.

I'm sorry to double post, but I just wanted to let you know that I officially registered for recruitment today! They even gave me a little fridge magnet with all the dates, it's super cute.

so your friend gave you tips on how to behave during rush-at her house specifically. i would say that it isn't probably a bad thing, no more than if you were preparing for a job interview and a friend who worked where you were applying gave you some tips. just realize that even though your friend is probably going to be pulling for you, there is the possibility that you might not make it at that house through to bid day, or you may not want to. just be careful!

that being said, i would certainly check with your greek life office, or at least the panhellenic website to see if what is going on is against the rules. panhellenic websites often post the recruitment rules online-your concerns might be listed under "contacts."

and yay, you!!! for registering for recruitment.

Honestly, and this might just be me, it's probably not in your best interest to find out or report if you know someone is breaking the rules, not as a PNM. You can decide for yourself if you you think it crosses a line, and should you be one of the actives next year you can make sure your chapter doesn't do it, but I don't think you want to be in the position of turning someone in even accidentally.

Completely agree. File the fact that they did these things in your brain as something to weigh when you're looking at the chapters, especially if they made you feel uncomfortable, but unless people are straight up handing you envelopes of cash (or Bradley Cooper's house key) I would not report it or ask about it. (I don't think I would report that house key either, come to think of it. :) )

Thanks for the advice! These actions didn't necessarily make me feel uncomfortable, I just questioned the correctness of them. I did some research and found out that it's actually encouraged that PNMs meet with sorority members outside of recruitment. The Greek Life website said that a PNM should try to meet all or most of the members (not hard, since total is 60ish). I guess since they're not doing anything that's like... blatantly ridiculous (such as giving me Bradley Cooper's house key...I wish) I guess I'm fine with it. After all, it is a good way to get to know people so I can make a more informed choice. Plus, the last thing I would want to do is alienate a chapter or a person by reporting something like that so thanks for bringing that up, Drolefille.

I guess it's just different at every school what happens. I had a friend rush at a fairly big school just a few weeks ago, and they were really hardcore about not letting members mix with actives during recruitment. But here, apparently it's encouraged for some reason. Confuuuuusingggg!

THIS is why we say you need to check with your local Greek Life office. The website works just fine! I'm glad they were thorough enough for you to get your information with no threat of coming off as a narc.

If this system works on your campus, that's great! You will definitely go in having a clearer idea of which chapter you will feel at home with if you know a lot of the women involved. Good luck to you !

The reason would be that the people running rush at your school have a brain in their head.

Seriously, I wish more schools would adopt this attitude. All the strict silence rules do is make everything more stressful for sisters AND rushees and give people stuff to snitch about.

That being said, sorority members shouldn't go into detail about member selection any time EVER, but it sounds like these girls are just new and a little more excited than they should be.

So I'll post a little bit about my experience/knowledge about the sororities on my campus, just to get all my preconceived notions/rumors/gossip/tent talk out there.

Firefly: I know several girls from this house. Half of them were very sweet, and half of them were very snarky and assertive. I'm not going to base my opinion of a house on a few bad apples, but I would not want those snarky girls as sisters. They are known for being feminists, tomboys, and very untraditional girls (I don't agree with this stereotype though). They do not have a chapter house anymore.
America's Next Top Model: I only know a few girls from this house, but they are all awesome! I feel really strongly about their philanthropy and I'd definitely like to know more about it. They are known as one of the top three chapters on campus.
Stargate: SG-1: This is one of the houses I went through informal with in the winter. I know almost every girl in this chapter (including their recruitment chair), and I like most of them. However, I just didn't feel at home here although many of my friends are here. It wasn't the right place for me last year, but I'm keeping a very open mind this time around.
Glee: This is known as the top sorority on campus and I know a couple of girls. They seem nice, but they are known to party and sleep around (I disagree with this stereotype as well!!). Their philanthropy interests me, and they seem to have a very strong sisterhood. Overall, I'm pretty interested here, but not dead set on it by any means.
The Tudors: I only know a few girls in this chapter, but this is the one where the recruitment chair went into details about membership selection. This doesn't give them an extra advantage in my mind, and like some of you said she was probably just really excited. I'm interested to learn more. This is one of the lesser known chapters on campus, and one of the only chapters in the area.
Greek: I know a few girls in this house as well, and they mentioned to me in the past that I would be a great fit for their house and make an amazing sister. Their philanthropy is another one that interests me, and I know that they have an amazing sisterhood. They are a large, but low key chapter on campus. I would love to get to know this chapter better.
Scrubs: I know only one girl in this house, but from what I have heard they are a group of fun and laid back girls. I literally have heard nothing bad about this chapter. They thought of as being in the top three sororities. They're a fairly large chapter, and they have many successful chapters in the area.
Pretty Little Liars: This is the other chapter that I looked into during informal last semester. I only went to two events and they asked if I was prepared to accept a bid. I said I was going to wait and go through formal so that I could get a better idea of what greek life was all about. I didn't particularly connect with this sorority, but I had a great time at their events and I want to check them out some more.
Pokemon: This is the smallest chapter on campus, and I know nothing about it. It's all one big mystery here and I can't wait to find out more. They are one of two chapters that do not have a house.

Alright, I know that was kind of a lot, but I figured since I had a lot of background, it would be nice to get it out in the open. I wonder if anyone has an idea of which school I go to... PM me if you think you know!!! :D

Keep us posted!

At this point recruitment is less than two weeks away! I'm so excited for it to begin. The past week or two have flown by, which I'm glad for. A big group of friends and I are all going together to the kickoff day, so that should be fun. A couple of them got bids last year and turned them down because they didn't feel right or didn't get a bid at all, and the majority are going through for the first time. I'll be sure to keep you all posted :)

Sorry for posting so many times in a row! I feel a little silly doing so, but oh well.

I just got a call from my Rho Chi! Yay!! She seemed really nice and answered all my questions well. She says we're all going to be best friends :). Apparently there are like 400 girls going through this year which is double the number who normally do. I hope I still have a shot, considering that I'm not a freshman and that it's going to be more competitive. The other thing I'm worried about is that I have a late lab that will cause me to miss some/part of two days of recruitment (kickoff and round 1 of house tours). I can always work something out with my lab partner and professor if needed, I'm sure they would understand. Thanks for reading....this week needs to fly by because I am SO excited :D

Make absolutely certain that your Rho Chi knows you'll be missing part of Recruitment! If they're unexused you could get booted out.

Also, the higher number of girls going through Recruitment isn't going to make it more competitive, it will just bring quota up.

Good luck and have a great time!

Good news! I talked to my lab instructor, and she was gracious enough to let me attend another session so I wouldn't have to miss recruitment. Woo :)

There was a meet the sororities event a few days ago, and I had a great time. Unfortunately, I didn't have a whole lot of time to stop by because it was sandwiched in my busiest day of classes. I made the most of the time I had though! Here are my thoughts:

Firefly: Their table was pretty nice, it was all done up in their color scheme, which I liked. They only had a few girls there and they seemed busy talking to other girls and didn't pay me much attention. I didn't really learn anything new here.
America's Next Top Model: I LOVED their table! It was decorated in the cutest way. It kind of reminded me of how a scrapbook would look. They had a big trophy that said they were Greek Week champions (or something, I can't really remember). I asked them about it and they told me what it was and how much fun they had and stuff. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the at recruitment.
Stargate: SG-1: If this chapter had a table here, I didn't see it. It doesn't affect my opinion of them in any way though!
Glee: Their table was also really cute, with lots of girly touches. Their colors are my favorite, I have to say, as superficial as that is. The girls seemed nice and approachable, but a bit preoccupied. That's probably because their table was swarming with girls! I'm looking forward to learning more about this chapter soon.
The Tudors: I didn't get a chance to visit this chapter's table for very long, sadly! There weren't that many sisters there, but it's probably because it was in the middle of a class day. Their decorations were very professional looking, and they had a lot of cute letter t-shirts out. I don't really have anything else to say here, good or bad.
Greek: This was another chapter who really wowed me. I swear, I like every girl I meet from this house! They're all so sweet and genuine and you can tell they're really into being in their sorority. I find myself very excited to meet them again!
Scrubs: I'm gonna sound like a broken record, but in a good way! I liked this chapter's table too. The girls were really friendly and approachable. Their decorations were really well done and fancy. I didn't like their colors at first, but the way they displayed the made them look really pretty together. I talked to a girl that I had a class with last semester, and she was really excited that I was going through recruitment. I'm looking forward to meeting more of the girls during recruitment.
Pretty Little Liars: If this chapter had a table out, I didn't see it. I'm sure they did, but I just didn't have enough time to get through everything. :(
Pokemon: This chapter didn't have a table set up. I looked, but found nothing. I was disappointed, because I so much wanted to learn more about them! Oh well, I guess that will make the first time I meet them all that much more exciting!

Thanks for reading! I'm going to pick out my outfits this weekend and such and maybe get a few new things. Only 5 days left until it begins! :D

Day 1!
 

So I just got back from the first night of recruitment. OMG, it was so amazing. My Rho Chi group is sooo sweet and they seem really fun to hang out with. Tonight we visited all 9 sororities on our own schedule, which was tough since my cell phone died and I had no watch. Thankfully I got to fit them all in, but spent a little more time at some than others. So here are my impressions for tonight:


Firefly: This was the third chapter I visited. They had a super cute cheer that made me feel really welcome!! I didn't know how I would feel about them, because I know a couple of mean girls in this house, but wow they totally blew me away!! They were SO sweet and seemed legitimately happy to meet me. We got past all of the "what's your name, major, hometown" ect. really fast and had some deep and meaningful conversations. I was paired with one girl the whole time who I actually had a class with last semester. It was really great to talk to her and get to know her. She seemed really knowledgeable and I learned a lot of things I wanted to know. They don't seem super connected to their philanthropy, but it was just the first night so it's probably just because we went through it kind of fast. One comment my rusher made kind of made me feel a little awkward... she said something about their sisterhood chair pretty much forcing people to hang out and scheduling things for people to strengthen their sisterhood. Maybe it just came off wrong, but it seemed a little odd. I definitely am interested in going back here.
America's Next Top Model: I hoped I would love this chapter going in, and I was totally right! When I walked in I felt like I already knew everyone and felt really welcome and relaxed. I was rushed by two girls at once and we had some really great conversation about their philanthropy, which I have a close connection to. I kind of felt like every girl in the room was gorgeous and girly and I'm not sure that I'm gorgeous and girly enough to fit in, but it was a very minor concern. They seem like they are very socially involved around campus, but not in a bad drunken kind of way. Their sisterhood also seemed really strong. You could tell that all the girls were friends with each other and I really liked that. This was one of my favorites and I am looking forward to going back!
Stargate: SG-1: I felt super comfortable going into this room because I knew I was walking into a group of some of my really good friends. We ran up and hugged each other and just chatted away about random things not even related to recruitment. I know all the basic stuff about them since I went through informal with them last semester, so it was comfortable, kinda like a favorite pair of jeans. All the other PNMs probably thought I was a freak for hugging these girls and being so buddy buddy... they probably didn't know that I knew them, haha. I still don't know if this is where I'm meant to be, but I (of course) look forward to going back and seeing all my friends again.
Glee: I loved this chapter! I was rushed by a girl who lives in my apartment building, so we were kind of like... hey, you look familiar, oh it's because we live in the same building! It was a funny coincidence. We chatted for a little bit and she was very sweet and exuberant. The sister she introduced me to next was one of my floor mates from my dorm last year! We of course hugged each other and squealed away. Their place was decorated to perfection!! I loved it so much. I really felt at home and comfortable here. It was definitely a favorite and I can't wait to go back!!
The Tudors: I went in hoping to fall in love with this chapter, but I was kind of disappointed. Maybe my hopes were too high. I still had a good time here. Their chapter is a lot smaller than I thought, which wasn't necessarily a problem, it just took me by surprise. My rusher must have been inexperienced because she basically read off information from posters and displays. She didn't really let me get a word in edgewise, so I didn't get to talk about myself or ask questions. I hope that tomorrow will be a better day with them.
Greek: OMG this was by far my favorite of the day. I spent the most time here, which I kind of regretted later, but I'm really happy I stayed. This was the 2nd house I visited. Their decorations were in my favorite colors, and they were SO well done. I was paired up with a girl I had a LOT in common with. I just loved talking to her. All of the sisters she introduced me to were really sweet as well. She said that she could definitely see me fitting in with them, and I totally agree. I could definitely see this chapter as my home and I can hardly wait until I see them again.
Scrubs: This was another one of my favorites. I loved the way it was set up! I met several sisters here and I loved them all. Their sisterhood seems like one of the closest and they do a ton of stuff together. Their house is my FAVORITE! It's so cute and just my style. They have the highest GPA on campus and have a really studious group of girls, which fits my needs exactly. I know that I would fit in and feel comfortable here. So excited to see them again :)
Pretty Little Liars: This was the first chapter I visited. It was okay. The first sister I was paired with was a little too peppy and excited... she was practically screaming her head off! But I'm glad that she was enjoying herself for sure. She passed me on to another sister who was really nice and told me a lot about their philanthropy, which is something I am also very connected to in a personal way. They didn't mention very much about their sisterhood. I think I need more time to get a better feel for this group.
Pokemon: This was my last visit of the day, and surprisingly I wasn't exhausted or tired of talking. They had a lot of alumni there, which was pretty cool. This was another instance where my rusher kind of just read information off of posters and stuff. They had a really cute scrapbook, which was fun to look at and see their sisterhood. I don't think this is the right place for me, but I'm looking forward to going back anyways.

So I don't have to rank chapters tonight obviously because it was only the first round, but I will list my unofficial rankings.

1. Greek
2. Glee
3. Scrubs
4. America's Next Top Model
5. Stargate: SG-1
6. Firefly
7. Pretty Little Liars
8. The Tudors
9. Pokemon

Tomorrow I go back for longer visits with Firefly, Stargate: SG-1, Glee, and Scrubs. The day after I go to all of the remaining chapters.

Sounds like you have a lot of great options!

the tudor girl might have been recruiting from the sorority side for the first time, and that was why your conversation with her was so awkward. or she might just be shy.

hope you have fun tonight!

So you go to all chapters for both of the first two rounds, and the third round is invitational?

Yeah, yesterday was just the first brief house rounds, then today is longer house rounds that are not by invitation. Nobody gets "cut" until preference here so I don't have to narrow it down until the night before. The first time I rank is the night before pref, and the second time I rank is before after pref.

So I have two nights where I visit half the houses on each night, then house tours split up in to two nights, then the next night I find out who invited me to preference and I rank them.

This system seems really confusing to other systems that I've read in other people's stories but I think my school is trying to be progressive. :)

Much like what Henry VIII thought when he first saw Anne of Cleves. LOL.

You have such a great attitude - keep it up!

I actually think that putting the responsibility on the PNMs to make it to all the houses on their own timetable is probably rather empowering for them.

Hahaha 33girl!! I love the Tudors (obviously since it's one of my shows on here) and I just watched that episode. That made me giggle so much!

So I texted my Rho Chi today about cutting/ranking ect because I was still confused and not 100% sure. She said that you get invited back for house tours, but if you didn't get invited back you are still encouraged to visit them that night. I guess it's just a way for PNMs to gauge who is interested in them ect... I'm off in just an hour :)

best wishes to you!

Day 2
 

Okay, so I just got back from recruitment day two! It was philanthropy/craft day so that was exciting since I love crafts. I am so tired out. Today I visited Firefly, Stargate: SG-1, Glee, and Scrubs. Here's what I think and what happened tonight!

Firefly: This was my last visit of the night, but I wasn't too tired by the time I visited them. They had some alumni greeting us at the door, which I thought was pretty cool. When I walked in, I immediately felt relaxed like it was a very low key environment. I was picked up by a really nice girl who seemed a little nervous. She sat with me while I did the craft and talked to me in detail about their philanthropy. It seems like they do care about it, which was a better impression than what I got last night. I talked to several different girls here, and from what I gathered it seems like they are very into leadership development, which is something I'm looking for. I just didn't feel a connection, which is weird since it's the sorority whose profile I fit into best. They have a lot of girls in there that are my same major and have the same interests as me, so I really want to click with them, but I just don't feel that spark. I'm looking forward to seeing them again anyways, if I get invited back that is.
Stargate: SG-1: This was my third visit of the night... guess I'm going in reverse order here! I was the first in line to walk in and I saw some of their very recent alums which was exciting! I got paired up with the girl who is my best friend's room mate (they both live in the sorority house) so we just hung out and chatted and did their craft. They had food to eat, which looked really yummy, but I figured eating and talking isn't the most flattering thing ever so I abstained politely. I learned more about their philanthropy which is really unique and cool. Unfortunately I just didn't feel a connection with it. It's so weird for me since I have a ton of friends in this chapter but I still don't feel like it's my home. I feel like there was a reason I didn't get a bid from them in the past (I'm a big believer in the idea that everything happens for a reason). I feel like being faced with the idea of being invited to later stages of recruitment is stressful. I'm not sure my home is here, and I wouldn't want to hurt anyone's feelings by not going to their events or choosing others over them. I know it's probably soon to be having these feelings, but I'm just a worrier, I guess.
Glee: This was my second visit of the day. They are definitely super peppy and spirited, which is how I am so I fit in really well. I met at least 12 different girls in the time I was there and I clicked with every single one of them. We got talking about really deep stuff and I felt like I was going to tear up at one point, but I of course kept my composure, haha. I am kind of self-conscious about my body sometimes, but these girls made me feel so good about myself, which is something that I haven't felt in a long time. I definitely felt like I could hang out with them and just wear sweats and a hoodie and be totally comfortable with it. I love their philanthropy, their sisterhood, and what they stand for. I think this could definitely be my home. I even met a girl who I think would be my big (so cheesy and kinda creepy I know!). I am still smiling thinking about the fun times I had with these girls tonight. One thing that worries me though is that this is literally EVERY girl's top choice, and I'm just concerned that I will get passed over.
Scrubs: This was my first visit of the day, and their cheers scared the CRAP out of me (in a good way)! They were banging on the walls and doors and windows and just screaming out cheers, it was kind of cute, haha. I met a ton of girls here as well since we had a lot of time to talk. I was paired up with girls who I had a lot in common with and who were really passionate about their sorority. I learned a lot about their philanthropy today, which was one of my goals going in. Not only that, but I fell in LOVE with their chapter.. I mean they all seem like best friends. I think this could definitely be a place for me too. I have the same sense of humor as a lot of the girls, and we're all into the same things. This is another one where I feel like I could walk in on my worst day and they would take me as I was. I'm so happy to have had more time with them. I'm going to be CRUSHED if I don't get invited back here.

My unofficial rankings for the night would be:
1. Scrubs
2. Glee
3. Firefly
4. Stargate: SG-1

It was SUPER hard choosing either Scrubs or Glee as number 1! Thankfully I don't have to rank them at all tonight so it's just my unofficial ranks. I know this was super long but I know you all love to read recruitment stories so hopefully you'll understand. I want to thank everyone for their advice and uplifting words, it really does mean a lot to me. Thanks for reading my story too. :)

So today was a pretty amazing day. I definitely got a better idea of where I do and don't fit (as you could probably tell). Tomorrow is round 2 of philanthropy day. I visit: ANTM, Greek, Pretty Little Liars, The Tudors, and Pokemon. I have two favorites that I'm going back to, but I'm hoping for fantastic days that totally change my opinion for the better at the other three. :)

Day 3!
 

So yesterday was round two of philanthropy/craft day. Before the round started, I got a chance to talk to my Rho Chi about what happened with Stargate: SG-1 last night. She did say that what they did was "bid promising" and it was very much against the rules, but I didn't want her to report it so I don't think she did/will. She said it was normal to feel the way I do, and said that if my friends aren't going to support me in choosing the chapter that's right for me then maybe they aren't very supportive friends. That made me feel better, although I had been in a funk all day and had a sleepless night previously. I went in with kind of a weird mood, but I feel like I shook that off pretty well. So anyways, here's what happened today:

America's Next Top Model: This was my first visit of the night. Their theme was super cute and all the girls were wearing cardigans in the sorority's colors plus the theme color for the night. I saw a lot of the girls I was paired with last time, so that was really nice. I learned a lot more about what they do for their philanthropy and I told them about my personal connection to it and they seemed pretty impressed and excited that I was so pumped up about it. Next I got paired with one of my floor mates from the dorm last year which was super awesome. She told me all about their sisterhood events and all of the great things they do around campus. It sounds like they are all really close, even though it's a bigger chapter. Most of the girls seem really genuine, which is hard to do during recruitment since they have to be all peppy and love everyone. I feel at home here, but with reservations. I think I just need time to interact with them in a more personal setting (which will be what it is like at house tours!). Overall I had a great time tonight and would love to be invited back.
The Tudors: This was my last visit of the night. They had the best theme, decorations, and craft! You could tell they really went all out for tonight. I actually got paired up with the chapter president, which was pretty cool! She explained a lot about their philanthropy, but I didn't really feel any sort of connection to it which was disappointing. While doing their craft, I met pretty much all the sisters I didn't already know, which I enjoyed. They seem like the kind of girls I could fit in with easily, but I'm not sure if being in this chapter would challenge me to grow or develop my leadership skills, which is something I'm looking for. I had a really fun time tonight, but I'm still not sure this chapter is for me, although they are rising in the ranks compared to others (which you'll hear about soon...)!
Greek: This was my third visit of the night. When I walked in, I immediately felt comfortable and relaxed. I got to see all of the girls I had really clicked with the previous round, so that was really fun. We even remembered each other's names without even looking at name tags! I got to learn more about how they raise money for their philanthropy, which I feel pretty connected to. I got to see a ton of cute scrapbooks that they had out and hear about the fun sisterhood events that they do. I met a lot of girls tonight that were really awesome, and that I feel like are the kind of people I would pick as friends. I did have one girl who was a bit awkward though; she told me this was her first time on the other side, so I won't be too hard on her. She kept saying like, "wow, you're so outgoing..." and staring at the ground awkwardly. I felt like my personality overpowered her, even though I'm not the most outgoing person in the world. It made me a little self-conscious, but I still had a really fantastic time here. I would be really sad if I didn't get invited back here.
Pretty Little Liars: This was my fourth visit of the day. From the moment I walked in, I got a weird vibe. The girl who picked me up didn't even talk to me, she just sat me down at a table to do the craft and walked away, so I was left alone until another sister came to join me, which was at least 3 minutes later. It's not like there were too many PNMs either, I was purposely ignored (or so it seemed). The table I was at started to fill up with more PNMs and sisters, but whenever I tried to socialize everyone would ignore me. It's like I wasn't paired with anyone. There was one sister in particular who was giving me dirty looks and would literally cut me off mid-sentence every time I tried to speak. I didn't learn much about their philanthropy, which was disappointing since I felt so connected to it last time. Needless to say, I had a horrible time here and I really hope not to be invited back.
Pokemon: This was my second visit of the night. They had a really cute theme and decorations. Unfortunately, they don't really do a lot with their philanthropy so it turned into more of a get-to-know-you whatever kind of night. There weren't a lot of PNMs there, so I got to talk to everyone. The more I see of this chapter, the more I realize that, while the sisters are really nice people, I just don't line up with what they're looking for and what their values are.

If I had to rank tonight, here's how it would go:
1. Greek
2. America's Next Top Model
3. The Tudors
4. Pokemon
5. Pretty Little Liars

So recruitment is over for the week and we have the weekend off. Next up are two days of house tours, which you can get invited back for (but you can still go if you don't get invited, it's just to gauge who's interested in you). The first day of tours is at: Pretty Little Liars, Scrubs, Glee, and Firefly. Thanks for reading :)

LOL! That is good! :)

I guess I need more explanation of this even if they cut you, you can still return to a house thing. Can someone other than the OP clear this up for me?

I'm amazed to hear about such a blatant recruitment infraction. How do those wash out later? Do they get in huge trouble NOW or do they get a slap on the wrist in 3 months or what? I know we can't say specifically what will happen in this case, but has anyone dealt with this in the past? 9 chapters is a substantial Greek system and there are going to be chapters fuming over this.

Okay, DubaiSis, I know you said not to reply but I will anyways because I don't think I explained it very well, I was pretty exhausted when I wrote that and I understand it better now.

So we had 2 rounds with each chapter, fast 20 minute meetings, then longer philanthropy/craft rounds. We don't get invited back to either of those, they are open to everyone. At the end of day 3, the PNMs did not rank anyone. For house tours, the chapters invite girls that they are interested in back just to help the PNMs narrow it down. However, since my school is trying to be innovative and give everyone a fair shot, a PNM can return to a chapter she was not invited to and try to make a better impression on them if she so chooses. Chapters and PNMs do not "cut" anyone until it comes down to choosing for preference. After house tours, then the ranking and cutting, ect. happens. I think the reason why they do this is because they know it's hard for girls to get to know a chapter (and a chapter to get to know a girl). This is the explanation we got from our Rho Chis, anyways. I hope this helps anyone who is confused understand it better. It took pretty much everyone in my RC group three nights to get a grasp on the system, haha.

If you have a lot of good friends in this chapter, they might have just been being overly familiar and not thought of it as a rush infraction. (They're nervous too and screw up sometimes too.) I'm going back in my memory bank and thinking of a couple of times we did things like that with people we knew very well that could be misintepreted.

Of course, it depends on what you mean by "friends" - are these people you hang out with every weekend, or just people you know from class and your dorm? If it's the latter, honestly, I would tell the Rho Chi to go ahead and pass the info on.

Thanks for the advice everyone, it has been truly helpful!

Just to be clear - I didn't want to exclude you. It's just that sometimes the PNMs don't understand the rules, they just do what they're told, and an active or alumna might have been able to state it more clearly. But I think you explained it as well as could be expected for a pretty free and loose recruitment style.

It sounds to me like your campus IS trying to be innovative and I hope it works well. I think all of us on GC are real cheerleaders for being Greek, and any method that encourages membership and successfully matches women to lifetime membership is a win in my book.

And yes, your friends probably should have been a little more careful, but if it's a small campus and your best friends are in the chapter, it's not the same thing as a chapter at Bama or Arkansas bid promising to a freshman PNM. When it becomes a problem is when they can't actually come through with their promise.